I think I've found paradise. Every day in Koh Tao is more beautiful than the last, and I truly mean it. This small island is just slightly north of Koh Phangan, and differs in its vibe considerably. Koh Phangan was fun, but was very much a party island -as I mentioned before, this is where the full moon party is held. It is either feast or famine for Koh Phangan, as the island experiences a tremendous surge in income during the various parties it hosts and barely makes any money at all when there is not a party. The island first became famous with the Full moon party, but once it realized how much money it could make it began to introduce more "moon" related parties. We were there for the Shiva moon party, which was a total bust in almost every way. Although I have nothing against backpackers who come looking for a party scene, it just wasn't the reason I came to Thailand. For me, experiencing a culture completely different from my own was part of the appeal of asia. On Koh Phangan, I found that the reliance on partying and tourism as the main source of income really created a huge divide between the locals and travelers. I sometimes found the locals a bit jaded and detached, and the backpackers there only to party, feeling upset when there wasn't much.
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| Flowers in Koh Tao |
Koh Tao is much different. This island is every bit as touristy, but the locals are friendlier and the main attraction is diving. My dive instructor (as of tomorrow!) told me today that 7 of the top 10 dive schools in the world are located here, including the top 5 in the world. I'm not sure where he got his stats, but that sounds pretty impressive! Almost everyone here has come to get their PADI or SSI certification, and it is consistently busy but never overwhelming, unlike Koh Phangan. It is also a very laid back kind of place. There is a much bigger diversity in the type of travleller here, and because drinking is not recommended before diving most of the places here close up around 10 or 11. The ones that stay open are pretty chill, laid back kind of venues, and I've honestly only seen 1 or 2 that even stay open later. I start my own dive course tomorrow, and I'm pretty excited. I'm biting the bullet, and am getting my PADI open water certification with a friend from Germany I met on Koh Phangan. The owner of the hostel I'm staying at in Koh Tao is a really cool Dutch guy who only opened this hostel a week ago. He hooked us up with a friend of his that only does private or semi-private lessons through a dive school a block away. It'll be a semi-private dive course with only the 2 of us as students, and I got a really good price for it. I start tomorrow, and I'm so excited!! In the meantime, I plan on staying at the same hostel, mainly because it's new, quiet, has air conditioning and has a few people I've made friends with.
I'm enjoying walking around and checking out this part of the island as well. There are a lot of really neat restaurants that have some gorgeous decorating, and sit right on the beach. Many of them have various props and cushions, and you sit down to eat which I found to be a pretty interesting novelty! When your server comes over to take your order, they sit down beside you as they right it down. I'm ordering at least one fruit shake a day. I could probably live on these things! So delicious, the fresh fruit is one of my favourite parts of my travels thus far.
Here, the Thai way to do things is to remove your shoes before entering any building, and this includes stores and restaurants. Some of the smaller restaurants or stores have people's homes attached to the back as well, they are all tiled, and the owners/workers are very conscientious about sweeping regularly throughout the day. Although it took some getting used to, I am now quite comfortable slipping off my flip flops and leaving them gathered around the front stoop with the others.
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Anyways, I suppose that's enough rambling for tonight. To sum things up: Koh Tao is amazing, and I want to stay here forever. Or at least until I find my next paradise...
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Hi Linday! I've been looking for the best spots to stay at Ko Tao and ended up here! I liked your blog a lot and I was wondering in what part of Ko Tao you we're staying.. You mentioned a hostel? Where is it located? Sairee or Mae Haad? Or some other wonderful place? You'd help me a lot if you could answer my question :) Safe travels!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The hostel I stayed at was called Koh Tao Central Hostel, and it was located in the downtown part of Mae Saad, but only 5-10min from Sairee beach. When we stayed there, it had only been open for 2 weeks, and everything was new and spotless. It wasn't fancy, but had nice cold aircon, was cheap and clean and with the nicest owner. However, it shouldn't be difficult to find anywhere nice -when the ferry arrives, you'll be met at the dock by a ton of people waving flyers for their guesthouse. No need to book ahead if you're in low season!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your travels :-)