With soreheads we emerge from our rooms and head for the 3 quid all you can eat buffet breakfast. The day is a bit of a write off and we spend most of it crashed on the beach watching Kick-it continue to confuse and amuse. We probably deserved the rest and end up shirking another night out and go to bed early.

Wednesday comes and it's my birthday. We have a day of snorkeling planned around the island. The visibility in the shallower water is excellent and the trip takes us to five different sites around the island. Many of the fish seen on the dives are also present in the shallows and we also got to check out the beach on Koh Nang Yuan, which is beautiful.

We spend the next day sorting out travel to Malaysia and catching up online. One thing we'd missed so far on Koh Tao was a good sunset. Quite often in the evening rain clouds would come in and spoil any chance of a sunset over the sea. Tonight however on our last night we got lucky and although there was still quite a lot of cloud the sunset still had some amazing colours.

We leave Koh Tao in the afternoon at 14:30 by boat and embark on a 27 hour journey of boat, bus, train, motorcycle, taxi, boat to Kelic Perhentian in Malaysia.

The area we planned to travel through has had it's problems in the past (the predominantly Muslim area want their own state) and is still currently a risk but after speaking with the owner of the dive shop who had just made the trip himself we decided to take his advice and try the same route. The alternative was to travel to Phuket get a flight to Kuala Lumpur and then a 9 hour transfer. We get off the boat at Chumphon and are herded into the back of a bus resembling a cattle wagon that has been converted for humans with all expense spared. We're dropped off at the train station and board a train headed for the border.

We wake early and watch as the train slowly empties of people and fills up with a four person army patrol carrying assault rifles. They're taking no chances with security. Without any problems with arrive at Su Ngam Kolok and take a motorcycle to the border and cross with ease. Phew.

Andy + Helena

Croc watch = 0