I flew on Bangkok Airways nonstop from Chiang Mai in the far north of Thailand to Koh Samui, an island in the Gulf of Thailand in the far south. I was met by my guide and a car and taken from the airport on the south end of the island for the about 15 minute ride to my resort hotel on the water, the Fair House. It was a lovely tropical resort on a steep hillside sloping down to a fine sand beach on the ocean. The grounds were beautiful and there were a pair of secluded big lovely pools, then the restaurant right on the ocean beach.
The 2nd day I was picked up early and taken to the Discovery Divers scuba dive shop and then to the boat for a long, high speed boat ride all the way past Koh Phangan island to the far end of Koh Tao, considered to be one of Thailand's best dive locations. We dropped a group of snorkel and beginner divers off and then went around the north end of Koh Tao to the pinnacles, Thailand's 2nd best dive site. We then did our lst dive in about 60 to 80 feet of water and saw a rich variety of fish and marine life in the clear , warm waters. We then returned to pick up the rest of the party on Koh Tao and did our 2nd dive in somewhat shallower waters off the south east coast of Koh Tao. Again, with a nice variety of fish and corals in the clear waters. Then we had the long boat ride back to Koh Samui.
The next day, I again left early and took an all day tour out to the east of the island to the amazing AngThong Marine National Park and Sanctuary. We lst stopped to snorkel off one of the northern islands in the 42 island park. Then we had a wonderful boat ride thru the islands with their unique shapes because of the limestone islands. At noon we went into the beach by the park headquarters for lunch. There we got to sea kayak for an hour out into some of the nearby islands and beaches. This location had been the site of several movies including "The Beach". It looked like a south Pacific paradise. We then went to another island and got to climb the steep coastal ridge to look down into the famous Blue Lagoon, site of another movie by that name. Then the day ended with a long boat ride back to Koh Samui.
For my last full day on Koh Samui, I was picked up in one of the 2 bench open pickups called a Rot Song Taeow. It was a hot ride in the open air in the sun around the end of the island and up into the mountains to a zip line site. We climbed to the top of the steep mountain and then took the zip lines down. There were a group of 2 young German couples and a pair of Brits from London. On the way back we got to stop and tour the famous "Big Buda" and its temple.
The following day, I was up early for the high speed ferry boat ride up to Koh Phangan for my last 4 days in Thailand. I stayed at a small, picturesque resort on the beach named Haad Son resort. I had a room right on the beach in one of a brand new pair of buildings with 4 rooms in each. The resort had this wonderful powder sand beach and amazing bar and restaurant built out on a rocky point with secluded seating areas and even hammocks out on the end of the rock point where the small restaurant was. You could snorkel right off the end at the restaurant.
The 2nd day, I was picked up for the best scuba diving trip of my life out at Thailand's number 1 site, Sail Rock. The dive shop ( The Dive Inn) was run by a Scot and my dive instructor was a wiry Brit who was wonderful. She took me out for the two tank dives in about 60 feet of clear water and took many photos, which I was then given. I have never seen so many and varied fish. There were schools of fish like clouds around you. It was amazing and I will never forget it.
The 3rd day on Koh Phangan I was picked up by a friendly Thai lady named Lampai in her Song Taeow. This time I got to ride inside where it was cool, as I was the only one she had that day. We 1st went to the National Park to Nam Tok Paeng, where I hiked up the mountain to look out over the island vistas and see the Paeng Waterfall. Upon returning , I got to feed an elephant bananas and then get a solo elephant ride around the area. Then I had a chance to interact with one of the monkeys before we then drove up over the island divide to visit a Chinese temple high on the mountain. It was very different from the Buddhist temples. Our next stop was Malibu beach on the northern end of Koh Phangan for lunch in a lovely setting. After lunch I got to wade out to an island and along the beautiful, soft, white sand beaches. Then it was back to the Haad Son resort after a very interesting, fun day.
My 4th day on Koh Phangan, I finally took a relaxing day off, with time on the beach and snorkeling off the resort restaurant point. I knew that it would be a long trip back the next day, with the early catamaran ferry back to Koh Samui, the trip to the airport, the flight on Bangkok Airways back to Bangkok, and then the long China Airlines flights to Taipai and on back to Vancouver to overnight. The following day I flew to Portland and finally up the coast back home to Anchorage . It was truly one of my top adventure trips of all time and one that I will always remember.
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| The Discovery Dive boat on the way to Koh Tao with Koh Samui in the distance |
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| The beach on Koh Tao where we dropped off half our party |
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| Yours truly about to scuba dive in the Pinnacles off Koh Tao |
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| I am heading down towards the Pinnacles and the many fish and corals |
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| A beautiful example of the amazing sea anemones in the clear waters |
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| Some of the fish above the sea anemones and corals |
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| A beautiful sea urchin |
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| One of the huge, colorful giant clams |
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| A fine big "brain" coral |
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| A sea cucumber |
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| Amazing sea "vase" in the crystal waters |
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| approaching the stairs to the golden "Big Buda"on Koh Samui |
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| The impressive "Big Buda" up closer |
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| Another colorful statue on the grounds of the "Big Buda" grounds |
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| Yours truly on the way down the mountain on the Canopy Zip Line on Koh Samui |
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| Standing on one of the Zip line platforms with a waterfall in the background |
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| Standing near the bottom by the mountain stream in the jungle |
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| Loaded up on the rot song taeow for our hot ride back to the resorts |
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| The steep walk from my room thru the jungle down to the beach and restaurant at the Fair House Resort |
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| The lovely big beach at the Fair House in front of the restaurant |
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| Sea kayaking in the AngThong Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary at noon |
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| Approaching a beach on another island while sea kayaking in AngThong |
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| exploring the limestone formations along the island while sea kayaking |
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| The National Park sign near the headquarters |
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| Orchids on a tree in the Fair House restaurant near the beach |
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| The upper of the lovely secluded pools on the Fair House grounds |
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| Our group snorkeling at our lst stop in the AngThong Marine Park |
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| Some of the many and unusual limestone formations in the huge island complex |
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| Sea kayaking at noon near the National Park headquarters |
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| sea kayaking to another island and its beach |
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| exploring some of the many interesting limestone formations along the island shores |
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| The National Park sign near the park headquarters on our noon island stop |
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| The tropical South Pacific beauty and site of several movies such as "The Beach" |
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| Another scene, with the near 90 degree clear water and powder soft sand |
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| Yet another scene of tropical beauty |
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| Some of the small Thai coastal boats at the pier in front of the park headquarters |
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| The sign on the beach of the island with the famous Blue Lagoon |
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| A stunning view from part way up the steep steel stairs on the way over the ridge to see the Blue Lagoon |
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| The much photographed, famous Blue Lagoon, also the site of the movie |
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| The view out from the beach by the Blue Lagoon |
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| Catching the high speed ferry on Koh Samui on the way over to Koh Phangan for my last 4 days |
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| The National Park entry sign for the days mountain hike on Koh Phangan |
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| Trail sign for the hike to the water falls and mountain top view point overlooking the island |
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| vista or view point for overlook of island after long, hot hike |
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| Now this was more fun ! I was about to get a solo elephant ride at the Park entry area |
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| One of the monkeys examining the top of my head |
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| I was feeding the elephant the last of a bunch of bananas |
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| The very different Chinese Temple high on the mountainside on Koh Phangan |
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| A sense of the mountain side location of the Chinese Temple |
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| One of the small coastal Thai boats arriving at the beach near Malibu Beach where we had lunch |
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| Looking towards the harbor along Malibu Beach |
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| Truly a beautiful beach scene, with nearly no one there because of the Thai government unrest and tourist scare |
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| View from my rooms balcony at the Haad Son resort right on the ocean |
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| Another view from my room right on the beach |
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| My crab cakes, fruit, and Thai beer dinner one evening on the rocky point restaurant at Haad Son Resort |
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| One of the 2 new buildings with my room right on the beach at Haad Son |
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| Looking toward the Haad Son sign and my room on the beach |
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| Looking the opposite way along the lovely sand beach at Haad Son |
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| Another view of my beachfront room and balcony just to right of white sign at Haad Son |
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| The lovely evening view at dinner out on the point at Haad Son |
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| Approaching Sail Rock and the famous dive site with the Dive Inn Scuba team |
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| My wiry little English new friend, who was my dive instructor and photographer |
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| Two of the huge schools of fish, Russell's Snapper with chevron barracuda behind |
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| One of the many kinds of colorful angelfish |
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| A big school of batfish |
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| One of the bright gold and blue angelfish with their white tail |
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| A leopard grouper with many Big Eyed Snapper behind |
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| A yellow Box fish |
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| More Big Eyed Snapper with another Leopard Grouper in the center |
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| More Big Eyed Snapper and Leopard Groupers |
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| Immense school of Ox-Eyed Scad |
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| Incredible school of Big Eyed Trevally |
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| beautiful school of Chevron Barracuda |
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| Literally clouds of fish ! |
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| Sea anenome and little reef fish |
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| Many more Big Eyed Trevally |
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| Literally clouds of Big Eyed Snapper, amazing sight ! |
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| 3 white eyed moray eels |
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