27 June - 1 July 2018
Koh Tao, Thailand
Fun with friends, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and so many sunsets!
We are so happy to meet up with the Duncans in this beautiful spot. We have been friends since 1997 and our families have grown up together. Laura and Katie were in the same medical school class together, and Matt and Brian were both in the class behind them. We all graduated together in 2001. “Big” Lydia is now 18 and was born the year before we graduated. Finn (now 13) arrived Laura’s last year of residency, and Sawyer (now 8) was born just when they moved to Norwich, VT (after living on the res for the Indian Health Service and living in Utah).
This is the path to our family suite. It looks like the village of the seven dwarfs, Eliza said.
We are waiting for the taxi to Sairee Beach (town).
This is the “taxi” to town, benches in the back of a pick-up truck. Similar to other places we’ve been in Thailand, but this is our first experience without a roof.
A great lunch in town. Hayden and Finn are 4 months apart in age, and they have always been about the same height, until this summer! Only time will tell...
It was super hot and we walked around town a bit to look for snorkeling masks.
The kids were happy to find this store, “The Suppermarket,” because it had air conditioning. And a great selection of reading glasses to try on!
Some of us took the taxi back to Dusit Buncha.
Eliza and Lydia are trying out the snorkel masks in water right at our resort.
Hanging out on the pool deck in the afternoon.
Enjoying our first sunset in Koh Tao.
The grown-ups
This a view from the pool deck down to the restaurant which overlooks the islands.
Another sunset pic, one of a hundred taken.
Dinner time
Hayden rocking out on the drums. There was a guy singing each night during dinner, who literally must have had the most out of tune voice we’d ever heard. Our favorite song was “Sweet Caroline.”
On Day 2 together, June 28, Brian, Hayden, Laura and Finn head out to scuba dive.
First, a couple hours of practice in the pool.
Then they go the beach to hop on the longtail boat to bring them to the snorkel boat.
A view of the beach, with the two islands in the background.
A really cool palm tree trunk.
Thailand pride
Motoring out to sea.
Hayden and Finn hanging out.
Dusit Buncha Resort is in the background.
A close up of the resort. Our family suite was to the far right, up on the higher level.
The boat arrives at the scuba spot, in front of the islands we can see from our resort.
We don’t have pictures of the actual diving because the dive masters did not want the divers to be distracted by taking photos. They wanted to be sure they were safe and concentrating on diving, and checking out the fish.
Hayden and Finn had fun jumping off the dive boat and eating snacks after the dive.
Hayden thought this poster was funny!
Meanwhile, back at the resort, we catch a glimpse of the dive boat making its way to the islands.
Katie stayed with Lydia, Sawyer, and Eliza. Matt and Lydia went into town to get massages.
The kids met a friend, Bella, who was two and loved to count “1-2-3” and jump into the water with them. Her mom was Thai and dad was Russian.
Sawyer’s had a tough day.
Sunset.
Sunset view from Matt and Laura’s room, which was literally at the top of the hill, probably a 10-15 minute hike up. Great view though.
The moon, from our balcony, early morning on Day 3, June 29.
Nothing beats this breakfast view.
We spent the morning at the pool, followed by a trip into Sairee Beach. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant, except for Lydia and Eliza who got sushi instead. The four of us enjoyed foot massages.
Back at the resort, here is a pic of Brian and my room, which had windows all around.
And the kids’ room. Hayden on a futon this time.
The boys have been playing Fortnite. Hayden is so happy!
The resort is built into the rocks, so this ledge in their room must have been built over a rock outcropping. The kids thought it would make a good stage.
Today’s excitement began when the four adults went down to snorkel and then watch the sunset. We decided to climb the rock…
Here, you can see that Laura is stuck. Brian walks up next to her to the top and makes it look easy.
So I decide to walk up too. But I get stuck too!! Laura and my feet are totally slippery from the massage oil. We had not even thought of that until it was too late!
We are lying on our bellies, unable to move up or down. When I peer over the rock toward the restaurant, I see the entire wait staff pointing and laughing! I think that the guests were too busy watching the sunset to notice us (I hope!).
We are laughing so hard, we can’t move. And I am kind of scared that I will slide all the way down...
Meanwhile, Brian and Matt are laughing at us, and taking a thousand pictures of the sunset.
Twenty to thirty minutes later, we are rescued and recovering. Laura slid down on her stomach until she reach Matt who helped her take the final steps off the rock...
The head waiter, Kenny, sent his “staff” down to help me get off the rock. I was still lying on my stomach and Matt announces, “An expert has arrived! He is wearing shoes!” This nice young man, who thought the whole thing was so funny, let me lean my feet on his shoes and he pulled me up and helped me walk down (after I slid a few feet on my belly, was flipped over by Brian and then slid a few feet on my bum). When I asked him if anyone had ever gotten stuck on the rock before, he answered earnestly, “No, just you.”
The Duncans leave early on June 30, and we have a couple of days on our own. We are all quite sad to see them go. It was really nice to see friends after so many months of being away from home. We kind of fell out of our 24/7 family time rhythm...
.
This is the balcony outside our family suite. We are trying to look on the bright side..
We were all feeling a little down, but it’s hard to imagine complaining in such a gorgeous place.
Brian and Lydia are out snorkeling.
It was cool to have this snorkel spot right at the resort. Some people threw bread to the fish and they would swarm around!
Lydia and Brian move to the pool for more swimming.
Eliza starts out by sitting at the pool, listening to an audiobook. Another sad part of the Duncans leaving is that schooling begins again...
Cling on!
Tonight’s sunset!
July 1, our last day of the infinity pool, snorkeling, Sairee Beach and sunsets!
The girls (and Brian) entertain themselves with towels in the pool. Hayden is back at the room working on the vlogs, and missing having Sawyer and Finn around!
One more pic of our balcony.
We have an early dinner in town, again at the Mexican restaurant, on the beach. It is picturesque, but one thing you can’t see is how HOT it is. We could barely sit at the restaurant and enjoy a meal in the shade, with fans blowing on us. The afternoons were much hotter than the mornings.
And sushi too!
Our taxi drops us off at the top of the hill, and we walk down to the resort, under these rocks! When on the back of the pick up truck, the rocks come within inches of our heads.
The front entrance to our family suite (in the dwarf village).
The kids stay in the room while Brian and I have a dessert date at the restaurant. Mango shake and a banana split!
One last sunset pic.
Oops, just one more...
Final breakfast on July 2.
We take the one and a half(ish) hour ferry to Chumphon, a town along the eastern side of the Thai peninsula. Before we set off, there is an announcement that we all need to move to the front of the boat so it can back out of the harbor, because the tide is so low.
A final pic toward the islands.
A view back at the Koh Tao pier from the ferry.
Farewell Koh Tao!