Finally we left Khao Lak and, after a very long bus journey, another slightly shorter bus journey, and a ferry ride, we reached the absolutely beautiful Ko Samui. We had planned on leaving the next day to go to Ko Tao as our extended stay in Khao Lak put us a bit behind schedule. But as soon as we checked into a sweet little hammock-furnished bungalow and saw Bo Phut beach we decided to stick around an extra day.

Had a happy hour pre-dinner drinky at a bamboo hut beach bar and met Samui's version of Bob Marley, a slightly crazy barman, had amazing food at Cactus, a french-run restaurant on the beach, and then a few games of pool (tip: talcum powder has a great use to stop the cue sticking!)

The next day we stocked up on Thai-style salty breadsticks and lazed on the beach, dipping in the unbelievably calm blue water when we felt the need for movement. Had the bright idea to give ourselves pedicures on the beach, then realised about the whole walking-in-the-sand-with-wet-nails issue, so we had to order cocktails and watch the sun set from our sunloungers. Oh well! Another scrummy meal at Cactus - chicken burger and cheese please! After a round of obviously wonderfully executed pool a couple of pervy old french dudes, friends of the owners, asked if we would like to do doubles. We obliged, they bought us cocktails - pineapple daquiri's are as divine as mango margarita's, loving the tropical themes. I'm pretty sure me and Brooke won.

After they left we started chatting with an unrelated French guy who's living there for a few months and we decided to head off to the party beach Chaweng. And party beach it was indeed, crazy neon place with MaccyD's, KFC, Burger King, Starbuck's, go-go-bars galore, ladies of the night and ladyboys on every corner. We went to a club called Green Mango for a bit and then I found a bar with poles in it. Well, what was I to do?!

We got duped by a taxi driver to go to a big Bamboo beach party we'd heard word of. He drove us in a big loop around the one-way system and dropped us about 50m from where he'd picked us up, the cheek! It was incredible, there were all these bamboo structures on the beach, including a massive one with a disco ball suspended from it. We spent a small fortune on buckets and sheesha and partied until the wee small hours to terrible trance music.

The munchies set in around 4am and we danced our way to the local 7-11 for toasties. I may or may not have continued dancing to the chimey 7-11 music. There we met some british guys, a little Flight of the Conchords-esque duo, who we introduced to the wonders of the 7-11 toasties.

Stayed up with Brooke chatting until dawn and then proceeded to kick her in my tipsy sleep. Woke up at 10am for our 10.15 pickup to the ferry-point, very glad we didn't choose the 8am one!! Off to Ko Tao...