Arrived in Thailand yesterday - people in Phuket airport couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery...took us about 2.5 hrs to get 20 mins to our hotel. Staye in Phuket town for one night as we didn't like the sound of Phuket itself...so wanted a quick getaway to the other islands. Ordering the taxi to get us to the ferry terminal was fun - eventually tracked one down but ended up taking us on a busman's trip around Phuket for about 2 hours! He dropped us off a various tailors and jewellery stores...our driver in India did this - you just have to roll with it and smile...at least we got to see Phuket town though for free.

So onto Phi Phi Don island...arrived courtesy of the 2 hour ferry and hopped straight into a taxi boat - called longtail boats - which whizzed us to our resort - fantastic method of transport - real good fun to tavel in. The island itself is gorg - fab views of huge rocks jutting out of the waters, sheer cliff faces of limestone with clear - and I mean transparent waters with heaps of multi-coloured fish. We're staying at Phi Phi Paradise Pearl Resort which has about 30 bungalows all no more than a few steps away from the beach - which is exactly how I like my beaches and hotels...can't stand waiting for ages to get back to the hotel with sand up my bum...much prefer being right on the beach where I can de sand quickly...all part of my wierd Monica habits!

Funny moment was when Nathan booked the hotel on the phone and thought the receptionist said the room would be 900 Baht per night - but when we checked in it was actaully 1900 baht a night!! Not a massive problem as that's still only 25 quid a night in a real bling hotel...Phi Phi is actually more expensive than the other islands as since the Tsunami they are trying to recoup their financial losses by hicking up the prices.

Another stange moment was the organised chaos that ensued when some people on our ferry to Phi Phi needed to transfer to another boat in order to get to Ko Lanta island (smaller island just south of Phi Phi)...I'm sure in ordinary circumstances i.e. back home you'd dock into a terminal and then transfer...well we've learned to expect the unusual and therefore all Ko Lanta passengers had to make the dubious cross over from one boat to another mid ocean and complete with their luggage...two boats tentatively tied together with no plank to walk either!!

Mosquitoes - yes there are quite a few the size of my fist wih bite marks then same size!! In truw honour of my tasty blood I was eaten within minuts of landing at Phi Phi

P.S Must say that our waitress was most likely a waiter - nuff said!

xx