Let me start by talking about Ko Samui. I had a wonderful time in this island. The 2 days we spent there were completely relaxing and just plain fun. Our hotel was in a great location by Lamai Beach which is known for being more laid back and not infested with tourists. The hotel was right by the beach and there were tons of great restaurants and shops in the area. We took a dip in one of the pools, and I got to do some reading by the water. I finished the book "One Day" by David Nicholls on my Kindle which was quite a good read. It's an unconventional love story about two best friends and how their relationship evolves throughout the years. It was a good beach read, but I wouldn't consider it as one of my favorites.
We also rode a motorbike around the island to do more exploring. We visited a waterfall which was wonderful. It was so soothing to watch the water cascading into the river.
As we motorbiked up the island, we were able to catch some very breathtaking views. It was nice to be able to stop whenever we wanted and simply sit back, take some pictures and soak all the sights in . We got to go eat at some great restaurants and found the wonderful Buddha beach which was nice, quiet and secluded. It had a very bohemian feel to it. There was a cafe that served drinks and snacks, and there was also a tiny hut that offered massaging services. It was an absolutely great escape.
I love motorbiking with my boyfriend. We just feel so much more accomplished when we discover places by ourselves without any tour guides.
Ko Tao, on the other hand, was a different story. The trip got off to a bad start with the boat ride going to the island. Everyone on the boat got incredibly seasick because of the heavy waves. I really felt sick to my stomach and am only thankful that I didn't actually puke like some people did. The entire time, all I could think of was, "Don't throw up, don't throw up." The ride went on for an extra hour since we were going against the current. It has got to be the roughest boat ride I have ever had in my life. To top it off, almost as soon as we arrived, we had to attend the orientation session of our scuba diving course. I was still sick and the last thing I wanted to do was pay attention in a class.
The next day was a little better. I was rested so I was ready to start the scuba program. We had class in the morning and went to the pool to practice scuba diving with all our equipment. It was very challenging for me because I am a tiny person, and scuba gear is definitely not the easiest to handle. It's very heavy and bulky, but I managed. The session didn't go too well for me though. I was behind, and I couldn't accomplish the skill sets as quickly as the rest of my classmates. I'm simply not the most athletic person in the world. It was gym class all over again. Eek! Haha!!
The next morning, we had 2 dives scheduled for open water. I was nervous, but hoped that this day would be better than yesterday since this time we would get to see sea life and not focus too much on the skills we had to learn. I was wrong. I was very nervous and worried the entire time I was underwater. At one point, I even had a bit of a panic attack when I started to breathe water through my regulator. I basically forgot most of the tips and lessons we had learned the day before and focused too much on worrying and imagining the worst case scenario. Most importantly, I didn't really enjoy the view underwater since the seaworld isn't really my thing. To me, the vibe underwater is creepy and makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I don't like the taste of my regulator and the air coming from my tank. I don't like the bubbles that come out every time I exhale. I don't like the pressure in my ears every time I descend. I don't like the sounds the regulator makes whenever you breathe in and out. I don't like that it's darker in the water, that sounds come out slow and muffled, and that it feels like something bad can happen anytime, and you only have hand signals to communicate with the people you're diving with.
After this dive, I decided that I didn't want to continue on with the program. I told my instructors that scuba diving just wasn't for me. I don't find aquatic life and vegetation fascinating like my classmates do, and I only signed up for the program because of my boyfriend who was dying to do it. I wanted to give it a try, and it simply didn't live up to my expectations.
After this, I started to have a much better time. On the last day, I simply relaxed all day, and at night, my boyfriend and I hung out at the diving resort's bar/restaurant with some of our classmates. We got to eat, drink and chat. It was a great way to cap off an exhausting trip.
Ko Tao is a wonderful place, and it was too bad that we didn't really have time to explore the rest of the island since we were doing the diving program. The beach was amazing, and the sand was so fine, soft and smooth. I definitely want to go back in the future to see more of it.
I'm really going to miss Thailand. It is now my second home. I have such wonderful memories and experiences that I will take with me for the rest of my life.
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