Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao

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There really wasn't much to do in Vientiane other then killing time counting mould stains on the walls or keeping busy logging my travel statistics. It turned out that in January alone, I'd covered about 2.800 kilometers in South East Asia on various means of transportation.

I've slept in 22 different "rooms", by which I mean 3$ box-with-beds and shared bathroom (shared with 300 species of fungus, that is).
I've spent 96 hours on buses, 23 hours in Minibuses, 6 hours on motorbikes and 15 hours on various types of boats. All these figures gave me enough of a headache to convince me I deserved a little vacation... I decided to treat myself well by heading down to a tropical island with the sole intend on doing pretty much jack shit.

I vultured away one last delicious Lao baguette. You're a fool if you don't try a Lao Baguette (you might still be a fool even if you do, of course). Then I bailed out of my dig in Vientiane, where the remarkably friendly owner (who'd obviously never had Israeli or Russian guests) gave me useful advice on how to proceed towards the Friendship Bridge between Laos and Thailand. I left Vientiane on yet another 12 hour bus ride towards Bangkok. This was followed next evening by a 9 hour night bus that saw me hit the town of Surat Thani, located just a few hours by boat off the cluster of islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

Koh Samui

Once upon a time, Samui was a traveller's playground. Back then there was only one bar on Chaweng, nobody shaved and the only thing anyone wanted was peace and love.

Yup, 1999 was quite a year. But most of the 60's backpackers have grown up, put on shorts and socks, had a few kids and are back on Samui. They can't tell the difference between 20 and 1000 Bath bills anymore (in all fairness, they don't really care). They are now looking for peace and quiet, which they can get, but they also have to weasle their way through the maze of junk food joints, nightclubs, Starbucks, tailor shops, massage parlours, souvenir shops, Internet cafes, and just about every vacation convenience concievable, such as aircon rooms (which beats bamboo shack every time, if you're honest with yourself).

Koh Samui is just as diverse as the one million people who visit the island every year. The beaches are long and exotic, boutiques close by, the sun warm and the beer cold. You'd be hard pressed not to find your niche on Samui...

Well, I didn't...

Not that I tried really hard to overcome my distaste for this abundance of so-called pleasures. For dinner, I ventured on the main drag only to be surrounded by five DJ's fiercely competing their share of my ear space.

I fled the next morning on the first ferry to Koh Phangan. Too bad because I'd have loved the experience shooting a few drives into coconut trees on the 18-hole golf course beautifully laid out in the jungle and overlooking the ocean. a damn shame I missed out on that one.

Koh Phanang

Koh Phangan boasts stunning beaches, quality rooms and extraordinarely steep roads with dreamy scenic views from where you can stop and just contemplate the futility of life in a big city.

Despite all warnings against it, I opted to rent a motorbike and took it for a spin around the island. I found myself caught with locked brakes and a bike gliding down the gravel on a 25% downhill dirt road with incoming trucks taking up all space. I somehow managed not to wipe off the 30 meter cliff and that's when it struck me that riding moppets on Koh Phangan provide as close an approximation to an extreme sport as you can get.

Like everywhere in Thailand, beach bars feature their own fire-juggler show after sunset and Haad Rin is no exception. Here, however, they even offer courses for farang to master the art. Watching zealous students set their t-shirts aflame is a favourite pastime after midnight.

Koh Phangan is the darling of the bathing beauties (...and the uglies alike). The island started celebrating the full moon about a decade ago. The event, which takes place every month (I'm sure you guessed when) has developed into the biggest beach rave party in the world, with up to 15.000 freaks washing up the Haad Rin shores to partake in this festival of debauchery .

The problem is that, even a week after the party, you can't spit without hitting some tripped out hippie's psychedelic fisherman pants. Conversations are along the lines of:

"Hand me another one of those mushroom shakes before these pills kick in, will ya! ...and stop bogarting that joint... Oh shit, is that Phil lying out there in a pool of puke? Wicked mate... I think my face is melting!"

Welcome to the Freakdom !

The not so artificially loved-up undercover cops scouring the island are more then happy to escort dope-heads and provide them accommodation in the government's Hilton in Bangkok in an effort to reinstate the islands quality of life. Something the eco-tourists on the island view as a good ridance.

All in all, it wasn't really my bag either. I had made up my mind and was determined to get a good kick from some good old Nitrogen Narcosis, for which the best way to go is "Simple Life" on Koh Tao, just a handful of kilometers up north.

Koh Tao

Nitrogen Narcosis is a funny buzz you get whilst scuba diving beyond depth of 30 meters. Koh Tao, also known as the turtle island, is the PADI mecca of South-East Asia.

Within 45 minutes of Turtle Island there are loads of dive sites, ranging from soft coral reefs, deep-water pinnacles, sandy bottomed beaches. Thanks to the ease of diving these reefs, Koh Tao is the premiere place for wanabee Cousteau's and for neophytes like myself to wet their fins.

I got completely addicted to scuba diving, making quick progress to the advanced level. Koh Tao may not be big in size, but it makes up by being both big on atmosphere and lively party scene. I overshot my stay here by at least a week, which is okay. Yesterday must have been one of the highlights of my trip when, on Rocky Bay, Shalock Baan Kao, I spotted six 1.5 meter black-fin sharks swimming about a meter or two next to me. Absolutely exhilarating! I lack the words to describe the feeling of having those big dogs glide by. Amazing !

Black Tip shark

It was wonderfull to discover Nemo's world but after two weeks of fun and farniente, it was time to set foot on terra ferma and venture into some new grounds.

I'm gearing towards the ancient city of Angor Wat, nested somewhere in the Cambodian jungle.

I'll keep you posted on my whereabouts as soon as I get a chance so check back in soon and in the meantime, take care.

Cheers,

Rem

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