Thailand: Ocean Sound Dive and Yoga, Koh Tao

If you know anything about Koh Tao you will know that it is famous for scuba diving. As a result there are countless dive schools dotted all around the island which makes choosing one a challenge in itself. A week or so before arriving we took to TripAdvisor for a list of the best schools on the island and contacted the top 5 for more information. They all got back to us with similar information and prices which again we were none the wiser as to which one to choose. After reading reviews in more detail we decided that a smaller, more intimate school would be preferred so opted for Ocean Sound Dive and Yoga (which are currently number 1 on TripAdvisor, no doubt they deserve it!). We decided to take the plunge and book to do our PADI Open Water Qualifications which would allow us to dive up to 18m all around the world - providing we passed of course! 

On arrival at Ocean Sound we were greeted by Jesper and asked to fill out a health questionnaire and pretty much sign our lives away. After a quick introduction to the schedule we would be following and most importantly locating the free tea and coffee station, we were taken to our seaside cabins. Ocean Sound are located in Chalok Bay on the south of Koh Tao, away from the madness of Saree Beach where we had stayed previously. We stayed at Tropicana Resort where we were lucky enough to secure 2 beach front cabins just a few metres from the ocean! We had a few hours to spare before we needed to head back to the dive shop to begin our course, so we took a wander around the Bay to orientate ourselves and scope out the good looking bars and restaurants. 

Now it was officially time to begin dive school! We were introduced to our dive instructor Mariana - she was so friendly and easygoing it was clear we were going to have a good time. For the rest of the afternoon we watched a few sections of a DVD and were sent away with some homework. Being the star students that we are, we brushed that off, went for dinner and then all got together at around 10pm to go over our answers (sorry Mariana if you're reading this :P). Nevertheless going over our answers the next morning we had no problems, so it was time to go for our first try in the swimming pool!  

Now at the swimming pool we first had to prove that we could swim. Yes, believe it or not there are people who think they can scuba dive without having the ability to swim! We had to swim 500m and tread water for 10 minutes. Next we learned how to properly set up the equipment and carry out our buddy checks. Then it was time to take our first breaths underwater! Some of us found it more difficult that others to get used to this sensation, as you have to completely forget you even have a nose! Once Mariana was satisfied we were all comfortable it was time to begin our mask skills - filling it with water and learning how to get rid of it, taking the mask completely off and breathing without it for a full 2 minutes - all scenarios that could potentially happen underwater. Next we moved to the deeper pool and practised our buoyancy skills, taking our equipment on and off whilst in the water and around a thousand other things. We were all feeling much more confident now that we had had a few hours in the swimming pool, getting familiar with the equipment and perfecting skills we would have to demonstrate on our dives over the next couple of days. We loved that Ocean Sound carry out this session in a swimming pool rather than in open water as this reduced any anxiety we may have had. We all felt that going straight into the sea, which happens at many dive schools would have been very overwhelming. Mariana gave us even more homework to be completed that evening so we were ready to tackle the open waters early next morning. 

So the day was here - our first ever dive into the open water! We all had very mixed feelings, excited but also nervous as we were going into the unknown. Sophie wasn't doing any diving herself but she was allowed on the boat nonetheless which meant lots of pictures! The boat was amazing, not too crowded and we got free breakfast of eggs and toast and an endless supply of watermelon, pineapple, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. After our dive briefing and quick overview of hand signals of different type of fish we may see it was time to gear up and jump into the water. At Ocean Sound they keep the groups to a maximum of 4 students which increases safety but also makes for a better experience as we felt we really got to know Mariana. We found this first dive a little difficult as we felt like we had a million things to think about all at once. However, Mariana took it very slowly, always checking on us and it wasn't long before we were enjoying ourselves. 

From then on every dive we did got better and better. As we became more comfortable in the water we were able to focus more on the beauty that was around us rather than perfecting our buoyancy or controlling our breathing. We got to do a total of 4 dives for our PADI qualification, reaching a maximum depth of 18 metres. And within what felt like a blink of an eye we were officially qualified PADI Open Water divers! GO TEAM! We enjoyed our experience so much we were contemplating going ahead and doing our advanced course as well. However we thought we would save that for another location so we had diving experience in another part of the world. 

We all enjoyed every minute of our time with Mariana and Ocean Sound, they really are number one for a reason! 

Not a bad location

Sexy wetsuits

Learning our hand signals - awkward turtle! 

Checking we can breathe 

Nice tank ;)

All ready to go!

Heeeeey fishes! 

We survived! 

Officially PADI Open Water Qualified ! 

The Happy Wanderers

♥

Thailand: Pai

After an amazing few days in Chiang Mai, it was time for us to leave and head to Pai which we had heard so much about from various people. After boarding the minibus, it didn't take us long to realise why the journey there came with a warning! The winding roads and cliff edges were enough to make anyone feel ill and with Sophie suffering from travel sickness, she decided to take some medication and was soon as high as a fairy and oblivious to the entire thing. It was hilarious watching her trying to find her mouth while she ate a packet of crisps haha! When we arrived, we instantly fell in love with the look and vibe Pai had. Every little cafe, shop and bar were so unique from the last and the people were all so chilled out, we knew we'd love it there! It was a bit of a mission trying to find our accommodation as the directions we got from online were all wrong, eventually we had to get a local to ring them for more directions then get a taxi! 

Upon arrival, we were stunned at our accommodation because we were expecting so much less for the money we paid. We stayed at Prod-Pai Prachaupmaoh Guesthouse and were given a bungalow on stilts all to ourselves, it was the cutest thing! It was about a 15 minute walk back into the main town which meant that we could sit on the balcony and enjoy the peace and views of the surrounding mountains. The women at reception soon informed us that there would be a weekend market in the main street that night and would taxi us there and back for free of charge, so off we went to explore the goodies Pai had to offer. The market was different from normal Thai markets, it still sold some of the classic purses, elephant printed trousers etc but also sold unique hand-crafted items like dream catchers, jewellery and clothing. We ended up in a cafe which served the best variety of hot drinks and cakes for a good price, how could we ever resist!? The walls were covered by so many flowers, at first sight we thought it was a florist but soon discovered otherwise.

The next day we decided to hire a moped (which we named Phoebe) and head to a few of the local tourist spots. After a few runs up and down Pai's main street, Sophie eventually got the hang of how to ride it and we began the drive to the hot springs in Huai Nam Dang National Park. They were just a short walk from the car park and we were shocked to find that some were so hot, you could actually pay to boil an egg in them, who would do that haha!? We settled for the hottest one we could handle and made ourselves comfy as our bodies soaked in the natural minerals. There were plenty of signs in the park warning tourists not to stay in the water too long because if your body absorbed too much of the minerals, it can make you feel dizzy and unwell so we made sure to sit out for at least 5 minutes before moving down to the next one.

After spending a bit too long relaxing in the springs, it was time to dry off and head to Pai canyon which was only a 10 minute drive away. Some people say the canyon is Pai's answer to the Grand Canyon, it could more accurately be described as narrow red ridges with steep-sided valleys, both filled with pine forests. The steep 50m drop either side and stunning views over the surround countryside are impressive but we had to be extra careful because the path is extremely narrow in some places.

Next stop, Koh Tao to begin our PADI Open Water Scuba Diving course.. EXCITING!

Here are some photos of our time in Pai:

Our home away from home

Outdoor BBQ and seating area

Cute quote at Pai market

Some of the handmade jewellery at the market

The most flowers we've ever seen in one room!

Hot chocolate and cake before bed, perfect!

The fabulous 'Phoebe'!

Arriving at Huai Nam Dang National Park

Cruising to the canyon

The view from the canyon

One of the narrow ridges to walk across

The Happy Wanderers

♥

Myanmar: Yangon

Once we finally got our Myanmar visas granted after a few days wait in Bangkok, we decided to take the 8 hour sleeper bus to the Mae Sot border. Luckily they have a foreigner queue so we didn't have to wait hours in line with the locals just to get our stamp into the country! However, before we arrived in the country we had heard many warnings about Myanmar using the US dollar as their currency and only accepting pristine notes for payment. So whilst we were in Bangkok, we exchanged all our money into new US dollar notes only to be told at the border that they use their own currency, not the dollar. This made it more difficult to be able to purchase a bus ticket to get us from the border to Yangon but thankfully, a member of staff exchanged our dollars into the local currency (Burmese kyat) and helped us finally book our bus.

En route to Yangon, we had to board a local bus which drove us up through the mountains that had dirt, single-lane roads. This may not sound so bad but it was extremely nail biting when you're on a big coach and a foot away from a 50 ft drop off the cliffs! We were very grateful that these roads were only an hours worth of the 8 hour bus journey and felt relieved to get back onto smooth tarmac until we arrived in Yangon early hours of the morning. We stayed at the Four Rivers Hostel which was quite pricey for our budget because hostels aren't 'a thing' in Burma yet but it was definitely worth the extra few pounds! The dorm room had the most amazing bunkbeds with the softest, fluffiest blanket and pillow we've experienced since we'd left home. It also came with breakfast included which was unlimited toast and hot drinks. 

For our first evening, we decided to visit the local lake which we were told had great views of the pagoda at sunset as it reflected in the water and the sun shone off of it's golden roof. We were slightly disappointed by the view that we got as it was mostly blocked by trees and the sky was too cloudy for an amazing sunset that we had envisioned, but the park itself was still a very pretty and peaceful place to end the day. On our way back to the hostel, we decided to stop at a Thai restaurant for dinner but were shocked at the prices on the menu. They were reasonable for people on their holidays but not cheap enough for our standards, but Sam managed to find unlimited boiled rice for 50p which we all ordered. The waiter looked at us stupid when we said that was all we wanted, and when the food was brought to us, they all gathered around to watch the poor people feast on rice, haha! It wasn't as bad as it sounds because luckily they gave us nuts, chillies, soy sauce etc to add into the dish to make it less bland but it was still a hilarious situation to find ourselves in!

However, the fun didn't end there as when we got back to the hostel, Sarah decided to allow Rebecca to give her a haircut even though she is definitely not qualified to do so but desperate times call for desperate measures! It was decided that Rebecca would only cut about an inch off but soon, she lost concentration and somehow, managed to cut off around 3 inches 'on accident'. Luckily, Sam was there to guide Rebecca and ensure that she was cutting straight so it didn't turn out bad in the end. Good job ladies!

The main attraction in Yangon is the Shwedagon Pagoda as it is one of the most famous in the world. It sits atop of a hill and is 99 metres high which means it can be seen from most places in Yangon during the day and night. It's gold-plated dome is topped by a stupa containing over 7,000 diamonds, rubies, topaz and sapphires with a huge emerald positioned to reflect the sunlight which is why it can be referred to as "the crown of Burma".  The pagoda itself is said to contain eight hair of the Buddha which adds to it's prestige and is why Buddhists feel compelled to visit the site at least once in their lifetime. 

We decided it was time to leave for Bagan by train so set off to find the ticket office which apparently doesn't exist. After asking multiple people for directions who didn't speak English and being sent on a wild goose chase for over an hour around the city, we found the station only to be told we couldn't buy the tickets until the day of departure. Ideal! Next morning, we got up really early to make sure we got our tickets for the dreaded train (see next post for details) .. Onto Bagan!

Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset

Rebecca, Sam and Sarah at the lake

Welcome to Rebecca's Salon!

Arriving at Shwedagon Pagoda

Being a real tourist!

Rebecca making pagoda friends!

Burmese children attempting 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil'. SOOOO CUTE!

Young monks at the pagoda

The Happy Wanderers

♥