Crystal Bay

Even though our first few days on Koh Samui were mostly comprised of sunning and swimming, our time flew by.  What felt like the blink of an eye was actually time to change hotels and our location on the Island.  We headed a little bit South to a very small area called Crystal Bay.  Home to just 3 tiny hotels, we were both excited and a little apprehensive.

None of the properties on the Bay had the typical hotel amenities that you might think of (no pools or loungers), but since we had read so many amazing reviews about Crystal Bay and how magical the water was, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give it a shot.

Well, once we got settled in, we couldn’t have imagined ourselves anywhere else.  We had our own little private bungalow surrounded by the jungle, with views of the sea, and about 10 feet from the silky sand.  What followed was an absolutely amazing few days, surpassing anything that we could have possibly dreamed of.

We started off our days sitting at the beachfront restaurant enjoying an amazing (and complimentary) made to order breakfast.  We enjoyed almost any breakfast food you could imagine, plus the amazing Thai banana pancake, and of course, loads of tropical fruits.

When we were done stuffing ourselves sufficiently enough to last until dinner, there was only one thing to do, enjoy the Bay.

I wish that I could put into words how special Crystal Bay was, and I also wish that my pictures were able to highlight the magic that was there.  The waters were perfectly warm, and perfectly still.  Most days, not even a ripple came through.  They were crystal clear until almost shoulder deep, and beyond that, bright blues and turquoise.

But more than all of that, the Bay had a totally different feeling.  Life slowed down.  Everyone seemed to be on cloud nine.  It was like there was something in the water.

One of the days we were there we rented snorkel gear, but we actually barely put it to use.  We could literally just walk out into the water, look down, and watch all of the tropical fish swim around our legs; so using snorkel gear was really unnecessary.  Maybe there are other places in the world like this, but neither one of us had ever experienced something so special.

Since the weather was so hot, we spent most of our time sitting or floating in the shallows of the Bay, enjoying each others company and just chatting away for hours. It was truly magic.

grainy photos from our disposable waterproof camera

We chose to keep our nights pretty simple while we were there too.  We really wanted to stay in keeping with the relaxed energy of Crystal Bay.  We typically walked the beach at Sunset or after dinner, soaking in every ounce of the warm, peaceful waters that we could.

Although we did stay in one night for dinner, and enjoyed delivery on our patio, we also made it out to another great night market, in celebration of my birthday.  Oh, did I forget to mention that?  Yep, I got to celebrate my birthday in Thailand.  And you can believe that it felt like a dream.

yes, I wore pj’s to breakfast on my birthday

The hubby spoiled me with flowers and cards throughout the day, along with plenty of beach time, fresh fruit cocktails, a massage and a fun trip to the night market.  I couldn’t have planned a better day in my wildest dreams.  (The only problem is that now I want to go back to Crystal Bay every year for my birthday.)

sittin’ with a drink in the bay…watchin’ the tide roll away…

birthday coconut ice cream sundae

just me and my dino-birthday balloon

But sadly, as they say, all good things must come to an end.  And so it did.  On our last morning in Crystal Bay, we went for an early swim, and then headed to breakfast to enjoy one last banana pancake.  Although we both wished we could have spent even just one more day there, we felt so blessed to experience the magical waters of Crystal Bay.

Until next time Crystal Bay, because yes, there will be a next time.