We arrived in Phuket on a beautiful, warm and sunny evening.This was much appreciated after the rain in Samui!We were staying in Karon Café, which was surprisingly nice considering how cheap it was.We even got a fridge which we filled with cans of Singha on the first night!

Unfortunately on the second day the rain found us again so we went across to a bigger resort affiliated to our hotel to make use of their rooftop pool and sunloungers…in the rain.This was actually really nice as we were up in the mountains and could see the rain moving across the hill.There is very little to do in these places when it rains other than play cards or update the blog (it's raining now by the way).

Hoping for better weather, we booked a tour of the Phi Phi islands for the next day.The weather was amazing, however the bus never arrived and Dan spent the better part of the morning shouting at a Thai lady to get our money back.Jo was also very ill.So ill in fact that not only did she not participate in shouting at the Thai lady but she was also feeling too unwell to sunbathe on the beach!Those of you who know Jo well enough will realise how ill she was feeling!!!So the first day of sun for ages was spent in a hotel room watching films in the dark.

It is quite hard to summarise what we thought of Phuket given that due to weather and illness we didn't really see much of it but the beach at Karon was beautiful and we did find a few good restaurants.

The next morning (with Jo feeling slightly better) we left for Koh Lanta.For the first two days here we were staying in Fisherman's Cottage - huts set about 20 meters from the sea.Some of our friends from our dive course were coming out to meet us and we found them asleep in their huts recovering from Sang-overs (Sang Som - a Thai whisky, usually served in a bucket) when we arrived.Our hut was extremely basic but we loved it.With the front door open we could lie in bed and look out on to the sea.That night Dan's arm got twisted into going diving in the morning off the coast of the Phi Phi islands at Koh Bida.

Our first night that close to nature took some adjustment, especially as we saw a giant wasp carry a caterpillar into the bamboo supports that held up our mosquito net!Jo slept in the very centre of the bed, leaving Dan to fend off any critters that may have appeared!We finally got to sleep and all was well until a coconut fell from a nearby tree and landed on the roof of the hut.Thinking we were under attack from a giant animal we both jumped up in complete panic!Sheets were nearly soiled!!!

In the morning Dan left for the dive and after a two hour boat trip arrived at Koh Bida.The first dive was good but fairly uneventful.The second, however, was incredible.On the descent we saw a hole in the rock where there was a bright yellow seahorse (extremely hard to find usually).10 minutes later we saw a leopard shark resting on the sea bed.It was really amazing to see something this impressive in its own natural habitat.Then a few minutes later we saw a huge sea turtle glide past and start swimming up to the surface.Not a bad way to end our dives in Thailand!

Jo spent the day with Cat on the beach.It was our first full day on the beach in a whole month!The weather was brilliant and we even had sun loungers (a novelty when traveling on a budget).It was good to have some girly company.The only other people on the beach were a crowd of Thai children, who seemed to be in their element in the sea.For them I think Cat and I were the star attractions, every time we went even close to the sea they surrounded us asking our names and laughing.They were so incredibly friendly and polite.

That night we headed down the beach for a meal and finished the night in a bar with a tree house that looked over the sea (or would have done if it wasn't dark)!

We were extremely impressed with Fisherman's Cottage, Dan in particular when he asked for some crisps.The guy at the bar told him to wait 15 minutes so we assumed he was going to the 7-11 to buy some.He returned with a plate of home made crisps from potatoes he'd just dug up from the ground…amazing!

Our next stop was still in Lanta but slightly more to the north.A plush resort version of the huts we had just stayed in.This time we were a minute away from the sea though instead of 10 seconds!We spent two days sunbathing here after another failed attempt to visit Phi Phi.Luckily this time Jo was feeling back to her old self again and unleashed hell on the tour operator!;-)The hotel offered to help us out by getting sea gypsies who couldn't speak English to take us out to Phi Phi…we politely declined.

We then moved on to Krabi to a hostel with some of the best food we've had anywhere in Thailand.So much so that we don't think we've eaten anywhere else since arriving here!We booked the Phi Phi tour again and third time lucky we made it!

We were taken to our speedboat and greeted by a cheerful man with long hair, painted nails and breasts.She introduced herself as "La-La" and assured us that she wasn't a ladyboy but a "Second Woman".Whenever she wanted everyone on the boat to listen to her she let out an ear piercing screech…a very entertaining day!

The tour was well worth the wait.Phi Phi is absolutely stunning and it's understandably one of Thailand's biggest tourist attractions.Even though this was just the start of the peak tourist season, some of the prettier parts were already beginning to fill up with hundreds of boat tours.By the New Year you would do well to see the beaches for people!

The highlight of the tour was the Monkey Bay.This deserted beach was home to families of monkeys.We were given fruit to feed the monkeys, which amused Jo almost as much as the monkeys!This was much better than the chained, depressed monkey show we had seen in Samui!

This weekend we leave Thailand to go to Malaysia.We can't quite believe it's been a month already.You'll be glad to know that we've been getting weather reports from back home - hope you enjoyed the snow last week!

Hope everyone is well.We'll write again soon!

Jo & Dan