Ao Nang- 4th-7th Devember

So another boat trip from Ko Phi Phi to Ao Nang. Uneventful, save for the very end, where we have to jump a good meter and a half over water with 20kg backpacks on, because the walkway on our boat has broken! Cheeky tuk tuk drivers try to get us to pay for a bus we had already arranged, warning us that we may be entering the realm of the tourist once more.

Ao Nang is a little more touristy- the following videos we shot show you what to expect of an evening, all from our first night, where we got pleasantly toasted and had Indian food- you miss it while you're away from the UK! A reggae band, a fire eater, and a police car playing Manu Chao kept us amused, along with the usual buzz of offers from shopkeepers.

The next day was all about relaxing, save for an hour we spend writing postcards, and Christmas cards in time for them to get there on time (ish). Ao Nang is beautiful, with it's enormous craggy cliffs, and it's beach with longtail boats zipping off all day long.



In the evening we wandered the shops and found an amazing all you can eat place, with barbecued meats and a mix of Thai and Western food- after 3 months it was nice to have the option of a break from chilli and Nam Pla (fish sauce).
But by and large our time was spent enjoying the beach, with cold beer and fresh fruit, knowing our Asian adventure was nearly at an end, and soon we would be in Australia, and (oh no!) having to work.


Ao Nang was a very nice town- massively busy and touristy. And so for our final stop before our flights to the next country, we wanted to go back to a little bit of remote paradise, just up the coast, at Railay Bay.

Koh Phayam- 21st to 26th November

So, a short ferry ride from Ranong, there are two little islands. Unlike Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and such, they haven't yet been completely colonised by tourists. They are, to all intents and purposes, what Jenny and I had in our heads for what we wanted to do in Thailand. Ko Chang (West) and Koh Phayam are tiny little islands, with no cars, and miles of unspoilt beach. In short, paradise.

You get across the island on the back of a motorbike, along what is little more than a pathway across the island, which is a little white knuckle when you have a 20kg backpack on, and then have to hike along the beach to the accommodation. We went at full tide, which meant we had to strip to our pants to cross the inlet blocking the beach, which is fun when carrying all your possessions 2 miles up a sandy beach!

The accomodation is in bungalows on the beach, which were charming, with hammocks outside. We spent a lot of time outside, as there is only around 4 hours of electricity a day from generators (and as such no Wi-Fi, which may be one of the reasons there are also less idiots!). We had 3km of beach, shared with maybe 100 other people, and a little cafe on the beach front, with little bars and restaurants either side of us. The cafe was a lifesaver, as you can't boil a kettle for 20 hours of the day!

The island's main trade is in cashew nuts, and you can get enormous bags for a few Baht fresh from the farms. Beyond that, there is little to do, but relax, swim and eat. Which basically sums up why it was so perfect (but bloody difficult to write about afterwards!).

We became one with nature- Geckoes and ants for their dinner were always around, and three times we met a bat in our outside bathroom!

The residents are lovely too. After a day of too much sun, Ben tried (in vain) to find some after-sun to calm the burn. A friendly shopkeeper led us to fresh Aloe Vera cacti, and cut off some tips- the freshest after-sun you can get, and much needed!

All in all, possibly one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen.