The crossing from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao was not the most pleasant one! As we waited for the boat, wind and rain picked up out of nowhere and the sea was lumpy to say the least! As a hardened sea gypsy I was fine and sat below reading my book, but Mike and at least two thirds of the other passengers crammed themselves out on deck in the rain to get fresh air and look at the horizon to settle their lurching tummies. Several people threw up and the guy next to me was green most of way and clutching a sick bag whilst his girlfriend stroked his hair so the sight of the turtle shaped island of Koh Tao approaching was most welcome indeed!! Koh Tao is a diving mecca and we'd been warned ... read more

After catching the 'drug runner' multi engined speedboat back to the mainland from Koh Tarutao we wandered in the heat of the day to find the bus station to get back to hat yai (the bus itself was quite something – neon upholstery, pink and green panelling and a TV playing Thai pop music videos, which all seemed to centre around a love triangle, the whole journey!), then tuk-tuked to the pier to cacth the night ferry to Koh Samui...night ferries are the best way to travel between the islands in my humble opinion as they're cheaper than the day ones and you get a bed for the night … saving you the cost of a hostel! The crossing was calm and peaceful and we managed to grab a few hours sleep. Once we'd docked we ... read more

Railay is an archetypal tropical paradise. Rocky outcrops spring from dense jungle full of wildlife and surrounded by white sandy beaches, lush mangroves and a still and stunning turquoise sea. As soon as our eyes beheld it from our little longtail boat on the Andaman sea we fell in love. Our first 2 nights were spent in tree house type accommodation at yaYa resort and our third night was spent atop a steep flight of stairs in the outskirts of the jungle in a little wooden bungalow at Rapala. I loved both resorts (though resort conjures up slightly more fancy images!) but would recommend Rapala over YaYa - it's cheaper, has hammocks and is actually in the jungle. YaYa is busy and quite touristy as it's so close to the boat stop on East Railay. We ... read more

13.02.2011 Woke up feeling like death warmed up! The big hello/goodbye drinking session last night clearly took its toll....6 months in France have definitely gotten me out of practice with the UK binging! A few deliberate throw ups and a roast dinner later and I started to feel human again.... Our train to London was delayed by an hour .. not pleasnt when attired in sandals and 3/4 lengths to save on luggage space ... attracted several baffled looks.... rail co. arranged for us to be taxi-ed to airport from Reading as we had missed connecting train so that was pleasant - shared a cab with a woman on the way to Columbia who was lovely. Arrived in airport at midnight and Mike managed to sleep on the floor but I didn't. Was zombie-like by the ... read more

after 3 hours in the sunshine on a sunday morning we were in Aigues Mortes. We'd seen camargue horses alongside the canal and the wind had died down a little. Aigues Mortes instantly impressed us. It's a fortified town, with all the main streets, restaurants, shops etc contained within the walls. Its narrow streets are cobbled and every so often there's a lookout post cut into the wall. I kepot expecting to see knights ride up on horses. We went for a walk once we'd tied up. Outside the walls of the town was a fiarground and a makeshift arena had been built at the rear. Something was going on – how exciting! We walked through the town and saw tables and a stage set up in the square, the tables covered in pink and orange ... read more