After spending four months in Bangkok, I was ready for some rest and relaxation. I wanted to spend some time at one of Thailand’s world-famous beaches, but I also wanted to do some rock climbing. That narrowed my search down to the Railay and Ton Sai areas near Krabi and a couple small islands. I was heading down there alone (i.e., sans climbing partner) so I chose the only place that had bouldering: a small island in the Gulf of Thailand called Koh Tao.
It was a blast. Here are a bunch of pics from that month.
Above: Wild cashews
Aow Leuk Bay on Koh Tao. Great snorkeling here.
A beach bar at sunset
Seeking shade
The beautiful, clear water on the island is great for snorkeling
Looking out from one of the bouldering areas
Above: Spring rolls
The breakfast I ate almost every morning on Koh Tao.
Chalok Baan Kao Bay
Beautiful water
Hiking through the jungle
Me on John Suwan Rock at the southern tip of Koh Tao
Above: Karen jumping off of a cliff
Koh Tao bouldering
Climbing up the sketchy rope to the top of the cliff jumping rock in Tanote Bay
Koh Tao cliff jumping
Laem Thian
Mango Bay at the northern end of the island
Me bouldering on Koh Tao. The rock was really rough, grainy granite.
Scrambling among the rocks
Sai Daeng Beach and Bay
Sairee Beach
Sunset at Sairee Beach
The island’s glass-smooth water
Kayaking
Shark Bay. Yes, there are sharks there.
Me stand up paddleboarding
Hanging out at Tanote Bay. Great snorkeling. Fun cliff jumping (off the big rock in the middle of the background).
Tanote Bay
View from my place. I had a sea view… barely.
Above: The scooter I rented for a couple weeks
Panorama from John Suwan viewpoint. Beautiful!