From Phuket it took us (Me, Amelia, Jo and Ron) roughly 3-4 hours to reach Ko Lanta. It was a lovely smooth journey on the Andaman Ocean. We were followed by flying fish gliding through the air and surrounded with fantastic views of beautiful uninhabited islands. Our journey even included a tour around Ko Phi Phi Ley (where 'The Beach' was filmed). We stopped briefly at the popular inhabited Ko Phi Phi Don, to swap to another ferry - the Phi Phi islands looked like paradise, me and Amelia both looked at each other thinking the same thing... we'll be back.
When we arrived on Ko Lanta we were swarmed by taxi drivers promoting all types of accommodation, from small beach huts to big resorts. Jo and Ron had already booked accommodation on Khlong Ninh beach, so we politely declined their offers and found a tuk tuk driver to take us all to Khlong Ninh.
Half an hour later we arrived at 'Heaven on Earth'... quite literally, the villa Jo and Ron had booked was called just that, and it really was. It was located right on the beach front. The villa was split in two, the section at the back contained two double rooms - the master bedroom for Jo and Ron, with its own jacuzzi bath and massage shower. And the double room above, for Amelia and I, with its own little balcony, no jacuzzi bath or massage shower for us though - sometimes you just have to slum it!
The other section contained a spacious kitchen and living room area, overlooking the stunning infinity pool and terrace. From the end of the infinity pool it was no more than five metres to the pristine beach!
Whilst waiting for the cleaners to finish up, we went to a restaurant across the way from the villa, hoping for a nice refreshing beer and a bite to eat. Unfortunately they didn't have beer, or any alcohol for that matter as the place was run by a Muslim family. It turns out the majority of the local population in the rural areas of Ko Lanta are Muslim. So we walked shortly down the road for our much needed beer, and a bite to eat, to a place called 'Cook Kai'.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing in the pool, or sea, depending on your preference (both were as warm as a bath) and watching the amazing sunset. Later that evening, we enjoyed dinner on the beach at a place called 'Miami'.

'Dive and Relax' was our first destination of the day. We hired two mopeds and off we went to long beach in search of the highly recommended dive shop. Ron and I both being open water qualified were able to book onto a 'fun dive' leaving the following day. Amelia and Jo, hesitantly, booked on to a 'discovery dive' for Thursday. As I'm sure most of you know - Amelia has had a huge phobia of fish, since the age of 10. So signing up to do a scuba dive in the fish abundant seas around Thailand was a massive deal!
Feeling extremely excited after booking to do some fun dives (my first after acquiring my license in Cambodia), we went scootering off down the west coast of the island, taking in the beautiful scenery whilst struggling up some very steep gradients on our little mopeds. We stopped for some lunch at Kantiang beach, to enjoy some spicy salads and refreshing beer. From Kantiang until the border of the national park, we only stopped for monkey crossings (much to Amelia's dismay), or for taking pictures at view points.
The heat was just about bearable, but on our way back, a much needed cold fresh coconut attracted us into a bar located on a cliff side overlooking Kantiang. Slurping away, until none was left we had the coconuts cracked open for a tasty snack. Whilst munching away and taking in the view we decided it was time for a dip in the clear blue sea.
After a not so refreshing swim in the warm waters, we hopped back onto our burning hot seats and cooled off by whizzing along the coastal roads back to the villa.
A ladyboy at a restaurant down the road cooked us a very tasty dinner that night. Some ladyboys in Thailand are hard to spot, with their petite frames, feminine voices and pretty faces... she wasn't one of them. But she knew how to cook, it was some of the tastiest Thai food we've had.

Up early for our pick up to Dive and Relax. Ron and I arrived, and were introduced to our dive guide Raül, a very friendly laid back guy from Barcelona. Because Ron hadn't dived for 7 years he had to do a refresher course, which included some theory questions and essential practical skills to be practiced once in the water. Raül briefed us on the day's dives. We would be doing two dives around the islands of Ko Haa, seeing lots of fish including a moray eel - apparently he's never been to this dive site and not seen at least one! I was excited, as I've never seen one before, and although aggressive looking with the way they open their mouths and expose their teeth (this is how they breathe), they're actually very placid.
Ko Haa was just over half an hour away by speed boat. We kitted up just before arriving, so we were ready to take the 'giant stride' once there. Raül went over the skills with Ron at the surface, then underwater (approximately 5m deep). It didn't take long, Ron remembered and completed the skills easily and quickly, as Raül said "it's like riding a bike". So off we went, on my first fun dive in the lagoon of Ko Haa. The visibility was superb, we could see at least 25m ahead! The first dive didn't go without problems though. Ron had issues with his mask leaking, I had issues equalising my right ear, but we managed to overcome these problems by adjusting Ron's mask and altering our course slightly. That's diving, sometimes these things happen. We saw plenty of marine life during our first dive, including some unusual sea moths, big schools of chevron barracuda, cornet fish, giant clams and lots more. When we reached the surface 52 minutes later, Ron looked like he'd done a round with Mike Tyson! His mask had caused such a squeeze that one of his eyes had swollen up!
We stopped for at least a one hour break, and had a bite to eat. During lunch, after not seeing a single moray on our first dive, Raül held out his hand and said to me "if we don't see one on the second dive, I will buy you a beer". I thought great, it's a win win, and shook his hand.
Our second dive went without problems, my ears equalised perfectly and Ron had no issues with his mask. We went as deep as 17.5m (my deepest dive to date) and saw varicose wart slugs, porcupine fish, nudibranchs and much to Ron's delight a peacock mantis shrimp! This shrimp is an incredible invertebrate, that packs quite a punch! So much so, they can even break glass! So when I was hovering near it, taking pictures on my GoPro Raül was apparently feeling a little nervous. But still no moray eel! Raül was a man of his word though, when we arrived back on dry land, we all sat down together for our debrief and enjoyed a nice refreshing Leo (Thai beer). However nice it was, I think I would've preferred to have seen the moray!
Amelia and her mum had spent the day having some much needed mother and daughter time - which for them usually includes a bit of retail therapy and perhaps a massage or two! Low and behold on our way back from the dive centre, Ron and I saw them (whilst sitting in a tuk tuk), heading to the shops!
We arrived back at the villa to find Harry - Amelia's brother, and Sinee - Harry's Thai friend from uni who I met back in Bangkok, both napping in the living room (which would now be there bedroom for the rest of the week). It wasn't a complete surprise, the napping (Harry loves to sleep), or their presence, we knew they were arriving but unsure exactly when. After Amelia and her mum got back from the shops, they decided it was time for another massage. Not being able to resist the temptation I joined them for a short stroll up the beach, to have a foot massage in a bamboo shack, with only the sounds of the sea (and perhaps the odd snore) it was the perfect setting. It was such a tough afternoon, we spent the rest of it catching up and chilling in and around the pool and beach.
A belated birthday dinner for Jo at Miami restaurant that evening. We celebrated with some cocktails and gorged on a humongous seafood feast - squid, king prawns, tuna, snapper and barracuda. We didn't go to bed hungry that night!

For a change, we had a lie in and relaxed morning, as we were not up rushing out to do something. As with every morning, we sat out on the decking overlooking the beach for breakfast.
Since Harry and Sinee had not seen any of the island, we hired mopeds and went over to the Old Town, on the east side of the island. The main street was lined with dark wooden buildings, and red Chinese style lanterns dangling from above. It was a quaint street full of restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops - perfect for some gifts for the family!
We stopped at a restaurant with decking over the sea for refreshments - of course Amelia and I had to try the fresh coconut shake. Then spent an hour or so making our way along the shops.
We were on a slight time limit as at 3pm we were being collected to go for a Thai cooking class. But we managed to fit in a quick cool off in the pool and a 'takeaway' lunch from Cook Kai, which included home delivery. We sat on the terrace by our pool, whilst a waiter came over to deliver our food.
The Thai cooking class was a birthday present from us to Jo. Amelia did some research and we chose 'Time For Lime' due to the rating on Tripadvisor, and the fact that all the profits from the cooking school go towards the animal rescue centre, which the founder set up. The cooking school is set on the beach front and is also known for its cocktails, which between us we probably tried the whole menu!
We were led to an upper level for an introduction and to meet our chef and teacher, Mei. She was hilarious and from the beginning had us laughing. She went through some of the main ingredients in Thai cooking, and explaining to us the different ways of chopping and whether or not they were 'eat me' or 'don't eat me'. For example, if you find a big chunks of lemon grass in your dish, then it is their for flavour and not to eat, hence 'don't eat me'. But if you find it finely sliced up, then these are usually there to eat, hence 'eat me'. It was really interesting and extremely useful.
We then moved on to our first 'dish', which really was a snack. They called it 'Thailand in one bite', or Mieng Kham. We picked up and folded a wild pepper leaf, then added chopped up onion, ginger, peanuts, lime, dried shrimp, chilies, and runny honey. With your eyes closed you pop the whole thing in your mouth, and enjoy the flavours.
Time to grab another cocktail before we moved to the kitchen and to our own work stations.
Everyone had their own cooking utensils, including a huge 'kill it' knife which looked like a big meat cleaver. Certain ingredients have to be 'killed' before they are added to the dish. For example, a clove of garlic. Placed on the chopping board, and using the side of the cleaver, like a hammer, smash down on the clove. Every time Mei would smash any ingredients she would scream 'kill it!'. This very amusing technique was well remembered throughout the evening.
Throughout the course we cooked four dishes. Mei would show us how to prepare the ingredients, and then we would each prepare our own at our work station. The name 'Time for Lime' comes from the freshly squeezed lime juice or lime being added right at the end of a dish, when the heat is turned off, and Mei would say....'Time for Lime!'.
As a group we made the red chilli paste - each person chopping some ingredients and then taking it in turns to use the pestle and mortar. Apparently you're a good wife if you can hear the pestle banging on the bottom of the mortar. Mei would often tell women or men throughout the class they were either good or bad wives.
The first dish we made was a tangy coconut soup, or Tom Kha in Thai. Followed by shrimp in holy basil, Pad Ka-Praw Goong. Once cooked, we got to choose our own serving plates/bowels from a large selection, and along with sticky rice, banana leafs, and various colourful vegetables, we served up and presented our own dishes.
Now it was time to eat and enjoy our first two dishes. I have to say, they were absolutely delicious. We had some time to digest and order another cocktail, before we were asked back to our workstations.
Dish number three was fresh fish cakes with a kick, Tod Mann Pla. With the ingredients we rolled out three fish cakes, and Mei's sister fried them up for us in boiling oil. Assuming for safety reasons they do not allow customers to play around with the boiling hot oil.
The fourth and final dish was chicken, chilli, and cashew nuts, Gai Padt Med Ma Muang. Again we got to choose our own plates, decorate and present our own dishes. We sat back down and thoroughly enjoyed the next two dishes. It was a lot of food but with Mei's assistance, it was some of the best food I have ever cooked!
Completely stuffed with food and cocktails, we all got a tuk tuk back to the villa to crash out.

Up early and excited for another day diving, we were picked up outside the villa at the organised time, 07:55 on the dot - a very rare occurrence in SEA.
Amelia and Jo, both looking a tad nervous, were introduced to their instructor for the day 'Ri'. Ron and I were reacquainted with our dive buddy and guide Raül. As before, we were briefed about the dive site and fish we would hopefully see (including a moray eel!). After our separate briefings we all waded out to the speedboat for a half hour journey to Ko Bida (just south of the Phi Phi islands). During the journey, Ri presented Amelia and Jo with their scuba diving gear, including their fins which they'd tried for size a few days before. Unfortunately one of Jo's ankles had swollen up during the week - from water retention. Needless to say, one fin was no longer useable. Ri, looking a bit flustered, spent about 10 minutes trying to find a solution, which in the end was simply swapping fins with Amelia. Ri then explained how to use the regulator and everything else.
By the time we arrived, most of us were all kitted up and ready to take the plunge. Ri waited for us all to clear the boat before preparing Amelia and Jo for their DSD (Discovery Scuba Dive).
The visibility wasn't as good as Ko Haa, but it was still amazing (15m). We went down to around 16m and swam amongst a huge school of yellow snapper, which was an incredible experience -finning along and basically just surrounded by a blur of bright yellow and occasional glint of silver. We also saw some blue fin and giant trevally, harlequin sweetlips (getting their name from their prominent rubbery lips), batfish, a painted spiny lobster. Plus all the usual suspects, parrot fish, sergeant majors etc. During the dive with Raül we saw Amelia and her mum in their scuba gear at the surface, I assumed practicing some essential skills, I really hoped everything was going well.
After 48 minutes we finished the dive and breached the surface. I was pleased to see that Amelia and her mum weren't aboard and nowhere to be seen, not in a bad way, but because it meant that they must be down diving. About 5-10 minutes later they surfaced with big grins on their faces, and boarded the boat. I was ecstatic and hugely proud to see and hear Amelia had done it, and not only that, enjoyed it! Even she surprised herself with how much she liked the experience. After at least a one hour break (for nitrogen release), which included a quick bite to eat and briefing, we were back in the water. A few minutes later, whilst fining along and observing lots of fish in a wall of coral, Raül suddenly turned around, took his regulator out of his mouth, cast a huge toothy grin from ear to ear, pointed at an area in the coral and gave the hand signals to indicate an eel! Then we saw it, a big moray eel! I was chuffed, we hovered around for a minute or two to take pics then carried on. Later on in our dive we approached a cave, Raül looked at us and gave us the ok sign, which we reciprocated and followed. The cave was open ended, known as a 'swim through'. With Raül leading the way, and Ron in the middle, I was the last through. Just as we entered I noticed three lion fish on my left, which have potent venom in their needle like fins, not even a metre away! Managing the swim through unscathed we reappeared to see Amelia, Jo and Ri on the otherside. We all greeted with waves and ok's, then Ri led Raül and us all over to a spot where we saw what we thought was just coral. On closer inspection it was an octopus, sat almost motionless, camouflaged on some coral. We saw so much during this dive, including a venomous catfish, a nesting titan trigger fish (aggressive), crown of thorns (which is decimating the Great Barrier Reef), another octopus and even another moray eel! We could of spent another hour watching the octopus, an incredible creature, mesmerising, but unfortunately our air was running low so we had to make our way back to the boat, ascend and make our safety stop (5m from the surface for 3 minutes).
We all got back to the boat around the same time, had some refreshments and compared dives. Amelia's face was green, not from sea sickness, but from envy after hearing some had seen a turtle! Whilst Amelia was out of ear shot, Ri explained to Ron and I that a titan trigger fish (the one nesting) had taken a particular disliking to Amelia, nipping at her fins! Ri knowing Amelia's phobia, distracted her by pointing at a random bit of coral and ushered her and her mum quickly towards it, and out of the trigger fish's domain.
Back at the dive shop, after the debriefs, Ri made it known to us all that Amelia was a complete 'natural' and should definitely continue with her Open Water course. I looked at Amelia with pride, and expressed my agreement. I think Amelia was still overwhelmed with the experience, so unsure of how to take it.
Harry and Sinee spent their day hard at work - Harry working on a uni project, and Sinee with freelance work. Feeling peckish after diving, we ordered some 'home delivery' spring-rolls and chicken satay from Cook Kai. We then spent the rest of the day relaxing - diving is hard going!

Ron booked us all on a trip to Ko Rok, a small island about 20 miles south of Ko Lanta. The area around Ko Rok is known for its good snorkelling spots. Ron and Jo got speaking with a family in Khao Sok who'd seen a whale shark just a week or two before! This probably explained Ron's eagerness to book and go on this trip. Even though the trip was orientated around snorkelling, there were a few that got dropped off on the main beach to take in the view and sunbathe. The rest of us were taken around the coast to the first snorkelling spot. It was really nice, and apart from the usual fish, sergeant majors, parrotfish, banner fish etc, Amelia and I were shocked to suddenly see a banded sea krait - a very venomous sea snake surface for air right next to us. Their venom is supposedly ten times more potent than a cobra's, but generally they're very docile and unlikely to bite. Ron, Jo, Harry and Sinee saw a moray eel on the hunt swimming around - not a common site.
Lunch was back on the main beach, they'd cooked up a storm! We had massaman curry, stir fry veg, chicken drumsticks and of course some rice. Before our next snorkelling location, we had time to digest our food and explore around the island. Amelia and I opting to walk along the pristine white beaches and the others inland, in search of monitor lizards.
Snorkelling at the next destination was great too, possibly better visibility. We saw a huge school of parrot fish chomping away on coral, some clownfish (aka Nemo) guarding their anemone, and a pufferfish that one of the local boat crew managed to catch with his bare hands. He held it in a certain way so as not to get spiked (there is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote), and showed the non-snorkelers at the surface. They also dived down to pick up a sea cucumber, again to show the non-snorkelers. It was a great trip, just a slight shame that the locals don't respect the aquatic life.
Amelia, Sinee and I decided to walk down the beach that evening to participate in some free Yoga on the beach. I'd never done Yoga before, I used to take the mick out of my dad for doing it, but my curiosity, and the fact it was free led me to join them. Apparently it wasn't like normal Yoga - according to Amelia and Sinee, who'd both done it before. The guy leading the class was injured, so it was more meditation and a few stretches, along with a dash of spiritual life coaching (which included telling ourselves, many times, that we love ourselves). I must be honest and admit, that I quite enjoyed the experience and wouldn't say no to doing it again.
Pizza for dinner that evening, at a place just next door called 'La Monaco'. The place, according to our neighbours, was run by an Italian and served tasty food. They were right about one thing, the food was good. But Ron soon found out the guy who run the place was German!

Sinee had found out earlier in the week (from speaking with the locals!) that there was a festival in the old town of Ko Lanta, starting at 3pm. Sinee was a great interpreter for the week - a useful person to have around, always ensuring we were ordering the correct things!
All being dog owners (Sinee owning ten!) and lovers of animals, we stopped by the Animal Welfare Centre. We'd heard at Time for Lime that you could take the dogs for 'walkies!'. But due to our bad timing (approaching midday) it was too hot to take them out. So instead we got to play with some puppies and have a guided tour around the centre, seeing the cat and kitten house, and the dog kennels and play area.
Over to the other side of the island for the rest of the day, exploring, having lunch, and visiting the festival. It was a fairly brief walk around the festival though, as the heat was unbearable. But Jo and Ron got to sample some of the exotic fruit such as 'longkong' (similar to lychee) and sapodilla (looks like kiwi but with a fragrant taste).
All desperate to 'cool in the pool', we got back to the villa, dived in and played a few games of volleyball. Later we headed back to our rooms, freshened up and headed back to Miami restaurant for our final dinner together - another seafood feast! Jo and Ron 'persuaded' us to have one final round of cocktails at a bar next door, before calling it a night.

We had a really amazing time with Jo, Ron, Harry and Sinee. But unfortunately we had to say goodbye. Unsurprisingly there were a few tears between Amelia and her mum, but I'm sure Jo won't let it be too long before she is back reunited with her daughter. For now though we were off to Ko Phi Phi, Ron and Jo to Krabi, and Harry and Sinee back to Bangkok....