Thai Islands

Koh Samet:
One word of advice to anyone thinking about travelling to the Thai Islands during a Thai holiday...DON'T DO IT!! I was so eager to get out of Bangkok I quickly booked a trip to Koh Samet (4hrs outside Bangkok) without checking the Thai holiday schedule. Well it turned out I arrived on this beautiful island with no place to stay because every local had planned a 3 day weekend with their family. So as I paced back and forth up and down the beach looking for a place to stay only to be slapped in the face each time with a sign that said, "FULL"...I really started to get worried. After about 1 hour of searching and literally asking every shopkeeper if they had a place I could stay in, I fell upon 9 Thai friends also looking for a room. They were college buddies that decided last minute to get away and didn't make any reservations (like me). They were so sweet and kind they asked if I wanted to join them (that's right 10 people in a room meant for 2). Needless to say it was a 3 day adventure with my new Thai friends and of course it all worked out like it always does...

Koh Tao:
After my adventure in Koh Samet, I was really looking forward to some quiet "LT Time" on the beach. I exchanged my Chasing Harry Winston (I do love my chick-lit book and the book stores here make it so easy to fine them) for a good Jodi Picoult book and I was ready to go. After my 10hr bus that arrived on the pier at 4am and the ferry that doesn't leave until 7am, I finally arrived in Koh Tao. I made friends with a nice Christian girl that shared the same passion for Israel that I do and we decided to find a place to stay together. We stayed on top of the cliff with a beautiful lookout to watch the amazing sunsets. After a day in no-mans land, I was ready to get back to "town". I switched bungalows and signed up for my 4day Scuba diving certification. (Back to school Back to school...said in my best Billy Madison voice). It was early morning wake up for class and then afternoon's spent at sea. It was amazing. I had an incredible time and of course passed my final exam for flying colors. I am officially an Open Water Diver (so if anyone wants to be my buddy...). I made friends with my Aussie Instructor and she convinced me to stay a couple more days to dive with her on her free days. So here I am still on Koh Tao and lovin' it! I might even sign up for the Advanced course but we shall see...

http://picasaweb.google.co.th/lturnof/KohSametKohTao#