Day 19 (Saturday 4th November 2006)

Up early, packed the last few little things and hopped on the ferry to Phuket. We'd have to say that Ko Phi Phi was our favourite place in Thailand. The busy little streets (nothing we're sure compared to what it will be in peak season) infact were no trouble at all, and if anything, created a kind of 'amongst friends' atmosphere. As for the snorkelling/diving, it is unparrelelled...but that's still a bit of a sore subject for poor Marc...and of course, Phi Phi will for ever remain the place where Sarah learnt to scuba dive!

Well that's enough reflecting, it's on to a new place now, even if that is a very brief stop to leapfrog us to Malaysia. We arrived in Phuket at around 11am. Minibus took us to our hotel, Karon Princess Hotel (www.phuket-karonprincess.com). "How much did you pay a night for this place?" asked our driver. "We don't know" we said, explaining that we had booked the whole package through the T.A.T. He revealed that this hotel was around ฿2000 a night, that's roughly 30 quid.

We've clearly been exploited by the T.A.T, we'd worked that much out long before. Although the transfers have been in place, all accommodation has been more than satisfactory and the peace of mind of knowing that we had all this has been excellent, we could have probably done it ourselves for half the price. The ฿40000 we gave to them is roughly 600 pound. We've learnt along the way that our accommodation has ranged between ฿500-900 and to give you an idea, the other day we saw tickets from Phi Phi to Phuket for just ฿300.

We have been pretty naive I'm afraid folks, but we have learnt a valuable lesson. We wouldn't neccessarily discourage people from using the T.A.T, but just do what we failed to do and that's ask them to break down every last little cost to you! At least we have learnt this harsh lesson in arguably the cheapest of the countries on our itinerary.

As for our hotel here in Phuket, well it could be the Ritz! Two showers, a bath, air con, colour tv, fridge, telephone, two swimming pools, spa and jacuzzi...all we can do now is just make the most of it! We hadn't had any complications for a good few days, so true to form, we were hit with a humdinger.

We were told back home by our travel agent Phil at STA travel, that we would need to have proof of leaving the country before we arrived in Thailand. With that in mind we booked a flight to take us from Phuket to Penang online, as people may already know. So far no one here has queried our means or date of departure and everywhere seems to be offering cheap bus rides across the border.

Thanks Phil, but that's not even the issue, the flights weren't too expensive anyway and we've had enough bus rides lately to last a lifetime. The problem is our confirmation e-mail requested us to pick up the tickets from Phuket ticket office, so we've planned all along to simply pick them up when we arrived.

As we've discovered nothing's that simple in Thailand. The ticket office is not at the airport, or even close for that matter and the damn place isn't even open on Saturday or Sundays!! Today being a Saturday and our flight leaving 10:30 am sharp on Monday morning, posses a bit of a cause for concern! The checkin time is 2-hours before and the ticket place opens at 8am, 40-minutes from the airport!

Oh dear! With the temperature now in the high 30's and the sea beckoning us from across the road, we trapsed back down to reception to appeal for help. The lovely kind lady (most of them are) made some calls for us. She has managed to make the outlook a little better, but it will still be touch and go whether we'll make it!

The mad rush:

07:15 taxi picks us up from hotel

(journey should take 30-mins, but we've allowed 45)

08:00 ticket office opens

(we pick up tickets - should take 20-mins)

08:20 taxi takes us on to airport

(journey should take 40-minutes and if all goes well (which we're sure it won't) we

should be there shortly after 09:00)

Our hotel receptionist has also wangled us extra check-in time at the airport, so fingers crossed we should catch that plane!

With that problem sorted for now, we grabbed a light lunch from the bar and made a dash for the sea. Karon Beach is extremely long and sandy with rows apon rows of sunbeds and parasols. Across the road from our hotel, Phuket is also staging some major volleyball tournement.

The surf crashes on to the beach here, not much fun for a little dip in the sea and far too shallow I'm afraid Marc's mum and Stevie for any thoughts of surfing, but it made Marc feel a little better knowing that snorkelling around here would be a waste of time had he have been able to. Phuket does offer some excellent diving, but we have neither the time or the medical health to do it!

Instead we kicked back on the beach, taking the occasional beating from the waves, before that became too much in the seering heat. We picked ourselves up and staggered back to the hotel where we found a nice spot in the shade by a swimming pool complete with its own waterfall.

After a power-nap up in our room, Sarah took advantage of the nice bath tub, before we went out for dinner (gotta' love them curries). We both had a massaman and guys back home dig out the recipe...that s*** tastes great!! We came home and nodded off with the tv on...well we were watching Liverpool!!

Day 20 (Sunday 5th November 2006) Loi Krathong festival

Woke up a little later than normal and staggered down for brekkie at about 10:15am. Marc ate some dry toast, the fussy git's regular start to the day over here and with the weather a little overcast, we decided to just chill at the larger pool for the day.

The swimming pool was full of revolting fat white people, all on their nasty package holidays and kind of summed up what this island appears to be about...and we're supposedly in the less touristy place! Although we can't judge Phuket on just 2-nights and without exploring the whole place, we think that we can safely say that unless we were snorkelling/diving the magnificent offshore dive sites, we would never choose to come back!

Things seem to be overpriced here as well. It's amazing when you start thinking twice about paying ฿300 for a meal, when that's about 4 quid back home! With us spending a grand now already (including Sarah's scuba diving course), we really need to keep a lid on the spending for a while! So tonight's courtesy meal from the hotel (which we've no doubt paid for anyway) comes as some small conselation.

At dinner we thought Thailand was throwing us some big farewell party...turned out it was just the celebrations of their national festival 'Loi Krathong'!

Tomorrow morning it's a mad dash to make sure we get out of here and on to country number two, Malaysia.

We tried phoning home with our phone card, but nobody seemed to have the facilities nor the desire to help. So sorry Stevie boy but we send all our love and wish you a great Birthday for tomorrow!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVIE BOY!!

Thinking of you all and no hard feelings Stevo, but Marc hopes Arsenal give your boys a good hiding tonight...should be a good game!

Hope Spartans bounced back today, speak to you lot from Malaysia...if we get there!!