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Ko Nang Yuan Ko Tao 0 ratings 0 reviews

A Perfect Day

By Brandon Presser

My perfect day on Ko Tao begins long before sunrise (this, of course, is dependant upon how late I stayed up the night before), but an early morning means a crowd-less dive at Chumphon Pinnacle. After hitching a ride with one of the island's 40 accredited dive operators, I plunge into the deep and cavort with large pelagics. The bathwater temperatures and waxing sun give me plenty of time to search for an elusive whale shark - the grand daddy of gulf critters. In the early evening, I make a dash for Sairee Beach to meet up with my newfound diving buddies. We grab a couple frosty ones and watch the sky bleed red as the equatorial sun dips below the undulating horizon. Dinner is a real nail-biter: should it be authentic Italian up the street at Portobello, a spicy green curry at the treehouse-like Coffee Boat, or some hearty pub grub at Choppers? Choppers wins out since there's a big game on TV and the whole island's going to be there. Cheers for scored goals are interspersed with the exaggerated chatter about creatures seen on the day's dive. After the game, the gang and I head to Fizz, back on Sairee Beach, to recline on mattress-sized pillows and enjoy designer cocktails while listening to Moby, or Enya, mixed with hypnotic gushes of the rolling tide. I look at my watch and panic; I've got to get to sleep if I want to find that whale shark tomorrow at Sail Rock!