Thailand - Phuket to Ko Phi Phi

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Trip Start Dec 26, 2008 Previous
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Entry

  Phuket, Thailand
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

 Sa wat dii (hello) from The Land of Smiles!
Our journey from Penang to Phuket started well as we were picked up from our guesthouse by a guy in a Mercedes ... unfortunately this wasn't the mode of transport for the whole trip.  He dropped us at Komtar where we were squashed into a small cramped minibus.  Thankfully the bus wasn't completely filled to capacity.
It wasn't long before we hit a toll road (there are lots in Malaysia).  We were just waiting to get through when a bus went crashing through one of the turnstiles taking most of the roof with it ... we had to drive on and didn't have chance to get a picture ... but it was so funny I have to mention it.
A short while after that the driver pulled into a petrol station and the engine cut out.  Much to the efforts of the staff to revive the bus, there was no joy and we watched it get towed away.  The driver assured us that his mate would be along shortly to take us the rest of the way.
So we stood there waiting in the blistering heat with a variety of bugs trying to bite us, including my own personal favourite the red ant!  After a good hour and a half or more the replacement vehicle arrived to rescue us from our predicament.  This minibus was even more cramped and the air-con didn't work ... GRRR!!!
We eventually reached the Malaysia / Thai border and got stamped out no problem, but as we got stamped into Thailand, our visa on arrival was only granted for 15 days ... OMG!
Apparently the rules recently changed so that you only get 30 days visa on arrival if you fly into the Kingdom ... overland you only get 15 days.  We had planned to stay for a month but the border control guy said he couldn't do anything and we would have to contact immigration in Phuket ... As you can imagine we were pretty hacked off but back on the bus a few Malaysians reassured us that we would be able to get an extension, though at a cost!!!
Driving through the Thai countryside we admired the mountains covered with lush greenery, the colourfully painted houses and the hundreds of religious statues and temples which are decorated with golden Buddhas and other interesting artwork.
We arrived in Hat Yai at around 2pm (only 3 hours late) and had to change minibus.  We were then told it was another 5 hours to Krabi and Phuket was another 2 and a half hours from there ... slightly longer than the 8 hour total journey sold to us by the travel agent in Penang.  The people on this minibus were not in the best of moods as they had been waiting 3 hours for us to arrive ... a French lady heading for Krabi and a German guy who boarded the bus with us had what you might call a personality clash and bickered at each other all the way, much to our amusement.  The French lady must have been in her 70's and had been travelling non-stop for the last 30 years ... although she was a bit worn we imagined she may have been a French supermodel or actress in her day ... very va va voom!!!
We stopped at a service station on our way to Krabi where Lois encountered her first Asian toilet ... she wasn't sure how to tackle it ... it is kind of like a hole in the floor with a panel on either side and as this one was very dirty she opted for hovering over it and holding onto the wall for balance.  Afterwards she asked the well-travelled French lady how to use it and she advised that you sit on it.  We later learned that you actually take your pants off, put your feet on the side panels, squat over it and then hose yourself down as there is never any toilet paper ... subsequently we have started carrying it with us wherever we go!
We arrived in Krabi as it started to rain and we were ushered onto another minibus for the final leg.  As we embarked on our journey to Phuket a thunder and lightening storm lit up the skies and the rain continued to come down hard.  It was unusual because in the distance we could see the sun setting over limestone cliffs yet we were in the middle of a storm. 
Thankfully our minibus had seat belts unlike the ones earlier in the day as the driver was nuts and driving far too fast for the conditions ... but gladly we made it to Phuket Town in one piece around 9.30pm.  As usual we were confronted by the hotel and taxi touts which we were in no mood for so we got our backpack raincovers on and made a dash out of the bus station in no particular direction looking for an ATM as we hadn't any Thai currency at that point.
2 Good Samaritans (from Austria we think) approached us and told us of a cheap guesthouse and where to find the ATM ... we felt like someone was watching over us as we had no idea where we were heading and it turned out we were going in the wrong direction.
As we hiked with our backpacks to the On On Hotel the roads were closed around a fancy hotel so we asked one of the police officers what was going on and he told us the King was inside.  The rain was picking up so we decided to make it to the hotel and then go back to see if we could see the precession. 
We checked in to the On On Hotel for 250 baht per night (5GBP) for a basic fan room with a double bed and own bathroom ... can't complain ... plus this is where parts of the film "The Beach" with Leonardo Di Caprio were filmed ... this guesthouse was the Khao San flophouse in the film (room 38 to be exact) ... unfortunately that room was fully booked ... surprise surprise!!!
We took a walk back to try to spot the King, but we were too late as the roads had re-opened.  After travelling for over 14 hours we decided we deserved a couple of beers so we went to Roxy Bar near to our guesthouse.  We got chatting to the owner's girlfriend Meemee who gave us loads of helpful information about Thailand.
Next morning we were keen to get our visa issues sorted so called immigration but they could barely speak English and said only 7 day extension for 1900 baht (38GBP).  One of Meemee's friends the night before had mentioned a visa run service where you go back to the border on the day your visa runs out and get another 15 days.  Not sure what to do we went for breakfast to think it over where another 2 Good Samaritans (a couple from Torquay) offered us advice about the visa run and  lift to the immigration office so we could speak to them in person.  We jumped into the back of their truck ... it was quite a long way and boiling hot so we were glad we hadn't tried to walk it.  The lady took us into the immigration office and told us what to do ... unfortunately we got the same answer so we decided the visa run was the best option as it is cheaper and you get more time.  We tried to put it to the back of our minds so we could enjoy the next 2 weeks.
I've not seen the film "The Beach" but that night as we laid in our room in the On On Hotel we could hear every footstep along the corridor and up and down the stairs; there were door slamming and Lois said it really felt like we were in the film ... will definitely be renting the DVD when I get home so I will know what she was on about.
Next day we got a bus to Karon Beach which is about 30 minuted from Phuket Town.  It was a scorcher so Lois parked me and the backpacks at a restaurant with a diet coke and went off to search for somewhere to stay.  While she was gone an old Irish couple started chatting to me ... they were really sweet and gave me some advice about where to eat, etc.  Lois arrived back after about 2 hours having been to pretty much every guesthouse in Karon Beach.  She had found us a lovely room above an Italian restaurant for 500 baht (10GBP) a night which was a steal as most of the 'basic' fan rooms she had viewed wanted 700+ baht a night.  We had hoped there would be cheaper rooms like in Phuket Town but as it is still high season and Karon Beach is a popular beach resort, Lois did really well to get us our room at La Cucina Italiana, especially when we had a huge bed, TV with film channels, fridge, wardrobes, own bathroom, daily cleaning service, balcony, air-con and one of the owners was a hottie so we had some eye candy ha ha!!!
Ashling and Paula (Irish sisters we met in Australia) had decided to fly directly to Phuket from Singapore so they could celebrate my birthday with us and they were not due to arrive until the Saturday, so for the next few days we walked around Karon Beach, did some exercise, swam in the sea, sunbathed, I haggled with salesmen to get us some cheap cheap sun dresses / party night dresses, went to the night market opposite our accommodation, etc.
We had booked the girls a room at the Italian restaurant too and they were actually in the room next door so we could sit out together on our balconies.  We were expecting the girls to arrive around 7pm so we sat in the restaurant having a beer waiting for them.  We were starting to think they weren't going to turn up and this looked even more likely when the heavens opened for the first time in days.  It was about half 10 when I noticed two very wet girls approaching ... hurray they have made it!!!
We ordered them a beer and the lovely Thai waiters helped them with their bags.  After a quick bite to eat and a catch up we retired for the night knowing we would have a late night for my birthday the next day.  Lois had been naughty and bought me some little presents and as it was after midnight I opened them all ... lots of sweets and chocolate (that she helped me eat)!
My 26th birthday had arrived ... our plan was to treat ourselves to a sun lounger at the beach and relax all day, before having a meal at the Italian and then heading out around Karon Beach for drinks.
It was so nice to have a sun lounger as we had been getting covered in sand all week laying on the beach trying to save money.  There was this adorable little puppy at the beach who I got to cuddle ... he was so cute but not quite as cute as my Poppy & Oliver back home.
We went for lunch at a Thai restaurant near the beach which was yummy.  Back at our rooms we all got dolled up and went down for dinner around half 7.  The food was delicious and Lois ordered me my favourite ... Tiramisu ... Andrea (the hot Italian) and the girls all sang Happy Birthday ... I was so embarrassed!!!
We went down to a few of the bars and I got tortured by an Austrian sex tourist urgh!!!  We ended up in a bar full of Thai girls and sex tourists ... the girls were really sweet and wanted to chat to us, especially Lois who ended up sampling some of their deep fried delicacies, including frog and locust ... that's coz my sister is a minger!!!
Karon Beach pretty much dies down at midnight so we went back to the restaurant for a night cap.  The girls cried off and went to bed so Lois and I ended up drinking lots of Tequila with the owners (Andrea, Nico and his Thai wife) which was a really good laugh.
The next day was written off as you can imagine and we only left our room to try to call our Gran as it was her birthday ... but she wasn't even in!
Tuesday came ... St. Patrick's Day ... a big day for Ashling and Paula.  They were planning an all day drinking session, but as we were still feeling a little ropey and had some business to attend to we said we would join them later.  We went to the beach for a much-needed serotonin boost and then organised our dive course, ferry to Phi Phi and visa run to Burma.
In the evening we met the girls at the Irish bar for a couple before heading to Phuket's party capital ... Patong.
It was mad, really busy with loads of bars and clubs with music blaring out into the streets; ladyboys and offers of ping pong shows everywhere ... we couldn't be further away from quiet Karon Beach.  We checked out a few places and then ended up at a cocktail bar where it was BOGOF and the waiter dazzled us by juggling bottles and glasses ... he was fantastic and the cocktails were huge with no spirit measure in sight!!!
The clock struck 12 and the girls' carriage turned into a pumpkin so they got a tuk-tuk back to Karon.  We'd only just got started so chose to stay and see what Patong clubbing was like.  Most people had recommended Hollywood Discotheque ... free to get in ... even better!!!  Much to our delight as we walked up the stairs into the air-conditioned nightclub we could hear the beats of some filthy banging house tunes.  Needless to say we danced all night and Lois spent most of her time on the stage until she was asked to get down.  We were wondering what she had done wrong when what we can only assume was a Thai celebrity came out onto the stage wearing a crash helmet, luminous goggles and an inflatable pool ring.  The crowd went bonkers and he started throwing more inflatables ... the Thai girls were diving forwards and one of them scratched my hand by accident ... we had no idea what was going on and to be honest didn't get it at all!
Once all the commotion was over Lois reclaimed her position on the stage and I went back to dancing with Sean (the Swede) ... thankfully he was just looking for a dancing buddy like me ... plus I think he was gay going by the silver t-shirt ha ha so he didn't try to snog me ha ha!!!
It got to about 4am when the music turned naff so we decided to leave on a high and went and took our first ride in a tuk-tuk back to Karon Beach.
Wednesday we were surprisingly chirpy and got ourselves organised ready for our trip to Ko Phi Phi.  We had dinner at the Italian with the girls, then had a walk around the night market as there was a religious festival going on all week ... there were kids singing and dancing and monks around the temples collecting donations.  We had hoped for lots of sleep but the music from the festival went on late into the night.
Thursday lunchtime the minibus picked us up and took us to Phuket Town where we were getting the ferry to Ko Phi Phi.  We were due to leave at 1.30pm but didn't leave until 2.50pm ... no air-con so we all nearly died of heat exhaustion while we waited for them to pack on as many people as they could before the boat was allowed to set sail.  We were not impressed!!!
The ride over to the island made up for it though as the scenery was astounding and Lois spent the majority of the time on the deck as she had thought ahead and applied her sun cream.  I went inside after half an hour as it was too hot to stay out longer without any lotion on.
So we arrived at the pier in Phi Phi about 2 hours later than expected and absolute mayhem broke loose with people trying to find their luggage amidst a huge pile at the back of the boat.  It was really badly organised so we tried to hang back until the crowd had cleared but we were conscious we were really late for our dive course introduction.  Ashling and Paula managed to find my bag but somehow Lois' had ended up out on the deck.  I guess someone realised it wasn't theirs and dumped it.
Eventually we made it off the boat and began our hike to the dive centre on the other side of the island.  It was scorching hot and we were literally dripping wet when we arrived at Blue View Divers.  It turned out they were expecting us the day before ... they'd obviously misread the email so we were thrown straight into 3 hours of theory DVD's and tests while the girls went and looked for a room.
After being at La Cucina for the last week for 500 baht a night, we knew we would not get quite as much for our money on Phi Phi but we were shocked how little we got.  All 4 of us ended up being squashed into a room with one double and one single bed ... there was no room to swing a hamster ... never mind a cat ... no bathroom and it was so noisy as it was right behind Ibiza Bar (beach party bar) which plays banging music until 6am every morning ... we wouldn't have minded if we didn't have to be up at 7am to do our dive course.
After a terrible nights sleep at Seasons Guesthouse we rolled up half dead to meet our dive instructor Kim at 8am for our confined water dive.  We got kitted out with shorties, snorkels and fins and then jumped in the pool which overlooked the beach and limestone cliffs ... it was very beautiful.
We got our scuba gear on and started working through some skills.  I was shocked that Lois was whizzing through the skills and I was struggling to get my breathing under control.  I had been feeling really stressed about it for a few days and also had a bit of a cold.  For some reason I just could not get my head into it for ages.  After giving myself a talking to I managed to get through a few skills but then I cam up against the same skill I couldn't master in Australia and pretty much was defeated from then on.  I got so stressed and even after some extra time with John (our theory tutor) in the pool I was still struggling.  We cracked on with the theory that afternoon.  We went for dinner with the girls and even then I couldn't relax.  Lois and I went up to the dive centre to get our schedule for the next day and Kim tried to reassure me I could do it if I just tried to chill out.  Easier said than done ... I had been waiting for this for 6 months but for some reason I had put a mental block in place and could not chill out no matter how hard I tried.  Lois tried to talk me round but I had pretty much talked myself out of it. 
I had expected to be good at it with being a strong swimmer but swimming has very little to do with it.  Lois said she would not do it without me as it was supposed to be something we could share.
Saturday morning came and I was still in turmoil about whether to continue.  We said our goodbyes to Ashling and Paula as they were leaving for Krabi (they only have a short time in Thailand before going on to China and then home).  At the dive centre Kim could see we were both stressed and I explained what was going on in my head.  I ended up in tears ... maybe when you want something so much you end up doing your own head in!
Lois was really disappointed but I couldn't bring myself to continue the course there as I was too stressed to enjoy it.  We decided to sit the theory exam so we could at least get that part of the course signed off and then Lois suggested we go and take a boat trip that afternoon to help me relax.
Kim gave us some info about dive centres on Koh Lanta so who knows we may try again there?!!!
We'd had to check out that morning so Kim introduced us to a tour lady who found us somewhere to stay and also booked us a longtail boat trip.  We checked into our room and then went to the beach to board the boat.
It took us around Phi Phi Don, Monkey Beach and we swam and snorkeled in some beautiful lagoons.  We then went to Phi Phi Lah and saw Viking Cave and Maya Bay (where "The Beach" was filmed).  It as jaw-droppingly beautiful and Lois having seen the film went off on a photo expedition while I swam in the warm water and lazed on the beach taking in the beauty around me.
Back on the boat we made our way back to Phi Phi Don ... unfortunately the sky was too cloudy for a beautiful sunset but the ride back was still really pretty.
Having done a fair bit of partying earlier in the week we hadn't intended drinking on Phi Phi as we were going to be diving but as me being a stress-headed freak had scuppered that we decided we needed to let our hair down, have some fun and put that last couple of days behind us ... and we did ha ha!!!
We went for a meal at Cosmic Restaurant where I had my usual rice with fish and vege and Lois treated herself to some real meat in the form of New Zealand beef ... it was only a fiver and so delicious that even I had a mouthful.
The tour lady had recommended a fire show at Carlitos Bar so we made our way there for the 10.30pm start.  We got a seat on the beach and ordered a cocktail.  The fire show began with a child who to us looked about 5 but you never can tell with the Thais.  A few minutes into the older performers going on the heavens opened so we all dashed for shelter.  Thankfully the show continued and we had a good view from where we were standing out of the rain.  They were fantastic ... so much so that I couldn't take my eyes off them.
After the show we made our way back to the centre of the island.  By this time it had started lashing it down again so we found shelter in Tiger Bar.
What do you mean you only serve vodka in buckets? ... When in Rome I guess ... or Phi Phi to be precise!
So armed with our buckets we danced, chatted, danced some more and then OMG ... I spot someone sitting nearby ... who you may ask?  Only Seth Green (yeah I know Mum you will have no idea who he is ... but he is a Hollywood actor and I think he's one of the producers of Family Guy ... you know that adult cartoon you think is dreadful) ha ha!!! 
Before I knew it Lois was over at his table chatting away and then photos of course ... for evidence!!!  We had been soaked and he was dripping wet too ... no entourage for him on Phi Phi.
We also encountered our first Thai hottie who looked like an older version of Rufio off Peter Pan with Robin Williams.  The Thais are generally attractive people but most of them at half pint sized so we were surprised when we caught sight of Rufio.  He kept trying to get us to dance with him all night and in the end he literally dragged us outside dancing in the monsoon rain ... it was so funny!!!
Lois was also propositioned by a guy who owned many of the bars and hotels on Phi Phi ... he was a nice guy but she wasn't interested ... typically hard to impress ... that's Lois ha ha!!!
Everyone was having a great time, the atmosphere was really lively and all of the people were sound.  We ended up dancing the night away until 5am at the beach party that had kept us awake the previous 2 nights.  Lots of fun had by all.  Sunday morning we were feeling ok until after we had showered I returned to the wetroom / bathroom and slipped on the wet tiles, cutting my arm, bruising my bum and hurting my neck.  It appears that I have become the clumsy one since we came away ... it used to be Lois falling down stairs and hurting herself ... not happy with the switch I can tell you ... don't worry Mum I'm not that badly injured!!!
To make us feel better we went for the most amazing breakfast we have had since leaving the UK.  Little Britain imports sausages, bacon. black pudding and hash browns ... Lois had the Gut Buster of course with all the trimmings and I typically had the Veggie.  Both were huge and a perfect cure for any hangover!!!
We were due to get the ferry back to Phuket at 2.30pm so we went back to get our bags from the guesthouse.  Thankfully there was a guy with a trolley who we paid a quid to carry our bags all the way to the pier in the sweltering heat ... winner!!!
After a few pictures on the pier we boarded the ferry ... managing to secure our bags where we could find them.  Apart from the air-con being on too cold the journey back was pretty comfortable and we sat outside until a storm began. 
We arrived back at La Cucina in Karon Beach, sorted our laundry and retired to our wonderful room ... it was so good to be back in comfortable clean surroundings. 
We thought Phi Phi was a beautiful island which is so relaxed as there are no cars ... only walking and bicycles to get around.  It has it's own magical charm that captures your imagination.  We would like to go back on a proper holiday and stay in a nice hotel instead of a dive and have the funds to enjoy more of the cuisine and nightlife ... plus some Thai pampering would be nice as we have not had any yet.  Might treat ourselves to a cheap cheap Thai massage in Bangkok. 
We had hoped for an early night as we were getting up at 5am to do our visa run, but we were kept awake by the local dogs having a turf war outside ... we've noticed throughout Thailand so far that there are many stray dogs but they all seem to be in good shape and lots of them are really cute.  I think the Thai people are generally dog lovers as you see food stall workers throwing them scraps.  The dogs here also appear to know the green cross code which is funny to watch them putting into practice.
So we had a very early start on Monday and it was still dark as we waited outside for the minibus to take us on our visa run to Burma (Myanmar).  Typically I slept the whole way as the minibus was silent.  Lois woke me when we arrived in Ranong around lunchtime. 
We were ushered through immigration to stamp us out of Thailand and then put on a boat along the river to Myanmar with shelter from the sun and bottles of water.  It was rather surreal as we were just one of what seemed like hundreds of longtail boats making the same trip across the river.  We had to stop at a couple of checkpoints along the way which were on little islands in the middle of the river with unusual temples and statues all over them. 
We reached Burma (Myanmar) and were ushered off the boat to immigration where we were stamped in and stamped out at the same time.  Lois went through before me and when I came out she was being touted by a man with brown teeth and another young man without brown teeth was taking photos of her on his phone and claiming his undying love for her ... she always seems to attract the young ones!!!
After a smooth transaction we were back on the boat.  We had a brief stop at a checkpoint where an army officer came aboard to search everyone's bags and many other boats pulled in carrying lots of umbrella holding passengers ... they all do that here to protect them from the sun ... a useful multipurpose accessory for when the weather turns ... we need to get one as Lois dumped hers in Noosa, Australia and it has rained loads ever since.
Back in Ranong we were stamped back into Thailand for a further 15 days and given a free lunch and water before we were bundled back into the minibus.
We arrived back at La Cucina at around 6pm.  It was a very long day but all-in-all a very efficient service ... although next time we come to Thailand in June (if we have any money left by then) we will definitely fly in and get our 30 day stamp at the airport.
Tuesday we stayed on another day hoping to chill out and catch some rays but when we woke up it poured down and continued to do so all day.  We had also hoped to watch the sunset but no such luck.  So we watched movies, blogged and then had our final meal in the restaurant.
This morning we decided it was time to move on and booked our ferry to Koh Lanta.
We really enjoyed our time in Karon Beach and we would definitely recommend it for a couple of weeks holiday as it's a good base for island hopping and visiting other areas within Phuket. 
We arrived in Koh Lanta this afternoon and it is much quieter here in relation to Phi Phi and Phuket.  It is really a place to come and relax.  We are staying at a quiet resort right on the beach and we are paying 500 baht a night for a decent room which is good for island prices. 
This evening we sat and watched the sunset over Phi Phi which was stunning and we realised that the next 5 days are going to be really chilled.
Spending the best part of 2 weeks living above an Italian restaurant and friends coming to visit has really taken it's toll on our waistlines so we are glad to be away from temptation to some degree.  We are planning to restart our exercise regime with a 7am jog / swim in the morning, followed by a dose of healthy eating and sweating off some beef in the sun.
We are staying in Koh Lanta until Monday when we will head back to the mainland (Krabi) and make our way up to Bangkok, then up to Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai before we go to Laos on 6th April.  We will try to update you again before we leave Thailand.
Hope you are all well ... please feel free to leave comments for us bearing in mind our Mum reads this blog ha ha!!!
Lots of love from
Sophie and Lois x x x

Post your own travel photos for friends and family Pictures

Our bus being towed away	Room 38 from The Beach	The corridor On On Hotel	The corridor The Beach
Phuket Town	Phuket Town	Phuket Town	Phuket Town
On On Hotel	On On Hotel	The On On Hotel	Our room at On On
Our room at On On	Our room at On On	Soph on bus to Karon Beach	One of the buses
Soph on bus to Karon Beach	Lois getting on the bus	Phuket Town	Phuket Town
Phuket Town	Another bus	The Green House in Karon Beach	Room 5 at La Cucina
We love you room	Our TV and fridge yay!!!	Soph's birthday at the beach	Soph with the puppy
Puppy love	Soph with puppy	Aw puppy!!!	Birthday dinner at La Cucina
Tiramisu and singing	Urgh sex tourist ... get off me!!	Now clear off	Booby glass
Soph supping cocktails	Soph and Paula	Lois and Ashling	Soph still supping cocktails
Soph rather drunk on her birthday	Aw sisters	Lois with new friend	Lois eating friend's fried frog
Lois snaffling fried locust	Say no more	Us with Ashling & Paula	Soph awaiting night cap
Sozzled Lois - that's before the tequila	Lois with Andrea (the hottie)	Soph taking pics of herself	Soph with Andrea
Sisters slightly wasted	Hawaii 26	Say no more here too	Lois with La Cucina management
Soph with the Italians + 1 Thai	Random Italian (Andrea's mate)	Soph after too many tequilas	Lois can no longer control her face
Paddy's Day in the pub	Silly hat time	Soph dons silly hat too	Lots of silly hats
Not enough Irish hats to go round	Lois & Ash do Paddy's Day	And again without the bong eyes	Patong
Patong	Soph in Patong	Ladyboys	Lois with huge cocktail
Same same	And again	It's the same one ...honest!!!	No idea what was going on here
Cocktail man	Fling those bottles boy!!!	Do it again	and again
The grande finale	Sisters before the mayhem	Still looking fairly normal	Not so bad .. but wait for it
Saturday night fever	Pouts are out	Oh and the stupidity begins	Crazy time
Lois does Mrs Potato Head	and then Foxy Cleopatra	Lois and Paula	Lois and Paula trying to look sexy
Aw that's better	Soph and Ash being silly	Religious statue being forced to drink	Erm well what can we say here
Sisters gone mad	Soph getting her groove on	Soph in Hollywood	Oops up side your head
Thai celebrity we think	Soph with Sean the Swede	Lois in tuk-tuk	Ha ha she's wasted again
oh no she's still awake	View from our balcony	View from our balcony	The night market opposite our room
Buddhist statues	Buddhist statue	Buddhist statues	Some more statues
One of the temples in Karon	Thai kids singing and dancing	More dancing kids	Temple in Karon Beach
Statue outside the temple	Thais going in to make offerings	Dogs for sale at night market	Bunny with clothes on ... bizarre
More dogs at night market	Bunnies in dresses	All kinds of deep fried bugs	Lois' favourites
Soph at night market	Sign at Karon	View from balcony at night	Market entrance
Karon Beach	Karon Beach	Karon Beach	View from ferry to Phi Phi
View from ferry	Soph on ferry to Phi Phi	Lois on ferry to Phi Phi	Longtail boats
View from ferry	Phi Phi Lah	Phi Phi Lah	Phi Phi Don
Phi Phi Don	Phi Phi Lah	Phi Phi view from ferry	Arriving at Phi Phi
View from ferry	View from ferry	View from ferry	View from ferry
Beautiful Phi Phi	Soph at scuba pool	View from scuba pool	Soph in scuba pool
Soph in scuba pool	View from scuba pool	View from pool	View from pool
Soph at sunset on Phi Phi	Phi Phi	The beach bars at Phi Phi	Lois in Phi Phi
Phi Phi	Soph ready for boat trip	Lois about to board the boat	View of Phi Phi
View of Phi Phi	View from boat	Soph on longtail boat	View from boat
Monkey Beach	Soph with our boat on Monkey Beach	Monkey Beach	Monkey Beach
Monkey Beach	Monkey Beach	Cheeky monkeys	Lois with boats at Mokey Beach
Longtail boats at Monkey Beach	Soph at Monkey Beach	View from boat	View from boat
View from boat	Us on longtail	View of Phi Phi Don	Phi Phi Lah
Phi Phi	View of Phi Phi	Cave on Phi Phi	Cave on Phi Phi
Approaching Viking Cave	Viking Cave	Viking Cave	Viking Cave
Viking Cave	Viking Cave	View of Phi Phi Lah	Phi Phi Lah
Lois on longtail	Phi Phi scenery	Phi Phi Lah	Unusual rock
Another island nearby	Unusual rock patterns	Soph snapping fish	Two small islands off Phi Phi Lah
Maya Bay ("The Beach")	View from Maya Bay	Maya Bay	Longtails on Maya Bay
Maya Bay	Off Maya Bay	The jungle	View from Maya Bay
Soph chilling on Maya Bay	Lois on "The Beach"	Unusual rocks on Maya Bay	Maya Bay
Lois going for the obscure angles	And again	One more for good luck	Sunset from the longtail
Thai dancers	Child flame thrower at Carlito's	Look at him go!	Fire show
Us at Tiger Bar	And again	The rains came!!	Still reasonably dry
Soph avec buckets	Lois and Seth Green	Take 2	Wet sisters with bucket
Lois and Lex	Us at beach party	Soph sandwiched between Italians	Lois & Italian hairdressers
Soph after fall in wet room	Unimpressed in Phi Phi	Lois in Phi Phi... we went to that party	Lois in Phi Phi after mint breaky
Hillside retreats in Phi Phi	Phi Phi bungalows	Phi Phi retreats	Thai bag carrier
And only a quid....bargain	Soph on pier	Beach on other side of island	View from pier
Soph on pier	Lots of longtails	Lois on ferry	Myanmar (Burma)
Soph at Burma immigration	Burma border	Burma	Burma
Burma	View from longtail on visa run	View from longtail	Visa run
Visa run	View from longtail	Checkpoint on visa run	Longtail making same journey
Another checkpoint	More visa runners	View from longtail	River banks
Many umbrellas on visa run	View from longtail	Religious statue on river bank	Longtail at checkpoint
View from longtail	Views from longtail	And again	Happy snapper is back
Happy snapping	River banks at Ranong	Ranong immigration	We climbed over these boats

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