Sunbathing, diving, diving and more diving. That's the plan for Koh Tao. And it's the perfect place for it too - Koh Tao is a paradise seeker's dream, with thin golden sands and luscious green mountains. A massive diving community plies the turquoise waters around the island, and after our recent visits to landlocked countries and polluted beaches, a good dose of diving is just what the doctor ordered.
It's coming into monsoon season is Thailand, which means hot sultry conditions and regular afternoon downpours. Our bungalow sits just on the waterline, smack bang in between the 2 main settlements of Mae Haad and Sairee on the west side of the island. The balcony collects the deliciously cooling sea breeze, and is a perfect vantage point to watch the sunset over a beer. And what a sunset!
A couple of days of settling in later, we take off on our first dive trip. There's been whispers of Whale Sharks in the past few weeks, and I'm fanging to see one. As we head to a dive site, the captain hears on the radio that a Whale Shark is at Chumpon Pinnacle - the opposite way. The captain whips the boat around in a flash, and we're heading for the pinnacle at top speed. We arrive just as other divers are coming up, and drop into an amazing show - one relatively small 10-12 metre long Whale Shark effortlessly cruising between the underwater peaks around Chumpon Pinnacle. There's a whole array of smaller fish tagging along, and we join around 20 other divers watching the amazing creature swim past - simply spectacular.
We slide into a nice relaxed routine of morning dives, afternoon naps and sunset beers, with a few rest days thrown in for sun baking and exploring the island... sounds like a tough life, huh?
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