Koh Tao

I fell in love with this island about 10 minutes after I got to the beach for the first time. Me and Lorna were wandering along the beautiful white sand beach thinking about lunch when we came across a little restaurant with tables on the sand. We stopped there for a fruit shake and fried rice and stared out to calm blue sea. It was so quiet, peaceful and relaxing. After lunch I jumped into a hammock strung up on the beach as well and spent several hours just relaxing!

Hammock time!

But that was just the start. Once we started wandering around Sairee village, I realised the whole place was like this! Restaurants opening on to the beach, cushions and hammocks for you to relax in everywhere! It's awesome! Little wonder that's what I've spent the majority of this week doing.

I have also managed to experience scuba diving for the first time. I did 2 dives just off the coast of Koh Tao and I saw my first turtle! It was munching away at something on the coral then swam off over my head to the surface! I can now understand why people go diving again and again! I have plans to go my open water course soon...

View of Sairee Beach from my dive boat

On our 2nd day here Lorna and I got very motivated and decided to hire some mountain bikes and cycle around the island. We got as far as the south coast, saw some amazing views but decided the ridiculously steep mountain "roads" (more like dirt paths, with loads of pot holes) were way too tough.

View from the south coast

Tonight is my last night here, I'm heading off to the mainland on a 8 hour night boat tomorrow night...

Koh Phangan

It's the end of my first month of travelling tomorrow and I'm leaving my Real Gap group and going alone! I've spent the last week on the island of Koh Phangan. It's really awesome here, bright hot sunshine, beaches, clear blue sea and a pool at our resort. So I've spent many days lying on the beach or by the pool.

View from my balcony

We have also been to the crazy half moon party in the jungle. That was a night of neon body paint and crazy dancing till the sun came up. The full moon party is not until the end of the month, though I'm tempted to come back for it as it would be an amazing night. We have also been to a couple of parties on the beach, complete with silly games, fire spinning and a foam party!

Me, L and Laura at the Half Moon Party - Unfortunately the rain washed off the body paint!

The awesome fire spinners on the beach in Haad Rin

My attempt at fire spinning!

I'm off to Koh Tao tomorrow to do some more lazing on the beach, a bit of snorkeling and maybe even have a go at Scuba diving! There's 4 of us staying together for the next week and then hopefully Lorna will come with me for a few weeks of exploring the mainland and the west coast before the full moon party.