Koh Lanta, Thailand - Diving Right In

One of Koh Lanta's stunning beaches

After a quick van ride and two rather rough ferry rides through the beautiful Koh Phi Phi area, we found ourselves on what would become our little haven of Thai hospitality, the island of Koh Lanta.  We were picked up, along with a few other passengers, from the ferry landing by a pickup with a half-covered truck bed.  We filed in and piled our baggage in the center as it started to rain.  So far, not exactly the island paradise that I had been picturing, but I had supposed that at some point on our travels, we would inevitably get caught in the rain.  We checked in at the reception desk attached to another hotel, as we were staying in some stand-alone units called "Peaceful House" a little further down the beach.  We have found that the check-in process is not always as straight forward as it appears to be in the states.

Living in style for $35/night =)

Morning coffee while waiting for the rain to pass

Some typical evening fare for when it was raining =)

Awesome roadside chicken & pad thai

I could go on and on (as I usually do…) about what we did each day and in what order we did said activities, but I think I would rather spend the next couple of paragraphs trying to convey to you how the next 2 weeks changed us for the better.  In fact, we had originally only booked 5 nights in our little beach place, but we kept going back to the office and asking if we could stay "maybe just 1 or 2 more nights."  It was only after Thanksgiving had passed and 2 weeks of island life had been enjoyed that we finally tore ourselves away from Koh Lanta.  This luscious beautiful sandbar was the kind of place that you didn't want to leave, and it ever so covertly convinced you that living more slowly was the only way to go.  We had been on the road for about 4.5 months, and I think we were ready to dial it down a notch.  And so we weathered some great storms (literally) by watching reruns of Law and Order while eating noodles in a cup and drinking Chang beer, the palm trees outside whipping around in the wind and rain, studying (gasp!) and adopting not only the island lifestyle, but also the diver's routine.  Wake up, apply sunscreen and swimsuit, get on a boat, have some coffee, dive into the otherworldly waters in one of the most beautiful underwater locations in the world, have lunch, dive again, get back to shore, have a nice meal on the beach for sunset, sleep, and repeat again the next day.  It was idyllic.  

The dive shop & pool

Matt had been interested in learning to scuba dive for some time.  I, on the other hand, had been a bit apprehensive about the whole endeavor.  If we were going to attempt this, especially in another country, I wanted safety, safety, experience, and more safety.  Matt, bless his heart, happily obliged and performed hours of internet research to appease me with a list of places he thought sounded good.  Then we picked a couple to visit personally.  I wanted to see everything before I committed my money and my life to these people.  

Hangin' with one of the dive shop cats

The first place we went to was right by our sister hotel's office, called Palm Beach Divers.  I immediately felt at home as it was run by a French couple and the place was immaculately kept with impeccably maintained equipment.  And they had 3 dive shop cats (Rescue, Bucket, and Evil), always a plus in my book.  We would come to know them (the people and the cats) well over the next couple of weeks.  Katherine, the owner, showed us everything in the shop and answered each and every one of my questions with clarity, humor and grace.  Our instructor, if we were to enroll in the Open Water Certification, would likely be a man named Claus, who was originally from Germany and had been diving and teaching for something like 16 years.  I was pretty convinced this was the place, but for posterity's sake, we took the scooter into town and visited another.  It was nice and the folks were friendly, but we found that it didn't have the same vibe.  Back to Palm Beach Divers we went, enthusiastically signing up for the 3-4 day Open Water Certification course.

Some crazy storm and wind

Learning to dive!  Photo cred Cristophe Rouziou

A taste of the beauty underneath; photo cred Christophe Rouziou

Matt & I on our first dive; photo cred Christophe Rouziou

Me from below!  Photo cred Christophe Rouziou

Epic sunset after our first day of diving

Through the PADI Open Water Certification we learned all the skills necessary to dive safely.  There was a lot of classroom work up front with exams, followed by learning about all the equipment and how to set it up, followed by our first dip in the pool.  Here we began to master the simple art of breathing underwater while not freaking out.  It was a truly unique experience to inhale for the first time through your regulator and trust that it would give you that air while underwater.  At first it felt pretty bizarre, but before long we were both comfortable and having an incredible time.  After working on all sorts of skills, we were ready for our first "real" dives out in the ocean.  

Heading out for dives 3 & 4

Incredible beauty out there at Koh Haa!

Matt and I with Claus, our instructor, right after obtaining our Open Water Certifications!

Heading back from the boat after dive day 2

Our for dinner celebrating our scuba status!  =)

Heading out to Koh Phi Phi for some fun diving!

One is required to complete 4 dives as part of the certification, and over the next 2 days (actually 3 days as a huge storm, ergo huge waves, delayed us 24 hours between dives 2 & 3), we did just that.  We would head out each day on the big diving boat to the ridiculously beautiful dive locations of Koh Haa and Koh Phi Phi.  A quick Google search of either of these locations is enough to make one give it all up to get a job diving there every day.  It was truly spectacular, and with each dive we mastered more skills and began to feel more and more comfortable.  It was a special feeling of accomplishment after passing all our exams and completing all the skills to receive our certifications.  Our instructor, Claus, was a godsend for me.  I have never met a calmer and more reassuring person, and I am still so grateful for him for his amazing teaching.  To this day if I begin to feel flustered, I picture Claus' underwater signals and begin to relax and breathe regularly.  

On the dive boat

Diving Koh Phi Phi; photo cred Cristophe Rouziou

Matt, our guide Angie and me with the cuttlefish; photo cred Christophe Rouziou

More of the beautiful underwater world; photo cred Christophe Rouziou

Mo Koh Lanta Nat'l Park

We were completely smitten with diving, so arranged to go out again a few days later.  Again, we were blown away by the underwater world and the culture of diving.  We had the pleasure of meeting such interesting and nice people, each with their own incredible journey and story from around the world.  We also found plenty of time to relax and enjoy the stunning beach.  The scooter we had rented also took us to town and to the other end of the island where there is a wonderful national park.  

More of the National Park

Lovely lunch spot

Checking out Morakot Cave & Beach -- cave swimming required! =)

Can't beat this weather!

Or the sunsets!

The couple of weeks we spent in Koh Lanta changed the flavor of the trip and allowed us the space to slow down and just go with the flow.  The food was spectacular, the company unbeatable, and the physical beauty of the place unparalleled.  Looking back, I'm a bit surprised we left at all!  =)  But, the omnipresent call of life on the road, and the excitement of Bangkok beckoned.  We had big plans to take it all in, and after all, it was a destination that we had both been looking forward to for years.  Big city, here we come!

Click below for more awesome diving and island pics!