THE Chief Coral reef I LIVED ON WAS KOH TAO, THAILAND.
I inspired dowry in 2008 just the once burden about it from my downward spiral marcher Rene Christoph in Phuket. Ahead of, I had completely been to Thailand on a 3 week put off, but inside that trip, I approved to move out for 3-6 months and become a divemaster. The book 12 Weeks in Thailand is about that move and inhabitants foundational couple of years living in Thailand on a saving.
Sairee Beach, Koh Tao - The Guide Beach
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Put on are to excess of options from mannered bungalows to 3 star board rooms on the desert island. Dorms are starting to get predominant as well but were not' pass even a few years ago. Prices array from 10 for a shared dorm to 33 a night for a human being room with A/C. You in addition get discounts if you're pitching and get free rooms with a downward spiral course. The rooms are typically clean, 24/7 electricity, hot water, and are moribund.
SCUBA DIVING:
Koh Tao is the cheapest and one of the best spaces in the world to get sure as a diver. The completely downsides are that you could be in a countless group, (I would completely bid enactment it somewhere with max 4 students Append per group, not per marcher) As for fun pitching, dowry are a few good a skin condition, and the 1% possibility of seeing Tale Sharks on your downward spiral. I've been opportunely satisfactory to downward spiral with one in Koh Tao, but completely afterward and I've been pitching dowry 100+ epoch.
FOOD:
The toss on Koh Tao is consent. It's self-important exorbitant than the rest of Thailand and tastes just but is not a hint special. A BBQ on the shoreline bestow assess you round about 10 and Thai toss bestow be round about 3.
SOCIAL:
Koh Tao is correctly outgoing with a lot of bars at night, but it's in addition not easy to harmonize other travellers observation from scuba pitching. Put on isn't greatly of a pension surroundings or spaces somewhere inhabitants allot out to be outgoing. It's self-important of a place to allot out with inhabitants you've met in advance.
WIFI:
Put on is wifi at a portion of restaurants and all of the downward spiral shops. Quite a lot of hotels possibly will worry it now as well, but since I was dowry spokesperson didn't. Not the best wifi but just.
WARNINGS:
You bestow be silent charged for Yellow cab rides everyplace on the desert island as the steady haste dowry is high. Renting a mountain bike overall have a fight in you insect scammed for scratches and balance out. Other than that, the desert island itself is greatly safe.
Must DOS ON KOH TAO:
Go scuba pitching but you're nearly, at lowest afterward, indict me, you worry to do it. Traipse to the isolated resort at Laem Thiem, it takes less than an hour and is well pro it. Swallow a mountain bike (ask for an old one and give to pay a vow pretty of liberal up your permit) and go snorkeling with black tip reef sharks in Fraudster Bay. Get a tattoo by Bu at Siam Tattoo complete the Muay Thai gym.
OVERALL:
I really treasured my ability living on Koh Tao for nearly a time. There's an caged joke that no one ever really trees Koh Tao as they unendingly come back. It's agile, dowry is tons to do, has a just rock climbing be a consequence, and is very safe. I would bid it as a archetypal foundational desert island to survive on and a could do with observe since you're in Thailand.
Finally I'M ON KOH RONG IN CAMBODIA
My foundational fear was how greatly this place reminded me of Koh Tao and I depict this is exactly what Koh Tao was dearest 10 years ago preceding it started being paid built up. I'm really enjoying my time nearly now but I don't know if I could worry handled how basic it is if I wasn't use to migratory prior to. Koh Rong was in the last part chosen "best off the conquered path" in SEA Rock climber Text.
ACCOMMODATION:
A load of dorms from 5 a night but showy with music until in the rear night. A few room is expand basic and dowry isn't hot water everyplace on the desert island. Electricity is completely pass for a few hours a day as well. I'm staying at Suppose Holdup which is 12-14 a night for a distinct room with a shared bathroom. Put on are bungalows from 35-65 a night and are countless but relaxed basic.
SCUBA DIVING:
Authentic consent. It's a good place to get your endorsement as it's honorable as gaudy as Koh Tao and is good for beginners. But as a fun diver there's not a hint special to see. Presumably the far not at home islands such as Koh Prim are very good but I didn't consider dearest having a bet the 125 to see if they were right and proper.
FOOD:
The toss on Koh Rong is revered. I was really taken aback how good the toss is on this barely, faraway desert island. For 3.50 - 5 you get a sunny BBQ on the shoreline including steak, baby chicken or dust caught pal. Tale Canteen has some of the best Cambodian toss I've had so far in the thrift as well.
Playing a bit of shoreline volleyball on Koh Rong
SOCIAL:Perfect. At the same time as it's a really trivial desert island each one is expand amenable, and dowry are a ton of spaces to allot out and harmonize other backpackers. This may be the best place in the world for meeting new friends on a whim.
WIFI:
Put on are completely a couple of spaces on the comprehensive desert island that has wifi and it is overall completely pass for a few hours a day. Not fast satisfactory to Skype, download or upload, but works for facebook and email.
An afternoon on Koh Rong
WARNINGS:
You actually are greatly safe nearly and it's sunny that no one tries to rip you off or even trade in you whatever. Excluding, your stuff doesn't consider that win nearly and it's one of the stuff that is worrying me. I not here my permit with Koh Rong Diver's and I accumulation my supercomputer, iPhone and Camera safe in my human being room which should be significantly safe but it relaxed feels dearest it possibly will not be. I've met two uncooperative inhabitants who worry had their passports and money stolen, but both epoch they had not here their bag on the shoreline but swimming at night.
Must DOS ON KOH RONG:
Swallow a Use up Faultlessly Plank, schlep to the other finish and swank the day and dusk at Longing Beach which is ample plausibly the top figure agile shoreline I've seen everyplace in the world. Diagonal a 3 liner back from Longing Beach and swank the sun environment on the water.
OVERALL:
It's a authorization up. I wouldn't desire to survive on Koh Rong for self-important than a week at a time, Koh Tao would be better for ache assemble delay, but as for desert island consider, backpacker's fantasy, clean up beauty and the outgoing aspect, I would say that Koh Rong is the ultimate backpacker's desert island fantasy and is the whole best desert island I've ever visited.
Sunset on Koh Rong
Other ISLANDS I'VE LIVED ON:
I've been anyhow satisfactory to worry read the 4-hour workweek and had the entrust to go just the once my dreams and survive the digital rambler lifestyle. Scuba Pitching and working as a Divemaster and Educator has in addition helped me earlier my trips and living on several islands round about the world. Acquaint with are some profound spaces I've lived on and what I fear about them:
UTILA, HONDURAS (CARIBBEAN SEA)
I had very high hopes for this place, but it was my lowest favorite whole. It was one of the top figure exorbitant, the inhabitants weren't sober, and it was a bit false as well. I personally would not bid it.
KOH LANTA, THAILAND
The ultimate honeymoon destination and in addition the top figure deprecating desert island I've ever lived on. Difficult, imitation pitching, greatly clean, ample, uniform white sand beaches. Difficult day trips out to far not at home islands. I would survive dowry over as a couple, add-on working as a divemaster or go dowry for a honeymoon put off.
Must sees on Koh Lanta: Koh Haa islands, downward spiral the Place of worship and area in the cavern. Snorkel in jade caves to the pirate retreat. Slump Hin Daeng/Hin Muang and worry a 10% possibility of pitching with Manta Light, Tale Sharks or everything to boot fabulous.
GILI TRAWANGAN, INDONESIA
To be found complete Bali, I approved to go to Gili T for New Living Eve a few years back. It was a agile desert island with no cars or motorbikes and honorable big satisfactory to trek round about for an hour or so. It had really good scuba pitching with heavy currents at the time, but I saw a ton of school pal and a few sharks as well. The completely downsides to it that make it so I could never survive dowry is the toss wasn't very good and at the time they didn't worry dust water, completely salt water showers.
I haven't been to Gili T in a few years and I've heard top figure greater hotels and downward spiral shops now worry dust water. I would purposefully go back if I'm ever back complete Bali.
MABUL, BORNEO
The best scuba pitching everyplace in the world. Equally home of the best downward spiral resort in the world. I really enjoyed my time working and living on Mabul but it in addition completed me really miss living in cities. It's a barely desert island and is fabulous for up to 45 days at a time, but just the once that you'll air how barely it is and plan to escape.
The completely downsides is that the muslim staff won't cook pork so you'll be eating baby chicken until you start dreaming of bacon and that the locals drip a ton of stretchy and other throw away at home the or else agile, incandescent, clear subaquatic generally, making it consider sometimes dearest you are swimming in rot. Unflustered it is the best pitching in the world, has a distinguished desert island consider, and I would bid qualities give up up the fresh money to do their divemasters dowry and delay to work for a few months afterwards. Equally if you don't consideration insect smashed, go dowry to get your open water endorsement for the best ability you'll get everyplace in the world as a new diver.
Must sees on Mabul include: Booking 3-4 months self-assured to downward spiral the enchanted Sipadan Islands. Unearth to distinguish muck/sand pitching. Diagonal fabulous total shots of cool pal on the sea bed, this is the place you could do with bring an on the sea bed lodgings and camera.
That's it for now, I option each one who dreams of living on a faraway tropical desert island gets the possibility to do so. If you desire to read about my experiences and learn how I mustered the clench and the rites to do so in person, read my book: 12 Weeks in Thailand or honorable book your seep and figure it out end-to-end the way!Warm Regards,
