Koh Hai...island ho..

**jandajoy** · 17-12-2008, 04:47 PM

Bless her. That's brilliant.

**Thai Pom** · 17-12-2008, 04:52 PM

Terrific....

**Johnny Longprong** · 17-12-2008, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by Nawty

she gets into everything and will have a go

Ya aint kiddin! What a little beauty. You are going to have some fun with those two later on I think, as they try to outdo each other and you too.

**stu** · 18-12-2008, 05:50 PM

Nawty: Very nice pics I have just joined up with this forum and have limited access to the internet, i am curious to know the make and model of your camera as my cannon sureshot went arse up, the images i have seen are very striking and clear.

**sunsetter** · 19-12-2008, 01:10 AM

welcome to td stu, what kinda tits up?
and what kind of canon sureshot?

**Nawty** · 19-12-2008, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by stu

Nawty: Very nice pics I have just joined up with this forum and have limited access to the internet, i am curious to know the make and model of your camera as my cannon sureshot went arse up, the images i have seen are very striking and clear.

Canon 450d

This is my new camera, still learning.

I have an underwater Sanyo video camera which also takes very good stills and a canon ixus 750 pocket camera for carrying around places I do not want to lug around the bigger slr.

**Nawty** · 19-12-2008, 12:17 PM

Ok...some more, the 3rd instalment....3rd bit...

We went to koh hai towards the end of the wet season, so the good was that there were very few tourists around, lotsa storms and I like storms.....so got to take some nice stormy pics, or try at least.

Bad was that the clarity underwater was not that great and a couple of the islands/destinations we wanted to go to were not accessible because of the storms each day.

One place I really wanted to go was the Emerald Cave....if anybody does not know it, it is an island that has an inland beach and lagoon. Only way into it is via a cave on the rugged open ocean side of the island and once inside, the small beach and lagoon has vertical cliffs all around it, pure white sand and the lagoon is a rich turquoise blue colour.

Getting through the cave can only be done at low tide and it is also only really worthwhile going when the sun is shining cos it gives the water in the cave the 'emerald' colour it is named after.

Everyday at the resort, they said not worth going because of the storms and rough weather to get to and through the cave entrance. But on our second last day there, they said we could try, just me, my son and the guide.

So we went, we tried, we conquered.

Pulling up at the cave entrance you are faced with the huge cliff faces coming direct down to the ocean, very clear water below you and obviously rather deep. The actual entrance to the cave is very hard to see, even when right there in front of it.

We entered the water, my son being dragged through by the guide while holding a life vest. The water strength was reasonably strong, rising and falling with each wave and current flowing by. Now the colour of the water at the entrance and exit of the cave is simply brilliant, it just gives you a feeling of floating over a pool filled with fluorescent lighting. Then some metres into the cave around some bends, it goes pitch black for some time, you can smell the bats, feel the water and hear it rising and crashing against the rugged walls. The guide had a small torch and that was it going through the pitch black.

Then it starts to become light, emerald green in fact and the exit is there, again an amazing emerald glow and you exit into this chasm with pure white sand and surrounded by a blue lagoon.

It was extra special experience because the guide said that if you come here in the tourist season, there could be 200 people inside, we were the only ones there. We swam and lazed around for maybe an hour before heading off.

My son loved it, we will go back again and I will get better aquatic pics next time, these turned out blurred with my little waterproof camera, simply because of the waves and current unable to maintain a steady shot.

the entrance from inside the island

boat trip back

Bloken boat trip back...

Now these are not clear, but wanted to include them to show the colour of the water...

When we exited the cave, we were met by the people train, must have been 60 or more people lined up to be towed through....I always like being the ones not joining the hoards....

**The Fresh Prince** · 19-12-2008, 12:29 PM

Cool, I wanna go there.

Nice pics, especially the one of your nipper at the top of a bloody great big wall.

**Nawty** · 10-01-2009, 09:20 AM

Ok, here is the 2nd last installment of pics, second last,nearly the last bit.

TheAQUATIC section

These Nemo fish as they have become known were amazing, my son loved being just inches from them and watching them darting in and out of the anamones.

Considering the time of year and the actual clarity of the water, these photos turned out a lot clearer than expected.

**Nawty** · 10-01-2009, 09:33 AM

Posted this pic before, but I really like it, it was just there as a storm approached and we stuck our heads up to see what was going on...

This lion fish was amazing to see, we just passed over a bombey and there it was. I was hoping to see one and there ya go. Most of these, including the nemos and Lion fish were just off the beach of the island, so accessible all day long.

While the clarity of the shots is not great, they are here to show anyone with kids what you can see just off the beach from Koh Hai, even my 3yo daughter was having a go with goggles and snorkel, sticking her head in and breathing as she should, then pulling her head out, grabbing a breath and straight back in. She was amazed by all the fish and colour.

Well worth it if you are able to do it, best education ever for kids, real life experiences rather than books and school all the time.

**jandajoy** · 10-01-2009, 09:42 AM

Terrific stuff, mate. Thanks.

**Loy Toy** · 10-01-2009, 09:46 AM

Brilliant Nawty and a few great pictures on children's day and all.

I believe "doing is believing" comes to mind and with regard to how you are bringing up your kids.

Well done to a good dad.

**Nawty** · 10-01-2009, 09:56 AM

Thanks.....thing is most of the stuff I enjoy doing myself, so there is no real effort there to do it for the kids, they all love doing it as well and the little girl is growing up a real tomboy.

In fact my son was asked if he wants another little brother or sister, he said brother for sure.

Little girl was asked same question, she said little brother for sure.

Thing is that I will be lost when they grow up and I have nobody my own age to hang out with.

**jandajoy** · 10-01-2009, 09:57 AM

Grand children ?

**Loombucket** · 11-01-2009, 05:39 AM

Fantastic pictures Nawty, well done.

**kingwilly** · 11-01-2009, 07:08 AM

great pics mate, thanks.

**Nawty** · 14-01-2009, 04:32 PM

Last stragglers of the Koh Hai expedition.

Now I can get onto the Chiang Mai Golden Triangle one.

Sunrise in fact, not set...

The view from the bed from our bungalow...

Have got more, but getting bored with it now.

THE END

**jandajoy** · 14-01-2009, 05:05 PM

the prow of the boat on the beach is a classic. terrific stuff.

**CharleyFarley** · 14-01-2009, 05:55 PM

Really good pics Nawty.

The fish shots just prove how it is another world underwater.

**pescator** · 14-01-2009, 11:58 PM

Excellent pictures.
Wish I`ve had a digicam when I went to visit these islands.

Thread: Koh Hai...island ho..

Thread Tools

Display

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Posting Permissions