Dear Cara, Shaun, Holly and Ava

Thank you very much for buying us tickets to the Half Moon Party on Koh Phanan. We're really glad you did because otherwise we would not have gone. You know one of those nights when you're just not up for going out? Well it was one of those nights - we'd had a few chilled out days in our lovely, but very remote, beach huts where we had not really spoken to anyone apart from the owner (who means well but can't understand anything we say as he's used to German accents) and could not quite muster the motivation up to go out.

After a couple of beers in our bar we nearly bottled out but then remembered the careful thought you'd put into choosing gifts you thought we'd really enjoy, so forced ourselves to go.

We joined the motley crew of 8 others from nearby guesthouses and squashed into an open-air, rickety taxi, which took us deep into the jungle for the party. We were anticipating a night of drinking warm sticky drinks out of dirty buckets, no toilets and lots of hardcore, mashed up people dancing to repetitive beats. We were worried about being far too sober.

We couldn't believe it when we arrived to find a very well run, clean festival sponsored by Absolute, with lots of friendly, lovely people everywhere. From the bar staff who indulged me by piling more and more fresh limes into my vodka Sprite bucket, to the lovely Jagermeister girl who was genuinely sympathetic that it was £5 a shot! And best of all, perhaps the cleanest toilets I've yet encountered in Thailand.

Before we knew it we were chatting away with random new friends like they were old buddies and met lots of genuinely lovely people. There were two main dancing areas though we spent most of the night at the smaller one where the DJ was accompanied by live sax and bongos - for once, Jim's infamous rabbit dance moves and my eyes half closed dancing synchronized and we danced more than we have ever danced together, long into the night…

Well until around half past four which was late enough for us. We grabbed a chicken on a stick and corn on the cob from some street food sellers, taxi'd home and I fell asleep with a massive grin on my face.

Thanks again for the best night of our honeymoon so far and for the reminder of my old philosophy of 'the nights out you are looking forward to the least are often the best'

Lots of love

Donna and Jim