So - the big day arrived: time to explore the island under our own pedal power. A sketch map at reception showed a route through the fishing village and rubber plantation to the other resort on the island: Charlie Beach. We set off around lunchtime as we were desperate to eat somewhere other than the hotel restaurant. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, with intermittent showers and a strengthening breeze.

The journey took us through the village where the basic houses were all built on what looked like a swamp and were all connected by walkways. The road ran out of concrete and we followed a rough dirt track uphill into the rubber plantation.

Down the hill the other side we arrived at the gates of Charlie Beach. The layout was quite Butlinesque and the restaurant especially uninviting. It seems this trip it the classic bad weather activity for Sivalai guests as one by one they arrived by bike or taxi, looked around for a few minutes then left.

At the top of the first hill in the rubber plantation we came across Hilltop Restaurant, a rough shack with a few people sitting in it. Annelise agreed to try it out. It was run was an incredibly amusing and welcoming lady who had conscripted her kids of all ages to help with the family business. A main course fried rice cost 70p and was most tasty.

We shared a large Singha and watched the world go by: ducks, dogs, barefoot kids, scooter traffic and the odd traveler. The scooter-sidecar taxis couldn't make it up to the top of thehill with passengers and we all applauded a couple of tourist groups who appeared at the brow of the hill pushing the sidecar.

Lunch came to 3 quid and the lady lent us a novel so long as we brought a replacement back the following day.

We asked directions on the way back and discovered we had taken the scenic route on the way there……Back at Sivalai the wind had really got up so we sat on the lounger on the deck and enjoyed the cooling effect.