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If there's one term that can be used to describe Koh Tao, it's "laid back." Away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and free from expensive chain resorts, Koh Tao operates at a slower pace. Also known as Turtle Island for its shape, this tropical get-away is located near the famous tourist-mecca islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phang-Nga in the Gulf of Thailand, yet thankfully far enough away as to still have retained much of its genuine Thai-ness. The people are extremely friendly and attire is casual. I wore a $4 cotton dress that I'd bought in Bangkok one night, and people were staring at me like I was wearing a full-length ball gown. It's definitely a shorts, bikini and sarong kind-of-island, probably owed to the huge numbers of salty-wet tourists returning from diving excursions and lack of 24-hour electricity. Although Koh Tao has an average population of only 750, it plays host to over 25 diving companies, making it one of Thailand's scuba hot spots. My trip took me there during October, a perfect time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds and higher prices in January and February.

After my overnight train ride from Bangkok to Chumphon, I opted for the express ferry to Koh Tao. The ride took about 2½ hours, as opposed to the normal ferry that takes 5 - 6 hours, and only cost about $10. After arriving at Ban Mae Hat, where the one and only pier is located, I was presented with a dilemma: which scuba company would I go with? Most of the dive operations have their own accommodations, giving discounts to those who sign up for a scuba class or pre-book a certain number of dives. All dive shops offer similar prices and packages, although as I later noticed, accommodations vary widely. I decided to sign up with Big Blue Divers after seeing their "resort" located on Hat Sai Ri (Sai Ree Beach) about 30 minutes by foot from the pier. Big Blue has many private bungalows and also several newer rooms with ceiling fans. I chose Bungalow #1, positioned only 15 feet from the beach, complete with double bed, mosquito net, sit-down toilet (manual flush) and shower, all for about $5 a night. I loved the quiet, laid-back atmosphere. As I later found out, many of the island's larger resorts have TVs or music constantly playing or are within earshot of AC's bar and dance club, where my adventures on Koh Tao began.

Putting My Feet Up

On the night of my arrival I took a stroll down Sai Ree Beach to AC's and arrived just before the torrential rain began. It was like the Great Flood. The rain poured through the ceiling of the open-sided club and pooled on the dance floor, dangerously close to the huge electric speakers, I thought. As I shimmied my way towards the bar to get one of AC's famous "Buckets" (a potent mixture of Thai Red Bull, Thai whiskey and Coke), I slipped and landed on my left knee. Oops, not a good start. That little dance move guaranteed me a week on crutches, during which I got to enjoy the island from either a sitting position or by hobbling along the beach on a loaned pair of crutches. But I couldn't have asked for a better place to recover. Sai Ree Beach is lined with one restaurant or comfortable lounging area after another. I spent most of my time lying on a sarong on the beach in Big Blue's open-air dining area or next door at Simple Life, the name which describes the place perfectly. Simple Life's dining/bar/lounge offers its patrons luscious food, great music (after 6pm when electricity is available again) and is an even more inviting place in which to chill-out, meet fellow travelers, play a game of pool or darts and enjoy Koh Tao's beautiful sunsets. Its proximity and atmosphere quickly made it my hangout of choice. I got very used to relaxing on the big, colorful Thai cushions and being served! Many backpackers even end up spending the night on the comfortable cushions.

Snorkeling for Sharks

I'd never seen a real shark before, so after I was able to hobble without the crutches, I decided to start off big. Why not go snorkeling in search of black-tipped reef sharks in Rocky Bay? I bandaged my wounded knee tightly, hopped a taxi over to the other side of the island and entered the murky waters. Murky, I say, because it had been raining and visibility was down to about 5 or 6 feet-not exactly ideal circumstances for shark searching if you don't want to become a little sharkie-snack. The thought did occur to me that I would probably be face-to-face with one before I ever saw it coming, and I only had one good leg that would help me make a get-away, but what the hey! What were the chances? And that species of shark isn't supposed to be very aggressive. Despite snorkeling for a good hour, my heart pounding rapidly the entire time, I didn't spot one single shark. I heard cries from others who saw some only meters away from where I was, but I had no such luck. Or, maybe it was a blessing under those circumstances. Once my knee had recuperated enough, I jumped on-board for a diving expedition.

Underwater Treasures

Koh Tao boasts some of the cleanest and clearest waters in the Gulf of Thailand, and some of the best diving prices all around. Single dives average 800 bhat, or about $20, including boat ride, food, gear and guide, with multiple-dive discounts bringing the price down to about $13. Tourists can become PADI certified for Open Water up to Dive Master starting at about $200 U.S. The incredible underwater marine life is all part of the package deal.

My first dive trip was out to Sail Rock, a rock pinnacle jutting from the ocean about 2 hours from Koh Tao. As our boat neared the destination, I noticed many other boats surrounding "our" dive spot. I was a little disturbed when I found out that they were fishing boats and was worried that they might be fishing away all of my little, scaled friends I'd come to see. Although the fishing industry has taken its toll on the reefs and wildlife, there was still plenty to see at Sail Rock. After entering the water, the first thing that struck me was the visibility-practically infinite. Schools of multicolored Parrotfish, Damselfish and bright yellow Butterflyfish danced in the crystal water against a background of slowly swaying peach sea anemone and blue, red and purple corals. Simply the amount of schooling fish was amazing-far more than I've ever seen in Cozumel or the Bahamas. I felt as if I'd found my own little underwater paradise.

Then came the big moment. Divers started excitedly making the sign for "shark". Shark!? I thought I'd wanted to see one, but an instinctual fear shot through my body and sent my heart racing. Thank Buddha, what the sign had meant was whale shark, a giant plankton-feeding shark species. And, there he was! Not as big as I'd expected, a "baby" 15 feet, but an amazing sight nonetheless. From what divers have told me, you can "ride" the whale sharks by hanging onto their fins. The one big no-no is grabbing the tail, as they will quickly dart away. Unfortunately, my encounter was an abbreviated one because one of the divers did exactly that, and our giant friend sped away. As I later found out I was extremely lucky to have seen a whale shark at all, especially considering it was my first dive. Many instructors go diving for months without seeing one. Apparently, the fisherman target whale sharks and giant mantas for slaughter because they break the fishing nets-another sad testimony to man's shortsighted destruction of our environment.

Tyson and other Trigger Fish

After two dives at Sail Rock we proceeded to Shark Island-an ominous sounding name for such a beautiful dive site. This site is larger than Sail Rock and is replete with amazing corals. I particularly like the "Christmas Tree corals"—the living parts of the coral look like miniature electric blue, yellow and red Christmas trees. If you pass your hand above them, they pull themselves instantly back inside their protective, calcified homes. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), we didn't see any of the black-tipped reef sharks that sometimes cut through the waters around Shark Island. However, a much more aggressive, although smaller, fish lurks in these waters-the Triggerfish. For those not familiar with this fish species, as I wasn't, the Triggerfish is extremely territorial and will attack other fish or divers that come near its nesting area. Many dive masters engage in "Triggerfish boxing" for the entertainment of guests. This involves using the second octopus (air mouthpiece) to blow bubbles into the water to scare the fish when it attacks. The Triggerfish are lightening quick, strong and will not hesitate to take a big bite out of a diver's fin (or something else). Although our encounter ended without injury, I heard many tales of divers caught unaware in Triggerfish territory. Divers have been knocked unconscious, suffered concussions and needed stitches from the powerful body-slam blows. Just a week before I got to Koh Tao, a man swimming in Rocky Bay bled to death from supposed Triggerfish bites on his wrists and ankles.

We all returned to shore safely and jubilant over our whale shark encounter. I scheduled several more dives at Hin Wong, Hin Pee Wee and Southwest Pinnacle, and went on a night dive at the Japanese Gardens site. As I had never been on a night dive before, I was a bit apprehensive. Yet once in the water, I noticed that the bright moonlight illuminated all of beautiful hard corals in the "garden"—enough so that diving without a flashlight could've been possible. However, the extra moonlight also made it more difficult to see the water glow. Thailand's waters are inhabited by microorganisms which, when disturbed by swimming or the swishing of hands, glow a brilliant fluorescent white-blue. When the sky is moonless or when diving at such a depth as the water is close to black, the organisms' luminescence is apparently bright enough to see quite well by. We managed to see "sparks" here and there as we vigorously swished our hands back and forth in the water. The night dive was really nice, and I would certainly do it again in Thailand's safe waters.

Eats on the Island

Doing so much diving can sure work up an appetite, and Koh Tao's locals cook up some mean grub! One of my favorite restaurants was The Lucky Crab. They fire up their grill and serve up the day's fresh catch. On my several visits I ate their sumptuous seafood platter—a feast of fresh fish (barracuda, mackerel, snapper and others), prawns and whole crab smothered in their luscious homemade marinade. It was certainly a bit messy pulling apart the crab, but worth every lick of my fingers! Combined with one of their "Bungalows"—a fruit shake with alcohol added—and you have the perfect meal to end the day.

Or, if I was in the mood for beachfront dining, I headed to Simple Life or Blue Wind. Both offer a wide selection of traditional Thai foods, including Pad Thai, Tom Yam, and various curries. Blue Wind has expanded their menu by adding made-to-order pasta from scratch. As I sat on the covered deck outside, I could see them kneading the dough and passing it through a roller machine to make the noodles. Everything was fabulous, including my blueberry shake. The only thing lacking a bit at Blue Wind is the service; the proprietors seem much more interested in their card game than in the customers. As I found out first hand one night, card games take priority. I wasn't quite finished with my meal when the waiter informed me that they were closing…now. A hot game was in the works and I had to leave. Well, hey, it's their restaurant. From what I later heard, it would be hard to find a workaholic on Koh Tao. Fun, family and friends take precedence, and that I can respect.

Koh Tao is a beautiful piece of Thailand still unknown to many. Walking on a quiet beach, lounging in a hammock and enjoying each other's companionship fill the days on an island of unhurried residents and visitors. I can only hope that it remains how I found it-still mostly unscathed by development and charmingly unrefined. Koh Tao is an island on which the simplicities of life are life-they are enough, and they are cherished.

Photographs by Christine Parma

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Big Blue Diving Center
20/1 Moo 1, Koh Tao
Suratthani 84280
Thailand
Tel: 066/77-456050 (-2)

The Lucky Crab, as well as many other restaurants, is located on the main road running from the pier to Sai Ree Beach.

-Updated 04-14-01-

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