From HK we had a slight detour to Manila and Boracay to catch up with Denise and Tim, Phil's parents!!! We didn't have much time in Manila, but the insight we got is that there is a crazy amount of people there, there's a lot of poverty and the traffic is CRAZY!!!...

We were up after about 3 hours sleep then to fly down to Boracay, which is a beautiful island south of Manila. …we were taking a chance heading down there as its typhoon season!!! We had a fabulous time there, with a stunning first and third day, the sun was shining away, despite the grey clouds that were hovering in the distance!!! The beach was lovely and the sea was a perfect temperature, we couldn't have asked for any better…..We set off early in the morning for a short walk…6 hours, 3 bars, food and a visit to Manny Pacquiao hotel later we returned to our accommodation, with slightly more colour than when we had left…Shane was impressively patchy!!... The second day wasn't as nice but we still explored the island…..and ate some amazingly tasty food with one or two beers…sure we were on holiday so why wouldn't we!!!

We then returned to HK and gained an experienced travel guide, Denise!! So we finished out our time in HK taking a boat out to Lamma Island, where we walked across it, taking in the massive power station which was providing a lovely backdrop to the beach!!! We also ate, A LOT, of amazing food….HK food is best when there are a few people, so that you can order dishes and share…so we decided to take the principle and multiple it!!! Think we ordered for about 6, but the 3 of us managed to pretty much clear the plates….

From there we headed back to Bangkok for the last time….where we got rid of our old and battered clothes, before stocking up on new items to take home with us!!! We got our last bits of cheap and amazing tasting food…..and had our last funny dining experience…we were at a night market on the streets, sat down under an arch, when all of a sudden there was people moving everywhere, tables getting picked up, so with no explanation we finally figured out what was going on….a car needed to drive through the car port!!!..so once it went through the tables came back out and everyone went back to eating like nothing had happened…classic!!!

So that pretty much ends what has been the most amazing year of our lives…..we have had unbelievable experiences, seen so much of the world and met some great people along the way…we are so lucky…

We can't wait to see everyone at home and we will try not to bore you all too much with our stories…thanks for those who have been following our travels….we have appreciated all the comments and feedback.