Sawadi Khap!

Country number 14, Thailand. Needing to fly in to get our full 30 day passport stamp we opted for the South Western city of Krabi. It's low season in this part of Thailand as it's classified as 'monsoon season' on the Andaman Coast. For us that meant taking a risk with the conditions but hopefully catching some great low season prices. It is this corner of Thailand which is famed for it's 'James Bond Island' (Man With The Golden Gun), and the setting for the film 'The Beach' on nearby Koh Phi Phi.

When we arrived in Krabi it was quite overcast and there were definite signs of persistent rain. The rain however failed to materialise and we had a couple of nights in Krabi to sample the local cuisine at the night market and the culture at the nearby temples.

 

The food in Southern Thailand has a reputation as being the hottest in the country and the dishes they serve up at the market can quite literally blow your mind. When they supply a side plate of green veg (cucumber, green beans, spinach) you know you've got something spicy coming and these are here to offer your mouth some respite. It was on the other hand a chance for us to tuck into the not so spicy but very flavourful 'Pad Thai', the perfect mix of noodles, bean sprouts, lime and crushed peanuts.

From Krabi we made our way to the nearby island of Koh Lanta. Here we were luckily treated to some awesome high season weather as the clouds dispersed and the sun shone down on us. We opted for a small bungalow set in quiet surroundings with a nice swimming pool to cool off in. The islands about 30km long with beaches down the West Coast and local fishing communities on the East side. To really get to see the island we rented a scooter for 200THB (£4) filled it up with £1 worth of petrol and spent a couple of days exploring (and getting quite lost) around the island.

As well as the usual Thai road hazards to contend with; family sized human pyramids and eight year olds driving scooters, we also needed to slow down and pull over to avoid an elephant traipsing along the road. It is Thailand after all. The scooter did however provide a very quick and easy way for us to see the whole island without having to pay the cartel prices of the local tuktuks.

From Koh Lanta it was time to make our way across country to the east coast and Gulf of Thailand via Surat Thani. A very frustrating combination of minibus, long wait, minibus, long wait, coach, and another minibus, had us finally arrive in our destination. A journey we could have done so much quicker, easier and cheaper by ourselves. After just five days in Thailand we have vowed not to use another so called 'agency' and will just be making our own way across this beautiful country.