The culture tour continued further north to the ancient ruins of Sukhothai. These are heralded as the best in Thailand. Different from Ayuthaya because they wear no battle scars from humans but from nature. The now converted historical park had been recovered from the overgrowing jungle. No traffic was allowed inside and was perfect for a peaceful bicycle ride. The park is well manicured with shaded pathways. As long as I stayed here I wouldn't die of the heat. My first stop was the largest temple, Wat Mahathat. This set of ruins covered a huge area with many variations on Buddha images and architecture. A pleasant place to stroll around until I realised I was taking all my photos in "Sunset Mode". What this does is dim the light on every photo I took, making the ... read more

The Thai roads and minibuses are not made for people who have had only two hours sleep, not eaten and a hangover. For some reason, every half a kilometre or so there was a sharp rise and dip in the road. which gave me the rollercoaster stomach feeling. As well as this, there were seven Israelis having an incredibly in depth and loud argument about God Knows what. Thankfully I got though it without embarrassment. I was really only coming to Kanchanaburi to stop off, originally. Then I found out that this town is the location for The Bridge Over the River Kwai, or The Death Bridge, as it is also commonly known. After checking in to my cosy guest house on the riverside, I decided to visit some of the local attractions. The first port ... read more

From various sources, Phuket has received very mixed reviews. The high majority of backpackers, I have met so far, have slammed The place. This is mainly due to the lack of culture and the nature of the tourists. Apparently, it is made for holiday makers rather than a person living out of one bag for half a year. On the other hand, friends who have been to Phuket on a few weeks holiday, have loved the vibe. They even would like to go back again. I got the impression I would lean to the former, although I have learned I am unable to comment unless I experience for myself.  I gave myself the best chance to enjoy island so I based myself in Phuket Town. This is the colonial area where historically the Dutch, Portuguese and ... read more

Leaving my family in Malaysia was very odd. I had felt so comfortable and stress free, over the two and a half weeks I had stayed there. It seemed that I was starting a completely new journey. Places to stay, travel arrangements to make and what to do had to be sorted. It all hit me on the plane to Krabi: I was on my own again. When landing in Krabi, my bag arrived open. I discovered that immigration had searched through my medical kit. I would have been more than happy that they had a rummage but all they had to do was close the bag. After being dropped in Krabi Town, the plan was to stay the night. The lady at the tourist office said there was no point and might as well head ... read more

I always seem to get some sort of illness when I come to this hot, humid and sticky environment. It can range from an upset tummy to heat bumps located in uncomfortable regions. This time it was a sweat rash, after spending a whole weekend in the Sun at the Grand Prix. My family seemed to be competing in a gurning contest, when they saw my arms. Awful night sleep, intense itching and constant showers was my routine for a few days. Thankfully, it soon cleared up and hopefully I will not get it again. The plan was to have no plan for the following couple of weeks. Every time I was asked where I wanted to go, I replied, "Wherever you take me, I'll be happy". This developed due to the fact that backpacking, by ... read more