We started the day at the hotel with the normal alarm call and the resulting plan to be at the hotel reception by 8 o'clock by the your operator - but after ten minutes with no show of the minibus we realised that we had set are alarms one hour early - so I came up with a grate emergency plan of going for a coffee with Clare by the hotel pool which had it's own version of Starbucks, it made a nice change to look out of the window to a vista of colour rhododendrons and banana trees - my coffee was sweeter for the experience.

Just after eight the mini bus swung into the hotel driveway where we joined the other occupants which had been picked up from other hotels in the area, this seems to be the pattern of life here amongst the tourist industry with hundreds of these buses making the early morning runs liken to the milkman making his deliveries.

Me and Clare sat in silence for the 45 minute journey to the bay watching out of the window the many types of local shops - not like at home but very simple with a set of tables and plastic chairs for a cafe or a cycle shop with Tyres wired from the roof and Tyres straddling a metal pole ( the thing is there was no rubbish or litter strewn around - just very basic ) I could feel the hippy starting to emerge.

We arrived at the quay (a few shacks and chicken and dogs running around really ) and was greeted by big pappa Sam who booked us in and insisted that we wrapped our wrists with a pink piece of cotton ( not sure if this was their version of a life saving device or not ).

We eventually were loaded into the speed boat which was such a contrast from the wooden shack and could of of cone straight out of a James Bond move with three huge (sorry I'm going to get techie here ) 2500 HP engines and leather interior, there was about 18 passengers that ranged from a Russian group to an australian family with a sprinkling of couples and a few single people.

We duly set off to visit a number of islands in Phang Nga Bay with its sheer limestone cliffs that jut vertically out of the emerald green water ( maybe a little grayer on our day )- As we hurtled off the sheer power of the boat was initially felt by all as we stayed frozen to our seats in fear of being thrown out of the back , this was truly thrilling !!

The first island that we visited (can't remember the name at the moment ) we pulled along side as we could not disembark because of it's sheer Walls but was never-less spectacular with it's incredible shapes and a multitude if stalactites making it look very unreal.

As we turned the corner of this island we sailed into a Natural harbour with the captain suddenly playing reggie music through the loud speakers and the crew handing out coke (the beverage) to everybody which created a party mood.