Koh Tao Travel Tips
Koh Tao Travel Tips
Ahh yes, the fabled old "Travel Tips" I know, I know.
You've read countless travel tips and seen even more YouTube videos than your debts after paying for a holiday but bare with me.
These aren't your run of the mill travel tips but more to describe the way of life in Thailand and some general rules to go by that will hopefully make your travels the best they can be.
Plane Tickets:
Before you embark on any adventure, one of the first things you'll have to do is book your plane tickets but as I've mentioned earlier in my blog, local flights within Thailand can be quite pricey, for example some flights from Phuket to Koh Samui can be as expensive as a month's rent, so it's always best to way up your options and try to not let your excitement and eagerness get in the way of you and your wallet's better judgement.
On the flip-side however, Once you are in Thailand, it quickly becomes very affordable to visit the neighboring countries like Vietnam and Singapore with ticket prices that are laughable in comparison to what you paid to get to the land of smiles with some airfares being in the range of 3500 to 5000 Thai Baht (Bangkok, Thailand - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)
One thing I must admit to is that I missed my flight back home because I was so caught up and so entranced by the majesty of the paradise island, Koh Tao that I managed to completely forget when my flight was.
I had to make a plan to get back home, luckily for me the one-way flight back to South Africa was only give or take 6000 Thai Baht.
- What I'm saying is that you too may fall inlove and want to stay longer with the option of a visa extension so consider the option of buying a one-way ticket home as it can be cheaper than changing your flight-dates.
What To Pack?:
I had to make a plan to get back home, luckily for me the one-way flight back to South Africa was only give or take 6000 Thai Baht.
- What I'm saying is that you too may fall inlove and want to stay longer with the option of a visa extension so consider the option of buying a one-way ticket home as it can be cheaper than changing your flight-dates.
What To Pack?:
Yes, Yes pack light blah blah blah...
No, Pack reasonably in the sense of packing clothes that fit the weather, occasion and location.
Going to a beach - pack your favorite leopard-print speedo.
Going for dinner on a rooftop in Bangkok's skyline - Pack a white button shirt and tie, perhaps.
It does go without saying that the lighter you pack, the less of a hastle it will be for you to haul your luggage around when traveling by bus, taxi and ferrie.
Trust me, in that heat, it's not pleasant, good exercise though.
The Gulf of Thailand and the Chumhpon Archipelago is filled with tropic islands so it goes without saying that the humidity will make you sweat like a pig if you don't drink enough beer to keep you cool, so pack summer-wear, beach-wear and clothes that can "breathe" and are thin so that you don't have to wipe the sweat of your brow and have your friends tell you that you stink every 10 minutes.
Don't worry, it only takes about 3-5 days to get acclimated to the weather.
I would recommend taking at least one hoodie or jersey with you, first of all because what kind of a maniac flies without one? and secondly, although the weather is perfect for you to take the Instagram photos you've always wanted to, the weather isn't always so great on the islands with some of the biggest tropical thunderstorms you will see.
I also don't recommend taking more than one pair of "closed" shoes with you as you'll be spending a lot of time taking them off and putting them back on as you enter and exit restaurants, bars and hotels as is the rule in Thailand - (The feet are considered the most dirty part of the body)
If you are on prescription medication, make sure to make copies of said medication especially when the medication is opiate-based as Thailand has a very strict zero tolerance for any form of drug.
Speaking of copies, be sure to make and carry a copy of your passport with your Thai visa in it, should you be stopped and questioned by the police, although this rarely happens on Koh Tao, it's better to be safe than sorry.
No, Pack reasonably in the sense of packing clothes that fit the weather, occasion and location.
Going to a beach - pack your favorite leopard-print speedo.
Going for dinner on a rooftop in Bangkok's skyline - Pack a white button shirt and tie, perhaps.
It does go without saying that the lighter you pack, the less of a hastle it will be for you to haul your luggage around when traveling by bus, taxi and ferrie.
Trust me, in that heat, it's not pleasant, good exercise though.
The Gulf of Thailand and the Chumhpon Archipelago is filled with tropic islands so it goes without saying that the humidity will make you sweat like a pig if you don't drink enough beer to keep you cool, so pack summer-wear, beach-wear and clothes that can "breathe" and are thin so that you don't have to wipe the sweat of your brow and have your friends tell you that you stink every 10 minutes.
Don't worry, it only takes about 3-5 days to get acclimated to the weather.
I would recommend taking at least one hoodie or jersey with you, first of all because what kind of a maniac flies without one? and secondly, although the weather is perfect for you to take the Instagram photos you've always wanted to, the weather isn't always so great on the islands with some of the biggest tropical thunderstorms you will see.
I also don't recommend taking more than one pair of "closed" shoes with you as you'll be spending a lot of time taking them off and putting them back on as you enter and exit restaurants, bars and hotels as is the rule in Thailand - (The feet are considered the most dirty part of the body)
If you are on prescription medication, make sure to make copies of said medication especially when the medication is opiate-based as Thailand has a very strict zero tolerance for any form of drug.
Speaking of copies, be sure to make and carry a copy of your passport with your Thai visa in it, should you be stopped and questioned by the police, although this rarely happens on Koh Tao, it's better to be safe than sorry.
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