Never travel on May day! When we arrived at Hua Lamphong train station in Bangkok for our train ride to Champhon, we expected a little bit of a crowd as it is one of the cheapest ways to travel the country – second only to buses. We didn’t expect the masses that spilled out of the main gates and onto the streets outside, though. It seemed that all manners of people were waiting for their iron stagecoach. Buddhist monks waited in small groups, iPods and mobile phones glued to their faces. Families with bags and bags of luggage waited for their transport for their weekend holiday. Lone businessmen sat in solitude counting down the hours until they return to their families for the holiday. The whole station was a hive of inactivity.
I did ponder whether or not we should have booked our tickets in advance!
When we were escorted to the information office, we were advised that though there were still 18 seats remaining on the train, none were together. One solitary seat was available in second class, while the remaining 17 were all first class upper and lower berths. On a shorter journey, this wouldn’t have been an issue but neither of us embraced the prospect of 12 hours travel in different carriages, surrounded by strangers, with only our bags for companionship. We therefore made the decision of travelling by bus instead. It cost us the same to travel in first class on a private bus, including our ferry transfer from Champhon to Ko Tao, as it would have to travel by train to Champhon alone. The cheaper option, surprisingly enough, is also the fasted – knocking almost 4 hours off of the total travel time.
The bus journey itself was trying at times. In-flight (well, drive) entertainment was provided but was more suited for anyone suffering from ADHD. We managed to watch Hitman in its entirety, followed by fifteen minutes of Balls Of Fury, the first half of The Matrix and about 45 minutes of one of the worst films I’ve ever been forced to sit through; Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blod Orchid. The acting still gives me shivers. Travelling by night meant that admiring the views was not an option. All I could do was sit back, relax and attempt to catch some sleep.
Just as I was reaching the land of nod, the bus pulled over. All the lights came on and we were hastily ushered off of the bus into a crude truck stop by the side of the road. The bus itself was heading on to a further destination, while any passengers travelling to Ko Tao were loaded onto a second bus with all of their luggage. Well, almost all of their luggage. One poor guy who was rudely awoken from his sleep when the bus stopped had managed to grab his bag, but in the crude light of 2a.m. and the semi-delirious state of consciousness had forgotten two huge ornamental war masks that he’d acquired in Indonesia. They most certainly wont be seen again – by him, at least.
It may be the cynic in me, but with the extremely brief notification of the stop and the quick exit (20+ passengers and their bags were unloaded in under 5 minutes), it is almost as if the operators plan for tired and weary travellers to leave something behind. Some days it may be an Indonesian war mask, other days it may be something of a lot more value. Our second bus ride was a very brief one. We were taken from the side of the road to a small travel office to pick up any other travellers heading to Champhon docks. After an hour or so’s wait here, and a fully loaded coach we headed to the port.
Chumphon itself is a relatively small town. Its income is almost solely dependent on fishing, supplemented only by the commuters between the north of the country and the islands. This became rather apparent at the dockside. Rows upon rows of fishing vessels ranging in size, shape and age lined the sides of the makeshift harbour, while the smell of the nights catch filled the air. Again, we had another small wait – this time for the ferry. The sun had risen high into the sky by the time we departed for the islands. Having done a similar journey to this before (from Surit Thani to Ko Samui), I knew what to expect. I laid back, closed my eyes, and prayed for sleep. It never came.
We eventually reached Ko Tao’s beachside pier at just after 10a.m., which meant we’d been travelling for over 15 hours since leaving Bangkok. Add to that the fact that both Cass and I were each carrying 65L+ bags, and that equals two very tired travellers. Upon leaving Mae Haad pier, we headed straight to some accommodation that we’d seen previously on the net, which at £6 a night was cheap enough. A place called Utopia Resort. In Ko Tao, most places now offer two sorts of accommodation. Air-conditioned bungalows or apartments for families and holiday-makers ranging between £12 and £60, or low-cost budget rooms for travellers. We opted for the latter. While they were basic, they were clean. The room consisted of a double bed (well, two single beds pushed together), a fan, and a bathroom. Complete with a flushing toilet – a rarity on this beach island.
After dumping the bags, showering and sleeping until the afternoon we headed off for a look around the island. Though Ko Tao is only 21 km², the landscape can make if very difficult to navigate on foot. At its highest point, the hills breach over 370m. The only true way to explore the island without snorkelling round it is by moped. These can be hired all over the island, and at £2 a day (and 2/3rds of that again to fill the tank with petrol), there is no financial reason not to. A small ride soon revealed two things to us. Firstly, how isolated from the rest of the islands activity we were and secondly, how developed the island had become since our last visit just two years ago. Dirt tracks had become concrete roads, beach huts had become resort apartments, collections of shops had become small towns.
The irony of it all - as the island becomes more and more popular, the less of the original islands attraction remains. The crystal blue waters of Sairee beach have just a remnant of their original beauty as swarms of dive boats line the shore, and the tranquil beach huts that hem the coastline are now just the first line of hundreds of identical huts offering a cheap nights stay for the intrepid diver.
Despite all this, you get the feeling that without staying so close to Sairee, the backbone of Ko Tao, you’re missing out on what makes it tick. So after our first nights stay, we checked out of our room and headed to Seashell Dive Resort. Located towards the north of Sairee (the first Thoracic, if you will) it is one of the original resorts on the island, which makes it one of the cheapest, and most spacious. Our chalet offered all the same amneties as our room at Utopia, as well as a front porch area, a cooling sea breeze (a necessity in 35°c heat), and our own wildlife. We’re regularly visited by geckos and birds, and even had a stray dog asleep on our porch one night! Stray dogs are, or were a large problem on the island. People bring them across to start a new home on the island but after a season, or when their visa expires, they leave them behind and head off. The strays then breed, adding to more feral animals. Fortunately the island is very aware of any problems it may face in the future. Charities regularly arrange beach clean-ups to rid the coastline of rubbish, and funds are also raised for the de-sexing and vaccinating of homeless animals to reduce breeding and disease in the stray population without resorting to a mass culling.
On the beach today, another stray dog joined Cass and me – though it was incredibly tame. At first I was cautious of the animal, not knowing what diseases it may carry, but after watching a couple of locals petting it and playing fetch with balls of sand I grew more at ease. I was soon chasing small fish up and down the coastline with it, paddling out into the sea with the dog following me, and throwing balls of wet sand for it to chase. When I returned to my beach towel, it followed me and laid at the foot of my towel as if we’d been acquainted for years! For a dog without an owner, I’d never seen a tail wag so much. It got me thinking of the rest of the islands inhabitants, too. Years ago, the island was used as a prison. People were put here in solitude for their crimes. These days, the reasons for coming here may be very different but the majority of people who do live here, do it on their own. Much like the stray dogs on the island, they’re alone with everyone.
Hopefully, time permitting, i'll be able to update again in the next couple of days but if not, then the next time you hear from me will be from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Assuming of course, our journey is eventless!
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