I've just come across this blog now we're home and have good wi fi. I realised I never published it. So a bit out of order I'll publish it now. Also I had problems loading photos onto the blog " sailing to Phi Phiisland" I've now resolved the problem and have added more if you want to jump forward two blogs you'll find them. It's still my favourite island scenic-wise so well worth a look. ------------- +++++ ------- ++++++ --------- ++++++---------- Ko Lanta is one of Thailand's biggest islands but unlike Phuket, which has been over developed, Lanta has remained like ' Old Thailand' . Because of the size, to see it all you need transport. We hired a small car for one day. There's only really one road that goes down to the national park ... read more

You're probably thinking from the title that we are about to leave the island of Ko Lanta. No, we have another two weeks yet. However a lot of people we've met over the last few weeks have begun to drift away. Some off to visit other islands but most of them are returning home. Ko Lanta, especially the area we are in, is like a magnet, it's one of those places that, once you've discovered it, you just have to return. So many return year after year and stay for a few weeks or even months. Many of us are here have one big thing in common - to escape the winter back home. We've met several nationalities- Swedish, Germans, French, Italians, Finnish, and Canadians. All from cold countries! As we approach the end of March ... read more

The name Beautiful Beach congures up pictures in your mind of a palm fringed, crescent bay with soft white sand and an aqua marine blue sea. That's exactly how I would describe Beautiful Beach. It's a few kilometres along from Long Beach, where we're staying, and the easiest way to get there on foot is along the beach. Of course you can get there on the road if you hire a motorbike or take a tuk tuk but, as usual, we chose to do it the hard way! After a hearty breakfast of fruit, museli and yoghurt, or in Stan's case an egg, bacon and cheese muffin, We set off before the temperature rose too high. A half hour of walking gets you to the far end of Long Beach and then it's a rock scramble ... read more

Three and a half days after leaving home we're now on Ko Lanta. Three flights, three taxis and one minivan. We've been dreaming of returning for the last three years so happy to be back finally. As we're planning to stay for a few weeks were taking things quite slowly. It's just so nice to be experiencing warm, or should I say hot, weather. No putting on layers of clothing before leaving home. Here we just slide our feet into flip flops and go. Everyone walks around with a smile on their face as if they've not a care in the world. It's very infectious. So now it's time to chill out. Firstly we wake up to the sound of some nearby chickens clucking away around 6.30am, as they quieten down there's a bird with a ... read more

We finally made it back to Bangkok. We had wondered how things would be after covid, after three long years we were pleased to see there was still plenty of life there. Much quieter than we had got used to but not such a bad thing. A few bars and restaurants had completely closed down and worst of all the two 7-11 mini markets local to the tourist area had gone completely. By all accounts, as you would expect, no tourists were allowed to come so businesses failed. It seems to be picking up again now so let's hope things will gradually get back to normal. The hotel we were staying in had many empty rooms and a whole wing completely shut off and it seemed the same for most others. We had two pleasant evenings ... read more