Koh Phi Phi must translate into paradise cos that is what it is. Actually split into two islands: Phi Phi Ley is the smaller of the two, the home of Maya Bay (the beach) and has no accommodation on it. Just 2 mins by boat is the slightly larger Phi Phi Don which homes much of the traveller and night life. Our time there orientated around Phi Phi Ley, starting at the famous Maya Bay from Leonardo's film 'The Beach'. It is without a doubt a slice of paradise. We arrived with hundreds of other spectators and this beach was very busy but I assume u can go early morning or later in the afternoon in the hope of something slightly quieter. With white sands, crystal clear water and blue skies, we didnt mind sharing the ... read more

After an hour ferry ride and 3 hr bus ride we arrived at Ao Nang Beach in Krabi. Not somewhere we had initially intended on visiting but from hearing about its beauty from fellow travellers we exercised our rights as travellers and altered route slightly. From stepping off the bus we were welcomed by the sight of beautiful beaches with long-tail boats scattered along the waters edge, something straight off a postcard. There is a good amount of development on the streets but local laws prohibit development on the beaches themselves so it affords Krabi the perfect balance between holiday destination and remote paradise. On our second day there we ventured to nearby Railay Beach. It cannot be accessed by land due to the large limestone cliffs surrounding it but 15 mins in a long-tail boat ... read more

We travelled by ferry east to the island of Koh Phangan and checked in at the Friendly Resort in the main party town of Haad Rin. After dropping of our bags we all headed out for dinner to The Lucky Crab restaurant which, without exaggeration, had everything you could ever imagine on its menu! The cocktail list on its own was 10 pages long! We headed down to a fire party on the beach where young guys were flame throwing before they broke out the fire ring and fire skipping rope which people were invited to have a go at (we observed on this one - Im not sure how I would explain that one to the insurance guys!) Other games were on offer too though, the boys headed off to shoot hoops and based on ... read more

Bangkok is all it's said to be. Bold and daunting from the minute you get off the plane, however we instantly felt more at ease and safer here than we did when arriving in San Jose. Perhaps we were lured into a false sense of security by the politeness and the thousands of greetings and smiles you recieve from the Thai people before you have even left the airport. One thing Bangkok knows well is its target audience... the backpackers. It has everything they could need, cheap accommodation in the heart of the city next to crazy nightlife, cheap markets and extremely cheap food and drink. Our first meal there was a delicious Thai green curry and a local beer- Chang- which came in at a whopping £3 each in a nice restaurant. A beer here ... read more

After an unexpected two day flight delay we eventually arrived in the Sunshine State that is Florida and what better way to begin our road trip there than to begin with the home of Disney: Orlando. It was a welcomed change from the generic rice and bean diet of central america and we would be lying if we said that we werent instantly swept away by the consumerism of the place. Every shopping centre/ plaza you go into seems to be competing with the worlds greatest palaces and they have almost every brand you've heard of and more, often at discount prices. One mall was literally about the size of Edinburgh! However, we werent really there to shop we were there for magical kingdoms, seaworlds and universal studios. And where better to start that Harry Potter ... read more