Phuket, one of the most expensive islands in Thailand. Pad Thai in Bangkok will set you back between 30-50 baht, in phuket it's 150B. A 30 minute taxi in Bangkok may cost you 200B, it will cost you 700B in phuket. You can find a double room for 150B in Chiang Mai, but a dorm bed will cost you 300B in phuket. Yes I'm sure they're cheaper places but they're just harder to find!

However flying into phuket at 1am with nobody to meet me and completely alone and it still feels like I'm coming home. The transfer from the airport (180B not bad considering) drops me right outside the famous bangla road. It's crazy, it's wild, it's loud but so familiar! Bunking down in patong for 3 nights and its hard to leave! The beach may not be the best, the constant offers of ping pong shows can get annoying, the Thai prostitutes are everywhere but it's still one of my favourite places in Thailand!

Luckily backpacker dorms are a great place to meet people, you're never lonely in a hostel! Nights out are already assumed and its easy to find people to eat with, sit and chat or grab a beer. And of course the nightlife is insane. Whoever invented the bucket deserves a medal. Sadly I did manage to get myself stung by a jellyfish on one of my few excursions into the water, but I'd rather sit on the beach feeling like my leg is on fire nursing a changover and questioning the previous night than stay in England with the freezing sea and tame nights out.