Samui Coral Resort Surat Thani

... Ko Pha-ngan is Ko Tao, renowned for its excellent coral reefs. To top it all is the dazzling 250-square-kilometer Ang Thong Marine National Park, where a stunning archipelago awaits to greet visitors with their charming palm-fringed beaches, crystal clear water and colorful coral reefs. The best time to enjoy one of ...

... around, we had this amazing beach with a back drop of green hills and mountains to ourselves... Stop 2 was 'Leum Sala' Beach where we had some delicious food and took in the breathtaking beach and cliff views before we hopped into a small motorised boat to take us around the shore and to the 'Phaya Nakam' Caves. A 430metre climb of very steep steps (if you can call them steps!).. half way to the top we stopped to take in the stunning views (and catch a ...

... a bit further along I spotted another monkey (it was too far away to make out its species) and Nick and Suzan caught a glimpse of it before it disappeared into the forest. That night me and Nick booked ourselves onto an overnight tour to stay in a raft house on ...

... my beer. He was mistaken. We then snickered at the Australians whose table he sat down at after we fled the scene, but were surprised to see some locals give him change. Giving change to beggars is much more common here than it is in America, probably due to the lack of adequate government safety nets for the mentally ill/crippled/disabled/unemployed to fall back on. Or something political like that. The spartan cargo ferry made for a surprisingly cozy and mosquito ...

... starts at 3 AM and winds up at 9 AM in the streets between Baiyoke TowerI and Baiyoke TowerII at Pratunam. I got up early at 5 AM to visit this market and was taken aback to seeit in full swing with shopaholics on the prowl early in the morning looking for bargains. Later in the evening I was again impressed with the efficiency of a local supermarket Big C where we went to exchange an oversize pant and the entire amount was refunded to make a purchase all over ...

... madness all around. It was pretty obvious from the strange behaviours of some that something far more hardcore than booze had been consumed - most notably a wild eyed Aussie girl stood on her own in a jam packed street, running up to passsers and shouting in their faces to "get out of her street and give her her space" over and over again. Oh dear! But we got chatting to loads of people regardless, had a laugh and a good time despite us not being able to meet up ...

... please instead of just reading the words, try and recall a time that you felt that emotion and understand where I am coming from. A great example of this Buddhist concept of getting to the true essence of life can be found in a well known movie classic, in the line "there is no spoon." Let me first tell you about the places that I spent my time and which shaped my daily routine. Ubiquitous tropical jungle covering both the mountains in the distance and the area surrounding the ...

... for the oddest flavor there) and an incredible dish with sliced ripe mango atop a bed of sticky rice, slathered in coconut milk. This last one was by far my favorite and clocked in at 20 baht, or about 75 cents...niiice. I also enjoyed some sweet corn roasted right on the beach and coated (I mean drenched) in butter and chilli powder. I usually love roasted corn off the streets but this one was a bit beyond my health standards! Another dish that's prominent on the island and ...