Ko Chang

I've spent the last few days (and plan to spend the next few) on Ko Chang, an island in the east of Thailand near Cambodia. It's Thailand's second largest island, but is relatively undeveloped--there is one main road running along the perimeter of the island and bungalows, as well as some more upscale hotels, along the beaches. I'm staying in a bamboo hut right on the water's edge (you can see it in the picture below). Pretty sparse--just a mattress on the floor with a mosquito net. But that's really all that's needed, and in the mornings it takes me ten steps from the door to dive into the ocean, which is perhaps the warmest sea water I've swam in. Today, though, I actually moved to a new place further up the beach which is actually only accessible from the beach (as it backs onto a cliff) and, at high tide, is further only accessible by walking through the water around a rocky outcropping.

The island itself is full of northern Europeans, mostly Scandinavians with a few Dutch and Germans. There's also a handful of drunk Britons, but I'm certain they staggered onto the wrong boat and ended up here instead of Ko Phanyang or one of the islands better known for drunken revelry.

Two days ago I drove around the island on a motorcycle and yesterday I went on a snorkelling trip, exploring the waters around some of the smaller islands south of Ko Chang. I plan to do some scubadiving in the next couple days and then head back to Bangkok.