Next up was Bangkok by minibus to Surat Thani & a`VIP' night bus. The journey to Bangkok was not too bad, the problem was getting dropped in Bangkok 2 hours early at 4.30 am, with no warning you were almost there, just kicked out mid sleep, bags slung on pavement & the bus making a quick exit….all a bit odd we thought. Whilst awaiting some sunlight we camped in a 24hr subway (as in the sarnie shop) and milked the free internet whilst sipping on ...

We arrived at Khao Sok late afternoon and checked into our cool hut on stilts at Nung House, with a full mozzie net fitted meaning Al might actually sleep without the constant itching through the night! We went for a stroll through Khao Sok village to explore & it was a lovely small place with a few restaurants, bars & tour agencies. We went to eat at a busy place (the fairy lights sold it to Tracy) & it was faulty towers in terms of the service…aft...

Phuket town is actually very nice, nothing like Patong, which is the area people think of when you mention Phuket.Lots of little local roads with restaurants & cafes, quite quiet at night. Whilst in Phuket we decided to do a bit of Chrimbo shopping for family back home & Al's bargaining skills (& charm!) were in full flow. Sadly, no such luck at the post office where the cost of postage outweighed the cost of the gifts. Dad (Charlie) always said...

We arrived in Patong and in the searing heat made our way to the guesthouse, after getting lost for 15 mins and raining sweat we found it, with relief it was a really good room with ice cold air-con, cue Tracy's goose bumps!! Patong is basically a prettier version of Benidorm, with the hoards of drunken tourists and Katoey's…aka, ladies with add-ons, Western shops, beach bars & clubs… culture all the way!On the plus side was the cheap tasty grub.Not ...

Once the loop of Mr Marleys greatest hits started to wear thin we moved onto the quiet town of Phang Nga.This was a town in spectacular surroundings with mountains running either side of the town and tourists were rare here.After a day of exploring the town we booked up for a boat trip around the national park areas (all of the coastal parts) including a visit to James Bond Island, which was the centre point in 'the man with the golden gun' The trip was ok...