TUTS ON TOUR

HELLO ALL

GETTING SETTLED INTO THE THAI LIFE NOW JUST AS IM APPROACHING THE END OF MY TIME IN THAILAND.
ARRIVED BY SPEED BOAT TO KO SAMUI SOUTH OF KO PHAN NGAN. IT IS A LARGER ISLAND AND VERY MUCH A BUSY RESORT. VERY DIFFERENT FROM MY BUNGALOW RESORT PREVIOUSLY.
WE STAYED IN THE BUSY RESORT OF CHEWANG FOR 1 NITE BUT IT WAS EXPENSIVE TO STAY THERE AND A BIT OVER THE TOP SO WE MOVED TO THE SLIGHTLY LESS BUSY RESORT TO THE SOUTH CALLED LAMAI. THE PLACE IS REALLY NICE,THE BEACHES ARENT GREAT BUT THE HOTEL WERE IN IS REALLY NICE AND WE HAVE A POOL FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE STAFF ARE INCREDIBLE, CANT DO ENOUGH FOR YOU.

HIRED A SCOOTER FOR THE DAY AND WENT FOR DINNER IN A GORGEOUS NEW RESTAURANT BETWEEN CHEWANG AND LAMAI CALLED DR FROGS WITH GREAT VIEWS. THE FOOD WAS LUSH. PAYING ABOUT 7 POUND FOR A MEAL BUT FOR THE SAME FOOD AND VIEWS AT HOME YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT 30-40 POUND A HEAD!

MAKING UP FOR ALL THE LOST SLEEP IVE HAD WITH HAVING A JOB AT HOME IVE BECOME A BIT OF A DUVET QUEEN AND IM EASILY HAVING AN AVERAGE OF 10 HOURS A NIGHT ITS WICKED !!!

AFTER MY LUXURY DINING EXPERIENCE AT DR FROGS.THE NEXT 2 NIGHTS HAVE BEEN TRUE BACKPACKER STYLE. EATING FROM THE THAI FOOD MARKET STALLS. ONE THING I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS PLACE IS I AINT HAD A BAD MEAL YET. YOU PAY 30 BAHT WHICH IS ABOUT 40P AND YOU GET A THAI STIR FRY OF YOUR CHOICE WITH NOODLES IN A REALLY COOL ATMOSPHERE IN WITH THE LOCALS. THEN FOR DESSERT A BANANA,COCONUT AND NUTELLA PANCAKE FOR ANOTHER 40P. FULLY SATISFIED ON 80P!

HEADING TO MALAYSIA TONIGHT BY OVERNIGHT TRAIN WITH A BED IT TAKES 12 HOURS TO GET TO THE BOARDER THEN GONNA HEAD SOUTH TO KUALA LUMPAR
BYE FOR NOW X

JUST A BRIEF NOTE ON THE EVENTS OF THE FULL MOON PARTY

PRETTY MAD, ABOUT 20 000 PEOPLE PACKED ON A BEACH STRETCHED WITH BARS,FOOD STALLS AND DRINKS STALLS SELLING LARGE BUCKETS WITH SPIRITS AND MIXER VERY CHEAP.
NOT ALOT GOING ON IN THE WAY OF ENTERTAINMENT JUST A LOAD OF RAVE STYLE MUSIC. WE SPEND THE NIGHT DRINKING BUCKETS AND TRYING VARIOUS FOODS FROM THE MANY STALLS.
THE PARTY GOES ON TILL ABOUT 10AM BUT WE HEAD BACK TO THE RESORT IN A TAXI WELL BEFORE THIS AND GET BACK A BOUT 4AM

TO GET BACK TO OUR BUNGALOW WE HAVE TO WALK ALONG THE BEACH.JUST AS WE ARE STAGGERING HOME AN EXTREMELY LARGE COCONUT FALLS FROM A PALM TREE ON THE BEACH ALMOST KNOCKING US OUT. WE DECIDE TO CARRY IT BACK TO OUR BUNGALOW COZ GONNA HAVE IT FOR BREAKFAST THE NEXT DAY !!
THE NEXT MORNING AFTER HAVING DIFFICULTY LIFTING MY HEAD FROM THE PILLOW I REMEMBER THE COCONUT ONLY TO GO OUTSIDE AND DISCOVER ITS GONE ! GUTTED I GO AND SEE BARNEY TO TELL HER WHAT HAPPENED. BARNEY IS GREAT SHE CANT SPEAK HARDLY ANY ENGLISH SHE JUST LAUGHS ALL THE TIME. INSTANTLY FROM SPEAKING TO HER WE COULD TELL SHE HAD STOLEN IT AND HAD IT FOR HER OWN BREAKFAST SHE FOUND IT HILARIOUS BUT PROMISED US SHE WOULD GO UP THE TREE AND GET US ANOTHER

THE NEXT MORNING WE HAD FRESH COCONUT FOR BREAKFAST ON THE BEACH IT WAS GREAT..

IVE ENJOYED STAYING IN KO PHA GHAN BUT READY FOR A MOVE AS THE RESORT IS A BIT TOO QUIET. THE STAFF IN THE BARS WORK A RIDICULOUS 12 HOUR DAT 6 DAYS A WEEK AND ON THEIR DAY OFF GO AND CUT DOWN COCONUTS BUT THERE ALL SO HAPPY AND LOVELY !!

After what seemed like an eternity ashort 9 hours of travelling we arrived in koh phan ghan on the east side of thailand. it is a small island just above ko samui (our next destination) we booked our accomodation for here in advance as at the end of each month the island holds a full moon party attracting upto 20 thousand party animals on the beach. we re staying a little further out from the party resort of hadd rin but only 30 minutes away and we arrive about 8pm to a gorgeous bungalow right on the beach. We are welcomed by the owner of the very small resort (just 8 bungalows) and she introduced herself as "barney" from what we could understand.
The beach is lovely and the locals are out fishing in the sea just using there hands and no boat !
This is nothing like the accomodation we have experienced up to now as the price is double. 8 quid a nite instead of the usual 4 !
we have chilled here for a couple of days and are heading for the hectic full moon party tonite.

Really enjoying the cheapness of thailand 50p for a large bottle of chang beer 6.4% and a max of 2 quid for a descent meal !
You get a full body massage for 3 quid or a reflexology massage for 2 quid the latter of the two quite painful as i experienced in bangkok
A masseuse prods your feet for an hour and you just scream out in agony and she just laughs ! felt the benefit afterwards but wondering if it was worth the pain.

xx

AFTER A TWO HOUR BOAT TRIP FROM KRABI WE ARRIVE AT PHI PHI (PRONOUNCED PEA PEA) ITS A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND WITH GORGEOUS BEACHES AND WAS MADE FAMOUS BY THE FILM 'THE BEACH' HOWEVER THE ISLAND WAS BADLY DAMAGED IN THE 2004 TSUNAMI AND LOTS OF REBUILDING IS STILL GOING ON.

ON OUR FIRST FULL DAY WE HEAD OFF ON A FULL DAY BOAT TRIP TO THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS BY LONG BOAT. THE SEA IS QUITE ROUGH BUT THE WEATHER IS FANTASTIC A COOL 39 DEGREES !
WE SNORKELLED IN SOME GORGEOUS GREEN WATERS AND SAW SOME AWESOME CORAL AND LOADSA COOL FISH. ONE SNORKEL TOOK US TO A SHARK REEF BUT WE WERENT LUCKY ENOUGH TO SPOT ONE ALTHOUGH OTHERS IN THE GROUP DID.

WE CHILLED OUT ON THE BEACH ON THE 2ND DAY AS IT WASNT AS HOT THEN ON THE NITE WE WENT TO A HALF MOON PARTY WITH LOTS OF ENTERTAINMENT INCLUDING A FIRE SHOW AND PARTYING ON THE BEACH.

TODAY IS TOO HOT TO SUNBATHE SO JUST KEEPING IN THE SHADE THIS EVENING WE ARE THINKING OF TRYING LOBSTER IN ONE OF THE MANY RESTAURANTS AS ITS CHEAP AND THE LOBSTER IS FRESHER THAN FRESH AS WEVE WATCHED THE FISHERMAN BEINGING THEM STRAIGHT FROM THE BOAT TO THE RESTAURANT.

ANOTHER COUPLE OF DAYS CHILLING HERE THEN WERE HEADING OVER TO THE ISLANDS ON THE EAST COAST BY BOAT THEN BUS THEN BOAT AGAIN.

CHEERIO FOR NOW
LISA XX

HEY AGAIN
ARRIVED IN KRABI AFTER A QUICK 1 HOUR FLIGHT COST US 20 POUND
WEATHER NOT LOOKING GOOD ITS THE BEGINNING OF THE MONSOON SEASON SEEMS NICE THEN ALL OF SUDDEN HUGE SHOWERS AND WILD WINDS

THE AIRPORT IS TINY AND U GET A TAXI TO KRABI TOWN AND THEN A LONGTAIL BOAT TO RAILAY BEACH WHICH HAS SOME COOL BEACHES (SHAME ABOUT THE WEATHER)
ON OUR FIRST DAY DECIDED TO WALK AROUND THE BEACH TO ANOTHER BAY BUT THE TIDE CAME IN WHILST WE WERE THERE AND WE GOT STUCK BEING TOLD WE WOULD BE STRANDED FOR 7/8 HOURS. NOT FUNNY AT THE TIME BUT CAN LAUGH NOW. AFTER TRYING THE BEACH WAY AND REALSING WE WOULD PROB GET WASHED AWAY THE ONLY WAY BACK WAS TO TREK THRU THE JUNGLE. A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE ESPECIALLY WHEN A MONSOON CAME AND ALL WE HAD ON WAS BOARD SHORTS AND FLIP FLOPS. AFTER A VERY SCARY HALF HOUR (LOTS OF CREEPY CRAWLIES ) WE GOT BACK SAFELY LOL COVERED IN MUD AND DRENCHED ( A PRETTY SIGHT) WE LEARNT OUR LESSON NOT TO GO EXPLORING.

MY LAST DAY IN KRABI DECIDED TO DO AN ELEPHANT TREK THRU THE JUNGLE (AGAIN) IT WAS RAINING (AGAIN) BUT LOTS OF FUN.
MY ELEPHANT WAS CALLED PHI AND WAS A 45 YEAR OLD MALE AND VERY VERY NAUGHTY. AT FIRST A HELPER RIDES THE ELEPHANT AND YOU SIT ON THE BACK ON A CHAIR LIKE A KING !! THEN THEY GET OFF AND TAKE SOME PICS OF YOU ASKING YOU TO SIT RIGHT AT THE FRONT OF THE ELEPHANT. ITS COOL BUT YOU NEED GOOD BALANCE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR ELEPHANT WAS AS NAUGHTY AS MINE AND KEPT EATING FROM REALLY HIGHT TREES AND NEARLY TIPPING ME OFF ! HE WAS THE FATTEST GREEDIEST ELEPHANT EVER ! THEN YOU HAD BACK TO THE CAMP SAT ON THE FRONT WHILST THE WOMAN IS ON THE BACK ENJOYING THE RIDE !
AFTERWARDS YOU GET TO FEED YOUR ELEPHANT (EVEN THO I THINK MINE HAD HAD ENOUGH) THEN THEY SHOW YOU WHERE THE ELEPHANTS SLEEP AND PLAY.

HEADING OFF TO PHI PHI ISLAND TOMMOROW FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS 2 HOURS BY BOAT THIS IS WHERE THE FILM THE BEACH WAS SET SHOULD BE LOVELY.
WILL BE KEEPING YA POSTED X