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  • Matt and Amy's Adventure
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Aug 2017 – Sep 2025

South East Asia

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  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Sackarinh G-house, Luang Prabang, Day 3

    February 7, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We wake up today ready to tackle another dreaded viewpoint. This one is only a few minutes walk from our hotel, so at least it doesn't tire our legs getting there. We walk up to the entrance and take a look inside a small temple that contains a very old mural which I guess depicts the life of Buddha. It is really interesting as the cracked paint and worn wood leaves a powerful feeling. It feels like a real place of worship, and three Buddha statues gleaming in contrast to the rest of it tops it all off.
    As we head up we pass the bird sellers. Apparently it is lucky to release a bird from the top of the hill. We decide against it in the end as it makes us sad to see the tiny cages they are kept in, but it is a nice thought and when we see a woman doing it on the top it does look cool.
    Luckily, the path to this viewpoint is proper steps, and we walk up slowly, knowing it won't be a long one as we can already see the bright Gold monument at the top. Our legs are still feeling the strain that the roads and hills of Vang Vieng left on them, and start to ache despite the short distance, so it is a relief when we arrive at the top. There is another temple there where some locals are praying, and a large Golden stupor, but none of these are as impressive as the views. From all sides the views are great, and we look out over the town and the Mekong that snakes through it. The hills in the background are also great to look at, and we find a spot in the shade and chill our for a while.
    On the way down there are a few more sights, such as a small cave containing some Buddha statues, and what is supposedly the footprint of Buddha. It is huge, and some entrepreneurial youngsters try and charge us after we look at it, but he receives nothing but a 'nice try' from Amy.
    Back down and after another giant fruit shake, we head to the national museum. It looks cool, but we wince at the 30,000 kip entrance fee, and opt to have a walk around the neighbouring temple instead. It is a stark contrast to the one from this morning, with its many decorations glistening in the sun, and we'll deserves it's reputation as Luang Prabang best.
    It is still only early afternoon, and we go for a wander around the small alleyways and streets that cross through this town. We walk through food markets selling everything from chicken feet to fried banana, and markets selling h and m t-shirts for about twenty quid. It is lovely to walk around at the slow pace that is instilled into you like a drug when you come here. With temples every few minutes and brightly coloured bars and restaurants, it is very hard to get bored.
    Before we know it we have done a loop and end up back near our hotel in the old quarter. The sun, that has been neglecting Northen Laos since we travelled up, finally comes out, and we celebrate by having a few beers in one of the cafes near our hotel. We sit on a table on the street and watch the world go by as one beer turns into two.
    When it comes to tea time, we eat near our hotel again, and have a few more beers before we go back to the room, and Amy almost immediately falls asleep. She may blame the exertion of today's exercise, but I think we all know the reason for it.
    Anyway, tomorrow we are up early for a trip to the famous Kuang Si waterfall, so it is best we stop drinking now and get some sleep. No-one would want a hangover on these bumpy roads!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Sackarinh G-house, Luang Prabang, Day 2

    February 6, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Our first full day in Luang Prabang starts with a much needed morning of rest. It is very cold, and is very nice to stay wrapped up in bed and know there are no mountains to climb or miles to bike today. When we finally wake, we eat a lovely breakfast of omelette and steamed rice in the restaurant outside. This is our new go to breakfast and at just over a quid a pop, you can't go wrong.
    After breakfast we get a lovely cup of tea in a nearby cafe. I am starting to learn the wonders of green tea, and out here it is amazing. After the tea, Amy finds a small spa in which she can get her nail varnish that was applied before her birthday off. As she sits and gets it done I find a small stall that sells big fruit shakes. What must have been about ten pineapples goes into my litre of shake. It tastes great, but is unfinishable to mere humans due to its astronomical size. It is great to sit and watch the place go by as I drink. Tuk tuks beep by with the drivers trying to catch my eye and give me lifts, and it is lovely to sit and not sweat in immense heat like usual. No-one here seems to be rushing anywhere, and it is the perfect place to sit and read for half an hour.
    I meet Amy back at the spa and we go for a short walk to the riverside. We see a rickety looking bamboo bridge, that must be sturdier then it looks as a lot of people are walking over it. I didn't expect to be so close to the river, and it seems like miles away from the busy streets, despite only been minutes. It is very cool but we decide against paying the fee to cross. We head back, taking advantage of the lazy day we have given ourselves.
    After some relaxing time we go out and grab a sandwich to eat by the river. We find a staircase leading right down to the water and sit and eat. There is hardly anyone around, and the views of the river and the bordering hills are very nice. Once we are done, we skip over to the sand next to us and wander along the small riverbank that leads us back to the bamboo bridge. Amy finds a smouldering fire that someone has recently left to die and warms her hands up on it, which shows the temperature today (or shows Amy's sense of melodrama).
    We head back up and wander around the streets of Luang Prabang. It is so tightly nestled between big hills, that any direction you walk in leads to a view, and it is lovely to forget about maps and just wander, knowing we won't end up too far from the hotel. We walk past what looks like a wedding. The dancefloor is packed with dancers who are either performing a well known dance, or are the most synchronised family in Laos. Anyway, they look like they are having a great time, and some tourists join in with the dance (not us obviously).
    We don't do anything but slowly wander until it is time to head back to the room and relax for a bit. We have a developed a good system of washing in which clothes are hung in a cupboard with the unneeded room fan left to blast them all day. Clothes are drying and our huge laundry bags are slowly diminishing, which is good news. Who said travelling was all play and no work!
    We go to the same restaurant as always for tea, as it is lovely and handy to be less then a minute from our room, before getting an early night. Today has been more about recharging the batteries, and we have done that with the aid of a lot of tea and fruit shakes an a good deal of rest. Tomorrow, we get back to it, and plan to tackle mount Phousi (gulp).    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Sackarinh G-house, Luang Prabang, Day 1

    February 5, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It's time to go. After the last journey, being crammed onto a minibus with live birds and hardly any room to move, it is safe to say we aren't really looking forward to this one. We eat a breakfast just over the road from the bungalow, which is enormous. I eat enough rice to keep me full for about five days, and Amy jealously looks on as she eats her muesli and fruit.
    There are five us from the bungalows waiting for this bus, including one German who was on our bus from Vientiane, which is rather a coincidence. When the bus turns up a worried driver gets out of the front and starts debating something with the owner. He holds up five fingers and points at us and the bus, indicating we can't get on. My immediate thought is we are going to have to wait until tomorrow, or find another way of getting there. Instead, we are told to wait fifteen minutes. It is explained to us that they booked every seat on the bus out, but didn't expect anyone's bags to take up room. To put it bluntly, our seats were taken by rucksacks.
    The next minibus arrives, and the blacked out windows offer no clue as to how busy it is. As the door is opened all five of us marvel upon a gloriously clean and empty minibus. We sit down and enjoy the leg room and comfort that this stroke of luck has gifted us. After a nervous ten minutes as we drove around the town hoping no-one else would get in, we leave. The air-con is good, and we have room to spread out all our things and relax. What's not to like!
    After some annoyingly long food and toilet stops, at one of which Amy asks for a non-spicy Papaya salad and gets served molten lava on a plate, we start to slowly climb a mountain. We edge higher and higher as the road seems to get thinner and thinner. It's rather worrying as the giant drops over the side are not fenced off or anything. The views are great for a while, but soon mist descends, leaving nothing but an eerie greyness outside the window. It's pretty spooky, and then we stop. In front of us we can make out the red brake lights of other travellers, and our driver gets out, leaving us on a hill in the hopefully safe hands of a handbrake. It doesn't help our nerves when the first thing the driver does is scurry around grabbing rocks to put behind the wheels to stop them moving. He wanders off, locking the door behind him and leaving us wondering how long we will be on top of this mountain.
    After a quiet five minutes, he miraculously appears from the mist like a stars in your eyes contestant, and starts the engine. It feels good to have a brake ready and not a handbrake, and we slowly but surely make our way past some roadworks, and over the peak.
    it is pushing 5 hours when we stop again for the drivers to clean their vans in a petrol station, despite their being an hour of travelling along a muddy road left. Eventually, we set off for the final time. An hour later we arrive in Luang Prabang and complete the journey that would have been pretty unbearable if it wasn't for the empty minibus.
    We are dropped off half a mile from our hotel, and start to walk there in the cold air. It is already dark, and we have to push our way through the night market to reach our hotel. It is a very frustrating walk, as the small alleys at the market don't leave much room, especially when most people stop to stare at stalls and leave you standing behind them motionless, unable to squeeze past.
    When we complete our long trip, we arrive to a surprisingly nice and cosy guesthouse. We drop our bags off and head to the restaurant that is literally on our doorstep. It's cheap and cheerful, and fills up our bellies that haven't eaten properly since breakfast. We go for a wander around the lovely streets of the old quarter of Luang Prabang. It is now a UNESCO World heritage site, and it is clear to see why, as temples almost number the same as cafes. It is a great place, where time seems to move at half the speed of normal life. Despite the hectic day, we feel relaxed. It is as if the whole place is one big spa, and everyone in it should be wandering the streets in white robes sipping a mojito wearing slippers. It is so chilled out that we can't wait to spend some time here in the light of day, and our mind is already drifting to the thought of booking more nights!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Molina Bungalows, Vang Vieng, Day 3

    February 4, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    It's our final day in Vang Vieng and it starts almost identically to yesterday. The only difference is we decide to head over the bridge to get breakfast and bikes instead of getting them this side of town. This turns out to be a mistake. We soon realise after walking over the two wooden bridges that there isn't anywhere to eat. We find a bike shop and rent a couple of bikes for cheaper then we paid yesterday, but boy does it show. As we bike along, my bike rattles and whines very loudly, destroying the peacefulness of the surrounding areas.
    After a bit of biking we stumble across a restaurant called Valhalla, which serves us some good fried rice and some good Laos tea, before we head off in search of the blue lagoon (of which there are plenty).
    It only takes around half an hour to reach blue lagoon 1, and it would have been a lot quicker if we didn't stop to gaze at the views on the way. We only really share the road with a few bikes, and a couple of groups of quad bike buggy style things that seem to be the in thing to rent. It is a thoroughly enjoyable ride despite the awkward bikes we use.
    When we reach the lagoon, it is clear to see this won't be the serene blue water lake we have imagined. The car park is packed full, and it is obvious why. We were warned this was a busy spot, an it certainly is. The lagoon itself isn't very big and isn't even that blue. People are jumping in off a nearby tree and joyfully splashing around on inflatables which is fun to watch for a while, especially when someone tries to dive in and ends in awkwardly landing headfirst, arms flailing at his side in panic. Despite us being clad in swimming gear, we decide we don't fancy a dip, and soon get back on the bikes and head off in search of something a bit quieter.
    While eating at Valhalla, we were told blue lagoon 5 is the one to see, and we see a sign that is advertising it outside blue lagoon 1. It is only 8km away, and that can't be hard on a couple of bikes, right? What the advert didn't mention was that just after the sign, the nice, smooth road transforms into a dirt track covered in rocks. We immediately slow down, as it feels like we are pedalling through syrup, and watch in anger as people on mopeds nip past us.
    It is a hard ride, and the Sun beats down on us as signs telling us every kilometre passed seem to get further and further apart. At least the views are good!
    After over an hour we realise we have gone wrong somewhere, and the lagoon we were aiming for is back behind us far down one of the turn offs we struggled past and ignored. Luckily, we see we are doing a loop that will bring us out near the mountain we climbed yesterday, which is near home. We struggle on for probably 10km, stopping often to rest our legs and admire the view (but mostly to rest the legs). We pass by limestone cliffs in the distance, looking green up close and then fading to nothing but grey outlines against the clear, blue sky as they get further away. We also pass a lovely bridge that is a nice place to stop, and through villages where locals wander by, going about their jobs that their daily routine entails. Despite the road being tough, it is a thoroughly enjoyable ride.
    When back at the mountain and back on the smooth road, we stop at a restaurant. A very playful toddler entertains everyone by running about mischievously, as a jealous dog cries loudly in the garden as his friend is walked around the neighbouring field.
    We return the bikes, this time without the mad rush of yesterday, and head back to the room to rest our legs. They have taken quite the beaten the last few days, and need a few hours to stop feeling like jelly.
    All the work during the day has made us hungry, and after a disappointing meal of pizza and chips (that are advertised as covered in cheese and gravy, but are served with a few bits of grated cheddar and a small dish with a gloopy brown liquid that is passed off as gravy next to it) we head over the road to a sandwich stall expecting a light snack before bed. What we get is a huge baguette packed full and coated in mayonnaise so much it looked like there had been a paint spillage. It tasted blooming good though. We eat it in bed, and fall asleep. What a place Vang Vieng has been!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Molina Bungalows, Vang Vieng, Day 2

    February 3, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    It's an early morning today as we want as much time as possible to get out and and see what's around. We start off by getting a sandwich for breakfast, and then rent a couple of bikes. We are told we have to have the bikes back by 5, which seems inconsequential as we happily take them, but proves not to be later in the day.
    Our first stop is a cave just outside the city that we would like to see. After a few minutes biking we are out of the town and into the countryside. It is hard not to stop every few seconds to take a look at the views you get when biking, but we make it to the turn off and follow a sign that says cave. The road here, which has been smooth so far, now turns into a stony dirt path. This would be okay on a mountain bike, but we are sat on old, one gear things that offer no mercy on our bum as we bump along the road. It isn't particularly easy on the legs either, as the tyres grind their way over the rocks and mud. We pass a large family of cows that very kindly move for us to pass, before discovering the best view we have had of the mountains yet. We stop for a few minutes to take it in, before consulting a map to see how far the cave is. Of course, we have gone the wrong way. We turn back, and I spot a small track through a forest that we think could lead the way. As there are no other tourists around and no-one to point the way, we are rather stuck.
    After a few minutes through the forest and a few nettle stings, we realise it is probably not the right way, and again head back onto the stony dirt road, thinking that must be the way and the maps wrong. We pass the cows again and push through the stones until we reach a river. Again, it is a beautiful spot, but there isn't a cave. We give up, determined to come back tomorrow after we have looked it up online. The cows, who must be very fed up of us now, move out of our way one last time, before we are back on the road.
    Back through the town we go and to a different exit point. This time we cross a couple of very cool bridges, and head West. After only a few minutes of cycling we see a sign for another cave. We bike across a field until we come to a small entrance where we each pay 10,000 kip (just under a pound) to enter. A young girl acts as our guide, and hands us both headlights. What have we got ourselves in for here. As we climb into the pitch black cave, the girl anders ahead as if walking on a path. We stumble along behind her, squeezing through tiny gaps and down slippery ladders. There are some cool rock formations pointed out to us, but it is hard o appreciate them fully in the small, dark places. All we can hear is the guide saying 'watch your head' over and over as we try and not lose her whilst also trying not to slip over or walk into a rock. We go deeper and deeper, and I will admit I begin to get rather worried. When my headlight falls on what resembles a huge spider on a rock, my worry triples, and I am pretty glad when we reach the water at the end. She offers us a dip in the water, which we both decline, despite being covered in sweat due to the immense heat. It is a relief when we get out.That is enough caves for one day,
    Next to the cave is a viewpoint. We decide to try and get to it, which involves a ridiculously steep climb up a hill. Our desire to reach the summit overrides the common sense which is telling us it is too dangerous, and we pull ourselves up further and further, nothing to stop us slipping but loose branches and jutting rocks. it is starting to get scary the higher we get, as the footholds seem to diminish. One look behind us tells us it is time to go down. Despite reaching what looks like the top, it is overgrown by trees anyway so there is no view. We slowly go down, mostly sliding on our bombs as we shakily hold onto anything we can. It is safe to say one slip here would be pretty nasty. It takes a while as we carefully manoeuvre downwards, an boy are we glad when we get to the bottom. We walk back to the bikes with weary legs, ready to push on and see what's next.
    As if that last viewpoint wasn't enough, we decide to take on the big one. Pha Ngern looms above us, and we plan to reach the top of it. We park our bikes and pay the 10,000 kip entry fee before setting off. It says it takes an hour to the top, we soon realise that is a lie. Fortunately, this one isn't as dangerous as the previous one, and it is a more of a path with stone steps then a climb up a slippy hill. We walk and walk, and our legs are beginning to ache even before we reach the first stop which is about two thirds of the way up. When we do reach it there is a punishing scramble up some rocks that would be impossible without the rope to help. The view at the top is worth it though. You can see right over Vang Vieng and all the surrounding hills and fields. The fresh air feels lovely, and we spend five or so minutes staring out at the World below us.
    We don't have time to burn though. One look at our watches tells us we have two hours before we have to have the bikes back. Not long if we want to reach the summit and then get back down. We decide to go for it. Our burning legs ask for pity, but we offer none as we climb quickly up the rocks. We have said 3.30 is the cut off point where we have to turn back to make it in time. As that time comes nearer, I can sense we are close, but Amy's energy is fading. At 25 past she gives in, telling me to go on. I run up the steps, before turning a corner and dejctedly seeing another steep staircase. It's too much, and i turn back.
    A group of 3 locals see me do this. They have just been at the top and are on the way down. '2 minutes' they say and point me upwards. i can't stop 2 minutes from the top. No way. I run all the way and finally stand on the rock on top of the mountain. What a feeling and what a view. I can see for miles. Unfortunately I don't have time and need to go get Amy, so I turn round and to my surprise there she is, climbing the ladder to the top, red faced and breathing heavily. She made it. Given energy by overhearing my conversation with the locals, she pushed on, and we spend a few minutes together, on top of this painful mountain.
    With legs that are begging us to stop, we now go through what could be a record run on getting down. We jog the flat bits, and quickly jump the rocks and steps that seemed so painful to climb earlier as the minutes click by. It took us 2 hours to climb, we make it down in 45 minutes.
    We bike back like Lance Armstrong minus the drugs, and reach the bike shop. The time, 4.45.
    We are elated to sit down in a nearby restaurant and have a fruit shake and some food. When time to leave comes by, we struggle to stand, and the walk home is pretty painful, but it is all worth it to know we made it to the top and back down in time.
    We get back and relax for a few hours, not wanting to move our legs. We only go out once more to get some food, and Amy has a fish sweet and sour that involves some of the most bony fish i have seen on a plate. bad news for Amy as it puts her off her food. Good news for me as it is delicious.
    Finally it is time for bed. We're going to sleep well tonight!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Molina Bungalows, Vang Vieng, Day 1

    February 2, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ -2 °C

    Well, it's another moving day. We don't leave until mi morning so get a small lie in and time to eat some breakfast before we jump on the bus. It's not a minivan which is nice, but it is still a very small bus without much legroom. Ahh well, we're kind of getting used to long journeys in small places anyway now. The couple sat behind us very loudly discuss their drunken antics last night, that end up in a sick covered staircase at 4AM and it makes me feel very glad I'm not hungover, as the roads in Laos aren't made for smooth driving.
    It's a bumpy journey, and after a few hours we stop at a roadside cafe for a rest and some food. When we get back on, they have invited more people on the bus, meaning the pull down seats in the aisle are used, and we have even less room. We are also sharing the bus with a box full of baby chickens or ducks, I'm not sure, but they squeak away until the engine drowns out the sound of them.
    We bump along for another few hours, while the views get gradually better. Hills line each side of the road and the city buildings of Vientiane make way for large green fields. We stop in Vang Vieng a short walk from our hotel, and we immediately love it. Ninh Biinh in Vietnam was a special place, and this seems on par with it in terms of natural beauty. It is a very small, and not a very developed town, but it is certainly something good to look at. Vang Vieng was once famous (or infamous) for the drunken tubing down the river, which is where tourists on rubber rings floated from bar to bar, supping booze at every one. This has now stopped due to a large number of tourists dying while doing it. I read somewhere around 20 tourists dies while tubing which is an insane number! Anyway, the government shut down all the riverside bars, and Vang Vieng is now a hotspot for people because of it's surroundings.
    We dump our bags in the nice bungalow we have booked for a few nights, and head out for some dinner. After a wander around the town, which is great as most streets offer a straight view to the mountains at the end, we find a great restaurant right on the riverside, with unbelievable views and cheap sandwiches. Both are taken advantage of as we frantically look at maps of the area around here and plan what to do.
    It is already mid afternoon so we don't plan on getting bikes and wandering around today. Instead we take a short walk down to the river and have a walk around. It is amazing. It is so peaceful, with nothing but a few kayaks and some workers plucking away at something under the water to bother us. We wander in all directions, through fields and down dirt tracks, before we finally arrive back at the town, and back at our hotel.
    We end up eating in the same place as we ate dinner. It is a cool place that show Friends repeatedly all day on massive televisions, so Amy is happy. We have a couple of beers before deciding to go back to the room and chill out, so we can be fresh for a long day cycling tomorrow. On the way back we wander down a busy street, and a club promoter tries to get us in his bar. This is common now for us, so we get ready to shun him, until he says the immortal words 'free whisky'. We inquire about what the catch is, and it turns out their isn't one. A line of whiskys has been poured on the bar and you can just go and grab one. The club is unsurprisingly packed, and everyone seems to have taken advantage of the free booze a lot more then we have. One guy in particular entertains everyone with some actually very impressive drunken dancing. Amy is not impressed by the whisky though, and after a couple we head back.
    As we are heading North, we really start to feel the cold now, and it feels great to wrap up in bed in a cold room that isn't due to an air conditioning machine blasting down on you. It feels very cold, but at least we have a belly full of whisky to keep us warm.    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Intouch Guesthouse, Vientiane, Day 3

    February 1, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we plan to explore more of the city, and to do these we enlist the help of a couple of bicycles. The roads don't seem as crazy as most places we have been, so we feel pretty confident we will be okay. We set off not really aiming for anything in particular, but just biking around seeing what we see. There are plenty of temples to keep our eyes occupied as we head to the quieter part of the city, but before long we get hungry. We stop at a lovely little cafe and get a huge portion of fried rice. The family that run it also supply us with a free pot of tea and a small bowl of soup that tastes amazing. We leave there full of food and drink, and all for a pound each.
    I feel at this point I must mention how amazing the tea in Laos is. It is truly gorgeous, and beats any other country we have been to by a mile. I don't know what they do, but it works.
    After dinner we realise we are quite close to a monument named Patuxai. It is a huge, kind of tower with a large archway on each side. We bike there and take a walk around. Yesterday in the mini bus we passed by and didn't think much of it, but on foot it is much better.
    We also get to climb to the top of it, giving great views of the whole of Vientiane. A lovely park is situated at the bottom of it and we spend a bit of time wandering from Patuxai at one end the the freedom gong at the other. This was something given to the government of Laos as a gift, and is covered in flags and symbols form places all over the World. One thing I will never get used to is seeing the swastika symbol. Seen as a symbol of good luck and also a symbol related to the heart and soul of Buddha, it is often seen at temples, and also is on the freedom gong. Obviously connotations are different in Europe, and even though I have seen it a lot, it is always strange.
    When we leave we take a short ride to the MAG centre. This is similar to the COPE centre we visited yesterday, and we chat to a worker who talks us through the impact the bombs had and still have in Laos. MAG does great work, employing local people to find the unexploded bombs and carefully detonating them, before someone else does accidentally. It is great to talk to the worker, who is initially from Manchester, which is where the charity is founded.
    We are pointed into the direction of a temple complex we are told is good, and it is there we bike to next. It is a rather long ride, but we are feeling energetic today, buoyed on by the excitement of a new country, and we get there in no time. The complex has some good temples, but one inparticular, that is named Pha That Luang, or the Golden stupor, stands out. It is a huge monument and is bright Gold. It is quit some sight, and we are glad we found it.
    We start the journey back along some very busy roads. It is actually fun to mingle with the traffic, and stopping at lights and working your way to the front of the queue to join all the mopeds is very good fun.
    We take a breather and grab a very tasty cake and coffee at a shopping mall. It would be amazing if a pancake stall didn't have the most annoying song of all time playing on repeat the whole time we were there. It was enough to drive the calmest man insane, and we left vowing to never buy a pancake from that company (N and B, it pains me to even write their name).
    We bike back along the river, and stop off at a lovely park, where a young boy and his mother come over to sit with us. His mum then walks off, leaving us in charge of a child whom we have no real ways of communicating with. Luckily, he is happy tearing leaves apart, and doesn't seem too bothered that has been left with two pale looking strangers. I am sure Amy would have taken him with us if she could, but his rather worried looking Dad comes and claims him. After another long day, we head back to the hotel exhausted and hungry.
    After a short rest, we head out to a lovely restaurant before going back to the room and getting some sleep. Vientiane has been great, and we can't wait to head North to Vang Vieng tomorrow    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Intouch Guesthouse, Vientiane, Day 2

    January 31, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Our first morning in Laos starts slowly. It has been a long, stressful few days and it is lovely to rest for a morning knowing we don't have to travel anywhere. Saying that, our first stop today is the bus station.
    After a quick breakfast at a lovely cafe, we try and catch a bus that will take us to Buddha park. It is surprisingly a park full of Buddhas, and it looks pretty cool. Public buses in Laos are surprisingly nice, and when we finally find the right one after many friendly people pointing us in the correct direction. The walk to the station is nice and it is great to see some of the Laos culture, but it really hits home that we aren't in Thailand anymore as we leave the capital and drive through the less busy districts. We take a brief stop at the border we crossed yesterday, before the road turns into more of a dirt track. We bump along slowly, and it is noticeably less commercialised and built up then anywhere we have been for a while. This adds a certain charm to the place though, and the people all seem very friendly.
    The bus stops directly outside Buddha Park, and we walk in not really knowing what to expect (apart from Buddhas and a park). It exceeds our expectations though, as we walk around the many statues. Some are big, especially one in particular where you walk through a giant mouth and work your way to the top, which gives a great view of the whole park. There are animals, and many different incarnations of the many God's of Buddhism. It would be great to know the stories behind some of the statues but unfortunately all the descriptions are in Laos. Some of the sights are downright bizarre, including a man (or God) fighting a giant cockroach, and seemingly winning as he rips one of it's legs off, and a giant serpent with multiple heads. It is a serene, peaceful place, and it is lovely to sit in the slight breeze and admire the work. All in all it is well worth the trip out of town and a great way to start our tour of Laos.
    We leave Buddha Park and a bus pulls up straight away heading back to town. After the half an hour ride we stop for a sandwich. Despite saying 'no meat' in many different ways, Amy still ends up with a pork sandwich, but at 50p a pop we can't really complain (and it's great news for me as I have two). We then head to the COPE visitors centre. It is a small walk and Amy grabs a giant plate of fried veg on the way.
    It seems to be a hidden secret that Laos is actually the most bombed country in the World per capital (which google tells me means each person). Between the years 1964 to 1973, a planeload of bombs was dropped on Laos on average every 8 minutes, 24/7. The centre is an incredibly informative and inspiring place. A large display of the many times of bombs that were dropped, including mostly the commonly used cluster bombs, that are made to cause as much destruction as possible. The centre raises money for the many people still affected by the bombs today. As so many were dropped, plenty are still in the ground unexploded. Starting a small fire on land, tending to your field, or a child mistaking a bomb for a ball are all ways in which these devices are triggered far too often. It is definitely an eye opener, and involves an amazing display of the many homemade legs that people who couldn't afford anything else were forced to create for themselves, sometimes out of old bomb casings! We spend around an hour walking around the place, before walking back along the Mekong river and heading back to our hotel for a rest.
    The market was just being set up when we walked back, and it is there we head. Amy has her eye on many things, and we now have cash. As everything only costs a couple of quid, we both buy a lot of stuff for a tiny amount of money. It is a busy place though, and I am very glad when we leave.
    There was a rumour that the doner kebabs on sale at the stalls near the market were amazing. I had to test this, for investigational reasons only of course, and can confirm this was true. It was made with turkey, and tasted like heaven in a wrap. Amy watched on very sadly as i indulged in this lovely food, and then I had to watch as she ate some noodles at the food market.
    A tiring day, but a very good one. We are very excited by what Laos has shown us so far and can't wait to see what else it has to offer.    Read more

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    Intouch Guesthouse, Vientiane, Day 1

    January 30, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Today's job is to leave Thailand and enter Laos. In the final day of our visa, we have certainly made it exciting. We are up early, planning to change Thai baht into dollars so we can pay for our visa at the border. We make the long walk we made into town last night (it's not as spooky in the light of day) and walk around the banks. We stop on the way at a photo shop to get some passport photos, and she ends up buying loads by accident. The picture that comes out is something that has to be seen to believed, but I am sad to say I feel I will be the only person to get to see them. Amy looks like a scary dinner lady from the 1950s, with her bobble hidden behind her head, giving her a kind of perm.
    After we have gotten over the photos, we find a bank and get our dollars. Our only problem now is how to get to the border. The initial thought when coming here was that it was so close to the border it would be easy, but the 20 or 30km between us and Nong Khai (the border) seems a long way right now. Our bags are still in our hotel room, so we head back to get them and then plan on maybe heading back to the airport where we know a minibus goes every so often to the border. We are starting to get nervous, but then a tuk tuk driver offers a lift for free to our hotel. This is odd and we immediately think it's some sort of scam, but he insists he is going home and we are on his way.
    He drops us off and doesn't expect money, and we decide he may be the key to our problems. After a brief questioning, he tells us he will take us to the bus station and point us to the right bus. We excitedly run to our hotel room and grab our bags. The non existent hotel owner is still AWOL, so we leave the key in the door and jump in the tuk tuk.
    Quarter of an hour later and we are at the bus station. Several people try to help, one woman keeps pushing us towards a counter that we know isn't the right one. When she turns away we make a days for the correct direction, and are pointed towards a packed mini van. We jump in and set off for the border. It's not a long journey, but it is very cramped, with more people then seats inside the small van.
    The border is a relief, and we feel the weight of the expiring visas in our pockets lift as we check out of Thailand. A very excited man talks to us about England as we fill in our departure cards, before departing with a double handshake to me and Amy. It is easy to expect everything to be a scam out here, but most people are really genuinely lovely. As we get our final stamp to say we have left, we wander up to the usually stern looking guards on the desk. Instead of stern though, this guard is watching comedy on his computer, and laughing away to himself while gleefully stamping passports without a second look! We walk away from the Thai border laughing at the jolly guard and board another bus to make our way over the friendship bridge and into Laos.
    It is very sad to be leaving Thailand, where we have spent two months in some amazing places, but sadness fades away and is replaced by excitement as we cross the bridge and the Thai flags change to Laos.
    The Laos border is a pretty easy one, and after filling in the standard form found at most borders, we have a lovely new stamp in our passport and are in this new country. We find a minibus that seems expensive, but we're not too bothered as we just want to reach our hotel. It ends up being a good choice as the driver gives us lots of information about Laos, and especially Vientiane, the capital.
    We arrive at our hotel and immediately get some food, before taking a short nap. Our hotel is right on the Mekong, and we head there when we wake to watch the Sun set. A huge exercise session is going on behind us as the music pounds out energetic songs. Laos looks fun. We stumble upon a huge market that is selling good stuff for mere pounds. Amy is in her element, and spends around an hour wandering the stalls wide eyed and eager to come back tomorrow when we have taken some money out.
    We decide to get some food and end up at an Indian near our hotel. We both get a mix of currys and they are all amazing. Beer is back to cheap prices here as well, which is all welcome. When we finally end up back in the room, we are delighted to have ended our long 3 days of travelling, and reached our destination. We can't wait to explore Vientiane more tomorrow, and learn more about the culture and people of Laos. It's going to be a good month!    Read more

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    Aries Residence, Udon Thani, Day 1

    January 29, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    We are fortunate enough to wake up to a free cooked breakfast this morning. It is something we may need as we have a long day ahead of us. One of the great things about Amy being a veggie now is that I am gifted with the meaty parts of breakfasts when she gets them. Long may this continue!
    After eating we pack again and head back to the airport we got to last night. Today our destination is Udon Thani, and we have to go there via Bangkok. We check in for our first flight fairly easily. Surat Thani airport is very small with only two gates, meaning it isn't very busy and there is hardly and queuing. We breeze through security and before we know it, are sat in front of our gate, waiting to board. The tannoy system spoils our luck though, telling us our flight is delayed. The actual flight time passes, as does the delayed flight time, and we are starting to get a bit twitchy about missing our next flight. We really do not need another night in Bangkok again!
    The flight arrives and we board. Air Asia flights are cheap, but you certainly know about it, especially when the loud snorer in front of you immediately leans his seat back as far as it will go. Anyway, it is only a short flight, and we arrive in Bangkok with half an hour left of check in time. We collect our bags that are starting to feel like old friends, we have been through so much together, and get it all sorted. There is a self check in system that just confuses most people and ends up taking much longer then it would normally. They also have a staff member on each self check in bag drop, making the point of self check in rather redundant. Me and Amy consider ourselves experienced travellers though, and our bags are soon shafted onto another plane, and we make it to our gate with plenty of time to spare. We even managed to fit in a burger king.
    The next flight finds me sat on the row behind Amy. We seem to wait a long time to take off, as every flight is making for the runway just as we do, but again it is only a short flight so a small delay doesn't hurt too much. Amy finds herself sat next to a very excitable young Thai boy, who plays with her the full journey, which seems to please his Mum very much as she relaxes in her seat.
    We land after around 75 minutes, and collect our bags in the small Udon Thani airport. We booked a hotel very close to the airport so as to get a cheap taxi, but we have to get on a minibus for the same price as the people heading to town anyway, which is rather annoying.
    It has been a very long day and we are ready to put our feet up, so it isn't great when the door to the hotel is locked. A neighbour pops by, who I'm not sure works there or not, and let's us in to the empty reception. Apparently they haven't received our booking. We show the neighbour our confirmation, as he talks to the owner on the phone. He then says we need to pay, but we explain we already have, and we start to feel like we may not be done travelling yet today. We end up Facebook messaging pictures of our confirmation e-mail to the owner, before we are shown to a nice room.
    It would be lovely to relax a while, but we need to get our journey to the border sorted. We go out into Udon Thani town and seek money, which we need to exchange into dollars, and a way to the border. It is late, and Udon Thani is obviously not often frequented by tourists. After being in the most tourist heavy areas of Thailand, it feels odd to be back somewhere were people look shocked to see you. It is also dark, and doesn't seem the nicest of towns to be walking around, especially because our hotel is on the outskirts as well.
    We find a bank and get money before deciding that will do for the night. We find a nice guy selling omelettes on rice for about a quid. When we get it it is huge. We buy snacks and coke and head back to the room for a hotel tea. Wild dogs and guard dogs seem to be everywhere, and we run a short bit as we hear growling and barking in the darkness beside us. It's a pretty scary walk home, but it feels good when we get back. What a way to spend our last night in Thailand!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Inkhusin House, Surat Thani, Day 1

    January 28, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today is an early start as we say goodbye to the islands and begin our journey North, eventually ending in Laos. We pack our things and go and wait to the ferry that will take us all the way back to where it began a couple of weeks ago.
    After a lovely sandwich for breakfast, it is time to jump on board, and we quickly grab some comfy seats in the downstairs compartment. The boat is pretty busy to start off with, but after a stop at Koh Phagnan, it soon empties out, leaving a nice and peaceful journey all the way to the mainland. It is empty enough that Amy can lie down on the seats and sleep while I read. Not a bad way to spend a travelling day.
    When we dock at Don Sak we are pointed onto a bus and the on-land leg of our trip starts. After just over five hours on a boat, it is something we could do without, but needs must.
    After around 90 minutes we get to the airport, and a very helpful lady calls our hotel for our free pick up. We soon find out that she works in the hotel next door, which is very handy and lucky for us. We sit for a few minutes until a very smily and friendly man picks us up and drives us to the hotel.
    One day of our travelling over, two more left until we aim to be in Laos, or should I say have to be in Laos as our visas are running out. We eat in the cafe downstairs and get some sleep, before we head back to the airport tomorrow.
    Not a very exciting day, but we feel a lot closer to Laos now!    Read more

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    J's Bungalows, Koh Tao, Day 1

    January 27, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    So the final morning of our last day on Koh Tao is spent packing up and sayig goodbye to our wonderful room. In a desparate attempt at getting a room last night, which we failed, we wander around temporarily homeless. Luckily, a few days ago we saw a place offering rooms, and it is there we head to now. It is another hot and sweaty walk, but the room is actually better then expected, and very cheap. We pay for the room and also for our ferry tickets for tomorrow, before relaxing on the small balcony for a while. Amy makes friends with a very fat (or pregnant) cat which turns from being very friendly to very agressive in a split second. It's an odd thing that doesn't leave our front door for the entirety of our stay.
    When we eventually head out we grab some food before walking to the pier to see how far we have to head tomorrow morning. It's not far at all, and leads us to a lovely beach on which we spend a few hours reading and dipping into the empty sea. It is lovely, but the amount of shade dwindles as the Sun arcs ahead of us, leaving it a bit too hot to hang around for too long.
    We next head for Sairee beach and decide a drink in one of the beachfront bars is in order. It won't be alcoholic as we have vowed to not partake in any boozing until Laos, so Amy settles for a coke and I opt for a cup of tea which almost tastes like home. It is lovely to sit in the shade and chill out, knowing at the back of our minds this is the last time we will see the coast for a while (not counting off a ferry).
    We go grab a sandwich from a stall which tastes amazing, and find a lovely spot on the beach to sit and read our books, waiting for the red sunset that drops over the sea here perfectly. It's a nice way to end our stay on the islands, and we definitely won't forget the beaches over here.
    As night draws in we go out for a big meal. We find a very nice and very cheap restaurant that serves up free ice cream at the end of the meal. Amy has some money out do some shopping but we struggle to find everything.
    Heading back underneath the lights of the walking street, with the noise of the bars and the smell of the food for the last time is sad, but I am sure we will back sometime. For now though, it is time for bed, with a long few days of travelling ahead of us!    Read more

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    Ban's Diving Resort, Koh Tao, Day 2

    January 26, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    Uh oh! Too much rum has left us both feeling pretty rough this morning. We decide the best thing to do would be to take a break from the beaches and stay by the lovely hotel pool.
    After a slow morning we move there. It is only about 100 metres from our hotel (which shows how big this resort is) and is lovely and empty when we arrive. There aren't many sunbeds, but only about a quarter of them are taken. We take a dip in the pool to freshen up and chill out. The pool is great, and set on top of a hill, leaving a great view of the palm trees and hills of central Koh Tao. It helps that we are both pretty engrossed in our kindle books and the day passes by quickly. A brief stop for a pad Thai for dinner is about the only break we take from laying on sunbeds and chilling out.
    It is an odd thing that days like this kind of make you feel guilty when you are travelling. The idea that we should be out here trekking up hills exploring the island, rather then sitting by a pool topping our tans up always lingers at the back of our mind. Today though, it isn't so severe as we are treating ourselves to the gift of this lovely hotel that we aren't paying for, and it would be rude to not take advantage of luxury when we finally get it.
    We both decide there will be no more booze until Laos. It's not just the damage to your head, but also your wallet in Thailand, where booze is much more expensive then the rest of South East Asia. What we do let ourselves have though, is pizza. After I had a lovely one last night, we head back to the same place and satisfy the cravings for Western food that cone and go.
    We stop briefly on the way back to look at another sunset that these islands keep gifting us with. It is by far my favourite time of the day, when the temperature is perfect and the madness of the night hasn't yet begun, leaving a feeling of calm and serenity that not even a Thai massage can produce. As it gets darker the palm trees becoming just silhouettes, as do the boats that linger on the water, bobbing up and down slowly with the soft waves. It is a prefect view that wouldn't go amiss on a postcard or in a travel brochure.
    So all in all a much more quiet and relaxing day compared to what we have had recently, but one that is needed. Who knows when we will see a hotel like this again, if we will on this trip, so it only felt right to have a lazy day today. With nowhere to stay tomorrow, it's looking like we will be back in a fan room, so we will certainly make the most of the room tonight!    Read more

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    Ban's Diving Resort, Koh Tao, Day 1

    January 25, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    After another sleepless night sweating in the boiling room, we are very excited to finally use our free nights in a posh hotel. We check out, saying bye to the nice family who run the place, and get a quick brunch of an enormous plate of fried rice from JT's to give us the energy to tackle the 2km walk.
    Luckily, it is rather overcast as we set off and the walk is a lot more comfy then the first one on the island. It makes it all the better to know we are heading to the promised land of air conditioning and a kettle with free tea and coffee.
    As we arrive we are ushered into a large reception area, and we are allowed to check in early as the room is empty and clean. We walk a small distance before we are picked up by a small golf buggy type mahine. The driver takes us up hills and around bends as we exchange worried glances about where we are going. When we finally stop we are shown into a lovely room that kind of makes us forget the last two nights! It is so nice we don't want to leave, and we spend a while relaxing in the coolness and comfort. The islands are great, but your hotel money doesn't go as far as it does inland, so it is nice to get out of dingy rooms for a night.
    After chilling out for a bit we go out and enjoy a drink and some snacks on a beachside bar. We are right on Sairee beach now, which is the main area for tourists on Koh Tao. The beach is a mile long stretch of soft sand, with a lot more going on compared to the places we saw yesterday. After eating we have a wander around the town to stock up on supplies of sun cream and bug spray, and plan a few places to have some beers tonight. It doesn't seem we will be short of options!
    As night comes, we have a nice meal in a lovely restaurant as we watch people getting soaked in the storm that has suddenly come on outside. By the time we have finished it is dry, and we wander to a pub where some very drunk men are playing pool.
    We then head to the beach and watch a fire show. It is a rather awkward one, but the beer is cheap and we get to sit on the beach which is always nice on a night. After a few beers we head off to stop at one last bar before home. We find a small place selling bucketa of rum and coke for 150 baht (just under 4 quid) which we can't turn down. After a few of these we find ourselves at the small bar with two Irish couples. I am placed in charge of the music, and my first choice, sultans of swing (always), goes down as well as if Mark Knopfler himself has risen from the swimming pool on a stage armed with a backing band and a stratocaster. The two Irish men are clearly drunker then their female counterparts, and lead the singing and dancing very loudly. One of them nails an electric guitar like a pro!
    Time and buckets fly by, and when we eventually drag ourselves away, it is already the early hours of the morning. We grab a burger (tuna for the veggie) and head back to the room. Air con plus rum means we are both in for a good nights sleep!    Read more

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    Namhasin House, Koh Tao, Day 2

    January 24, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Did we really book our flights home yesterday or was the beer conjuring up dreams of doing it? A quick check of my e-mails shows the confirmation e-mails, but it doesn't feel as painful as it did immediately after. What does feel painful is the idea of another sleepless night in this ridiculously hot room. Our fan seems to also be the noisiest fan in the whole of Thailand as well, which really doesn't help as we both have a pretty sleepless night. The show must go on though and as we move hotels (air conditioning!!) tomorrow then we only have today to explore the Southern side of the island.
    Our first stop is a small, family run shop to pick up some snorkels. One of the many wonders of Koh Tao is that from most beaches you can simply swim out and apparently see some great marine life. It is to one of the beaches we head to. Our host told us it is a 30 minute walk, but forget to mention the fact that it is mostly up very steep hills. We climb and climb on empty stomachs, hoping for breakfast by the sea, and Amy is not coping well. It is a very scenic and pretty walk, but by the time we reach a point where we can finally see the coast ahead of us, we are already drenched in sweat and pretty exhausted.
    We seem to be at the top of the hill we have climbed, and finally get to walk down and get take in some really great viewpoints of the coast. Saideng beach is our first stop, and we find a rock to sit on and lay our t-shirts on to dry. It is another lovely beach, nestled away between rocks and unbelievably empty. Snorkels on, we head out into the lovely, clear water. The coral isn't great, and it mostly is dead and grey on the sea floor, but the fish are amazing. Some are very big, and there are loads of them swimming in large crowds all around us. We stay in the sea for a while, and watch as more and more seem to congregate underneath us.
    Unfortunately, the only restaurant on the beach has astronomical fees, and we really need some food after a pretty energetic morning.
    The only way is back, and we realise that the hill we walked down in high spirits on the way to the beach, is very steep. It is hard work to get back up, but the downhill part afterwards helps. We find a place called the natural high cafe, and it isn't called that for it's altitude if you know what I mean. We have a cheese toastie that takes around an hour to come and doesn't do much of a job in filling us up before heading to our next stop, the ominously named shark bay.
    Shark bay has it's name for a reason. It is a popular snorkelling spot as there is a family of sharks that occupy the waters just off the beach. There are also two huge sea turtles that are apparently often sighted. I must admit I do have a slight fascination with sharks, in the way that I find so terrifying I can't help but watch videos of them. Quit like when people watch horror movies even though they know it is going to be a horrible experience and wish they never had afterwards. With this in mind, we both think snorkelling for sharks will be fun.
    Amy has chosen today to wear in some flip flops, which soon give her blisters. A lovely French (maybe) chap offers her a lift down to the beach on his scooter, showing us a sneaky way to get onto it for free, missing the 100 baht fee the hotel that occupies the whole beachfront charges.
    We walk through a bar, where we stop for a second dinner, before wading through shallow waters onto the side of the beach. It is a great place. Palm trees loom over a thin stretch of sand that is pretty busy with tourists. The company which owns the beach and charges people to come on have lovely beach front bungalows that sit in-between the trees and look very expensive.
    We aren't here to sunbathe though, an we head out armed with nothing but a snorkel and a poor level of swimming ability, and hunt for sharks. It initially feels okay, and we get a sense of encouragement as we see some big fish swim under us. The problem comes when we go deep enough to see the sharks. Suddenly, the water looks darker and gets a lot colder. The exhilaration at the idea of seeing the gloomy shadow of a shark swim by in the distance soon turns into a slight dread at the thought of it. We look up and realise we are a long way from the beach, and a long way from any other humans. It soon feels very deep below us. We know they are only reef sharks and harmless to humans, but what if there cousins the great whites have come over for the holidays? These thoughts run through our mind as we swim back, dejected and slightly relieved at not spotting one of these creatures.
    We sit in the shade of a palm tree and rest after what turned into a long swim back. I end up asleep while Amy reads a book. Drones fly overhead, controlled by people in the posh bungalows, and we soon decide to head back. It has been an exhausting day, and we head through the nice resort, hoping to find a route that makes our journey home shorter. Teaming up with four Spanish girls, we finally find an exit from the seemingly never ending lines of bungalows, and find a way out that cuts out a lot of the hills that we very much don't want to climb. It feels good to sneak through not paying, as the idea of a company putting a price on a stretch of sand annoys me.
    We get back rather exhausted, and spend some time relaxing on the balcony. Our host has recommended a lovely restaurant, that we enjoy a very nice meal in before heading back to the room. We are hoping a melatonin will help us through the night, but it seems like it will be another long one in the heat of this room. The idea of an air conditioned room in a lovely hotel tomorrow helps though!    Read more

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    Namhasin House, Koh Tao, day 1

    January 23, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Our brief stop in Koh Phagnan is coming to an end today as we jump on a ferry and head North again. As we get up and pack we are both slightly aching from the cycling yesterday, but we are excited to get to Koh Tao, a place Amy remembers as very nice. After a quick breakfast in the same spot we ate last night (this time charcoal infused toast is on the menu instead of pizza), we say a sad goodbye to Sonya.
    As we wait for our taxi we chat to our lovely host for around fifteen minutes. She has a very infectious laugh, and despite not knowing what she is saying most of the time, is very entertaining and somebody who makes you laugh along with her despite not hearing the punchline. As we leave she waves us away and watches us climb into the taxi, and we again say bye to someone who we like very much, but will probably never see again. later, as we wait for the ferry, we check her facebook as she told us we would be on there. She has posted two photos along with a poem. The translation doesn't work very well, but I think I am described as a slow man!
    On a side note, Sonya told us that if we turned left yesterday on the bikes, instead of right, we would have been on a lovely flat road right around the island. This is the direction we head in now, and it is rather painful to look out of the car window at the incredibly flat and scenic road we are driving on.
    Another ferry, and this time we sit inside in the air conditioned cabin where we are safe from any torrential downpours that like to occur at the most inconvenient times. It takes around 90 minutes until we arrive on Koh Tao. Our hotel is only around a mile away, and we decide to tighten our bags and walk up the hilly road. The Sun is beating down on us mercilessly, but the walk around the place is lovely. It certainly feels more like an island then the other two, and at a tiny 2km wide and 8km long, you can almost feel the surrounding sea as you wander. Wander we do, up and down, past small shacks with yapping dogs outside, and large petrol stations. Palm trees line the road when there isn't a massage parlour or a restaurant there. It is lovely, but we are very excited to get our bags down.
    We take a break at a restaurant called JT's. It looks like your average run of the mill place, but when we are given our plates we realise it isn't. The portions are huge, and the green curry fried rice goes down a dream. It costs 60 baht a meal (£1.50) and we plan to come back again despite our hotel being another 400 metres away. Or so we think. Our map is telling us that, but as we set off I glance down a side street and see a sign for our hotel. It is right next door to JT's! If I hadn't seen it, it would have been a nightmare, but we are welcomed in by another lovely host who tells us all we need to know about the island in a brief but very thorough introduction. The room is nice with a lovely balcony which we need as a fan is our only relief from the sweltering heat.
    It is almost time for the sunset, so we head to a lovely little bay a small walk from our hotel and relax for a bit. Koh Tao really is beautiful. The beaches are paradise, and we revel in the fact we have five days here. As we watch the sunset on another almost empty beach, it seems there is nowhere else we would rather be. Stress doesn't exist on these beaches.
    Weirdly after landing on such a lovely place, we decide it's time to book our flight home. We load up with beer and wine to get us through the ordeal. We first book a hotel which hotels.com will pay us to stay in for two nights for being loyal customers. We are given 30 quid a night to spend which out here gets you luxury. Then it is flight time. We pick a good flight home, despite a risky 75 minute stopover to hop between flights. My finger hovers over the confirm button for a while, knowing that it is the beginning of the end. It is hard to lower it. I concentrate on mustering the thought of Sunday roasts into my mind, hoping they will override the memory of the beach I am just sat on. Fish and chips. Sky Sports. Pints of beer. Friends and family. The button is pressed. We are coming home on the 5th of March.
    We go to JT's, drunk from the alcohol, but also on the thought of going home. It is another glorious meal, and after a few more beers we head back, ready for some sleep. The room is boiling hot, and the fan doesn't offer as much relief as it needs to. It's going to be a long, long night.    Read more

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    Comon Bungalows, Koh Phagnan, Day 2

    January 22, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Today we plan to explore Koh Phagnan. Despite mopeds buzzing down the road incessantly, laden with topless and helmetless riders who would be in a lot of pain if they fell off, we decide we fancy a bit of exercise and opt for pushbikes. We have done some research and came to the conclusion that his will be a fun way to see the island and we can probably make our way a good distance around it.
    We grab a quick breakfast and rent some bikes after a short search. Immediately we realise we may have made a mistake. Koh Phagnan isn't a huge island, maybe around 10 to 15km each way, but it is very hilly. So hilly in fact, that cycling feels almost impossible. We huff and puff up and down the constant slopes, before stopping off at a beach we find. Our legs ache and our clothes are so soaked in sweat that it looks like we have jumped in the sea wearing them. Distance covered - 2km.
    The beach is lovely as all beaches around here seem to be. We take a dip to freshen up and sit and relax for around half an hour. The thought of getting back on the bike is pretty grim at the moment, so we are in no rush to move on!
    When the time finally does come, we hop back on with restored energy, ready to tackle whatever the roads can throw at us. After two minutes our energy has drained, and we again find ourselves pushing our bikes up a hill as moped riders drive past looking either smug or sympathetic (mostly smug). We reach the top of an incredibly steep hill and make the most of the seconds of breeze and rest we get as our bikes fly down, brakes squeaking away as we try not to go too fast over the sandy patches.
    We stop off at another beach but struggle to find a way onto it, so decide to head to a nearby waterfall. Unfortunately, as we head uphill and turn a corner to see another, even steeper hill, we realise the task we have set ourselves is unachievable. It is also probably not worth the pain to see a few waterfalls and a few more beaches. We head back, our dejected bodies burning in the Sun as we push our bikes up the hills we flew down minutes ago. We retreat back to secret beach, which is the nearest beach to our hotel, and collapse onto the sand. We had been biking for two hours (including the 30 minute break at the beach) and our legs feel like jelly.
    We grab something to eat at the very nice beach bar, which we time perfectly as a downpour sends most of the beach in for dinner just after we order, and chill out for a bit. It is dissapointing as we wanted to see more of the island, but this beach is lovely so we don't feel too down.
    In the late afternoon we head back to the room to shower, before dropping the bikes off at the rental shop. The Sun is just setting and we head for a nearby beach. Wow. Everything we have been through today is washed from the memory. As we sit on a rock and sip a beer, it feels like paradise. There is no-one around apart from a guitar playing wanderer staring into the sea strumming a few chords, and the Sun sets right in front of us as if we are at a private show. It is beautiful and a good end to a hard day.
    After the sunset we grab something to eat at the restaurant near our hotel. We order a pizza which we initially think is very burnt, but is actually sporting a charcoal infused crust. It looks odd, but tastes great!
    With our ferry booked for midday tomorrow, we head back to the room for some well earned sleep. We have learnt some valuable lessons today, and next time we will be hopping on a moped for sure (sorry mum).    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler
    1

    Comon Bungalows, Koh Phagnan, Day 1

    January 21, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Its moving day. These days are often tedious and long, drawn out affairs as we sit waiting for our lift to arrive, so we don't expect the bus to get here in the 9.30 to 10.00 slot we have been told. We are shocked when ten minutes early, with our clothes still drying outside, the driver comes to our room and picks us up. This leaves a mad dash to get everything thrown into our bags so as not to annoy everyone else on board. We end up leaving the lock on the door as we don't have time to check out (and the owner was watching anyway) and jumping into the back of the minibus rather frantically.
    Being early was strange, and it got even stranger when we drive straight past the port we were told we would set off from. We start to wonder if this wasn't the correct bus after all, and if someone else is sat in the hotel about to board the bus intended for us. We pull up at the pier we arrived on what seems like a long time ago, and are shown to a shop. A very nervous few seconds play out as our tickets are eyed suspiciously, but we end up getting ferry tickets to the right place, and we can breathe a collective sigh of relief. We sit at the pier, hiding from the rain that is drizzling down, and wait for the ferry (which is late).
    It's barely an hour after boarding when we arrive on the smaller island of Koh Phagnan. The journey was mostly spent hiding from heavy rain and staring at a small dog who became everyone's best friend on the way, especially if he thought you had food. It is pouring down as we get off, and we hide under a very packed shelter for a bit, before grabbing some dinner and waiting for the rain to stop. Annoyingly, the taxi drivers charge what they want here for any journey, so we have to pay an exceedingly large amount to get to the hotel. After the drama of the morning and with soaking clothes though, we don't really mind!
    The hotel is lovely and is made even better by Sonya, the incredibly charming and friendly owner who shows us into our very cool room. We put our soaking bags down and dry off before having a much needed afternoon nap.
    When we wake it is a few hours until sunset, so we make advantage of the light and do some exploring. We are staying in the North of Koh Phagnan, which is nice and chilled out and goes completely against the party reputation that the island has gained from the famous full moon parties that take place here. We head up sunset hill and take in the great views that it offers, before stopping off for a sit down on secret beach. As we head back towards the hotel, it is great to stare out at the sea and the islands in the distance. Around every corner there seems to be another view of the coast, and it seems impossible not to love this place.
    After a while we start to get hungry, so head off for a meal, before going back to the room and relaxing. We are both knackered despite the nap, and look forward to a good night's sleep with no alarm set for tomorrow.
    PS Amy really didn't want me to put the photo of her on that is attached to this day, but she is asleep at the moment so won't find out until it is too late!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Baan Ta Yaay Bungalows, Ko Samui, Day 4

    January 20, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Today started with every intention of trekking to one of the waterfalls that are relatively close to our hotel. After eating another breakfast of noodles on bread with semi-boiled eggs, we head into town to complete our first task of the day, getting a boat to Koh Phangan booked. This isn't as easy as it sounds as the prices vary so much from shop to shop, but we eventually find a cheap deal in a shop ran by a woman with an incredibly playful child. It turns out facial hair is something of amazement to a toddler, and my face gets rubbed more then it did during the massage!
    Boat booked, and it's time for the walk. At least it would be if it wasn't unbelievably hot. All the time we have been here the weather has been intermittent with rainstorms and thunder and lightning, and this in turn leads to extreme heat when the Sun does manage to come out. With the jungle trek in Khao Sok seared onto our memories (and a lovely beach a short walk away) we decide to leave the waterfalls. It's a decision that takes a very short time to make, and it doesn't take us much longer to make our way to the beach.
    We grab some very cheap but very tasty food in a restaurant just off the coast, and find some chairs which we can rent for 50 baht (just over a pound) for the day. To make sure it is money well spent, we spend a good few hours here. The incessant heat from the Sun has wavered to a much more comfortable point, and with the added breeze from the Sea, it is actually quite cool. We had read a lot of reviews of Chaweng beach when deciding where to stay on Samui, and it has a reputation for a party beach, but it is nothing of the sort. It is lovely and relaxing to sit and watch the jetskis trying to tackle the rougher then average waves. We don't dip in the sea as the shade from the umbrella above us and the clouds keep us cool enough anyway. As late afternoon comes by, we head back to the room to chill out for a bit.
    It is good luck that we left when we did, as the storm hits again, and we watch the downpour from our hotel room, safe in the knowledge we only have to head out to eat later.
    In a break from the torrential rain, we go to the place we ate the first night. As mentioned before, the food is amazing here. As we eat, the biggest downpour yet hits, causing the customers outside to charge to the safety of a sheltered table. It is actually really cool to watch the rain, and see how quickly it floods most of the roads and paths. The drops are huge and the sound is so loud that it almost drowns out the increasingly annoying vans trying to sell me things.
    We make it home in a short interlude of dryness, and get some rest, ready for our trip to continue onto Koh Phagnan tomorrow.    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Baan Taa Yaay Bungalows, Ko Samui, Day 3

    January 19, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We get up pretty early today and plan to spend most of the morning working our way to some of the other beaches on the island. There are loads of Songthaews that pass by all the time, beeping their horns and offering you lifts, so we decide that that is the best way as biking doesn't look too fun around here.
    After a breakfast in the room of boiled eggs and noodles on bread, we head out. It turns out Koh Samui's only problem isn't the hotels taking up all the entrances to the beach. There also seems to be an unwritten rule among taxi drivers that they can charge astronomical fees for small journeys, and that if they all do it then people will have to pay. It is pretty annoying when we are offered a tenner each for a 5 mile journey, and soon enough we get bored of trying.
    We walk to the beach to work out what to do today, and straight away our eyes set on the bending coastline ahead of us. It seems walkable, so we set off with the Sun on our backs and the Sea at our feet. It is a very nice stroll, and before we know it we are passing around the corner of one side of Chaweng beach and onto a different stretch of sand. We carry on walking and walking until we see a cool looking bar where we can stop for a passion fruit shake and a sit down. We sit for a while, staring at the long distance we have already walked, before carrying on the journey.
    After walking through the sea for a bit (only up to our knees) we finally come to a point where we can't make it. This means we have to head up into the town. This proves rather troublesome again due to the abundance of hotels, but we eventually find a small route through, with a very friendly security guard pointing us the way.
    The walking was worked us into a hunger, and we stop for something to eat. We may have gone further but we feel the spitting that preempts a downpour on our faces, and manage to get under shelter just as he heavens open and let loose another Thailand storm. By the time we have eaten it has stopped raining, and we decide to head back to the hotel, stopping for some obligatory beachfront beers on the way.
    The realisation of how far we walk hits us as our stepometer passes the 15,000 mark, and we soon learn the lesson that walking on sand is pretty hard, especially when the sand is the talc like substance of Koh Samui. Tired and hot, we arrive back at the hotel in the late afternoon, and have a well earned relax on the blissfully shaded balcony.
    We head out after dark for a couple of mojitos in a very cool art gallery/bar, before eating a lovely curry in a nice restaurant further into town. I have said some negatives about Koh Samui, but I can't fault the food here, even if trucks drive past every few minutes blurting out at me the offer of 'having fun with a gun'.
    After eating, we pick some beers up from the family mart and head back to the room, before having a rather one sided game of monopoly (in my favour) and getting some well earned sleep!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Baan Taa Yaay Bungalows, Ko Samui, Day 2

    January 18, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Our first morning on Koh Samui is spent relaxing. After a hectic few days, it is lovely to wake up in an air conditioned and comfortable room. As Amy sleeps until around 11 o clock, I lay in bed watching a very odd film that should never have been on in the morning.
    When we finally leave the room, it is to head to the beach. When we booked the hotel, we were excited to hear the beah was only a couple minutes walk away. Unfrotunately, they don't say that the whole beachfront is full wih posh hotels, leaving not many ways to get onto the sand. Eventually we walk quite a way through the town before finding a cutthrough. It is as lovely as expected as we place our towels down on the very soft sand. Despite the warnings of jellyfish, we don't encounter any stings, and it is great to cool down in the sea. The water isn't as clear as other beaches, but it is nice and cold.
    After sitting in the Sun for around half an hour, we head into the town for something to eat. There is no shortage of cheap places to get good food, so it doesn't take long to find somewhere for a shake and pad thai.
    After eating, we decide to walk to the Thai boxing stadium. The incessant trucks driving by with advertisements blaring from the speakers hasn't put us off too much, and we are debating whether or not to take a dip into the popular pastime of watching people beat each other up. It is a long walk, but it is nice to walk past all the very cool bars and shops that are surprisingly cheap for an island.
    As we arrive at the stadium, we are told the astronomical prices for a ticket and decide to give it miss. Koh Samui is large for an island, but we still work our way around a bit of the East side, staring at the lakes and hills that are in the distance. It is great to just get lost somewhere, heading down any road that we feel like, knowing we can always find our way back on our phones (hopefully!)
    It takes us a while to get back, but we don't mind working our way through the streets, which quickly range from streets laden with bars, to areas where families live in small houses and dogs roam around looking bored and agitated in the Sun.
    The room is perfect for relaxing, with the small patio outside sheltered from the sweltering heat and very comfy to sit and read a book. We chill out here for a few hours, before heading to a nice restaurant for a beer and a meal. The bars look very nice on a night, when fairy lights are draped over the entrances and reggae music blares out from every other spot. We wander back slowly, before settling in for another night. Despite a lazy morning, we are still tired on the night and ready for a good sleep, before we explore a bit deeper tomorrow!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Baan Taa Yaay Bungalows, Ko Samui, Day 1

    January 17, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Our legs actually don't feel too bad today, which I guess is testament to the wonders performed at the massage last nght. We really both expected to be aching all over after yesterday, but we actually get up feeling quite spritely. Yesterday we were meant to book our travel to Ko Samui, but we didn't for no reason apart from maybe our post massage bubble made us forget. Anyway, this means we have to get up early today and try and get it sorted before all the buses sell out.
    After a quick breakfast, we head out and get it sorted at the nearest place we find. It takes a few minutes and it doesn't seem to be close to selling out, so we needn't have worried. We head back to the room to pack and get sorted, before having a last few moments relaxing on the balcony before it is check out time.
    We step out and find it is incredibly hot. We feel like we have gradually got used to the immense heat, but today seems too much. As we walk to try and find an ATM we are both pouring with sweat, and as all our clothes are stored away in our bags that are being kept where we bought our bus tickets, this isn't good. We don't find a bank machine with a good coversion rate so decide to wait. With about an hour to spare before our minibus, we get a sandwich each for dinner and find a spot of shade to try and catch a breath in until we get picked up.
    It feels like an eternity but soon enough we are picked up and dropped off a few minutes later at a bus stop. We wait around fifteen minutes before being put in a lovely air conditioned mini bus, with only one other couple inside. The space we have and the temperature make the ride feel like heaven! It takes about 2 hours to get to Surat Thani, where we are again dropped off at another bus station. It is pouring down with rain but I need cash, so I head off in search of a cash machine. Luckily, there is one five minutes away, and I manage to stay reasonably dry.
    Another minibus comes and this one isn't so comfortable. We are shown to the back seat, where leg room doesn't matter apparently. It is an hour long, very bumpy ride to the pier that almost leaves us feeling seasick before we have stepped foot on a boat.
    We are so glad to finally be on a ferry, and it turns out to be a very good one. We sit on the deck, and as we set off, there is a beautiful sunset behind us. There is food and drink which is much needed after today, and the sea breeze is lovely and cool. When it gets dark, it gets even cooler which is nice, and after the minibus ride here, we are just happy to have some space!
    It takes around 2 hours, and we are on Ko Samui. Unfortunately we're on the wrong side of he island though. We manage to work our way onto a minibus heading in the right direction after a conversation that went a bit like:
    Driver: it is 300 baht
    Us: each? Or for both of us?
    Driver: yes, 300
    Us: but do we pay 300 each (at this point we are pointing wildly at each other) or for both of us?
    Driver: yes, get in the van.
    Anyway, we end up paying im 300 for both. Then we realise we have no internet and don't know where our hotel is. Amazingly, a man infront who must be an angel who has swapped his wings and halo for a smartphone and a good 4G connection, offers to help and sorts it all out. What a guy!
    We arrive at our hotel around 8.30. It is a lovely place and much better then we expected. After putting our bags in the room and being offered a motorbike ten times (we said no, mum), we head out for some tea. Our first taste of Samui food is a good one, and Amy's sweet and sour may be the best yet!
    After eating we head back, knackered after a long day, but very happy to be finally on the Eastern islands, where our final days on Thailand will be spent.    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Tree Tops River Huts, Khao Son, Day 2

    January 16, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    It is a lovely, early morning, as we wake to the sound of the jungle around us. We don't hang about today though, as we are planning on doing the jungle trail, and we have read that it is going to be a pretty long trek.
    We quickly get dressed and ready, before setting off, making sure our bags are loaded with water and snacks for the way. As we pay the entrance fee and sign ourselves in, it initially seems rather easy. The trail is more of a road then a trek through the jungle, and as we wander on and see the gibbons in the trees on the side of us, it seems all too easy. The first two sights are just off the road, and like all the stops, they are sections of the river where you can sit and either look at a waterfall or take a dip in the water. They are lovely little stops to get a bit of a break from the Sun and get a breeze from the water. We sit on a rock and take in the surroundings. It is lovely and quiet, with nothing but the sound of the river in our ears.
    We decided not to get a guide as we have an app on our phone with the maps on, but it is handy to follow some couples who have paid, and we do that as we go down to the next stop, and find a cool little spot to again sit and take a breather.
    Around 3km down the trail, we realise why people have said it is hard. An angry monkey who is eventually scared off with a slingshot guards the way to the jungle. We see a few people turn round, but we plod on, determined to reach the end. Within a few minutes we are in deep jungle, climbing paths that are just rocks, or climbing over giant tree roots. The trail goes up and down, which burns the legs, and the heat seems to ramp up considerably as the jungle gets thicker around us. At times it is rather worrying, as we know the abundance of spiders and snakes that live here, and wild elephants according to some very daunting signs. Monkeys snap branches all around us, and a wild boar scurries off as we approach which leaves us a bit scared. We keep taking it stop by stop, and each one is great to see, and also great to escape from the close proximity of the jungle for a few minutes. Soon enough we realise we have been trekking for around 4 hours, which only leaves us 3 hours to get back before the 4.30 deadline (for safety reasons).
    We only have one more waterfall to go see, and we are tempted to go the extra mile to reach it, but in the end our brains overrule, and tell us to head back. The walk back seems just as hard as the walk there, and the heat seems to get more and more unbearable. We still use the river stops as a source of cool air, and amy takes a dip in the river to cool down. We also see a very big lizard lounging on a rock that is very cool. It has been a very long journey though and we are drenched in sweat and ready to get back to the hotel. Half way back we stop for a coke and a pineapple, which gives us just enough energy to make our way back, weary legged and absolutely knackered.
    Back at the room, we rest the legs that have just walked over 25,000 steps according to Amy's app, and the thought of using them again today seems pretty scary. Amy though, is determined I should try a Thai massage at least once while I am out here, and tonight seems like a good time to do it. We head out before eating, and head to a massage place we saw last night.
    To say I am worried is an understatement, as I am bent in hundreds of different ways, and muscles I never knew I had are pulled and pressed in a very painful manner. To be honest, after an initial ten minutes of worry, it does becoming relaxing, apart from when she is pressing deep down into my calves. There are a few moments when I have to grip tightly onto the mat so I don't omit a small scream, which would be very embarrassing as Amy is laying silently, almost asleep, on the bed next to me.
    The hour quickly passes, and after it my muscles feel a lot more relaxed then they did as I stepped in. We stop for food in the same place as last night. The massage has left us both feeling very relaxed, and the food is as good as usual. The walk from earlier seems a long time ago now. It will be very interesting to see how our legs feel in the morning as we make the long journey to Ko Samui!    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Tree Tops River Huts, Khao Sok, Day 1

    January 15, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    It's another early morning as we plan to grab a local bus to Khao Sok. We have read online they leave every hour throughout the Day, so aren't worrying too much as we pack our bags and get ready. We make it to the first bus terminal around 8am, and then wait before getting on a bus to the next terminal, about 5km away. As we arrive we are led the way to the ticket counter for Khao Sok buses, and manage to book onto the 9.30 bus. Luckily we set off early, as this seems to be the last bus heading this way, despite what it said online.
    The bus is pretty empty and pretty big, so despite the 4 hours it takes, it doesn't seem too bad. We arrive in Khao Sok early afternoon, and immediately notice the quietness. Apart from the sound of the animals living in the surrounding jungle, it is silent. It is incredibly nice. We are shoved into the back of a pick up truck and led to our hotel.
    After having some dinner in the restaurant, we are shown to our small room. The room itself isn't great, but the balcony outside over the lake, looking out onto the national park is lovely. It is here we spend most of the afternoon as we are both pretty tired from the last few days, and there is also not much to do in Khao Sok apart from visit the national park, which we plan to do tomorrow.
    After chilling out for a bit, we head out for a walk. This place is really great. We are surrounded by hills, and it feels like we are in a different country to Phuket, yet alone 4 hours away. It isn't very busy at all, and we see exhausted looking people coming back from the hike which we are going on tomorrow (scary!)
    Despite this whole place consisting of only one small street, it is an amazing place which we could spend hours wandering around and staring at the scenery that seems to be amazing in any direction you look. We take a slow walk up and down the street trying to find somewhere for a beer, but we end up buying a few in a shop and having then on the balcony as we watch the Sun go down. It is cooler then most places we have been due to being in the middle of the jungle, so is very nice, and we listen to the monkeys screaming to each other in the trees ahead of us as it slowly gets dark.
    We head out for something to eat, and end up fibding an awesome place that does a lovely couple of curries (very spicy yet again!) It turns out deep fried tofu tastes a lot better then normal tofu! After eating we take a slow walk back to the room and get an early night, ready for the nature trail tomorrow.    Read more

  • Matt and Amy's AdventureSouth East AsiaTraveler

    Ban Nai Inn, Phuket, Day 2

    January 14, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We are up nice and early full of energy and ready for a long walk up the nearby 'monkey hill'. We start out, aiming to get breakfast at the top as we have read there is a nice cafe up there, but soon realise we have forgotten our bug spray and sun cream. Guess we started out a little too early to be fully awake!
    As we arrive at the beginning of the hill, we see the gates are closed. There is a jungle trail to the right, which one Thai man is wandering up by himself, but it looks pretty rough, and we would certainly be targets for the millions of mosquitos without spray on, so we sadly turn back. On the way we realise there is another road. One quick look on the map shows us we went the wrong way all along and this wide, spacious road is actually the correct way. We're happy we don't have to go back, but the 2km uphill trek is rather daunting.
    It feels as long as we thought, but is a very cool walk, with some great views on the way, but not as many monkeys as I thought. There are a lot of dogs though. It takes a while to get used to packs of wild dogs, especially when they are pretty angry like they have been in some places, but these ones seem to barely notice we are passing by.
    Finally we reach the top, and the view over Phuket is great. The monkeys seem to come out to play up here as well, probably not wanting to go much lower because of the dogs. Unfortunately there is no cafe, which is bad news as Amy doesn't handle being hungry very well.
    We head back down with rumbling bellies, and no water as Amy threw hers when a monkey went for it. They are rather mischievous up here, but when you see people teasing them with food, there is no wonder they get pretty aggressive when they see a chance to get some.
    The walk down takes half the time as the walk up, and we finally get some food in a cafe near our hotel before heading back and showering. We relax for a bit which is much needed, before walking into the town again. After a lime smoothie each we walk on a graffiti trail, checking out all the artwork around here. We also walk around a market and eat some spring rolls.
    As night draws in on a long day, we go back to the market. Unfortunately, it is absolutely packed full, and to get to a stall front takes a massive amount of effort so we don't hang around for long. Our plan turns to getting a few beers somewhere, but the prices here are pretty crazy, and we end up at a cocktail bar drinking a bright blue mixture called a Phuket paradise and a couple of mojitos.
    After these we grab some food, before heading back to the hotel. The unfriendly owner tells us we arent allowed to dry our washing on our own balcony which seems oretty ridiculous. Apart from that, we have completely unexpectedly loved this place and will be sad to leave when we head to Khao Sok tomorrow!    Read more

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