Koh Samui

Koh Samui,our last destination in Asia and largest island in Thailand, proved to be one of the more tourist-oriented stops on our trip. The beach front is filled with resorts of all levels and its hard to go a few steps without offerings of “Massssaaaage” or “Hi boss, cheap suit for you?” Needless to say Nick is quite popular with the “ladyboys”. Our past couple of days here have been relaxing as we “splurged” for an ocean view room in one of the nicest places we have stayed thus far. The theme of Thailand has definitely been one of good prices, especially during low season, as locals are quick to offer discounts and the islands sights are ours to explore. While on Samui, much of our time has been spent at the beach, in the pool, wandering the streets and taking in the sights, Big Buddah included. One place that was not so sleepy, however, was the Chaweng Stadium. Last night we took in our first of seven Muay Thai Fights.

The stadium was filled with locals and tourists alike who watched as two of the seven matches ended in knock outs. Also of note, was the hilarious Thai instrumental band that played during the fights and the Lady Gaga interludes between rounds. If there is one thing we are going to miss, it will be the familar brands with Asia's own unique interpretations (Right to left: Grilled Shrimp, Soft Shell Crab, Sea Weed, Blueberry Hazelnut, Lemon Sesame and the usuals).

Now we are off to Greece, to meet up with Rebecca and Jeff for more sun, sights and adventures!!
NR & LTH

Haad Leela - Koh Phangan!

After the rainstorm passed, we decided to go big on our first night in Koh Phangan. It is, after all, a notorious party island. Thankfully for us, Thai people love the moon and we heard about a big Half Moon Party. We met a lot of other travelers and we stayed for the long haul (until 8:30am, to be exact). Needless to say, the whole next day was filled with naps and Gravol but well worth it for the fun we had the night before.

Yesterday, we woke up early and we each rented a Moped for about $4.25CAD, each for the day. We saw some elephants and got muddy and sweaty before eventually finding a very out of the way viewpoint restaurant. It was the best view we've seen thus far. It wouldn't be a day trip without Lauren falling off her bike at about 5km/h, so she did just that. She suffered a scrape or two and the loss of some dignity, so no need to worry.

We capped off the night with a dinner on the beach and some cards. A day can't get much better than that. As our time in Thailand reaches an end, we are both wondering if we'll ever go back to cereal and toast for breakfast... as we have gotten so accustomed to Pad Thai and Cashew Vegetable Stirfrys as our 9a.m. breakfasts. We leave to Koh Samui tomorrow and we'll have more updates soon!

-NR

Koh Phangan!

Our new home for the next couple days!! So we have arrived in Koh Phangan, better late than never right? Even with the monsoon strength rain that met us just as we got off the boat, we can already tell that this is going to be a great place. Our room is 10ft from the ocean (at high tide) and there are palm trees by the dozen! More updates to come with hopefully some sunny photos, too :)

LTH

Turtle Island

More news from Turtle island (Koh Tao). As it turns out four days just wasn't quite enough! Nick and I unanomusly agreed to extend our stay here, as the warm waters, sandy beaches and sunsets seem to have captured our attention.


Maybe it's the laid back nature of our our resort who's food is unparalled to any we have had thus far and at 3 dollars a dish no one is complaining or that the dive sites that surround the island offer somethig for everyone. Did I mention that nick and I went diving? Because we did! What better a place for nick to lose his diving virginity! The water is warm and the sights are many. After swiming through a school of hundreds and visiting Nemo there isn't much I would change about the waters of Koh Tao! I really don't think I can emphasize how much we have enjoyed our time here and as such we will most definitely be leaving wanting more as we move on to our next island, Koh Phangan.


LTH