4th December

Time to pack up and leave - was hell trying to pack up the rucksacks again. We all check out and catch the bus into town, grab a few last minute things and then catch another taxi to the ferry port. The ride over to Ko Tao was ROUGH! Started off alright but we must have hit some sort of storm as the seas became decidedly choppy! This was confirmed when we saw a water spout in the distance and slowly watched as it got bigger and bigger until it finally hit the sea and you could see the water being whipped up at the bottom - a pretty impressive sight.

When we finally arrived I was off the ferry in a flash and glad to be back on land, only snag was that it was well and truly chucking it down. The four of us hopped in a taxi (they are simply pickup truck out here that you sit on the back of) - exposed to the elements and were on our way. We got DRENCHED, still it was good fun.

Ko Tao seemed to be more of an 'island island' - it was a lot smaller and had more of a rustic charm about it - also helped that there were no Maccy D's, Starbucks and the like! We arrive on the west of the island in the main town area and dump our bags in a restaurant while I and Elaine went in search of some decent accommodation.

After much toing and froing we settled on the hotel that we had looked at first - always the way. Not exactly what you would call the Hilton but at £7 a night it was bargain. We just ended up grabbing food in the evening and exploring the rest of the local area before crashing.

5th December

Spent the morning in search of some beach bungalows we could more to in a few days time. We saw some stunning properties - right on the beach with huge glass windows overlooking the ocean. We find the perfect little bungalows for a good price (700Bhat - £13) and try to explain to the little Thai lady, who spoke no English whatsoever, that we would be back in a few days time.

The rest of the day was spent on the beach - the most beautiful beach we have stayed on. Golden sand and perfect water - literally like a swimming pool only with added fish! There were also the coolest bars scattered along the coastline with decking areas and big bean bags or cushions to sit and admire the view.

6th December

Me, Paul and Lynne booked ourselves onto an island snorkeling tour and so we up and out early doors. I was excited by the fact that we were all given flippers - something I hadn't used up until now. We were crammed onto this boat, yet despite its size, we still had a bit of a rough journey. By the first stop a few girls on the boat literally had to get the crew to flag down one of the smaller long tail boats to take them back to shore as they couldn't hack being on the boat all day.

The fact that the seas were rough also affected the quality of the snorkeling. At our first stop we hardly saw anything - next stop was Shark Island and surprise surprise we saw no sharks. Visibility was really poor - you could only just about see your hand in front of you. In some areas we had to swim out really far and as close to the coastline as possible in an attempt to see anything - we also fell foul to the jelly fish. In some areas our whole body started to sting - it didn't necessarily hurt but it was uncomfortable. Someone had told us that this was down to broken jellyfish stings that break free from their tentacles.

We stopped at a few sights like this - at one stage some bright spark decided to flush the toilet and all of a sudden waste was deposited into the sea and came floating up around the boat......it gets worse. Those people who hadn't realized and who had already jumped in to snorkel.....started swimming through it! It was enough to make me gag! Paul and Lynne had already jumped in way before this and had swum way way out - I on the other had was stuck on a boat that had floating s*** all around it! After 5 mins I had to go for it so went to a clean side of the boat and had to swim right out and around to avoid the offending area. Not the most pleasant of experiences but one you end up telling everyone :o).

Final stop of the day was Nungyen Island - two islands that were connected by a sandy walkway type thing. We walked up to the top of one of the islands for breathtaking views right out over the ocean. Then it was back down for a quick sunbathing and swimming session. It was a struggle to find a patch of land not already occupied by some bronzed body - it was one of those trips in while when you get to one destination - 5 other tourist boats have beaten you too it and so it ends up heaving. Paul even saw someone he knew from home - small world!

All in the entire trip redeemed itself toward the end - just thing we'd caught it on a bad day and the rough seas and churned up all the sea beds!

7th December

Nothing much to report. Moved to the little beach bungalows which was the best thing all round. They were situated right on the beach and literally less than 100 yards from the sea. Needless to say we spent the whole day sunbathing and playing in the sea - at one stage we there was this huge dog paddling away and playing piggy in the middle with anyone who was attempting to throw a ball. Paul made the mistake of playing near said dog with ours and the dog promptly managed to get hold of it and puncture it!

Went to a lush beach BBQ restaurant in the evening where me and Paul had the biggest meat and fish skewers we've seen. Then it was off to a beach side bar where we sat big cushions by candle light and watched the most amazing fire jugglers for the rest of the night!

8th December

So - we'd been toying with the idea of hiring a motorbike in practically even city in South East Asia but for every once good reason we would come up with (which was usually 'it's well cheap') we'd come up with another 10 reasons for why we should not risk it.

Next best thing - a QUAD BIKE. This was the only island we'd seen them on and they just looked well cool. So we finally took the plunge and hired on in an attempt to get out and explore the rest of the island - cost us 700Bhat plus petrol which worked out at about £18 for the full 24 hours - dirt cheap.

Literally 10 minutes after we set off it chucked it down. Not the best start to riding a new 'set of wheels' but we had no problems. We attempted to get up some pretty steep hills in a bid to get over to the other island but failed miserably so we just stuck to the main roads and eventually managed to get round the island.

Saw some lovely secluded bays and even more spectacular accommodation. Stopped off at a few restaurants over looking numerous islands and Paul tested his little boy racers skills on some of the longer roads - you can pick up some nice speed on a quad bike!

We had the quad bike for a full 24 hours and didn't have to take it back until the next day - so we parked it up outside the bungalows and went and had dinner at one of our favourite restaurants again.