Nangyuan Island & Thipwimarn

Woke up early in the morning to catch the 10:30 ferry to Nangyuan Island. It is a small island outside of Koh Tao. Actually it is three islands that are connected by a T-shaped sand beach. It is said to be a good snorkeling and dive spot.

Nangyuan

The check in for the ferry was a bit chaotic but we finally managed to get our tickets. And a nice spot on the boat. Although one of my fins almost did not make it. When I jumped into the boat I dropped it into the water. Fortunately I could get it by using a hook on a pole.

The ride took maybe 20 minutes and was pleasant. At the island we realized that this was one small island. A couple that sat next to us on the boat told us they had first booked a room on the island for 3 nights but changed their mind and would only stay 1 night. Chie and I thought they were lucky to stay only 1 night just after a short look around. Too small. Nothing to do but snorkeling. No nice restaurant. But snorkeling was fun here and we saw a lot of fish.

Chie School of fish

At 4:30 pm we returned back to Koh Tao. It felt good to return instead of staying. Our plan for the night was to have a dinner at our hotel, which seemed to be a million times better than the facility on the Nangyuan island. But it was definitely worth going there during the day.

Leaving Nangyuan

The Thipwimarn dinner was good. Chie had Red Curry and I had a grilled White Snapper. Delicious.

Thipwimarn waiter

Ao Leuk & Farango

Went to Ao leuk beach, which is located in a bay next to the bay where Sai Deung is located – the beach where we saw the shark at. Ao Leuk was quite crowded both on the beach and in the water. Many boats came in and anchored for dropping of snorkelers.

Ao Leuk

We had a great snorkeling time again. And I showed Chie how you could scare the christmas tree worms into hiding. They are colorful christmas tree like worms living on corals. When you swosch some water at them they hide inside their housing in the coral.

Ao Leuk

We were picked up at 4 pm and driven back to the hotel. After the shower we went to Mae Haad for an early dinner at Farango pizazaria. This time we had Greek salad, pasta All’ Arabiata, and lassanga al forno.

To get back to the hotel we got a ride in a taxi driven by quite young boy. He driving very carefully, almost like he was too scared of damaging the car. To compare, in the morning the same ride, but in the opposite direction, took us 5 minutes but the young buy drove us back in 15 minutes. And he spoke almost no English. But still very friendly.

Jansom Bay & Thipwimarn Restaurant

Woke up early and it was still raining so I went back to sleep. Later the rain was gone and replaced by a blue sky with some thin white clouds. Time for snorkeling.

We went to Jansom Bay. A private, and quite small but beautiful, beach. We had to pay to enter but it was OK, for this time. They also had an Elvis Bar which we visited later on, buying a Pina Colada and a coconut shake.

Elvis bar Pina colada

Chie also bought some fish food in a pet bottle. With that we went snorkeling. And the fishes went crazy. It was sometimes hard to see anything else but fishes.

Snorkeling Clown fish

Besides snorkeling we also had time to relax. Reading a book. Or just watch some boats pass by. While relaxing we also decided to stay at our hotel for dinner tonight. So Thipwimarn restaurant for dinner.

Thipwimarn has a great location for watching the sunset. So tonight we just stayed at our hotel for dinner. It was great. First we had grilled squid with chili lime sauce. For main course we had a Tom Yam Goong soup and a steamed white snapper with garlic chili lime sauce. Yummy. For dessert Chie had a vodka with fresh orange juice and I had a coconut shake, which we brought back to our room.

Ko-san and Johan

Sai Daeng Beach & Jamahkiri Spa

Went to the Sai Daeng Beach in the morning. From the beach we had a great view of the Shark Island. This place was a much better spot for snorkeling than yesterday’s beach. We could see so many fishes, and the water was probably around 30-35 degrees. We also spotted two black tip reef sharks. First a quite small one and then a bigger one. The latter in the far distance.

Sai Daeng beach Black tip reef shark
Fish Fish

After our day at the beach we continued to the Jamahkiri Spa. Here Chie and I both had an aloe vera wrap, and then Chie had an oil massage whereas I had a Thai massage. The spa also is a hotel, an exclusive hotel. But we could not see any guests.

Jamahkiri spa

When we had finished our treatments we got a ride to Mae Haad. Here we had a dinner at Yang restaurant since the restaurant we really wanted to try, Rock the Casbah, was closed. Yang was not extraordinary in any way, but cheap. 140 BHT for both of us including drinks.We got back to the hotel by taxi again. Fortunately we did not have to zig-zag tonight either. Once we were back at the room a thunderstorm started and the rain started to pour down. Lucky we were inside. It seems that the rain and thunderstorms come during the night time. Feels a little bit like Cinderella, we have to be back before 9 pm or… We get wet.Actually our vacation is a lot like a cartoon. Cinderella in the evenings, sleeping beauty in the mornings, and finding Nemo and the little mermaid during the days.

Freedom Beach

Left the hotel at 11 am and went to the Freedom Beach at the south of Koh Tao. A small beach with beautiful surroundings. And lots of trees for shadow, which is good for a pale boy like me. But Chie stayed in the sun all day long.

Freedom beach

We brought our snorkeling gears and went into the water at once. But the water was not so clear and we could not see so many fishes. Also, the water was quite shallow so the snorkeling was not so fun. But it was warm and possible to just stay in the water the whole day long. It was actually cooler to get into the water and than up on the beach in the shadow, then down in the water again when you were dry, than to stay in the water.

Freedom beach

At 4 pm we got picked up and driven back to the hotel. Where we got into the pool to cool off. Then shower and car to Mae Haad for dinner.

In Mae Haad we walked around for a while. Chie bought a fly zipper, kind of a tennis racket but which electrify flies. And I rented a pair of fins for tomorrow, I did not bring any.

Mae Haad is a small place and we were finished after 15 minutes or so. Then we had dinner at Farango Pizzeria. Greek salad. Pizza. Coconut shake. Vodka and orange juice.

Farango pizza

After dinner we got a ride back to the hotel by a guy who was originally from south part of Thailand. He and a lot of other Thai people come to the islands around Koh Samui to work. In their home towns they cannot get a job, or the job they can get does not pay as much as in the tourist areas. He told us that in Koh Tao he could make 1000 BHT, but in his home town he could only make 150-200 BHT a day.

His English was quite poor but we think he was saving up money to buy his own taxi car. And that he tomorrow was going home with a friend to celebrate something related to Buddha.

At the hotel we did not have to zig-zag around frogs this night. We could see only two. But still the wooap sound could be heard. We asked in the reception and our suspicion was right, it was a kind of a frog that made the sound.