Day 176 – Koh Tao & Thoughts on Tourism

August 1st, 2019

Today, Brendan was in his rescue dive course, so I hung out by the pool and did some errands.  I also had my first traditional Thai massage.  I went to a place that had good reviews and was right above the beach.  It was a big covered deck with pads on the floor.  There was a nice ocean breeze and I could see and hear the waves from where I was laying, which was really nice. After a couple of not so good massages I have shared with you on this trip, I am happy to say this one was really good!  It was also only $11.50 including the tip for 1 hour.

I was given loose garments to change into and shown my pad to lay on.  This type of massage uses acupressure and yoga postures, as well as being pulled and stretched by your therapist. I thought the therapist was very good as I could tell with places and points she hit that there was energy being released and probably an improvement in circulation.  It was not your typical oil, relaxing massage but I still enjoyed it.  Some things felt really good and others made you feel vulnerable like something was about to really hurt but she never pushed it to where it did.  I felt more relaxed and loose afterwards and really liked it.  Already looking forward to my next one whenever that will be. 

When Brendan was done with his course for the day we took the scooter and explored some more.  We found another nice view point but unfortunately it was too cloudy to see the sunset. 

Koh Tao is very pretty with a lot of nice view points, but you will pay for everything.  This island sees so many tourists all the locals have it set up to wherever you want to go, you will need some Thai Baht to spend.  If you want to park your motor bike its 20 baht.  If you want to go to this beach it’s 100 baht.  If you want to go on this trail to a view point its 50 baht. This view point is “free” but you have to buy an overpriced drink to see it.  These are just examples and usually things work out to only be between $1-5 but on a backpacker’s budget it all adds up. 

They are also kind of sneaky about it.  You will read about a view point or see it on a map and then end up riding a super sketchy path to get to it, then hike a steep hill in flip flops and reach the very top where you are about to see something awesome, and then the guy jumps out of the woods for 100 baht before you can actually see the view.  If B had his way he probably wouldn’t give in and just have the mindset “it was a fun scooter ride to get up here” and leave without paying or seeing the view.  On the other hand, I am not really into super sketchy motorbike rides where I’m afraid the ground is going to wash out from under us to get to the top and not have a reward over a few dollars.

There are ways around these things by finding other parking, sneaking through private resorts, hiking from a different starting point etc. and also negotiating more but I kind of hate being like that.  I understand that this is the business for the locals and it’s not like this guy is becoming a millionaire charging 60 baht for a can of tea instead of 25 like it is in town.  I also recognize their standard of living is so drastically different than ours I feel bad not shelling out the extra few bucks.  I also hate haggling with them when they make me feel like I’m taking the food out of their child’s mouth when realistically they just marked it up 900% when they saw a sucker like me coming.  I am a sucker so probably not the best travel partner when going through areas like this as I absolutely will get taken advantage of.  However, in the end I still usually feel it’s not worth making the locals hate us or sneaking around trying to save a few dollars.  So, depending on which way you want to be, places like this can take a toll if you’re on a shoe string budget.  I much prefer places where the locals are actually super excited you chose to come to their home and want to show you how great it is rather than having the mindset of how I can squeeze a few more dollars out of these guys. 

This brings up another topic I have had time to think about… Getting off the beaten track.  Everyone wants to get off the beaten track and find that magical paradise without the loads of people with selfie sticks and locals trying to sell you everything from a souvenir to the ground you’re standing on.  I get it, and I want that too.  But I don’t think all people realize when they say that what it actually entails.  For example, I have been doing some research for the next part of our journey through Asia and will get into rabbit holes of searching these off the beaten track islands and places that look incredible and are still relatively undiscovered by the masses.  The beauty of these places and descriptions of having no roads where you can simply hike to one pristine beach to the next sounds totally inciting.  However, when you start really getting into the details it kind of changes things.  This untouched beauty also comes with electricity only during certain times of the day as it is powered by generators.  No AC, no WIFI, and no fan while the power is off.  LOTS of bugs.  Mosquitos that carry drug resistant malaria and dengue fever.  No health clinic if you were to get sick or hurt.  Literal days of travel time out of your vacation spent on hot buses and bumpy roads and waiting around for boats and transfers.  There are some adventurers who are really up for these kinds of challenges.  I’m kind of on the fence.  I don’t know how much I’m willing to give up all comfort and no hope of even getting comfortable if I wanted to.  Even more so than that, I worry about disease and getting sick.  I think it is so funny when everything I read says to take the proper precautions to not get bitten.  I think this is very unrealistic.  Have they even been to a place with a lot of mosquitos?  I have tried every deet repellant and oils, local remedies and pills that are out there and I still get eaten alive and bitten right through my clothes.  I feel like I am missing something when people say take precautions not to get bitten, like that is going to work.  If anyone knows how to do this, please let me know.  Going back to the comfort dilemma…if you have tons of money you’re not afraid of spending this can change things.  Money cannot buy happiness, but it can make things a heck of a lot more comfortable in certain situations.

Speaking for the average traveler on the average budget, you really have to weigh your options when it comes to off the beaten track and how comfortable you want to be and risks you want to take with getting sick.  I really think the key is to find the places that are happy mediums.  You probably don’t really want to get away from ALL tourists (at least I don’t) but you also don’t want it to be quite like Koh Tao.  These islands in southern Thai are the epitome of over-tourism which is a known fact.  We have been to many places I would consider happy mediums.  There are also very touristy places that have a different tourist style/vibe and are not super pushy or over the top.  I like these places (this includes Railay Beach in southern Thai and Perhentian Islands, Malay to name a couple recently. (I would go back there for sure).  You also probably don’t really want to miss the world’s major tourist attractions.  The example that always comes to mind is Machu Picchu.  Machu Picchu has 2,500 visitors a DAY (and it used to be 5,000 before they put a cap on it).  It has that many tourists for a reason though as it is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen.  It makes the long lines and loads of Asian tourist spending 15 minutes trying to do a jump pose when they can’t jump worth it (and anyone who knows me, knows that I say ‘Asian tourist’ in the most loving way).  Does anyone want to go to Peru and not go to Machu Picchu? I couldn’t imagine going to Rome and not seeing the Sistine Chapel.  Anyway, I think tourist traps while traveling is kind of unavoidable or else you would really be missing something.  I think the art of travel and planning a trip is to mix those mega tourist spots up with other more low-key places without losing ALL of your comfort and convenience.

Another key is to have the right mindset while traveling and don’t sweat the small stuff.  The more you travel, the more beautiful and amazing places you will see and people you will meet.  The more you travel will also bring more delays, hiccups, and unexpected situations.  It just kind of goes along with it and it sounds cliché but is honestly part of the adventure.  I always feel kind of sad when I see people get so upset about things like delays, subpar service, or the inconsiderate person who cuts in line.  I know things can be frustrating and trust me those circumstances have gotten the best of me too, but I do try to keep things in perspective and be flexible.  I don’t want to waste my precious time off, away from work and mundane routines, upset at a situation that really isn’t that big of a deal.  I think patiently waiting for the Chinese tourist to take their nine billion photos at the spot everyone is trying to get to is still better than being back at your desk in the office dealing with an unrealistic client, or boss, or employee that won’t get off their cell phone.  I try to remember how lucky I am to even be at this spot everyone wants a picture at, even though in my head I want to scream ‘ you can’t do the jump pose!’. ‘Just give up already, you’re only getting like two inches off the ground… now your just getting tired and it looks even worse.  It’s not going to look like the model athletes picture you saw on Pintrest, trust me I’ve tried.  And even I, who has no vertical leap ability whatsoever can jump higher than this ridiculous thing you are doing.  You speak like six languages though and are probably a musical virtuoso so just be happy with that and move on…”  Just let me take my dang picture that will take two seconds and then I can rush to the next spot before you get there for your next 10-billon poses.  Anyone who has ever gone anywhere has to know what I’m talking about (LOL). 

It’s so funny too because anytime I have ever offered to take a picture for an Asian tourist they have always said no.  They must be either afraid I will steal their phone, or they have spent so many hundreds of hours perfecting the selfie, they have it completely dialed in and any other person taking a regular picture would just not compare.

Anyway, enough of my tangent (as I sit here at a pier where they just put up a sign saying our boat is delayed by one hour).  I’m on a pier with shade and a nice sea breeze overlooking the Gulf of Thailand…life is not that bad! To other travelers – I think if you are understanding and flexible you’ll set yourself up for a fantastic time and be able to make the most out of any situation.  I have definitely not always done things the best or most efficient way on our travels, but I have loved what we have done and definitely learned a lot along the way!  I am happy to share any tips with others who might be going to the same areas.