We left Koh Tao (a very sad affair) by ferry. It was about two and half hours over a fairly calm sea on a scorching hot day. Fearing the worst Katy dosed herself up on sea sickness pills and we sat outside on the top deck and waited. After about an hour she was all smiles and in high spirits that there wasn't a repeat performance of the whale shark voyage! (And I was particularly pleased that I didn't have to hold her hair back)!

Koh Samui is very different to the small island of Koh Tao. There are busy main roads for a start. And it's absolutely packed with tourists on their holidays! Lots of rude Russians, Germans and other Europeans! This made it feel more like a Spanish island than a travelling paradise.

Our stay here was pretty un eventful. On our first night we met a nice and funny couple from Hertford in a restaurant who we then met up with again the next evening and ended up going to a couple of mad bars and clubs with in Chaweng! It's all a bit of a blur to me. I remember drinking two buckets, some laughing gas and then lastly asking Katy to "please get me home" where I threw up and was practically comatosed until 4pm the next day.

The day after we rented a little jeep - a Suzuki Sporty Caribbean (nice!) and took a road trip to nangyaun waterfall. It was pretty nice but nothing too spectacular. Saw some people riding elephants which was a bit sad and had no intention of doing ourselves.

That's when dengue fever struck!!! Katy was then pretty much bed bound for about 7 days (but felt like 7 months). Fortunately the resort we were staying at was very nice - beautiful pool surrounded by lovely bungalows in a forrest setting and a library of DVD's. Despite this though we both got pretty bad cabin fever more than once and faced some 'challenging' moments together. (The words "I've never wanted to punch somebody in the face as much as you!" come to mind).....I think she was being endearing though.

During this time we also managed to go to Koh Phagnan for the night, when it looked like Katy was feeling a little better, where we met up with some friends from back home (Matt and Becca and the newly wed Nick and Lisa who were there on their honeymoon). However the next day katy was feeling worse so we went to see a doctor, an old man who didn't say very much but was reassuringly professional, who did some tests and confirmed it was not dengue fever or malaria. He prescribed some antibiotics which thankfully helped her get better.

With our last few days on Samui we went and saw Big Buddha; hired a moped and then gave it back when we realised my skills lacked a little proficiency when it came to taking us both on the busy main roads; shopped around the Fisherman's Village (a large 'walking street' market of street food, restaurants and other shops selling clothes, jewellery and lots of fake stuff).

Getting out of Samui took the form of a ferry, coach, minibus and boat over about 9 hours in the end (after almost getting scammed at Krabi port!!) but finally got us to the beautiful island of Koh Lante......