Snorkling around Koh Tao

Koh Nangyuan, originally uploaded by Sheila's Flickr photos.

It is quite difficult to get to other bays from Chalok Baan Kao, and I particularly wanted to visit Shark Bay, where there are several sharks (hence the name). It’s possible to take a taxi, which I was told would be about 400 baht, or boat taxi which is about 100 baht each way. There are also several snorkelling excursions which go around the whole island.

I felt very tired and have had a septic big toe since my three day trek, but as this was my last day here, I decided to take the snorkel tour around the island. We stopped at Shark Bay and a lot of the other people saw sharks, but unfortunately I was in the wrong place! The boat stopped at several bays around the island for about 40 minutes each time, ending up for two hours at Koh Ningyuan, which is a marine park and cost 100 baht to go on the island. It’s beautiful with white sand, but just as I was settling down for a siesta on the beach the clouds gathered and it poured with rain, but only for about 15 minutes.

On the boat I started talking to an English family, and found out they live about 2 miles from where I live, and Lee works at Gorseinon College where I have been working for the last year. Lee has also got a boat in Swansea Yacht Club. We found out we knew quite a lot of people.

When I got back I packed, and Lee, Emma and the children came about 7 p.m. and we went to the Chalok Harbour for a meal. I had had lunch there a couple of times and the food and ambience was excellent – we had a table looking at the edge looking out to sea.