koh tao and koh phagnan

My first taste of island life. We spent a wonderful five days on two islands, Koh Phagnan and Koh Tao. Me, Brett, and our friends Emma, Andrew, Simon and Matt all made our way south from Bangkok over a nearly twenty hour journey via two buses, a ferry and some taxi rides. But it was worth it....

The view from our hotel the first few nights. Photo courtesy of BA Payton

Waiting for yet another ferry after a sixteen hour overnight bus.

The ferry arrives.

Our on-bus cooling system.

I've shied away from any lodging that ever seemed resortish in the past, as I usually seek out the more authentic side of places I visit, but.... I don't regret this excursion into a new kind of vacationing: days on the private beach, floating in a hotel side pool, watching the sunset over the ocean from my bamboo deck, sipping tropical drinks on a beachfront bar.

Photo courtesy of BA Payton

Photographer in acttion

Beachfront bars, sitting on giant green beanbag chairs while sipping cocktails.

While failing to swim in the pool and deciding to just cling to the side and look out onto the beach, two little girls floated up to me. They were both Thai, but were speaking French and Thai. The older one smiled at me and swam away. Later they returned, speaking French and Thai and saying, "Beautiful." Again, they laughed and swam away.

The next day, they appeared in the pool, waving to me as I laid on a pool side chair. They waved for me to come into the pool. Turns out their parents were there, an older French couple who seemed to have adopted them. We played a while, splashing and chasing in the pool, to their parents amusement.

Later, as I walked on the beach, the two girls approached me again, hands clasped behind their backs. Smiling and nodding at one another, they held out their hands and offered me some shells and coral they'd found on the shore. I was so touched and surprised! It was nice to see some familiar friendly faces whenever I returned to the hotel, to hear the excited "Hello" shouted from the hut they stayed in near the resort entrance when I passed, to find more shells and coral waiting on my beach chair when I returned.

Photo courtesy of BA Payton

Island life. is good. Photo courtesy of BA Payton