October was very different than other months on the RTW trip so far. We actually stayed put for 4 weeks on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand so that we could get our certification to teach English as a foreign language. We have always wanted to live on an island, so it was nice to be on Koh Samui. Although the island is very touristy (especially in the area that we were staying), you don’t have to go far to see authentic Koh Samui local life, if that is what you prefer. It was nice to be able to enjoy home made Thai cooking and hospitality from locals, as well as dine on the beach at a resort. Every day could be very different, if you choose.
Since we were on Koh Samui attending a class, we weren’t just there to play. In fact, our class took up a lot more of our time than we thought it would. Not only were we in class 5 days a week from 9 am until 3 pm, but we spent most nights doing homework…and even some of the weekends! Honestly, we didn’t get as much free time as we would have liked, but we did find some time for fun.
October Spending:
Accommodations – Joy Residence, Chaweng Noi = included in our TEFL class fees
TEFL class – $1900 total (2 people)
Misc food & fun – $600
Highlights:
- Lamai Muay Thai fight on Saturday Night. A FREE show, not as professional as the others, but a lot of fun!
- Snooka Diving & light up paddle boarding with our new friend, Dave
- Taking an authentic Thai cooking class with one of the top chefs in Thailand (SO much fun!)
- Our TEFL classmates. We made some really great friends, and our group was so entertaining. We all hit it off well and would explore together, as well as watch out for each other. Everyone just clicked…it was really a cool experience!
Favorite Moments:
Liz – Hmmm, I think my favorite moment might have been our first Friday night. Josh and a couple of our new friends got a little loose and ended up eating crickets and maggots! Yes, that happened. I was dying laughing, but they were having a good time. Also after the bug-eating, we ended up at an outdoor concert dancing our butts off, with Josh determined that he was going to get up and dance on stage (he was denied) and we were invited to join a local table of ladyboys for a birthday party. They fed us, gave us drinks, and even birthday cake. They were really quite nice — it was a totally unexpected, yet really fun night!
Josh – Hanging out with our classmates at the Ark Bar and getting a bit crazy. Even our instructor came out with us (although he was much more tame). We had a blast enjoying a hookah, drinks, dancing on the beach with strobe lights flashing and music pounding, and watching fire shows on the beach and out in the water. It was a great time!
For details about what we did on Koh Samui, check out our complete journal post here!
