Don't Eat the Beansprouts..!

*Buckle up for a long one. We had an action-packed 10 days!*

After Bangkok, we opted for the cheaper option and rode a train 8 hours down to Chumphon in southern Thailand. Most people will spend one night in Chumphon before catching a ferry from its port to 3 nearby islands: Koh Samui (largest of the three, touristy resorts), Koh Phangan (full moon parties), or Koh Tao (smallest island, dive and snorkel hub). The ferry ranges from 2-6 hours depending on location.

Initially, we were going to spend a few days in Chumphon to explore its national park and hiking trails, but the rainy season got the best of us so we decided to stick to 1 night only.

Although it was a short stop, we opted to stay at a fisherman’s village homestay that we found on Booking.com. It was the same price as standard rooms in town ($28), so we figured it would be a more unique experience to see how locals live. We arrived at their village where no cars are allowed and winded through the various raised paths (some more stable than others…) until we found our home for the night. We were greeted by Jai (our host), her parents, and a neighbor’s random baby.

Unfortunately, the language barrier was quite big, so we couldn’t ask many questions about the family’s association with fishing or about the place. Jai was in her thirties and lived at home with her girlfriend and parents. Her English was good so she ran all communication with guests etc. Although she’s been managing the homestay since 2019 to support the family, her real dream is to move to Bangkok and be a hairdresser.

The house had a large deck overlooking a murky brown river, which all fisherman boats needed to cross to get their catch of the day. We sat and watched dozens and dozens of boats prep before setting off, all day and night (literally all night). It was a particularly wet day in Chumphon but luckily the deck had a roof so we were shielded by monsoons watching the boats go by.

Jai then asked if we wanted to drive around Chumphon with her before dropping us at the street food market for dinner. Another monsoon started as soon as she dropped us off but we managed to find two seats at a Pad Thai place at the end of the stalls (although the pad thai didn’t look as good as other popular stalls). Our noodles came cooked with a small baggie of fresh bean sprouts, cucumber, and lime. Without thinking I tossed it all in my cooked noodles and ate my mediocre pad thai (honestly it’s been hard finding good pad thai!!).

The rain was still heavy and once we finished eating I could see Sam laughing at something behind my shoulder. He then told me to turn around and my eyes grew wide.

The pad thai chef had intricately finagled his rain tarp to have a steady stream of rainwater flow directly into a bowl of cucumbers and bean sprouts for washing. At that moment, he was rinsing the cucumbers with rain water, and inserting the “cleaned” veggies into the little baggies. Sam calls it mingin’, I call it NASTYYYYY.

In the morning, I thought I was off the hook from sickness. Jai drove us to the ferry port for us to catch our boat to Koh Tao when my stomach took a turn for the worst (I still thought it was seasickness though).

We finally got to Koh Tao, without secured accommodation, so Sam walked up and down the beach searching for available rooms on Tanote Bay (a remote beach that’s beautiful on the quieter side of the island!!). We landed on a bungalow overlooking the bay which was a fan-only room but the bathroom was better than others (still talking rustic here, people!!). This was $30/night. I’ll save you all from the details but the next 3 days were spent in bed/ on the beach, eating white rice and fresh coconut water (at least the views were nice!). Sam was an unbelievable doctor and got me back fighting fit and even got some peace and quiet for a few days (he wrote this).

A quick note on our “rustic bathrooms”: For those who haven’t traveled to SE Asia, rural Mexico, or backpacked, it may be a surprise that bathrooms consist of a toilet and a shower head. There’s no curtain, no ledge to contain the water. It’s all free-flowing. Yes, the ground is always wet. No, the water pressure isn’t good. It drains directly from holes in the ground. All toilet paper has to be thrown into a trashcan. I prefer to wear my flip-flops in the shower. It kinda feels like a campground shower. Remember to appreciate your long, hot showers, friends!!!

Finally, on the mend, Sam and I decided to explore the more lively area of Koh Tao- Sairee Beach. We “splurged” on a beachfront hotel (with a REAL SHOWER!) for a few days and rented a scooter to explore all the different bays and beaches around the island. Note from Sam: It’s been made official Laura is the world’s worst backseat driver. Screeching away constantly. Nearly had to go to the doctor for the earache I got.

We immediately knew Koh Tao was going to be “electric” (Sam’s words). The island is so chill, filled with backpacking westerners, but never feels overrun or crowded.

Fun fact: Weed got legalized in Thailand as of 2022! There are tons of dispensaries, and we befriended an owner of a trendy weed & wine bar, who also went to Northeastern (Go Huskies lol). In addition to Michael, who owned the shop, we met various characters during our nights there…

One couple in particular, Rundi (a 49-year-old Sri Lankan/ Dutch woman) and Matt (a 45-year-old Frenchman) frequented Koh Tao after meeting at the Full Moon party on Koh Phangan 23 years prior. They LOVED a good time and convinced us to prioritize Sri Lanka for our world tour (we’re going to head there in a few weeks!).

We kept repeating over the 10 days how Koh Tao is the perfect holiday/ vacation spot. Great food, bars, beaches, snorkeling/diving, affordable, and an all-around vibe parade. Everyone add this to your shortlist!!!!

SCUBA DIVING: We were told Koh Tao is one of the best (and cheapest!) places to get scuba-certified in the world. We figured we would get certified early in the trip to enjoy dives while we continue our travels across the world. The certification for open water dives takes 3 days: 1 day in the pool getting acquainted with the gear (pruned fingers and feet after 8 hrs in the pool), breathing underwater etc. Days 2 & 3 completing reef dives where we learned skills (buoyancy, navigating with a compass, learning how to descend/ ascend safely etc.). We went on 45-minute dives twice a day and it was AMAZING. Open water certification allows you to dive up to 18 meters (60 feet). It was like swimming in a replica of Finding Nemo! We even spotted little Nemos in their anemone homes (they’re actually more translucent pink/purple than orange, but still so cute!).

We couldn’t have been luckier with our group. Our two instructors, Toni (a Finnish man) and Andy (a Brit), were unbelievable. The rest of our squad consisted of Nick (Andy’s boyfriend), Sophie (16-year-old Dutch girl), Julian ( 19-year-old solo traveler from Germany), Liam (24-year-old solo traveler from Santa Cruz in CA!), and Cat (a 28-year-old girl from Hawaii who lives in NYC). p.s. She’s amazing and we want her to meet our friends in NYC!!!.

Once our 3-day course was completed, our group decided to extend our certification to the 2-day advanced certification course which allows you to dive 30M (98 feet!), night dive, and scuba without an instructor (but always with a buddy). During this course, it was less about skills and more about fun dives. The first day consisted of 3 dives, culminating in the highlight - our first-night dive!! We took the boat out at sunset (there was no sun) and the weather conditions were extremely choppy and windy. We questioned if we were allowed to even dive in these conditions but the instructors gave an unconvincing nod. The weather finally calmed down and we prepped our equipment in the dark.

We were given flashlights for the dive so we could guide ourselves underwater. I was definitely nervous diving in the dark, mostly afraid of the pitch black and a fish scaring me behind my shoulder.

While descending underwater, the feeling was surreal. All the mini microbes, specs, and mini jellyfish, were completely still in the water. When I shined my flashlight, it looked never-ending. Not a fish, corral, or rock formation in sight. It was trippy!! The corral and clams at night were my favorite, they turned neon which also added to the trippiness.

On our last dive (9th dive in total), our instructors surprised us by saying they weren’t coming with us. That meant Sam and I were going to navigate from the boat down underwater, find the reef through compass navigation, and be responsible for managing our air, depth, buoyancy, etc. all on our own. It was a huge shock at first, but we did feel super comfortable after diving all week. Sam and I lasted 51 minutes exploring the reef and only one miscommunication ( I tried hugging him underwater and he didn’t like that haha). We were the first buddy group down, and the last ones up! We also managed to ascend directly next to the boat (great navigation skills, Sam!).

We ended u celebrating our advanced certification with our group by going out later that night. Our instructor, Toni, came to the club shoeless (~island vibes~) and provided the team with balloons/poppers/whippets (oldies don’t google this, it’s just Oxygen ;))… A Thai specialty on a night out (eeepp!). Promise we’re being safe!!!!!!

Last night, we took a night ferry (which helped us save $$ on accommodation for the night! ~Maxxonista vibes~) and a three-hour bus drive to Khao Sok National Park. We are joining a tour tomorrow to explore its lake/ jungle with no wifi for 2 days. Stay tuned for the rundown when we return!

Love you all!!!!

Laura (and Sam)