Louise Hogg

Arrived in Koh Tao two trains, three ferries and a bus ride later. It was well worth it though. The island is small and very laid back and is a great place to come and relax. My bungalow is right on the beach and I can take yoga classes in the afternoon. I met a bunch of guys from Bury (we even know some of the same people in Manchester) and headed out to Shark Bay in a longtail boat for an afternoon. Using snorkels and masks we jumped ship and spent some time on the hunt for sharks. We saw loads of beautiful fish and corals but unfortunately, no sharks. In the evenings the bars spill out on to the beach and there are numerous fire shows and stunts. I've taken to drinking 'Hongthong' alongside ... read more

I originally only intended to stay in Ayuttaya for one night only but after stubbling upon a family run guesthouse and the people both working and staying there, I ended up staying for four nights in total. I have made some firm friends (Thai/German and English) and am feeling a little sad to leave today. The temples here are wonderful and indeed the site has been named a UNESCO world heritage site as it is so spectacular. Last evening I was taken on a moonlit tour of the temples, driven by Benjamin who is also a guest, as they are all lit up when it gets dark. It was very sweet of him. But today i'm taking the train back to Bangkok and tonight, the overnight train to Surat Thani where I can get a boat ... read more

After a few days on Phi Phi I felt I needed to do a bit more culture, although I could have quite easily stayed on Phi Phi for a lot longer. I took an overnight bus to Bangkok and then a train to Ayuttaya, a smallish town just north of Bangkok which has ancient Khymer ruins. Although severely damaged by fires when the Burmese invaded, they are still spectacular. I originally planned to stay just the one night, but a few drinks turned into a bit of a drinking session and so along with some other hotel guests (and the hotel manager) we all ended up at a club dancing with ladyboys until the early hours of the morning. As such I need today to recover and so will be spending one more night here at ... read more

Ended up staying on Phi Phi for three nights as it really is beautiful. I am now officially tanned! Besides sunbathing, I also took a longtail boat, with a group of Brits who were staying in the same hotel, for a tour of the surrounding islands. The limestone becomes washed away to form stunning bays on many of the tiny islands and because there are so many you often get an island all to yourself. We visited Maya Bay (The Beach) of course and also a beach inhabited by very angry monkeys! I wanted to do some diving but it very expensive here so I think i'm going to wait until I get to Ko Tao as its a lot cheaper. Evenings were also spent on the beach as Phi Phi has many beach bars with ... read more

After my adventures in the north I decided I needed some time to relax and so caught a flight from Chiang Mai to Phuket. Although slightly hungover from the evening before, this was easy enough and I landed in Phuket an hour and a half later. I then took a bus to Phuket town and ended up staying in the wooden colonial style, On On hotel. At three pounds a night, it wasn't the cleanest place i've stayed in but it was a fantastic building and scribbled over my bedroom walls were messages from previous tenants with tales of where to go and what to do. Phuket itself is fairly uninspiring and so one night was enough for me. The next day I boarded a ferry from the harbour to take me to Phi Phi island ... read more

My trip to Chiang Mai began with the night train from Bangkok. I think it was here that I caught the bed bugs. I now have a hot itchy rash up both my legs but it's getting better. I ventured into the buffet car with a couple of Dutch guys for a beer but made my excuses to get to bed when the karaoke started with, 'It's raining men' (being screamed by middle aged, drunk Dutch women). Instead of being woken up at 8am with a full fry up as promised, we were hurriedly awoken at 5.30 am (no fry up) because we had to get off the train and get a bus for the remainder of the journey as there was too much rain on the track. The 60 year old German I then sat ... read more

Yesterday I took a two day trip to Kanachaburi. Setting off early, our group made up of one swiss, two brits, four dutch and two italians. First stop was Kanachaburi WW2 Memorial Graves that listed all the foreign service men that died in Siam in WW2. From there it was a short trip to Kanachaburi WW2 museum that detailed the Japanese invasion and the use of thousands of prisoners of war to build the Death Railway over the River Kwai bridge. After we took a ride on the Death Railway itself which runs between the River Kwai and the cliffs themselves that still hide the caves where the prisoners of war were kept. In the afternoon, we went to the Tiger temple where monks are carrying out a conservation project that involves breeding tigers. They are ... read more

I'm sitting in the internet cafe and just had a real deluge. Although i've convinced myself it is a little cooler it's definately not less humid. Now i've started to get a sense of direction around Bangkok I spent today walking (Khao San Rd - Grand Palace). Although it must only be a few hundred metres the heat was horrible and after a couple of hours in the sun I was desperate to get back to the room for a cold shower. The Palace is very grand and houses the Emerald Buddah (makes a change from all the gold ones i've been seeing) and everything is gold and twinkly. Only shortfall is that you are expected to wear shirt and trousers. As such I can't say it was very bearable. Khao San is backpacker haven with ... read more

Arrived in Bangkok safe and sound! People are very friendly and getting to the guesthouse was a doddle. Spent much of the day visiting Golden Buddah's around Bangkok. If i'm honest i've seen enough Golden Buddah's to last me for a while... 14 year old Tu was my driver for the day and his 'positive' attitude towards driving meant I managed to pack in seeing a lot of the the area where I am staying for the next couple of nights. Dinner was Pad Thai (I think with chicken???) and a bottle of beer. No major plans for the evening other than drinking in the guesthouse bar. Weather is hot hot hot but very humid and i'm constantly bathed in my own sweat. Hmmmm... More sightseeing of Bangkok tomorrow but then I think I will be ... read more