Thailand

We arrived in Bangkok at midnight! It felt like rush hour when we came outside as all the cars were still coming back and forth.

We arrived at our hotel and I face-timed my friend Amy and showed her all the buildings around our hotel which were lit up. Our room was on the nineteenth floor! We have a great view at night because of all the lights from the buildings.

Next day…….

We did home work nearly all day before going out to Lumpini park. Everyone goes there to do their evening exercises. Even tourists! There's exercise stations and parks. Its something you just wouldn't see at home. Why?

We caught a TukTuk to a restaurant that Dad's friend recommended, but it was closed so the TukTuk driver took us somewhere else. When we were in the restaurant I saw the owner go over and pay our driver! The food definitely WASN'T the best I've ever had! It was a tourist trap!

Next day…….

Today we met up with one of the Irish men that we met in Lao. He's called Darren. First we went on the sky train to catch a boat to the grand palace and passed a robot shaped building. When we arrived there, the guard said that we couldn't go in because Dad and Darren were wearing shorts. At the time, we thought he was being really nice but actually he was part of a scam. 

A TukTuk driver took us to a temple, two tailors and two jewellery shops. The last four places we went to were a scam because our driver received gas  coupons if we went into them!

While we were in one of the tailors, Dad and Darren were messing about trying on jackets while an Indian man was desperately trying to sell them something. Eventually he got angry and threw us out! They laughed the more angry he became.

Afterwards we headed to chinatown where there were streets FULL of shops selling merchandise. We walked up to a bar where we ordered spring rolls as a snack. When they came out we were amazed that the owner could even call them spring rolls! The waiter was really rude to us saying "you have to pay for them" when we didn't exactly get what we wanted. Eventually Dad met the owner and it was all sorted out.

Today we left Bangkok at 5:30AM to go to Koh Tao island We drove for nearly seven hours and just made the boat in the nick of time. When we arrived at the dock, it was really busy! The one and a half hour boat journey was really rocky and LOADS of people around us were sea-sick, including Aoife, who has never been sea-sick in her life!!

When we arrived at Koh Tao we all relaxed in our rooms before going out to dinner and a little walk along the beach. Its very pretty but not as quite as its marketed as its full of back packers on bikes.

Today we hired motorbikes to go around the island. When we stopped to see a beach, we started talking to a couple from London called Jackie and Paul. We followed them to a beach bar where we spent most of the day looking at the ocean and eating. We then rode to the resort where Jackie and Paul were staying. It was really fun! I wish we could have stayed there longer!

Next day…….

Today we left Koh Tao to go to Koh Phangan island via boat.

When we arrived at the port there were loads of hawkers asking to give us a taxi but we walked all the way to the end of the pier and our driver was there. We went to our resort in the back of an open top Toyota pickup which was great fun to watch the whole world whizz by. We arrived at our resort and went straight into the pool. 

Once again it is really hot - probably 29 degrees. A man that works at our resort recommended we went to a restaurant called Fish at Thips so we walked there across the beach in the dark chasing little crabs. While I was having my chicken stir-fry, my tooth came out! It was the nicest food I've had in Thailand! 

Next day...

Today we left Koh Phangan to go to the island of Koh Samui. The boat was packed full of people! 

We got to the villa where we were staying and we had our own little swimming pool! 

We went out for dinner at a lakeside restaurant where I had REALLY tasty spring rolls and a spicy chicken curry.

We headed back for an earlier night because we had to get up at 6:30AM the next morning.

Next day...

Today we departed from Koh Tao to Phuket. We hauled our luggage up to reception where we got an enormous TukTuk to the airport.

Our hotel is right by the airport and it has a pool! 

We boarded a private mini-bus to catch a boat to an island where a James bond film was filmed. 

On the way we went to a little floating building where you can get sea-kayaks to go into a cave. We didn't do it because it cost £7! 

We then went to go to the James bond beach, but it cost £4 to get onto the island!

We went back to our hotel for a swim and a rest.