8 - 10 Jan 2013
The day after we became official PADI open water divers we set off for another adventure, this time 2 nights and 3 days on the Similan Islands - the best place in Thailand for snorkeling (also diving but the sites are deeper then we're certified for).
We checked out of Cheap Charlies the night before and left our big bags for them before being picked up bright and earlier by minivan then proceeding to sit through the ride of hell for 1.5hrs. The minivan was full of big, loud french men in their 20s all in the mood to party 24/7. Sam and I couldn't even sit next to each other as they had already take over all the seats. There was on in the front, in between two of the guys which I took, then one in the back in between two others which Sam took. The two in the front, who I was in between, were the worst of the pack by far. The guy on the left had the speaker for their french gangster music which they decided to have blaring at an extremely unnatural volume which blared in my left ear - deafening me. Then the guy on my right would not shut up for a second. His mouth was constantly open whether he was singing to the awful music at the top of his lungs so he could be heard over it, or yelling to his friends even louder so they could hear him and respond equally as loud. It was hell. I was so uncomfortable sitting in the middle of them, I had no space to myself and then they would communicate over the top of me, bending over me to pass things to each other or just talk with their hands over the top of me. They had no sense of what personal space was at all and they repeatedly leaned on me which slowly drove me insane.
Finally we reached the boat port and we were free from them! Yay! So we thought when we saw mass amounts of people. Little did we know they were on the same speedboat as us - yay! We ended up sitting in the main inside section while they sat out the front so we didn't have to be near them anymore.
We stopped just off one of the islands after the 1.5hr boat ride and jumped in for some snorkeling. We saw Nemo fish and a massive turtle but some dick jumped in and tried to grab the turtle which then made it take off like lightning and ruined everyone's chances at taking photos. Just before we got in the water we were told by our guide to not touch any sea life - well that's common sense anyway isn't it? This guy was another douche, we had a boat filled with them it seemed.
After snorkeling we headed to Island No. 8 for a Thai buffet lunch and also where we would be left for 2nights, all alone to do whatever we pleased. It was a beautiful island with a stunning beach, so we certainly weren't complaining! I mean you have to come such a long way, by minivan then boat which is 3hrs of travel already, imagine being on of the millions of day trippers who then have to travel back by the night. You'd be rushed at each island and wouldn't truly be able to enjoy yourself.
Our home for 2 nights - not too shabby eh
We spent the afternoon snorkeling on the left side of the beach where we saw many different tropical fish and took some pics - nothing overly exciting though. We got out about 4pm then wandered what we should do. The Island didn't have much to it - not even beer! Luckily I bought my magazines and kindle so I was able to read, but Sam got a little bored and started playing with the millions of hermit crabs everywhere.
There were so many crabs, all around the tents and just plain everywhere. We really felt like we were living the Island life by camping in the sand and walking barefoot because our shoes were left back at the boat dock when everyone was told to leave them. They didn't tell us overnighters to hang onto ours, so then we spent the entire 3days barefoot!
You could hear the ocean right behind us from the tent which was such a soothing sound all night. We were totally 100% relaxed... But still there was no beer. How can you not serve alcohol!! Our tent neighbor was a German who was also missing the lack of alcohol so we bonded over that.
I also stupidly left my new Thailand beach towel on the beach after we were snorkeling as I figured we'd come back, when we did the tide had risen and my towel was nowhere to be seen... I tried to find it with the snorkel and mask but it was like looking for a pin in a hay stack.So pissed off at my stupid self!
The next day we spent the entire morning snorkeling the right side of the beach and saw heaps! First I sad a wicked jelly fish that was so close to the surface it freaked me out at first - I thought it was going to attack!
Sam apparently saw a giant puffer fish but when he went to show me it was gone.. At least I got to see the jelly fish and Sam didn't because we had gone different ways around a big rock.
We found ourselves really far out and taking many photos of different types of fish. I had always been paid at diving down with snorkeling before because I couldn't pop my ears, but since learning to equalize in scuba I found it much easier and was snorkeling like a pro! I had so much fun diving really deep and chasing fish for a pic. They didn't stay still like in scuba though and would bolt when you dove so you had to chase them. I was having a ball. Just as we were about to call it and head back to shore for lunch, Sam spots a sea turtle! It was only a teenager, so not huge, but it was still wicked!! We got to swim right up to him and take photos and he didn't seem to mind us. I guess when they aren't grabbed by douchebags they don't mind it when you swim with them. We found ourselves following it for ages and then it finally went all the way to the top for air. We got so many photos as I reckon we followed him for a good 40mins or so. I can't believe we got to see a sea turtle all on our own!
We met up with the same guide from yesterday to have lunch with him, which ended up being the exact same lunch and dinner we had yesterday - so we'd had this buffet 3 times now! Which ended up being 5 times in total when we came back for dinner that night and lunch the next day....
We spend that afternoon snorkeling on the left side again because our German friend had said he saw a sea turtle and heaps or moray eels. Sam was desperate to see the eels. So we spent hours and went way further then we did the day before - it was worth it to because we found ourselves an eel! And another sea turtle! We followed the turtle for ages again and it eventually came up for air. It was such a magnificent feeling swimming with this fine creature. We lost track of time. We also found some cuttle fish and got a wicked photo with them before heading back over the other side to see if the giant puffer fish was back so I could see him this time - and he was! I cannot believe how much we saw snorkeling Similan - more then I have ever seen in my entire life snorkeling!
Me with one of the cuttle fishes
Giant Puffer fish (visibility was difficult as he hid in a cave)
That night we climbed up this view point to watch the sunset over the beach then we spent one more night in our tent by the sea and enjoyed the peaceful sound of the ocean as we drifted off to sleep.
Our last morning we decided to just relax in the water instead of snorkeling - we'd basically snorkeled that Island to death anyway and were pretty happy with what we found. So before the millions of speedboats filled with day trippers start swarming our beautiful beach we took some couply photos of our own.
We visited Island No. 4 and 6 in the afternoon on our way home and we saw more Nemo fish, Lobsters and a Lion fish! That completed our 3days of snorkeling the best waters in Thailand - we were extremely satisfied :)
The day after we became official PADI open water divers we set off for another adventure, this time 2 nights and 3 days on the Similan Islands - the best place in Thailand for snorkeling (also diving but the sites are deeper then we're certified for).
We checked out of Cheap Charlies the night before and left our big bags for them before being picked up bright and earlier by minivan then proceeding to sit through the ride of hell for 1.5hrs. The minivan was full of big, loud french men in their 20s all in the mood to party 24/7. Sam and I couldn't even sit next to each other as they had already take over all the seats. There was on in the front, in between two of the guys which I took, then one in the back in between two others which Sam took. The two in the front, who I was in between, were the worst of the pack by far. The guy on the left had the speaker for their french gangster music which they decided to have blaring at an extremely unnatural volume which blared in my left ear - deafening me. Then the guy on my right would not shut up for a second. His mouth was constantly open whether he was singing to the awful music at the top of his lungs so he could be heard over it, or yelling to his friends even louder so they could hear him and respond equally as loud. It was hell. I was so uncomfortable sitting in the middle of them, I had no space to myself and then they would communicate over the top of me, bending over me to pass things to each other or just talk with their hands over the top of me. They had no sense of what personal space was at all and they repeatedly leaned on me which slowly drove me insane.
Finally we reached the boat port and we were free from them! Yay! So we thought when we saw mass amounts of people. Little did we know they were on the same speedboat as us - yay! We ended up sitting in the main inside section while they sat out the front so we didn't have to be near them anymore.
We stopped just off one of the islands after the 1.5hr boat ride and jumped in for some snorkeling. We saw Nemo fish and a massive turtle but some dick jumped in and tried to grab the turtle which then made it take off like lightning and ruined everyone's chances at taking photos. Just before we got in the water we were told by our guide to not touch any sea life - well that's common sense anyway isn't it? This guy was another douche, we had a boat filled with them it seemed.
After snorkeling we headed to Island No. 8 for a Thai buffet lunch and also where we would be left for 2nights, all alone to do whatever we pleased. It was a beautiful island with a stunning beach, so we certainly weren't complaining! I mean you have to come such a long way, by minivan then boat which is 3hrs of travel already, imagine being on of the millions of day trippers who then have to travel back by the night. You'd be rushed at each island and wouldn't truly be able to enjoy yourself.
We spent the afternoon snorkeling on the left side of the beach where we saw many different tropical fish and took some pics - nothing overly exciting though. We got out about 4pm then wandered what we should do. The Island didn't have much to it - not even beer! Luckily I bought my magazines and kindle so I was able to read, but Sam got a little bored and started playing with the millions of hermit crabs everywhere.
There were so many crabs, all around the tents and just plain everywhere. We really felt like we were living the Island life by camping in the sand and walking barefoot because our shoes were left back at the boat dock when everyone was told to leave them. They didn't tell us overnighters to hang onto ours, so then we spent the entire 3days barefoot!
You could hear the ocean right behind us from the tent which was such a soothing sound all night. We were totally 100% relaxed... But still there was no beer. How can you not serve alcohol!! Our tent neighbor was a German who was also missing the lack of alcohol so we bonded over that.
I also stupidly left my new Thailand beach towel on the beach after we were snorkeling as I figured we'd come back, when we did the tide had risen and my towel was nowhere to be seen... I tried to find it with the snorkel and mask but it was like looking for a pin in a hay stack.So pissed off at my stupid self!
The next day we spent the entire morning snorkeling the right side of the beach and saw heaps! First I sad a wicked jelly fish that was so close to the surface it freaked me out at first - I thought it was going to attack!
Sam apparently saw a giant puffer fish but when he went to show me it was gone.. At least I got to see the jelly fish and Sam didn't because we had gone different ways around a big rock.
We found ourselves really far out and taking many photos of different types of fish. I had always been paid at diving down with snorkeling before because I couldn't pop my ears, but since learning to equalize in scuba I found it much easier and was snorkeling like a pro! I had so much fun diving really deep and chasing fish for a pic. They didn't stay still like in scuba though and would bolt when you dove so you had to chase them. I was having a ball. Just as we were about to call it and head back to shore for lunch, Sam spots a sea turtle! It was only a teenager, so not huge, but it was still wicked!! We got to swim right up to him and take photos and he didn't seem to mind us. I guess when they aren't grabbed by douchebags they don't mind it when you swim with them. We found ourselves following it for ages and then it finally went all the way to the top for air. We got so many photos as I reckon we followed him for a good 40mins or so. I can't believe we got to see a sea turtle all on our own!
We met up with the same guide from yesterday to have lunch with him, which ended up being the exact same lunch and dinner we had yesterday - so we'd had this buffet 3 times now! Which ended up being 5 times in total when we came back for dinner that night and lunch the next day....
We spend that afternoon snorkeling on the left side again because our German friend had said he saw a sea turtle and heaps or moray eels. Sam was desperate to see the eels. So we spent hours and went way further then we did the day before - it was worth it to because we found ourselves an eel! And another sea turtle! We followed the turtle for ages again and it eventually came up for air. It was such a magnificent feeling swimming with this fine creature. We lost track of time. We also found some cuttle fish and got a wicked photo with them before heading back over the other side to see if the giant puffer fish was back so I could see him this time - and he was! I cannot believe how much we saw snorkeling Similan - more then I have ever seen in my entire life snorkeling!
That night we climbed up this view point to watch the sunset over the beach then we spent one more night in our tent by the sea and enjoyed the peaceful sound of the ocean as we drifted off to sleep.
Our last morning we decided to just relax in the water instead of snorkeling - we'd basically snorkeled that Island to death anyway and were pretty happy with what we found. So before the millions of speedboats filled with day trippers start swarming our beautiful beach we took some couply photos of our own.
We visited Island No. 4 and 6 in the afternoon on our way home and we saw more Nemo fish, Lobsters and a Lion fish! That completed our 3days of snorkeling the best waters in Thailand - we were extremely satisfied :)
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