Koh Tao

We finally arrived in Koh Tao after two trains and a ferry all the way from Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand.  We had no accommodation booked but knew we wanted to scuba dive.  We had read a lot of diving schools include accommodation deals with a diving package.  We walked up and down the main road checking out lots of different diving schools.  We finally settled on Sairee Cottage and it was the best decision ever! We ended up staying much longer than we had intended, partly because my diving took longer than it should of, and partly because we loved our little bungalow and sairee village. 

Back to my diving - on the first day of actually diving in the sea I didnt like it - I didn't like the feeling of going deeper and deeper underwater.  Then my mouth piece broke off (I may have chewed it off!!) and I had to change regulators underwater and I just freaked out.  So because I didn't complete the first dive of the day I could not go on to complete dive two, or dives three and four scheduled for the following morning.  My dive school was really awesome and let me join in with another group that were coming through (at no extra cost) and luckily this time I managed to complete my dives. I was so proud of myself because after that first attempt I really didn't know if I would be able to complete the course.  I'm pleased I managed to complete it as now Nathan and I are both PADI qualified divers and we can go diving together in NZ.  

Most of our time in Koh Tao was taken up with the diving course - three days of theory and two days of diving.  We had a day where we just relaxed out our resort pool and another day where we went to a nearby Island resort to snorkel. Snorkelling is so tame now compared to diving! We also spent a day at the pub watching the rugby and just chilling with friends we had met on the diving course. 

While in Koh Tao we celebrated our 11 year anniversary!!  Scary how fast that time has flown by.  

We are now spending tonight in Krabi which is just a transport hub between the islands on the East and West coast. Tomorrow morning we take a ferry to Koh Phi Phi as we start to make our way down the West Coast towards Malaysia.