Category: Thailand

June 27, 2007 Andy 2 Comments

You’re sat in the office on a dull afternoon reading this immensely interesting blog and quietly wondering to yourself, how can he afford all this? This round the world trip has been a long term plan of mine ever since uni when Jon and I said we would travel once we graduated. Well that didn’t happen due to money and the fact that I was enjoying Spain too much when Jon did set off. For this trip Espe and I had been saving for about a year, helped out by a pay rise (and an unexpected bonus a month before…

May 24, 2007 Andy 1 Comments

This is the first post in a new category that is destined to be irregular. Originally I had planned this to be “Photo of the Week” but that was seven weeks ago and I’ve not posted a single picture, so allow me to present the “Photo of the Month” category. I aim to show off my photos and make you jealous at the same time. Much like with my Inbox, I have a bit of a back log, April’s Photo of the Month is “Clouds over Koh Tao”. We stayed in a resort quiet resort on the south of Koh…

May 16, 2007 Andy 0 Comments

Well the rainy season has arrived. At least where we are anyway. We’ve had rain now for the last 18 days and I have to admit it is quite welcome due to the cooler temperatures it brings with it. It isn’t raining all day every day, either short sharp impressive storms or persistent rain for several hours. We’ve spent the last four (wet) days at Khao Sok National Park, arriving a day later and with a lighter wallet than anticipated after a frustrating visa run to Burma. Our Visa’s expired the day we left the meditation retreat, but we didn’t…

April 30, 2007 Andy 6 Comments

Dive number 32. Whale Shark. For those that dive I need not say more. I will however divulge. A whale shark was spotted at the Chumphon Pinnacle dive site in the morning of our last day on Koh Tao, and as a result it seemed as though all of the island was heading out there in the afternoon. We arrived as the sixth boat. Not only did this mean a long swim to the buoy line, it also meant 60 odd divers in the water. Most of them were Koreans who seemed completely lost and kept crashing into each other.…

April 29, 2007 Andy 0 Comments

Espe mentioned the other day how she couldn’t believe how many people are traveling. There are so many westerners everywhere we go. I can believe it. What I can’t believe is how young so many of them are. We are meeting 17 and 18 year olds who haven’t even started Uni yet. Just over hearing conversations (normally having no choice – why do people go to an internet cafe only to spend an hour nattering with the person next to them?) I realised how different I am to many of these people. Without wanting to sound snobbish, most of that…

April 28, 2007 Andy 0 Comments

Just in case you weren’t being sarcastic Chris, what do you think of this? We’re now on Koh Tao swimming with the fishes. Welcomed back by clear (10 – 15 metre vis’) warm (30 degrees) waters, I do like this place. I was first here with Jon in 2004, and although it is busier and more developed, it still remains beautiful. On top of that, this is one of the cheapest places in the world to dive. Espe and I have so far done six dives each with two more to go. We’ve seen all sorts; barracuda, sting rays, angel…

April 27, 2007 Andy 0 Comments

Our new Australian friend from Koh Wai, Penny of Oz, now has legend status with us. Not only was she kind enough to put us up for the night in Bangkok but she also treated us to a restaurant dinner (she refused to be talked out of it). It was great to see Bangkok away from Ko San Road and see how many of the ex pats live. Her tower block is full of Korean and Indian people and is pretty much self contained with the shopping mall below, gym, tennis courts, swimming pool etc. I don’t think she’d approve…

April 23, 2007 Andy 3 Comments

I’ve stayed in many guesthouses and resorts which have the word paradise in the name. None, until reaching Koh Wai Paradise even came close. In fact if it wasn’t for the terrible laundry service, the mosquitoes (that even bite during the day) and the rock solid bed then I think this would be it. Picture this, your own wooden hut on a clean sandy beach on a small remote island (3km at it’s longest point) with no roads. Clear light blue 30 degree water with a coral reef metres off the beach. Dolphins swimming by while eating breakfast and lobster,…