Diving Heavan: Koh Tao

We were relieved to arrive at our beach dive resort, Buddha View, after our long journey from Bangkok to Koh Tao. That day we simply hung out on the beach and enjoyed the sun and long awaited ocean. The debate was on whether we should snorkel or take up scuba, since Koh Tao is an island famous for having some of the best snorkel and dive sights in the world. It is also one of the cheapest places in the world to get dive certifications. We considered doing our open water dive certifications but after giving it more thought, we decided we just wanted to get some fun experience diving first. The next day we went our in the afternoon for our first dive. We had a short briefing on the boat and practiced our skills in the sand before we went down to the reef. Unfortunately the visibility wasn't the greatest since it had stormed overnight. But, we loved it so much that we booked two more dives the following day, with hopes of having better visibility. The next day was a gorgeous, clear day, perfect for diving! For our second dive, we went out to "Twins" a diving location with tons of busy underwater sea life. It was absolutely amazing to be in the under water world, swimming around weightlessly, not even being noticed by the fish. They just carry on as if you aren't even there. I felt so much like scuba diving was a practice of yoga underwater. Together with the focus on the breathe, the weightlessness, and the peacefulness being under water. For our second dive, we went to a shallower dive site that had stunning coral and rock formations. We were lucky to see a puffer fish and feeding frenzie of big fish on the small. It was amazing to see at right before our eyes. Later that night, Jeremy swam lanes in the pool, while I practiced some yoga, and then we packed our bags to leave for Koh Phangan in the morning.
-ken