Hi guys,

A quick update on what we have been up to over the last few days....

After that last hotel we stayed in, we moved to a pricier place with hot water, Air con, tv, mini bar and free tea and coffee. The beds were the most comfortable we have stayed in all trip and the pillows were like laying your head on a fluffy cloud...bliss!!!

After a good night sleep we were different people and decided to do a day trip to see the surrounding 4 islands of Chicken, Poda, tup and Phra nang Caves and beach. The sun even came out for us an we got a tan! Chicken Island and tup are linked by a sandbar which you can walk across at low tide and the water is clearer that you could ever imagine. We did a bit of snorkelling, lots of swimming and pure relaxation. In the caves we went rock pooling to find the crabs that we have become so fascinated with. see picture for the one Hayley found down a hole!

We also wen to the nearby Tiger Cave Temple where we climbed 2232 steps up a hige limestone cliff to get to the temple at the top! and we felt everyone! Those monks really are sadisitic so and so's!'the view from the top was amazing though and well worth the climb. also worth it was the cute little kittens we played with in the temple at the bottom (see photos!).

Because we had a tv in our hotel room we rented a dvd player and bougth some copied dvds, stocked our fridge with beer and stayed in at night, apart from wandering down to the restaurant which was all you can eat BBQ and had everything from fresh sea food and kebabs and steaks to mash potato, soup and bread, chips, salad, spagetthi and bolognaise and and all you can eat array of ice cream afterwards and fruit. it was pure bliss, so as you can see we lived it up for 3 days!

We then decided to make a move to Koh Phi Phi Don Island and got a ferry the next morning, which they crammed so much with tourists all i could see was a mountain of bags in front of me on the boat! no way did they have enough life jackets for us all but we arrived there safely so its ok. when we got there we got off at the pier and walked around the bustling town to try and find some budget accomodation (yeh right!). We got a map from one of the dive centres that were very friendly and not at all on commisison! We decided to get a long boat taxi around the island to a quieter side where we knew there was a nice hotel that we ad found on the net a few nights before...It was lovely and had its own beach and restaurant. We had our own bungalow next to the beach which was basic but ok. the bed was harder than the floor however (even thought it was a brand new mattress!) and after 2 nights we were as stiff as a board. Especially after hiring a canoe for the day and paddling half way around the island to find hidden tropical beaches and snorkelling reefs off the coast. It was seriously beautiful! then we also hiked through the jungle on a very steep slope to get to the view point at the top for sunset. It was an amazing view and very worth it. We got very brown that day being on a boat all day long which is very good!

The next day we got up early, again very stiff, and went on a morning trip to Koh Phi Phi Ley (the smaller uninhabited island just south of Koh Phi Phi Don). We saw Maya Bay (where the film The Beach was made!) and went snorkelling and swimming there for an hour, (see the postcard pictures that are breathtaking!), where Dan found a 1000 baht note in the sea and another guy we knew saw a shark. Then we travelled around to a cove where we jumped out of the boat and went snorkelling with the fishies, with bits of bread so you couldnt see your hand in fromt of your face for rainbow coloured fish swarming around you. Then we went past the caves which are the reason the island is uninhabited due to the firm busniess of bird nest harvesting for chinese cuisine and remedies. We also briefly stopped at monkey beach and fed the monkeys while standing in the surf. It wasnt actually THE monkey beach but just a random cove where they were.

We were then dropped off back at the town pier where we stayed for 3 nights, and made the most of the bars and cafes here including a 'Little Britian'Cafe where we had pie and chips and fish fingers, chips and beans (we were home sick ok! nd hayley has been dreaming about fish fingers for ages!). that night i (Hayley) was poorly with a headache due to too much sun and not enough water, and stayed in to sleep it off while Dan went to the reggae bar to meet some Londoners we had met before, and dabbled at a bit of Muay Thai in the boxing ring there. He came home pissed as a fart with a fat lip but he had fun so thats ok. Will try and get some photos from the guys tha were there, and maybe the video which shows him getting knocked out almost! so glad i wasnt there....

anyhoo, the next day we had breakfast at the little britain cafe again and Dan had a proper English breakfast with black pudding and everything!!!!!

We are going back to the Reggae pub tonight so if Dan is feeling lucky again we might get some piccies for you! At least he didnt look as bad as the other guy who we saw on the beach with 2 black eyes lol....ahem. Please don't worry Dans mum i will protect him!

We are going to Phuket next so will update you from there. Hope you enjoyed this update....and em and Sarah if you're reading this get in touch!!!! we'll be back in england in a minute! where are you?!

byeeeees xxxxx