Final Days on Koh Tao and Trip to Koh Phangan

On June 7, we set out early in the morning for a small stretch of beach near the pier. There, just a few meters below the water’s surface, lies the Mae Haad Shipwreck, a popular snorkeling spot. Already in our swimsuits but wearing sturdy shoes, we hiked the roughly 2.5 kilometers over rough terrain and a few small hills to get there. The path through the forest, past the abandoned resort we had already explored, was beautiful.

Even near the shore, we spotted several young reef sharks; later, a much larger specimen even crossed our path. The wreck itself surprised us with its size. Countless fish of various species swam around the ship’s remains.

We then swam to a beach closer to our accommodation where we planned to come ashore. Along the way, we encountered large schools of bannerfish as well as several impressively large triggerfish. The titan triggerfish, in particular, can reach impressive sizes, with a body length of up to 75 centimeters. Unlike the rather shy sharks, triggerfish defend their territory extremely aggressively, especially during the breeding season. That’s why we preferred to keep our distance. Nevertheless, we were able to observe some of them chasing and even biting other fish.

But as I rounded a rock, there was suddenly a close-up encounter between me and a triggerfish, which probably startled us both for a moment, because the fish didn’t quite know what to do either, and so we just stared at each other for quite a while.

From Jansom Bay, the water offered a magnificent view of the dilapidated bungalows of the “Lost Place” on the slopes above the bay. Some parts of the roof structure had already collapsed into the sea. Although the bungalows theoretically had direct access to the water, the strong surf would likely have inevitably pushed any swimmer against the rocks there. Perhaps that was also one of the reasons why the resort hadn’t generated enough revenue. Moreover, it’s extremely remote: you can only reach it on foot, and there are no shopping options in the immediate vicinity either.

It was precisely this seclusion that led us to choose Tao Thong Villa 2. Whether this applies to the general public, however, is questionable. At the time, the room rates at the Bamboo Huts were also quite high and catered more to affluent vacationers than to budget-conscious backpackers. At the same time, Koh Tao is anything but accessible. At our accommodation, for example, steep stairs lead down at least twenty meters to the restaurant and beach. A French guest who was using crutches therefore spent his days entirely in the restaurant area so he would only have to make the arduous climb up and down once a day.

Since the sea at our beach had been too rough for swimming in the past few days, we were able to go on a short farewell snorkeling trip on our last afternoon. We were promptly rewarded when we spotted two sea turtles. When they met, they first eyed each other curiously before briefly touching the other’s front flippers with their beaks—almost as if they were greeting each other—and then went their separate ways.

On the day of our departure, we said goodbye to the exceptionally warm and humorous staff member at the accommodation, as well as to the old tomcat Pancake, who had dozed off in our laps a few times. He then greeted us with a small hunting trophy: a dead squirrel. At first I thought it was a furry toy with a pom-pom tail, like the one I’d bought for my own cat back then, but Pancake isn’t satisfied with such trivial things.

Apparently, this otherwise slow and frail tomcat is very successful at hunting various creatures around the resort and had already brought back his second squirrel that day.

Later, we struck up a conversation with a “neighbor” of the resort. The couple planned to move from California in 2021, travel for a few years, and then settle down somewhere they liked. However, due to the Covid outbreak, they got stuck on Koh Tao after just one month of traveling and now run various social media channels for local dive schools, restaurants, and cafes with professional photos. It’s always exciting and inspiring to meet other expats and hear their stories.

After a wild taxi ride down steep, winding roads (sitting in the back of the truck, you’re right in the thick of it), we arrived at the pier.

We had booked tickets for a speedboat to Koh Phangan—an experience in itself.

Loud pop music blared from the speakers, and a few young women sang along enthusiastically. A Korean man next to us tried to work on his laptop with his cell phone in hand, even though the boat kept crashing into waves and you had to hold on tight to avoid being thrown around. Another passenger wasn’t fazed by it at all and calmly took a nap, his head bobbing from left to right in time with the waves.

Just an hour later, we reached Koh Phangan and walked the two kilometers to our accommodation with our luggage, since the taxis were charging exorbitant prices. With backpacks, you’re still relatively mobile, but I’m looking forward to traveling with just carry-on luggage in the future, rather than being fully packed for three months like we are now—and still carrying clothes we want to take to the Philippines.

At our new accommodation, V-View Beach, we’re once again staying in a small bungalow. The resort offers plenty of seating areas, hammocks, and direct access to the beach. Unfortunately, the water is too shallow for snorkeling, but we want to explore the island a bit more anyway and are sure to find other opportunities.

To cool off, we first jumped into the pool and actually shivered a little—an unusual feeling after the past few weeks. Meanwhile, we watched a squirrel crack open a coconut on a palm tree.

In the evening, the geckos scurried through the room and chased each other across the walls. I hope they catch a few mosquitoes too, because my legs are covered in bites again right now and I really don’t need any more.

Luckily, the Betaderm cream from Sri Lanka works exceptionally well. It speeds up healing and prevents the bites from getting infected. The first tube is almost empty by now. At least Simon has mostly been spared from these pests.