After a very enjoyable (aside from the sunburn) stay on Koh Samui, Nicola and I had high hopes for Koh Tao, as it was supposed to be quieter and less built up than Koh Samui. However, the signs were not good on our catamaran ride from Koh Samui to Koh Tao as on the way we stopped at Koh Phagnan (the full moon party island) and picked up what looked like the dregs of civilisation...basically hungover, loud, obnoxious Brits aged 18 - whatever they claimed to be.
We arrived on Koh Tao after a 2 hour journey and were immediately beset by touts, divers and drivers all offering Koh Tao "best" experience for diving or whatever. The port was busy, loud and full of backpackers, which further knocked our optimism for the island. We all crammed into the back of a van and took off, to our relief, to our hotel (the Seashell Resort). The hotel was nice enough, the pool was lovely and the location could not have been better; you walked out of the front door (of the hotel) and onto the beach.
Nicola and I decided that we had had enough group meals and went for a walk along the beach and stopped off at a little beach bar and watched the sunset. It was our first, and most enjoyable evening in Thailand, sitting and watching the sunset...finally having a meal for two, not 15.
The next day we decided, due to our sunburn, that we could not join the others for a day of snorkeling (perhaps our only regret of the tour). Instead we spent a day in the pool/shade/room enjoying each others' company and the peace and quiet being away from the group.
The second night we did go for a meal, as it would technically be the last meal of the tour together, and we then headed to a small bar where two Aussies were performing cover songs as requested by those in the bar. I think they were called "Paradise", and in fairness, they were good. They did all sorts of songs, from an acoustic cover of "Paint it Black" (Rolling Stones) to "Simply the Best". The evening was very enjoyable until the bar was besieged by a 100 strong pub crawl group who pushed, slurred and stumbled their way through the bar creating a cachophony of regional British accents reinforcing my opinion that the only thing the UK exports anymore (no industry anymore remember) is drunken obnoxious tw*ts. I can't bear to think what the rest of the world must think of us, well, mine and Nicola's generation anyway - no manners, no class and no consideration for the local people. We left very shortly after their arrival, as we had no intention of subjecting ourselves to the share that being associated with such people (through our shared country of origin) would bring.
In all, Koh Tao was a massive let down. Sure, the small winding beach road was nice with little cafes, but when you looked closer, it was built to serve drunk Western backpackers who care very little for the damage they caused...a short trip along the beach and you can see all manner of litter bobbing through the sea, the main item being a bottle of beer...
We arrived on Koh Tao after a 2 hour journey and were immediately beset by touts, divers and drivers all offering Koh Tao "best" experience for diving or whatever. The port was busy, loud and full of backpackers, which further knocked our optimism for the island. We all crammed into the back of a van and took off, to our relief, to our hotel (the Seashell Resort). The hotel was nice enough, the pool was lovely and the location could not have been better; you walked out of the front door (of the hotel) and onto the beach.
Nicola and I decided that we had had enough group meals and went for a walk along the beach and stopped off at a little beach bar and watched the sunset. It was our first, and most enjoyable evening in Thailand, sitting and watching the sunset...finally having a meal for two, not 15.
The second night we did go for a meal, as it would technically be the last meal of the tour together, and we then headed to a small bar where two Aussies were performing cover songs as requested by those in the bar. I think they were called "Paradise", and in fairness, they were good. They did all sorts of songs, from an acoustic cover of "Paint it Black" (Rolling Stones) to "Simply the Best". The evening was very enjoyable until the bar was besieged by a 100 strong pub crawl group who pushed, slurred and stumbled their way through the bar creating a cachophony of regional British accents reinforcing my opinion that the only thing the UK exports anymore (no industry anymore remember) is drunken obnoxious tw*ts. I can't bear to think what the rest of the world must think of us, well, mine and Nicola's generation anyway - no manners, no class and no consideration for the local people. We left very shortly after their arrival, as we had no intention of subjecting ourselves to the share that being associated with such people (through our shared country of origin) would bring.
In all, Koh Tao was a massive let down. Sure, the small winding beach road was nice with little cafes, but when you looked closer, it was built to serve drunk Western backpackers who care very little for the damage they caused...a short trip along the beach and you can see all manner of litter bobbing through the sea, the main item being a bottle of beer...
No comments:
Post a Comment