Koh Tao

After another lazy morning having breakfast and lying by the poolRob and I left our little hut on stilts and caught the ferry to Koh Tao via Koh Panghan and Koh Samui. It was a really effective service and although quite a long journey of about four hours we arrived to a room which undoubtedly had the very best view we have had so far.Our resort, The Dusit Buncha was built into the cliff which meant an awful lot of steps and slopes to negotiate. Despite this it was amazing and beautifully set out with infinity pools and uninterrupted views of the sea to Ko Nangyuan Island. Although there was no beach, there was easy access to the sea from rocks and a pier to enable swimming and snorkelling. Even from the various decks near the sea you could see more variety of multi coloured fish than I’ve ever seen before. As we sat and made plans, over a complimentary dinner that the hotel had provided to make up for our missed night, it felt like we had landed in paradise.

The next morning we set off to explore our immediate vicinity and find Sairee beach. We walked up to our unusual entrancewhich led to some of the steepest roads I have ever negotiated. By the time we reached fairly level ground we were perspiring profusely and were very glad to grab a drink on the beach. Our walk back to the resort was much more of a descent which was a massive relief. It also afforded more gorgeous views out to sea.Koh Tao really was beautiful and is renowned for its amazing snorkelling, we had made lots of plans to snorkel and visit Ko Nangyuan to reach a beautiful viewpoint and do more snorkelling but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. After feeling flat on that first day I then experienced flu like symptoms of no appetite, no energy and really achey limbs for the rest of the stay resulting in me barely getting out of bed. I have to say that Rob has actually really improved his nursing skills and appeared much more sympathetic than on previous occasions. His discovery of Pina Coladas definitely helped with this.

After a couple of days in bed I did manage to get up to experience the beauty of the sunsetand feel relatively ready for our next day of travel to Chiang Mai.

I know how very closely mental and physical health are linked and without sounding totally crazy I really feel like parting with Joe and Ellie, especially with the uncertainty of flights and ferries, had quite an effect. It was a really strange malady and although it manifested itself as something quite physical I do feel like it’s root cause may have been in my head.🤨Whatever its origin it was very annoying and means I will definitely need to return to the beautiful Koh Tao in the near future. 😊