Day 8 & 9: Koh Tao: Island hopping begins....

Day 8...
We arrived bright and early at 7am in koh tao. Got a taxi (a truck) to sairee village where we checked into la ville view hotel. Actually managed to get a 4 bed room and set up camp for the next 2 nights. We spent the day on Sairee beach, swam in the sea, ate ice cream, worked on our tans and got sun burnt. Jack burnt his face whilst wearing sunglasses leaving him with perfect circles around his eyes.

Later we  decided to go to the Ko Tao pub crawl. We put on our matching tshirts and met a lady with a pen writing everyones names on their arms (so cheesy) we got a bucket and had some banter with some Australians before all heading to the lady boy show. Very big Moulin Rouge theme here. Lots of miming christina wannabes. Some lady boys were braver than others in skimpy underwear (most likely post op). We went to an australian bar with the best acoustic band wacking out beyonce and shaggy then we went off to party on the beach. With Fire Jumping and Fire Limbo, Nicola was straight up to get involved with Kerry only braving the Fire Limbo to then be shown up by a 10year old Thai boy called Li.

Day 9...
Hungover again we decided to get up and be productive so we booked to all go on a group boat trip to Ko Nang Yuan. It is a beautiful little island connected to another little island by a small strip of sand. We took our first water taxi to the island involving jumping from boat to boat until you found the correct one. There wasnt enough space on the pier for them all to dock so they would attach themselves to each other. We got back and jack decided he had enough of girl time and went for some quiet time for himself. Us girls went for a romantic date, watched the sunset, drank some cocktails and ate some amazing tai food on the beach. Best food we have had yet. Kim and jack decided to go for their first thai massage. Kim had a coconut massage and jack had an aloe vera massage for his sunburn.  Neither have had one since, kim felt like she had been beaten up as the thai lady had punched her palms, feet and other joints. Bavers had no comment from the experience but said never again, his silence raised our concerns that he had a happy ending but we will never know.

Koh tao was our favourite island, very pretty, beautiful beaches, famous for diving, slightly commercialised but not too much, full of beach bungalows, small village, friendly locals and amazing beach bars.

Day 7: Travel to Koh Tao (Stranded in Chumphon)

The longest journey of the whole trip composing of two bus journeys. The first was a 9 hour overnight bus from Chang Mai to Bangkok. The second bus was 7 hours from Bangkok to Chumphon with Kerry sleeping the whole way! We arrived in Chumphon at 14:00, missing the 13:00 ferry to Koh Tao. The next ferry was not till 11pm and we were absolutely gutted because we lost an evening/night in Koh Tao which was soon to become our favourite island. We bumped into two french guys and a french girl who had also missed the ferry! We decided to all get a taxi together to the next ferry port to see if there was anything we could get but discovered again we would have to wait until 11pm. We spent the day on the ferry port beach. We had some food in the middle of no where, in a Thai ladys shack kitchen, and sat in the bungalow resort restarant/bar trying to waste time until the next ferry. It was a pretty resort with only 3 guests that we could see which was a bit creepy. After endless card games we boarded a random cargo boat with one deck lined with 30 matresses all next to each other and some suspect looking bedding...but for £5 you can't complain! Such a Thai experience. We were slightly creeped out when only a couple of backpackers got on and a bunch of drunk Thai men but eventually loads of backpackers arrived and the overnight 6hr sleepy boat to Ko Tao began. Can't say it was the best nights sleep Jack and Kim have ever had but Nicola and Kerry slept like a dream.

Day 3 to 6: Chiang Mai

Day 3:
We had our first night bus experience - one hour in and Kim read that we  had been ripped off paying 1400 baht when it should of only been 700 baht. VIP bus but definatly not a VIP toilet (DIY flush water bucket - say no more).

Day 4:
9 hours later we arrived in Chiang Mai, with no rooms at the inn, we wondered around at 5:30 am to find out it was a huge flower festival making Chiang Mai busier than normal.

After stopping off for breakfast we finally found a cosy hotel at 10:00am called CM apartments. We went straight out to explore what Chiang Mai had to offer. Lots of Monks strolling around, temples everywhere, smelly markets with live animals for sale (dead by the end of the day). After a wonder around the market we jumped on a tuk tuk to tiger kingdom. We fed tiger cubs which were super cute and playful. As well as posing with some larger tigers for photos (I think they may have been drugged?). The Thai assured us that they slept 18hrs a day and were very well trained when awake.

We went out for mexican food (as you do in Thialand). Jack was sick of the Thai food some how even though he had yet to try any. We went to the flower festival which was full of flowered floats, traditional Thai dancing and Thailands very own version of Justin Beiber. We had stroll around the night market before having an early night.

Day 5:
The next day we were up nice and early for a fun filled day to find Jack and Kim hadn't set an alarm...ooops. Taxi picked us up for butterfly farm, Elephant Riding, Jungle Trek to a freezing cold waterfall, White Water Rafting and Bamboo Rafting.  We met some lovely people 2 Germans (one nicknamed Rambo), a guy from New York City, a guy from California and a couple from cormwall. I (Kerry) tried to take down the Newyorker (Nick Brown) with me on the white water raft boat after almost falling over board. We taught the americans and germans some English words including 'dodgy' and 'fizzy drinks' which they found hilarious. We then gave them a lesson in English accents...Bristol and London and how not to use your Ts. The butterfly farm was a quick stop, used mainly as a toilet break. Once we saw 3 normal sized butterflies, we all decided we had seen enough.  The jungle trek was quite long but worth it. We all stupidly wore flip flops causing us to slip and slide off rocks. A little Thai boy cycled past us and kicked nicola randomly (cheeky), the Newyorker told him he would throw him in the river if he did it again so he cycled off. With the day coming to end we made a quick stop off at a local tribe and to look at a leaf, which if you ate when drunk will give the ability to pass a breathalyser...... a lady in traditional tribal dress was waiting for us at the tribes traditional ancient gift shop.

We arrived back and decided to sample some street food. Picked one on the street with some tables and chairs in the road...we dined in but out.

Recommended to go the bar Zoe's for a night out as it was the main backpacker drink place. Got there to find one Thai man clutching a bottle of wine. We agreed it was only 11 so we got a bucket and waited for the other backpackers to arrive. They didnt. We decided to leave and see if there was anywhere else to go and literally as we turned the corner we discovered another zoes full of backpackers...in amongst them was the New Yorker Nick Brown...probably there to promote his new album I assume. Bavers got talking to aThai lady (a constant reacurring theme on this trip) when Nicola perched herself on the bar stool next to him..as you do. Next thing you know Nicola felt the Thai ladys hands wrapped round her stomach trying to pull her off the stool...her Thai friend had arrived and needed somewhere to sit...maybe customary in Thailand? Were still not sure. Bavers tapped the lady on the shoulder in typical english fashion to give her a telling off when she punched him square in the face (fiesty one). After too many buckets we dragged Nick Brown back home to give us a rendition of his latest single. Kerry taught him the peter song hoping to get signed. We also taught him pile on which hed never played before.

Day 6:
Nicola and kerry woke up bright and early on a quest to buy bus tickets for a very long journey ahead to koh tao. They took their first traditional tuk tuk to the bus station, taking some selfies on the way. Everyone had sore heads after the night before so we went out for lunch for some traditional thai food....not (american diner for some greasy carbs). Jack decided to sleep the day away but us girls went for tourist day! We saw more monks, ancient wall built to prevent the buramese from invading, temples with giant gold budhas inside and a giant dong.

Day 2: Bangkok

We arrived in Bangkok in the morning and went straight to an insteresting hostel which kim booked. Upon arrival we discovered it was in the middle of no where and no one else was staying there. We were greeted by a young tai man who became very clingy, watching us sleep was abit creepy. We decided to make a quick exit to kosohan road where everything was going on and booked into a hotel. We ate pad tai on the street, drank our first bucket, met kims dad for a meal, watched a ping pong show (crazy experience), kim met her first love (irish golfer) and partied to 7am with jack coming home with an unusual bite (not a mosquito bite) and 50 baht up. We only took one photo in bangkok, we were notin tourist mode yet.

Day 1: The journey begins...

After an emotional goodbye by kerry and a short 'see ya' from Nicola our travels had began! After an epic flight from London to Dubai, Dubai to Bangkok and feeling slightly arkward in Dubai airport from lots of funny looks, we had finallly made it!