02 August 2023

I have been to Krabi a few times in the past, as we have friends and family there and this time, we took a direct flight with Air Asia from Chiang Mai. I love Krabi as it is stunningly beautiful with the towering limestone rocks jutting out of the Andaman Sea, whilst inland it also offers a lot, with attractions including the Emerald Lagoon. The tourist centre of Krabi is Ao Nang Beach and it certainly seems to have grown since my last visit in 2018. The more time I spend there, the more I like it. Ao Nang has an abundance of shops and restaurants and a few bars that are low key, so everything you need is close to hand. A lot of the hotels are set back a bit, but to be honest, you don't stay in Ao Nang for the beach! You stay in Ao Nang as it is your gateway to lots of small islands and unbelievably pristine beaches, all for the price of a cheap ticket on a long-tail boat, which is always nice. There is a Long-tail Boat Ticket Office in Ao Nang displaying a map of all the amazing possibilities available to you. We grabbed a long-tail boat to Railay Beach which literally takes 20 minutes. We went there before, the beach is great, and the water is so clear, so it's always nice to go back. For Railay Beach we paid 100 Baht (approximately £2.50) each way for a shared long-tail boat, these will go with 9 passengers, but if you are a family, or feeling rich, or in a hurry, you can get a private long-tail boat for not a lot more. Whilst we were staying in Krabi we hired a Speedboat for the day, as a group of 11 family and friends. There is a steady stream of Speedboats leaving Ao Nang from 8am onwards. A very popular combination is Maya Bay where 'The Beach' was filmed, followed by snorkelling nearby and then Phi Phi Island. The government did close Maya Bay for a few years pre-Covid due to pollution and damage to the beach, but it looks like they had to relent due to the amount of revenue it generates. Swimming is no longer allowed at Maya Bay but there are hundreds of boats and thousands of people that visit every day for that special photo. The Speedboats are big business here and the government charges tourists 400 Baht (just under £10) to enter. ** Since our recent visit, the Government have announced that Maya Bay is again closed until the end of September 2023 ** We left there and the boat took us to another area for snorkelling. The speedboats provide all the equipment including life jackets, so as long as you get the hang of the breathing and don't swallow lots of water, anyone can do it, including absolute beginners, like my wife. After the snorkelling we headed for Koh Phi Phi. It is over 30 years since I last set foot on Phi Phi Island, so it has obviously changed a lot and it did need virtually rebuilding after the Asian Tsunami in 2004. If you are staying in a resort set back from the centre, you would get some peace, but in the daytime, it gets busy, particularly with all of the speedboats and day trippers. You can, though, stay a couple of weeks and go to one or two different islands and beaches every day, and you don't need to go anywhere near the popular spots like Phi Phi and Maya Bay. Also, from Krabi, there are other options for islands you can stay on, apart from Phi Phi, including Koh Yao Yai, Koh Yao Noi and Koh Lanta. I will certainly be back to Krabi again, but hope it isn’t another 5 years until the next visit.

02 August 2023

After our travels around the province of Chiang Mai, we took the little Toyota Yaris further north, to tackle more mountains around Chiang Rai province, including the Golden Triangle. Chiang Rai, like Chiang Mai and many other places in Thailand, has a city within a province of the same name. Chiang Rai has always been popular with the Backpacker community as that journey, further north, away from the more commercialized and ‘Tourist’ friendly Chiang Mai. Chiang Rai is the gateway to the more hard-core jungle trekking, interactions with Hill-Tribe communities and routes to the more obscure border crossings in Burma (Myanmar) and Laos. One of the biggest attractions in Chiang Rai and a place we visited, is Wat Rong Khun, otherwise known as The White Temple. This is the most famous / well-known temple in Chiang Rai. It is definitely popular with those that love Instagram, especially when it glitters on a sunny day. The White Temple gets very busy and, as there is a charge to enter, the Temple receives a lot of revenue, which looks like it is spent on making Wat Rong Khun ever-more glitzy. Back in 2019, I went to another white temple in Nan province which is in the very north, a few hours east of Chiang Rai and close to the Lao border. That temple was a little less glitzy, mainly because not many tourists go there, although Nan is served by Air Asia flights from Bangkok. One of biggest attractions in Chiang Rai and another place we visited is the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle refers to the area where opium was densely grown in three countries: Thailand, Burma and Lao. This mountainous area covers approximately 950,000 square kilometres all in the shape of a triangle. The centre of this triangle lies at the borders of the 3 countries and where 2 rivers, the Mekong and the Ruak meet. In early times, gold was mainly used to trade opium. Opium was known as 'Black Gold' . Due to the tremendous amount of gold passing through, the region was proclaimed ' The Golden Triangle '. There is a really interesting Opium Museum here which is well worth a visit for just over £1. There is not much to see on the Burmese (Myanmar) side from this position and currently that border is closed, but the Lao side is completely the opposite. There is a massive amount of construction going on, largely financed by the Chinese, which includes a lot of hotels and casinos. Chiang Rai does also have a small airport so it is not solely accessible by buses or hard mountain driving, although to be fair, when you are not up a mountain, the roads are actually really good and in many places, look like 4 lane super highways. Chiang Rai is a destination for scenery and stunning temples and I have linked it previously with Chiang Mai and Nan via overland transfers. Road trips take a bit longer to get from A to B to C, but there is a lot to see along the way, especially when it is somewhere as beautiful as Northern Thailand.

02 August 2023

I have been to Chiang Mai a few times in the past, but on this visit, we were planning to base ourselves a couple of hours outside of the city, near a town called Fang, where some friends were from. We flew up from Bangkok with Air Asia and spent the arrival night in the city. I had been to the original Night Market before, but it now seems there are numerous night markets dotted around, giving lots of options for al fresco dining whilst enjoying some live music. The city, a previous Capital, is still centred around the ancient, square, city perimeter walls, so you never need to walk too far. Chiang Mai offers you easy access to the north and it is possible to book day tours, excursions and jungle treks, but our plan was to travel independently. The following morning, we headed back to the airport, which is very close to the main hotel area and only takes about 5 minutes. We picked up our rental car and were planning to take the GPS Sat Nav, but the lady at the desk advised that Google Maps on the phone is better, when in the mountains and to rely on that. One of the most famous and sacred temples in Chiang Mai province is just outside of the city, high up in the mountain at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. For the Thai people themselves, a visit to this temple is on most people’s bucket lists. The monastery was first established 1383 to enshrine a relic reputed to be a piece of bone from the shoulder of The Lord Buddha. The drive up is fairly steep and winding, so a bit of concentration is required. About half-way up the mountain there is a small temple connected to the main temple, which gives some information and history as to the significance and building of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Continuing up the mountain, you eventually come to a car park with some shops close by and some small eateries. Here, people with mobility issues can take a funicular lift up to the top where the temple is, but most people walk the 306 steps, as the ascent is intended to help devotees attain merit, the accumulation of good deeds in Buddhism. There is the temple at the top and numerous Buddha images, but the relic, the shoulder bone, is housed in the Chedi, which is the tall, gold structure in the middle of the site. Most people like to have a perfect photo here and to facilitate this, there are some photographers at the top, who will take your perfect photos, which you can collect when you have descended the steps back down to the bottom. After paying our respects, we set off for our destination, which was a couple of hours drive away, again, requiring lots of mountain driving, in a place called Chai Prakan near Fang in Chiang Mai province. This is off the beaten track a bit and not many tourists come here. Whilst there, we went to another temple in a village called Ban Tham near Chai Prakan. The temple is called Wat Ban Tham Tap Tao and is an ancient temple built in the caves with a large seated golden Buddha statue and a large golden reclining Buddha as well as an abundance of other Buddha statues in attendance and in other parts of the caves. You can walk, in theory, through the caves to a mountain called Chiang Dao but there are lots of bats, it can be wet and slippery, and not too much oxygen, so that walk is best left to locals and caving experts! The temple is amazing and it is a shame it is off the beaten track as not many tourists get to see this and I certainly never saw any. I was surprized to see this a stunning temple in such a small, rural location, but apparently it has been supported by the owners of Orange Farms that are quite common in this mountainous area. After several days of driving around the mountains, another day was like the day from hell! We drove up Doi Ang Khang near Fang, still in Chiang Mai province. It was 1 steep climb after another with 180 degree U-bends then another and another. It felt like it was never ending! My ears were popping like I was flying in a plane. The poor, inadequate, little Toyota Yaris struggled all the way up. It was an Automatic and hill gear was going up about 1 mph. I thought the car would die any minute, before, the inevitable roll backwards to oblivion. I have never been closer to a panic attack. I would suggest either avoiding that mountain, or make sure you have a decent car! Apparently, there are lovely views up Doi Ang Khang, but by the time I got up there, I was past caring! There is a Royal Agricultural Station up there which was the first research station set up by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1969, so it is a bit like our Eden Project, but without the Biomes. Chiang Mai offers so much and is well worth a visit, particularly if you want a contrast from the beaches in the south.

15 August 2023

This was my first time with Jet 2 and I was pleasantly surprized. The seat pitch was really good, allowing plenty of leg room from the seat in front, but the plane also seemed to be clean, bright and spacious with some nice mood lighting. Around Bristol airport and whilst sat on the plane, it was evident that Jet 2 owned the majority of their ground-handling operations as opposed to other airlines who were reliant on 3rd party suppliers and operators, certainly a benefit when you remember the array of airport strikes post-pandemic. We flew with Jet 2 from Bristol to Paphos, a flight that took nearly 5 hours, flying past Greece to land in Cyprus, north of Cairo, south of part of Turkey and just short of Syria and the Middle East. We arrived in the evening and our private transfer was waiting to whisk us away, 20 minutes to our hotel in Paphos. We were staying at Asimina Suites, which is the premium 5 star offering from Constantinou Bros, who also own Pioneer Beach, Athena Royal Beach and Athena Beach hotels. The check-in process was very efficient and relaxed and conducted in a lounge not far from Reception. We were served with some fizz and lovely canapes, whilst we were welcomed, formalities taken care of, and the resort and restaurant options were explained to us. Asimina Suites, as the name suggests, is an all-suite resort and we were lucky to have a One Bedroom Sea View and Sea-Facing suite. The Suite was lovely and very well appointed, with a large, comfortable lounge, gorgeous bedroom, and an enormous bathroom with a separate bath and walk-in shower and a vast array of complimentary toiletries. We were happy to see a welcome fruit platter and a bottle of red wine, which we polished off on our nice balcony under a full moon. Downstairs they do have a little shop, which stocks this house wine and Keo, the local beer, so if you are planning on relaxing in your suite or on your balcony, the little shop offers these products at very low prices, much cheaper than the menu. The breakfast on offer at Asimina Suites is unbelievable, there is so much choice and the quality is very high. You really need good willpower here, as it is very easy to over-indulge. For the evening, the hotel has a couple of A La Carte’ restaurants and a Buffet restaurant, but I would definitely recommend booking these before your arrival as they do get booked up well in advance. If the hotel restaurants are full, it is not the end of the world, as it is possible to stroll along the promenade to Paphos harbour where there are numerous restaurants, with many specialising in Seafood. The walk along the promenade is very easy as it is flat and well lit. Asimina Suites is almost at the end of the promenade, next to Pioneer Beach, so you do get to compare Asimina to the other resorts. Asimina Suites does compare very favourably and the higher quality beach and garden furniture is noticeable. Along the promenade there are a few beach club/bar establishments if you need refreshments during the walk, which takes about 45 minutes from Asimina Suites to the harbour. At the harbour, as well as the restaurants, there are shops and bars as well and it does seem to come alive in the evening. There are some old boats in the harbour and some that offer trips such as fishing and sightseeing and a yellow semi-submarine, which clearly doesn’t go completely underwater. Here you will also find the old Harbour Castle which was originally a Byzantine Fort built to protect the harbour, but has restored and rebuilt several times since. There a small entrance fee here, but when you get to the top it does offer some nice views of the surrounding area. For those that are interested in culture, there is a lot to see in Paphos. Just a short stroll from the Harbour Castle is the Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos, which is still under excavation. There is a little museum here and a video explaining the significance of the site, which includes the Paphos Mosaics, the House of Dionysus and the Forty Columns Fortress. It should also not be forgotten that Paphos is the birthplace of Aphrodite! There is also the Old Town which is up the hill above the harbour. This is also well worth a visit and has an array of traditional shops as well as those selling more modern souvenirs as well as cafés and restaurants. We did walk from the Old Town down to the Harbour, which took a bit longer than I envisaged, but was still ok, but there is also a good bus network locally and the taxis are not expensive. If you are planning to explore further than Paphos, then of course, car hire is a good option and it is good to know that they do drive on the correct side of the road! We went in October and experienced blazing sunshine and 30 degree temperatures so the good weather does extend well into the autumn. To be fair, Cyprus is popular in the winter as well and indeed, Constantinou Bros do offer tremendous bowling facilities in their 4 hotels and have held World Championships there. A lot of bowling clubs do take groups out there to play other teams, but if you are not keen on bowling, they have a lot of facilities and instructors for dancing. Paphos and Cyprus in general is a great destination for couples of all ages and families and I would certainly go back, and hopefully back to Asimina Suites.

22 March 2021

I have spent many years in Thailand since the 1980's with most of my time in South, Central and Eastern regions with a few visits to the North including Ching Mai twice and Nong Khai. During that time I have attended many Family, Community and Cultural events including my own Wedding. In 2019 we headed to the very North of Thailand to attend a family wedding and spend some time in Nan province. Nan is situated very close to the Laos border amongst the mountains and the jungle. I had several weeks in Laos in the 1990's but back then I entered from Vietnam through the Lao Bao border and exited from Vientiane across the Friendship Bridge in to Nong Khai. We flew direct from Bangkok's old international airport Don Mueang with Air Asia to Nan, whilst most of the family took a private coach for the 16 hour journey from Chanthaburi to Nan. Apparently they had a party on the coach and arrived a bit tired and the worst for wear. Weddings in Thailand normally start early with the Monks (usually 9) arriving around 6am to perform the ceremony for the happy couple, immediate family and any early risers. A couple of hours later there is a procession where guests carry trays of food, drinks and other offerings to the venue culminating in an explosion of fire crackers, deafening you and covering you in smoke and bits of red paper (the remnants of the fire crackers). We then enjoyed an abundance of delicious food, always prepared by the best cooks in the village and washed down with copious amounts of the preferred local tipple. After offering blessings to the happy couple it was then time to head back to our lodgings to lie down and recover. The following day we headed to the City of Nan to spend a few days exploring the highlights of the province and hired a minibus and driver to chauffeur us around. We stayed at the Namthong Nan Hotel which seemed to be situated in an area that was being commercially developed but it was adequate for our needs and close to where we wanted be with shops and temples within walking distance. If you wanted somewhere idyllic with wonderful views there would definitely be better options available. In the UK there are Churches everywhere you go and in Thailand there is a Temple (Wat) everywhere you go. Most Temples will be decorated with a good amount of gold leaf and paint as well as coloured glass and painted tiles so that they glitter in the sunlight and be seen from a good distance away. In the centre of Nan there are two Temples that are both absolutely stunning and no more than a couple of hundred yards from each other, but one is completely white and the other is completely gold. The White Temple is Wat Mingmuang and it distinguishes itself with the filigree ornaments in and outside the whole building and it is decorated with bas reliefs and sculptures depicting local festivities and prayers to Buddha. When the sun shines down on this stunning Temple it shimmers with a silver phosphorescence. Next to Wat Mingmuang is a quaint square which serves as a little night market. There are some street vendors here cooking some amazing fried chicken and sticky rice and others producing refreshing Mango Shakes and you can sit and enjoy these whilst listening to some local music. It was so nice we went back on consecutive nights. Just around the corner is the Gold Temple Wat Sri Panton (Wat Si Phan Don). This Temple may not appeal to the more traditional visitor who like temples to be peaceful and subdued and like Wat Mingmuang, it might not always appear in visitor itineraries, but there is no doubt that both are stunning. Wat Sri Panton grabs your attention with it's masterly facade and complex gilded carvings and when the sun is shining it produces a brilliant golden glow. For the traditionalists and Thai visitors to Nan the most popular and highly revered temple is Wat Phu Min. This temple is famous for it's hand-painted wall murals, particularly 'Poo Marn Yar Marn' (Whispering of Love') and the 'Mona Lisa of Thailand' as well as murals offering a glimpse of life in Thailand in centuries past. According to local legend, if you and your loved one wish for happiness together in front of the ‘Whispering of Love’, you will stay together forever. Another really interesting place that we visited was the museum and bamboo village at Wat Sri Mongkol which is located about 30 minutes away from the centre of Nan in the Tha Wang Pha district of Nan. This old temple is home to an interesting museum containing ancient Thai, Hill Tribe and Laos artefacts and showing how they used to live as well as agricultural practices with water Buffaloes and handicraft skills such as Weaving Frames. It is a very colourful place and great for photos. At the back of Wat Sri Mongkol, there is a small bamboo village in the rice fields. Nan is a stunningly vibrant and colourful destination which is very rich in culture and easily accessible by direct flight from Bangkok. Up to now, very few western tourists go there and as such it is off the beaten track. Instead travellers and tourists take the well-trodden path to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to the west. This will change quickly as people look for new experiences away from the crowds and tour operators begin to include Nan in their brochures and itineraries. I would recommend visiting Nan sooner rather later.

02 October 2018

I have spent many years living and working in Thailand. My wife is Thai, and our two daughters have also visited many times. A lot of our time is spent in Chanthaburi away from the tourist spots and in rural locations with family close by. I have been selling Elephant Hills for quite a while now, so felt it was important to have my own personal experience and I hoped also that my family would really have a 'WOW' time. I need not have worried! I knew from my daughter's reactions to the promotional videos they were looking forward to it and when we arrived they really did love every minute. We had a wonderful time! We opted for NS4, the four-day, three-night Nature Safari and I am so glad we did as each day was filled with amazing activities. If we had opted for a shorter tour we would have missed out on something. Elephant Hills organize the transfers and can pick up and drop off at the same location or can pick up in one place and drop off in another, which is what we did. The options include Koh Samui (including the ferry), Suratthani Town and Airport, Khao Lak, Krabi Beaches and Airport and Phuket Beaches and Airport. We were picked up at 7:30 am in Krabi for our transfer to Elephant Hills. The driver greeted us with an introductory itinerary as well as Elephant Hills branded bottles of water. We stopped at an ATM to get some cash as you need cash to pay for any drinks and souvenirs whilst at Elephant Hills. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our guide Kong who went over our itinerary and explained various procedures. We were each given an Elephant Hills 'jungle' shirt and then we had a couple of hours to relax before lunch. Our luggage was delivered to our luxury tents and collected prior to our departure. We had two tents and they really do have everything you need. You have furniture outside including lights and a fan. There is also a fan in the tent and another in the bathroom. Inside you have either twin or double beds, a clothes rack so you can hang shirts up, a wooden trunk, a dressing table and tea and coffee making facilities. Large water bottles are also provided. There is a safe located in the bathroom, where you have nice showers, proper flush toilets and a sink. Towels are provided as well as plenty of amenities. There are two plugs for shavers or toothbrushes and a hair dryer is provided. Plugs are two pin. The tents can be locked on the inside or outside with a padlock and you zip and close all windows and entrances or leave them open for the 'natural' experience. The windows and entrance have mesh and thick canvas, so you can keep out any mosquitos if you have the canvas flaps open. After lunch on the first day we were led down to the Sok riverbank where there were inflatable kayaks. Two guests would get in each kayak and the guide would gently paddle as you sat back and enjoyed the scenery. After about half an hour you transfer on to a truck which takes you to Elephant Camp. The elephants are roaming around quite freely and the make their way to nice natural pool where they can play in the water and cover themselves in mud. When they are sufficiently dirty they make their way to another area for a nice wash. The mahouts work it out so that each family has one Elephant to look after so there is no need to worry about missing out on your experience. With a hose pipe and a big bucket, you get to give the elephants a good clean and then rub the down with coconut husks which they really enjoy. Whoever is holding the hosepipe needs to have a good aim though, otherwise you can end up more wet than the elephant. When clean or when they elephants have had enough, they are led to another area for their afternoon snack. As they eat 250kgs of food per day this is just a tasty treat! There is a long table crammed full of food including bananas, pineapples and sugar cane. Each person, including children, have their own cleaver, basket and set amount of food and then you chop it up and when you are ready you take your basket of food and go and feed an elephant, roughly two people per elephant. The Elephant Camp experience is wonderful and certainly not rushed as you are there for a few hours. After heading back to Elephant Hills, you have about 90 minutes before the evening activities start. They have an informative movie at 6:30pm which might be about Elephants or nature in general and is followed by Thai Classical Dancing performed by children from local schools. This is very popular. This is followed by a cooking demonstration of a popular Thai dish and there is a different one each day. Once this is finished a buffet dinner is served. There is an abundance of food and you will certainly never go hungry here. After dinner we stayed in the restaurant area to make the most of the free Wi-Fi. Breakfast is served from 7am and announced by the banging of a very big gong. On the second day we taken via a local Thai market to an area called Takua Pa to explore the mangrove forest by boat. There is a lot of wildlife around here including big families of Macaques plus Mangrove snakes and Monitor lizards. The Banyan trees create a tunnel effect and it is really stunning. This was another highlight. From here the boat took us on to the river to board a Burmese Junk where lunch was freshly prepared for us. This was followed by the chance to take 2-person hard kayaks from the river to another area of Mangrove forest. That was a great experience to have with my 10-year-old daughter. My 12-year-old paired up with my wife and I think they had two left oars as they ended up stuck in the Banyan trees and getting towed back to the boat by our guide Kong! On the third day we headed to Cheow Larn Lake to board another Long Tail boat. This is a beautiful area and is very similar to Halong Bay in Vietnam which is on many people's bucket lists. After a little 'cruise' around the lake admiring the limestone rocks we carried on to Rainforest Camp which is floating on the lake. Here we enjoyed another lunch before swimming in the lake and then more Kayaking. We had a whole afternoon here, but guests on a Jungle Lake Safari would spend one night here. On the fourth day after breakfast we set off on a Rainforest Trek which is suitable for most people unless they have mobility issues. Here we enjoyed a lunch freshly prepared for us in the forest and a curry made with coconut milk sourced straight from the coconut! Elephant Hills is amazing, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

12 January 2019

When I travelled to Australia in 1988, I didn't stop off anywhere en-route. Other travellers kept saying I should have gone to Thailand, but I had never heard of Thailand. I had only heard of Siam through the musical and film 'The King and I'! On the way home, I booked a stop-over in Singapore and took a train up through the length of Malaysia and entered Thailand through its southern border near Hat Yai. Although Hat Yai is the biggest city in South Thailand, there were hardly any westerners to be seen. After 6 months speaking English in Australia, this was something totally different. And so, it started. From this day I would have a continuous connection with Thailand. After a one-night stop, I carried on to an island called Phuket. For some reason the word Koh (island) does not precede the name Phuket, but it does for every other island in the country. Maybe it is because Phuket is the biggest island and is linked to the mainland by a causeway. Phuket in the Andaman Sea had the wow factor with the beautiful Patong Beach (a bit more commercialized now) and the stunning scenery with limestone rocks everywhere you look. Think of James Bond Island in 'The Man with the Golden Gun'. I tore myself away from Phuket and headed for the Gulf of Thailand and specifically Suratthani Province and the beautiful Koh Samui. This time I was clearly going to an island as I had to board a ferry at Donsak Pier for the approximate 90-minute ferry journey and passed other smaller islands before arriving at the pier near Nathon. Koh Samui was clearly a lot less developed than Phuket. A simple concrete island ring road went one way or the other and I headed away from Nathon and to a place called 'The Little Mermaid' in Tongtakean Bay, just north of Lamai Beach on the East Coast. Hanging on to the back of a pick-up truck with the wind in my hair, I breathed the fresh air as we passed one unspoilt deserted beach after another whilst the heavily-laden coconut trees swayed in the breeze either side of me. I hired a motorbike and spent a month exploring Koh Samui, swimming at various waterfalls, including my favourite, Na Muang, visiting temples and discovering idyllic little beaches where you can crack open a coconut on a rock for a free drink. On 12th April I started the journey back to Phuket before heading to Singapore for my flight home. After travelling for most of the day I had a shower before getting dressed and heading out for the evening. After stepping out of my 'bungalow' door I had barely walked half a dozen paces before a young lady ran up and threw a small bucket of water over me. I was soaked and a bit miffed. I soon discovered it was Songkran, which is Buddhist and Thai New Year, the best time of the year in Thailand. Young people celebrate with a water festival, where they basically drench everyone they see for 3 days but it is good natured and by pouring water on you they are actually wishing you a Happy New Year! I joined in with this many times over the years. People will also pour some water on their elders and family members to bless them and wish them good luck. I returned to Cornwall with the intention of working the summer season in Padstow before heading back out to Thailand in November. I headed to Lamai in Koh Samui as it had a great beach and was not too big that I couldn't walk around it and there wasn't too much concrete, unlike Chaweng which was more spread out. I was looking for something to do which would enable me to stay there and opened a small bar and café. I kept this business for a couple of years, but I was yearning for a more traditional and cultural experience. My best friend from Padstow had settled on Koh Phangan which is the sister island to Koh Samui and only 12KMs away at the closest point. We rented an 'office' in an area called Baan Khai. The office consisted of one large room at the front, with a bedroom and kitchen area at the back and an adjacent Thai-style bathroom outside. The beach was literally 20 metres in front of the office and the road from the main town Thong Sala ended in front of the office. Travellers would jump off the pick-ups/taxis and some would climb in to Long-Tail boats to carry on to Haad Rin, the home of the notorious Full Moon Party. Soon we bought a 'mobile' telephone. This was in the early 1990's and before government telephone lines had been introduced to Koh Phangan. The phone came in a big, black bag and consisted of a large battery with the phone handset sitting on top. In order to receive a signal from the mainland we had a 50ft aerial on top of the roof! The phone and installation cost £2500 and it was the only phone for 5kms in any direction. We provided a service for the locals so that they could make domestic calls in Thailand and we provided a service for the tourists and travellers so that they could make International calls back home to their friends and families and reverse charge/collect calls which were very popular with young people! Once we had the phone, we were then able to open as a travel agent. Again, it was a service for the travellers and did not involve any flights. We just sold trains, ferries and buses linking the main tourist destinations within Thailand but including Malaysia and Singapore. This was a great life, sitting in the office wearing just a pair of shorts on a beautiful, unspoilt island in the Gulf of Thailand. We had this business for several years, but gradually islands develop, roads get built and telephone lines are introduced. I also had a plan to travel to Java in Indonesia to import Batik paintings and Sarongs and supply beach shops back home in Cornwall. Back in the mid-90s not too many people knew what a sarong was! I also had a plan to work in Regents Street in London for a large independent travel company as a Far East Specialist which I did for 4 years before returning to Cornwall and starting my business with Travel Counsellors in January 2005. Before starting the job in London I had lived and worked in Thailand for 7 years and also travelled extensively around South East Asia including Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and India. I have been married to a Thai for 17 years now and these days spend a lot of time in Chanthaburi. Thailand is a second home to me and having spent a lot of time living in Thai communities as opposed to staying if hotels, I speak Thai and have good knowledge of the culture and geography.

06 September 2017

We rented a villa in Marbella as there were 9 of us including 5 youngsters of various ages, but I have previously stayed in a hotel in central Marbella. There is a really long promenade in Marbella running parallel with Playa Casablanca which is great for a nice walk and along here there are quite a few restaurants and bars of various sizes and styles. On the beach, there are plenty of loungers and parasols for hire and also down here a few bar and restaurants. Around sunset, these places start gearing up for the evening and the music and dancing starts. It is not too loud and lively and there is a bit of an Andalusian vibe. There are some hotels directly overlooking the beach and others set back close to the main road. From the main road there are a number of small residential roads that drop down towards the beach so, if walking, you can access the promenade and beach this way. Similarly, if you have a vehicle like we did, you can park up near the road and walk down or you can drive down these roads towards the beach and if you are lucky you might find a parking space. There is actually a Lidl Store here and a Spanish supermarket across the road that sells absolutely everything. If you want a change from the beach and fancy a water park then Aqualand is a good choice. It is actually closer to Torremolinos than Marbella but it is the biggest water park in the Costa Del Sol, so If you don't have transport you could get a taxi there. Aqualand has an abundance of rides and slides and really does cater very well for all ages and all levels of adrenalin rush seekers. If you want to go to another beach Puerto Banus is just around the corner from Marbella. If driving, there are parking spaces if you are lucky to find one, otherwise there is a big underground car park. You can also get here via public transport or taxi. The beach here is really wide and if I'm honest I probably prefer it to Playa Casablanca in Marbella. There is a decent size supermarket if you want to stock up for the beach and there are a few shops if you want to buy a few presents and souvenirs, but other than that, Puerto Banus is famous as a rich man's playground. Amongst the designer label shops like Gucci and Dolce and Gabanna, there are a few bars, restaurants and ice cream parlors and this is the perfect place for Super Car watching. Everywhere you look there is a Rolls Royce or a Bentley, a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, a Maserati or a McLaren. When you have finished looking at cars you can have a look in the Marina! Some of the Super Yachts are amazing and when I was there the biggest was the Lady Haya which apparently is worth £50 million. If you like your food and seek a nice Paella there is a restaurant in Marbella called Paella's Y Mas. This place gets busy and if you want to sit outside on the large terrace you really do need to book in advance. If you want to be a bit adventurous then you could head to Gibraltar for the day or Cadiz that are really not that far or going in the other direction for some amazing culture there is Alhambra Palace in Grenada but you do really need to book tickets early for that to avoid disappointment. The Costa Del Sol has a wonderful climate and so much to offer for an adult or family holiday and is really easy to get to with a vast choice of flights into Malaga from almost all regional airports. I would certainly go back again.

06 September 2017

Krakow in the center of Europe is an easily accessible destination from regional airports with a short flight duration of approximately 2 hours. I went on a Stag Trip and admittedly it is a very popular destination for both Stag and Hen parties, but Krakow offers so much more than that. I went for 3 nights but you could easily spend a week or two there. In terms of central Krakow, Rynek Glowny dates from the 13th Century and is Europe's largest Medieval Grand Square (wrongly translated as Market Square). Architecturally it is very impressive everywhere you look and includes St Mary's Basilica and the Renaissance Cloth Hall. Around the Square, there is an abundance of hotels, shops, restaurants, bars and clubs and it is certainly busy in the evening. It looks really nice in the day time but it is stunning in the evening when it is lit up and the with the night market and food stalls in the middle and horse-drawn carriages lined up waiting for customers. There are lots of streets branching off from the Square so it is easy to take a wrong turn, but the whole area is surrounded by Planty Park with a ring road circling the park, so it is easy just to walk and get back to where you want to be. The trams that whiz around this ring road are good for hopping on and off but they do also have little buggy style cars for the tourists as well as normal taxis. Away from the Grand Square, the Old Jewish Quarter is also very popular. It is much more relaxed here, a bit more peaceful and a good place for a quiet breakfast or lunch. Prices here seem to be lower than the tourist hub of the Grand Square, but there are also lots of bars and restaurants here so it comes alive in the evening. There are a few Vodka Bars dotted around and these are excellent, with a menu of shots of various vodkas, spices, and other ingredients and quite cheap too. This was a real experience and education as I didn't even know I liked vodka! In terms of accommodation, there are good options for all budgets ranging from the standard apartments, which are actually very good, to the 4 and 5-star hotels. Similarly, there are fast food outlets available and the traditional dumpling restaurants as well as some really smart establishments. We went to a very nice restaurant called The Black Duck and I can highly recommend that, especially if you like Duck! A trip to Krakow would normally include a visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau which is not for the faint-hearted. Being in a place where so many people suffered and were exterminated is a disturbing experience as is the realization of the massive scale of the place. The Memorial is approximately 1 hour from Krakow and takes about 7 hours in total. The weekends are very busy so I recommend booking this in advance to avoid disappointment. It is possible to book locally through local agents but they all offer different times, some will have availability and some won't and the prices do vary quite a bit. Another place connected with World War II which attracts a lot of visitors is Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory immortalized in 1993 by Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List. This is located 3km South East of Krakow's Old Town historical center so only a short drive and the tour should take no more than 3 hours. For a lot of people, the highlight of a visit to Krakow is going to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The rock salt here has been mined since the 13th century and is spread over nine levels with 300km of tunnels, galleries, altars, and statues sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past of a major industrial site. This tour would normally take about 4 hours. Sometimes people combine it with the Auschwitz and Birkenau tour but that does then make for a very long day. For those seeking some peace and tranquility, Dunajec River Rafting takes you through the amazing scenery of the Polish Highlands, mighty limestone cliffs and stunning native vegetation protected by the second oldest national park in the world. Including transport by bus, this usually takes about 8 hours. If an adrenalin rush is called for then options include White Water Rafting on a man-made course or a visit to the shooting range. I really liked Krakow and would definitely recommend it as either a short break or a longer holiday for either a group, a family or couples. When I went in May it was really hot, but temperatures would drop a lot in the winter so maybe not so good for enjoying the Grand Square and the tours, though the Winter / Christmas Markets are also very popular.

11 September 2017

We travelled to Hua Hin from Chanthaburi as an extended family of about 15 people and rented a house close to the beach. There is a long dual carriage-way called Phetkasem Road that runs parallel to the beach and spreads out from the centre. At regular intervals Sois (side streets), branch off from this road and there is an abundance of top hotels and smaller properties depending on budget and preference. Although the hotels are very spread out, it is not a problem as the little Tuk Tuk taxis are whizzing up and down the road day and night and can easily be flagged down. There are plenty of shops but there is also a good night market if you are looking for souvenirs or perhaps some tasty street food. There is a bar scene in Hua Hin but it is not of the flashing neon light variety that you might find in Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya and nothing that would shock a young family. The bars are spread around 3 or 4 Sois and tend not to be that big, though there are a few that have a number of pool tables often for rent by the hour. Some of the bars are fairly quiet and laid back and good for watching the world go by. There are also a few bars that have a bit more of a trendy music scene and whilst they are also fairly small they can be busy. There are plenty of restaurants around here as well as a few fast food outlets. One night I went out with my wife, brother-in-law and nephew and the nephew had phoned to order a Tuk Tuk in advance. When it turned up I realised why he had phoned up for this particular Tuk Tuk. The driver was a fun guy. He had a music system blasting out some funky Thai music and half a dozen disco lights flashing. This Tuk Tuk made quite an impression as the driver weaved his way around the Sois where the bars were. The following night we booked this driver to collect all of the children and younger members of our family and take them all for a little tour with his lights flashing and music blaring out. They all had a great time. There is quite a lot to do in and around Hua Hin. Whereas some of the beaches and islands in the south might be particularly good for diving, Hua Hin has quite a big Windsurfing and Kitesurfing scene. There are also three fairly decent-sized water parks close by. We went to one called Santorini Water Park, which as the name suggests, has a bit of a Greek theme. There were quite a few slides and rides, certainly thrilling enough for me and my daughters and they also offer accommodation and a fun park close by. There is a Floating Market near Hua Hin called Sam Phan Nam but this should not be confused with Damnoen Saduak Floating Market that you will see photos of in brochures and guide books. The Floating Market at Sam Phan Nam is more of a shopping venue consisting of lots of little shops, built on stilts around a lake. It is good for souvenirs and some food products. One Temple that should not be missed is Wat Huay Mongkol, 15km west of Hua Hin. Here on a raised platform reached by about 30 steps there is an enormous statue of a greatly revered Monk called Luang Thor Thuad. Each year there is a ceremony where the statue is dressed with an enormous length of Saffron coloured material the same as the monks wear. Before the statue is dressed, worshippers have the opportunity to write on the robe before making a donation to the temple. This is for good luck and to 'make merit'. Either side of the statue are two huge, three headed, wooden elephants and it is supposed to be lucky to walk under the elephant's belly and around the elephants three times. Also here is another impressive statue, this one of King Taksin the Great on horseback. In the Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan is a place called Ratchapakdi Park. This place has a parade ground which is used for ceremonial occasions particularly involving the military. This is a fairly new attraction because it was only in 2015 that the Army finished installing the seven giant statues of famous Thai kings. After leaving Hua Hin we stopped off to visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market which I mentioned above. A lot of people will do this as a full day tour from Bangkok which can be quite pricey, particularly if there are several people in a group or family. It is possible to do what we did and just turn up. There is a little booking office where you can hire your own private long tail boat and the 'driver' will take you all around the klongs (canals) stopping off at whichever shops you are interested in. You can find all of your presents and souvenirs here, but it is important to haggle or you will pay well over the odds. As a guide, if the seller asks for 100 Baht pay them 50 Baht. There are other boats in the water selling produce, including food and drink to keep you refreshed as you make your way around the market. I had some coconut ice cream that was particularly nice. It is important to remember though that the market doesn't stay open all day. By early afternoon all of the shopkeepers that operate around the klongs will have closed up and gone home, so it is good to get there early. Something that made me sit up and take notice was a long tail sticking out of a large pipe close to where our boat was passing by. It did look a bit like a crocodile's tail, but when the creature slithered backwards out of the pipe and landed in the water it was clearly just a big Monitor Lizard. We had a good time visiting these places and I would say they would appeal to couples or families.

17 October 2016

I flew out to Mauritius with Emirates Airline on the Airbus A380 with a transit in Dubai in both directions. I was very fortunate to fly Business Class all the way to Mauritius whilst for the return it was Economy to Dubai and then Business Class from Dubai back to London. It was a real treat and the bar at the rear of Business Class and the Lie Flat beds were wonderful. I was also impressed with the Economy cabin and service. Upon arrival in Mauritius I was transferred in about 1 hour to Le Morne, a peninsula in the South West of the Island, where Beachcomber's 5 Star Paradis Golf Resort & Spa can be found. I stayed in a Junior Suite Beachfront room on Half Board. The suite had an enormous bathroom/dressing room with a bath and walk-in shower and double sinks. The bedroom had a large double bed with some enormous pillows and a mini-bar with tea & coffee making facilities and some furniture to relax in. The balcony was also very large and contained a comfortable relaxing chair, a large sofa and table and a couple of chairs with another table. The balcony directly overlooked the beach and each suite has it's own beach furniture and loungers so people putting towels on loungers is not an issue. Paradis and it's sister hotel Dinarobin each have 4 restaurants and a number of bars and guests are able to dine in any of them. I did an inspection of Dinarobin and ate 1 lunch and 2 dinners in some of the restaurants. Dinarobin also has some very private 4 Bedroom Villas which would be ideal for a large or extended family. The properties are side by side and linked by the Golf course which is beautiful in itself. Both have their own Spas and Watersports centres. I used the Kayaks a couple of times but their were lots of options including Water-Skiing, Surf Boards, Windsurfers, Paddle Boards and Paddle Boats. The beach is very clean partly because of the outer reef but also because the staff clean the beach every day. The water is also very clear and a nice refreshing temperature. The sunset is also directly in front of the beach. You do see a lot of people riding bicycles of all sizes and styles and all ages are accommodated, from small child to adult and I did hire one myself for 1 hour. I did a circuit of the 2 resorts and went on to the main road to see the Slave Memorial which is close to the entrance to Dinarobin. This memorial is to some slaves who had escaped and ran up in to the mountain to hide. When slavery was abolished in Mauritius some Missionaries went up the mountain to tell the escaped slaves that everything was ok and they could come back down, but they didn't believe them and instead committed suicide by throwing themselves off the mountain. A very sad story. There are also 6 nice tennis courts at Paradis in the Sports Centre as well as Table Tennis and the Gym. Paradis is an immaculate resort and clearly every effort is made daily to maintain it's appearance and the general service within the resort is very friendly and efficient. One afternoon we took a speedboat which ferried us at wonderful speed over the reef to a Catamaran which was waiting to take us on a Sunset Cruise for approximately 4 hours. The crew were very entertaining and kept us regularly fed and watered with a selection of drinks and some great food from the on-board BBQ. One day we headed off to Casela Nature and Leisure Park. They do have a Safari and it is possible to have an interaction with Lions but to be honest this is more like a group of people with sticks standing around a lion and touching it! Some of our party did the Zip Wire and evidently had a great time. I opted to do the Quad Bike Safari and had an absolute blast. We zoomed around in convoy through lots of mud and little rivers and bounced over rocks and boulders and to be honest we covered a lot more ground than the Safari in the trucks we had been on earlier. Also, because we went further afield we saw a lot more animals including great herds of Zebra, Impala, and some kind of Dear as well as lots of Giant Turtles and Ostriches. I came back all splashed in mud, but it really was great fun and a new experience for me. On another day we went in to the Capital Port Louis where there are lots of shops and markets. I managed to get a few presents and in the markets and I would advise it might be a good idea to haggle a little bit. You do see a few familiar business names there including a couple of branches or Barclays Bank. After a couple of hours we made our way to the Lambic Restaurant and Bar which prides itself on being a Beer lovers haven. There are imported bottled beers from all over the world plus I did see Fuller's London Pride on draught. They do have their Flying Dodo Brewing Company so I did sample a couple of their own brew and it was indeed very tasty and refreshing. Lambic did seem to be a popular venue at lunchtime and no doubt popular in the evening too. Mauritius is a year-round destination but the weather can vary day to day depending where you are on the island. At Paradis in Le Morne we only really had a light shower once or twice and it was sunny the rest of the time. I really did not notice any Mosquitos and certainly never got stung and there wasn't any noticeable humidity either. There was a nice breeze there which was refreshing, not cold and not hot and the strength of the breeze may be why it is a popular place for Kite Surfers and Windsurfers. It seems that everyone speaks fluent English and French so communication is never a problem there. It is a very popular destination for Honeymooners but caters very well for couples and families alike. I had an absolutely fantastic time there and would love to return again one day.

14 October 2016

We flew direct from Gatwick to Alesund with Norwegian Air and with only a 2 hour flight and 1 hour time difference it was not at all tiring, plus the departure/arrival times in both directions were very civilised. Luckily we have family who have a large house overlooking the Fjord, so we stayed with them, but there are several hotel possibilities in the centre of Alesund and others further a field. We stood on the balcony looking at the snow-capped mountains and watching cruise ships sail past only 200 metres away every day which was really nice. Alesund is regularly voted the most beautiful place in Norway and this is partly due to the scenery but also because there are lots of islands all joined together by tunnels and bridges so it looks like the Fjord meanders through all of the buildings in various parts of Alesund. Also, Alesund suffered a massive fire about 100 years ago which destroyed nearly all of the houses so builders and architects flooded in to Alesund to help rebuild the town and created a splendid variety of Art Nouveau style buildings in lots of colours. There is a wonderful observation point high up overlooking Alesund with a cafeteria and telescopes so you can really get a good view and you have the choice of climbing the 418 steps or driving. After climbing a mountain a few days earlier we decided to take the car. Interestingly, facing out to sea you can also see here the remains of very strong World War Two German bunkers and look-out posts which would have been used to watch for our Royal Navy. Another day we visited the excellent Atlanterhavsparken Aquarium which also offers a range of activities for children as well as the chance to see feeding time for the Penguins and Seals. We also went to the Sunnmore Museum which is opposite Alesund and includes cultural history exhibitions, various boats including a Viking Ship from around 650AD and Medieval Age Museum. It is worth noting that on Wednesdays during the summer holidays there are lots of activities for the young and old including cooking Viking food, which did actually taste good. There are several car hire companies represented in Alesund for those confident driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. I collected a vehicle in town, but it is also possible to pick-up at the airport. Probably the highlight of our holiday was the visit to Geiranger Fjord, The drive took probably a couple of hours, often through mountain tunnels and on roads that wind up and down the mountain but the view from the top of the mountain as you approach Geiranger Fjord is breath-taking and it is a popular stop for the cruise ships. Once in Geiranger Fjord you can rent boats of various sizes, which is what we did. We then sailed (motored) around the Fjord and got close-up to several of the waterfalls including Dei Sju Systre or The Seven Sisters. It is nice to see the Fjord from a small boat as it gives you a different perspective. There are lots of hotels and guesthouses at Geiranger Fjord and it also popular for those camping or driving motor homes. There are also a number of eating establishments as well as a supermarket and tourist shops. In the old days Norwegians lived in some mostly inaccessible areas around Geiranger Fjord in order to avoid the taxman and used rope ladders and very thin paths up the side of the mountain. Some of these paths are used now by adventurous types and there is the 'comfort' of having a rope that you can cling on to! Around here you can't fail to notice that on doors entering shops and other establishments they have signs indicating 'No Trolls Allowed'! Maybe they had a problem with Trolls before. After leaving Geiranger Fjord we then headed for the aptly named Trollstigen (The Trolls Ladder) which is an impressive road which snakes its way around 11 hairpin bends along steep mountainsides flanked by snow and cascading waterfalls. There are various viewpoints along the way. It is very high and if driving, low gears are a Must! It takes some concentration as buses also try and squeeze their way around these bends, but the views are spectacular. I would love to go back in the winter for the full snow effect and also to see The Northern Lights.

04 January 2013

We drove up to Ashford in Kent and stayed at the Premier Inn Ashford North on the night before our departure. Like all hotels in Ashford, the Premier Inn offers one week free car parking for guests travelling to Disneyland Paris so we booked a taxi in the morning and took advantage of Premier Inn breakfast offer where children eat for free. I thought this would set us all up for the long day ahead. At the time of travel my daughters were four and six years old and had been looking forward to Disneyland for nine months so they were very excited. We checked in for the Eurostar one hour before departure, but this time soon passed, as we were able to pick up our park tickets, maps, programs and a goody bag each for the girls from the Disneyland Express Luggage Desk. The Eurostar journey was very smooth and quick. We left Ashford at approximately 11am; the journey took two hours, so with France being one hour ahead of the UK we arrived in to Marne-la-Valle's, Disneyland Paris at approximately 2pm. We opted to leave our luggage at the Express Luggage Desk to be transferred directly to our hotel and we proceeded straight in to the parks which are literally 50 metres from the train station. After using the maps and program to plan our assault on the parks we decided to spend this first half day in the Walt Disney Studios Park, then a full day in the Disneyland Park, then Walt Disney Studios Park on the third day and Disneyland Park again on the fourth day. We managed to complete about half of that first park that afternoon, getting used to the Fastpasses and seeing which rides and attractions had the biggest queues, before heading to The Sequoia Lodge Hotel. We could have walked there comfortably in about five minutes, but by this stage the children were tired so we took the shuttle bus which probably took longer! Upon checking-in we booked our breakfast times then proceeded to the concierge to book the 'all you can eat' buffet for that evening. The queues are always really long for the restaurants so it’s a good idea to head for them slightly earlier than your designated time. We found that throughout our stay there were always different Disney characters visiting the hotel which provided lots of excellent photo opportunities for the children. Similarly there are also plenty of photo opportunities in the Parks throughout the day as well. We had thought of booking lunch with a Princess, but this would have used up a whole afternoon and you don't know which Princess the children will meet. Instead we queued for the Princess Pavilion where you have a royal meet and greet with a Disney Princess. Admittedly, we queued for 60-90 minutes but when it was our daughter's turn to meet Cinderella the audience seemed to go on for ages, a good 5-10 minutes and my girls and Cinderella were engrossed in conversation with each other, providing more excellent photo opportunities. I would recommend going to the Princess Pavilion early to avoid the long queue rather than going there when the long queues have already formed. We found similar queues at Meet Mickey Mouse, so the same applies there. The other really long queue we encountered was for Moteurs...Action which is a stunt show spectacular. Although it took a long time, they did seem to fit everyone in to the grandstand. There are several parades throughout each day that are really exciting for the children, hence we did see some of them more than once with the Disney Dreams laser show on the Princess Castle in the evening a spectacular show. For all of the parades it is advisable to get a good position 30 minutes before they start. I think my particular favourites were the Pirates of the Caribbean underground cruise and "It's a small world". On the last morning we were able to hand our luggage to the Bellboy at the hotel and proceed straight to the Parks, then in the afternoon we went straight to the train station where we collected our luggage before boarding the train at 6pm. Throughout our stay the girls never once complained about being tired, though they definitely were and seeing the looks on their faces as they screamed at all of their favourite Disney characters was really wonderful. We definitely intend to return for another visit in a few years.

06 October 2011

Having won a prize trip to Barbados in sales competition, my team at Travel Counsellors set off from Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic Airways and headed for the Caribbean. After 7 months playing "whoa! I'm going to Barbados" on YouTube, I was now on my way. After being met by our ground handlers, St. James, they whisked us off to Paynes Bay and The Tamarind where a cool cocktail awaited us. No sooner had we checked in and entered our rooms a member of the bar staff skipped in with an ice bucket and a bottle of champagne. We sat on the balcony of our Junior Ocean View Suite and relaxed. The management at the hotel laid on a welcome party for us that evening and a wonderful time was had by all. In the morning we visited The Colony Club which is Elegant Hotels’ beautiful colonial style hotel, awarded the AAA 4 Diamond Award for 2010, and inspected the stunning rooms before settling down for a leisurely lunch. In the evening we headed for Oistins where the fish catches that day are grilled and the food courts and bars create a party atmosphere. I had swordfish and very nice it was too. We returned to The Tamarind and then a small group of us proceeded to Holetown and stumbled upon Lexys Piano Bar on 2nd Street. The Piano man Michael was absolutely brilliant and we sang with gusto until 2am when it was time to return to The Tamarind in preparation for an early start. Beautiful sunshine greeted us in the morning as we headed for Shallow Draught to board our Catamaran Cruise. We had a wonderful time sunbathing on the nets, drinking Mount Gay rum and swimming with the turtles and all returned to The Tamarind a different colour to how we left. In the evening we took the rest of our party back to Lexys in Holetown and also sampled the street karaoke. It was an unusual set-up - it was at a cross roads at the end of 1st Street in Holetown and looked like someone had put a Karaoke machine outside their veranda and stocked their fridge full of beer. All the locals were shuffling around in the shadows on all of the corners of the crossroads and everyone was drinking and dancing as brave souls sang melancholy songs to their intended sweethearts. In the morning we all went on Island Safari in 4 x 4 Land Rovers. Our entertaining driver and guide Johnson took us off the beaten track to various parts of the Island including one of the few places in the world where you can actually roll uphill in neutral. Not sure how that works, but it was impressive. We had lots of rum punch at various refuelling stops and returned for an afternoon at leisure and dinner at The Tamarind. The following morning we visited another of Elegant Hotel's properties, the all inclusive Crystal Cove Hotel where we inspected the hotel before another leisurely lunch and some more sunbathing. We then proceeded back to The Tamarind for some more relaxation before heading to the premium all inclusive, all suite, Turtle Beach Resort. After a short site inspection we attended the Managers Cocktail Party before dinner at Asiagos, the onsite Zagat rated Italian restaurant. On the way back we stopped off at a few bars in nearby St Lawrence Gap and after a few 'happy hours' returned to The Tamarind. The next morning we headed for Silver Sands beach and the Deaction centre for some surfing lessons from the famous Bajan watersports fanatic Brian Talma and his assistant Full Moon. After some more swordfish and Banks beer we had a conch blowing competition. That evening we assembled at The House, which is Elegant Hotel's smaller, more intimate property where we inspected the hotel before having cocktails on the deck and then a dinner hosted by the CEO of Elegant hotels at the Groups famous restaurant Daphne's and sampled its fine Italian menu popular at its London counterpart. On our last morning we took a tour to Harrison's Cave, which is the number one tourist attraction in Barbados with its crystallised limestone cavern 160 foot underground. We then returned to The Tamarind before catching our flights back to London. We had a brilliant time and the Bajan people are really friendly and funny. I hope to return again with my family one day.

11 September 2017

Chanthaburi is a province by the Gulf of Thailand that borders Trat and is close to the Cambodian border. It is very fertile and famous for its fruit, particularly Durian – the ‘king of fruits’, Mangosteen – the ‘queen of fruits’ and Rambutan and is known as the 'Orchard of Thailand'. The importance of fruit to Chanthaburi is recognised in the decorative street signs that can be seen in and around the Chanthaboon old town area. The signs also depict the rabbit emblem of Chanthaburi. The name Chanthaburi translates as ‘moon city’. In Thai folklore there are stories about the ‘Rabbit on the Moon’ because if you look closely at a full moon, you may be able to make out the outline of something which looks similar to a rabbit or white hare. With Chanthaburi being the ‘moon city’ the rabbit has been adopted as an emblem of the province and appears on some street signs. Chanthaburi is also famous for its gems and Chanthaburi Rubies in particular, are of a very high quality. A lot of buyers come to Chanthaburi because of this and there is a big gems market in Chanthaburi city. You do need to be careful though, as unscrupulous dealers might be tempted to sell you a piece of coloured glass, whilst claiming it to be a ruby, emerald or sapphire! My wife is from Chanthaburi so we do spend a lot of time here with the family and this was the case on our recent visit. We were based in Tha Mai District and from there, set off on day trips and also went to Koh Chang for a few days. On a couple of occasions, we went to the local beaches with Laem Sing and the slightly smaller Ao Yang the most popular. These are Thai style beaches backed by lots of restaurants which stretch from the road to the trees which offer the locals some shade at the edge of the beach. The Thais go to these beaches to eat seafood in a cool setting rather than to sunbathe, but there are deck chairs and tables available and you can hire canoes to paddle out to nearby islands. Wind-surfing and Kite-surfing are also very popular sports for the locals. You don't see too many westerners here but there are lots of hotels and bungalows of various sizes sprouting up and I checked out nearly all of these when searching for availability for a few days for my family. The local government are in the process of building promenades with nice street lighting and it is clear that this is an up-and coming destination which to date, does not really feature in travel brochures. There are a number of waterfalls and national parks nearby and on another day we went to a favourite of ours which is Nam Tok Phlio National Park (Nam Tok means waterfall). We drove a little way up the mountain before entering the National Park. Not too far from the entrance is a picnic area where you can relax and there is a really nice pool area between rapids, where we swam amongst all the thousands of carp that are there. The fish just swim around you, you can buy some green shoot type food and if you hold it in the water by your legs you will see a feeding frenzy take place around you. There is also a moss-covered Chedi here which is also very popular. We went to my favourite temple in the area called Wat Khao Sukim. It is a stunning temple and museum perched on the top of a very big hill which affords stunning views over Chanthaburi. To reach the temple we had to park the car then sit in little carts which are winched up the side of the hill about 100 metres on tracks. The majority of temples you see in Thailand are decorated with lots of gold and occasionally coloured glass and sometimes they might be completely white, like 2 temples I went to in Nan province and Chiang Rai province. In Chanthaburi there is an enormous temple that is actually blue and white with thousands of ornate tiles, called Wat Pak Nam Khaem Nu. The temple is really stunning and great to visit, especially as it is so different to any other temple you are likely to come across. Like most other provinces in Thailand, you normally only see Buddhist temples (Wat), though there are some Mosques in the far south. A striking landmark here in Chanthaburi is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, built on the site of a former Catholic church, which was actually established by some Vietnamese migrants. It took a few years to build, with the foundation stone laid in 1906 and eventually received Cathedral status in 1944. The Cathedral is well worth a visit and is quite stunning. Koh Chang is an Island in Trat province and we decided to spend a few days there. We hired a mini bus to take us from Chanthaburi to Koh Chang and it took just over an hour to get to the Car Ferry Port and within 10 minutes we were on the ferry. It only took about half an hour for the ferry to get to Koh Chang so we were soon back on the minibus. We headed for White Sand Beach because I have two small daughters and wanted things like supermarkets and restaurants to be easily accessible and there was certainly plenty of everything along the road parallel to White Sand Beach. The beach was very clean and the water was very calm. Even walking out up to my chin I could still see clearly the sea bed and my girls delighted in chasing the schools of fish swimming close to the water’s edge. We have now been to Koh Chang a few times and even after a storm the night before, it still seems to be clean and calm the following morning! They loved Koh Chang and we shall definitely return again. Koh Chang is also the gateway to a few more neighbouring islands such as Ko Mak and Koh Kood, which remain fairly quiet except for a few small resorts and a couple 5 star hotels. Not too many tourists come to Koh Chang, so if you are looking for somewhere a bit different to the beaches and islands in the south, this is an excellent alternative. These islands also give you easy access to Cambodia, as Cambodia has her own islands next to the Thai islands.

20 June 2018

Whilst working for a travel company in London, I was offered the chance to visit The Seychelles on a familiarisation trip. I had been offered trips before but had declined them for one reason or another but as soon as The Seychelles was mentioned I said "Yes please". I met up with my travel companions at Heathrow and we flew direct with Air Seychelles landing at the airport on Mahe' on a beautiful sunny morning. We had flown in Coral Class (economy) which was very comfortable and luckily there were a few spare seats so I was able to spread out and sleep, so arrived in Mahe' reasonably fresh. The other cabin class on Air Seychelles is Pearl Class (business). Very soon after landing we transferred on to a much smaller aircraft; the kind that has propellers and you can lean forward in your seat and touch the pilot. An aircraft that small was a new experience for me, but a wonderful way to fly between islands and after enjoying the view for 45 minutes we landed on a grass runway on Denis Island. Denis is a stunning, one resort, privately owned island with only 25 Deluxe Bungalows on the island. Each has its own section of beach and furniture so is very private and perfect for honeymooners. The beds were 4 posters with net curtains and the bathrooms had a large bath, indoor showers and outdoor showers. The chefs cooked our breakfast to order and the resort operated a 21 day rotating menu so we never saw the same meals twice. Denis is home to some giant turtles which are approximately 150 years old and weigh up to 500kg and we passed these going to and from the landing strip. Waiting for our flight out of Denis was another highlight, in that some of the resort staff have to don their yellow firemen's helmets and provide emergency assistance for the airplanes. At the time they had a little tractor pulling a cart with a hosepipe and all of the island's vehicles were numbered, e.g. Denis Island 1, Denis Island 2 and so on. It reminded me of the Thunderbirds and the Thunderbirds Movie has since been filmed on North Island. The firecrew were excited as they were awaiting delivery of a new Land Rover to replace the little tractor. From Denis we flew to Praslin Island, the second largest after Mahe' and stayed at a beautiful 5 star resort called Lemuria. The entrance took us through 15 foot tall wooden doors, behind which staff and management were lined up to greet us and they were standing beside an infinity pool that looked out towards the ocean. We got a real WOW feeling from our arrival and then proceeded by buggy to our suites which overlooked the only golf course in The Seychelles and took us past another impressive building dedicated to Spa treatments. Lemuria was a luxury resort and the restaurants certainly emphasised this as the food and service was first class. We were fortunate enough to be able to visit the Valle'e de Mai which is hidden in virgin rain forest and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984 and is the only place in the world where the 'coco de mer' palm grows. From Praslin we flew back to the main island Mahe' to stay at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort, which was not quite as plush as the previous two places we had stayed at but occupied an enviable position on one of Mahe's best beaches and had its own casino and lots of nice places to eat and drink nearby. Whilst here I played Roulette for the first time. I decided to put my chips on 27 as it was my birth date and told the man standing next to me who was a local and obviously a regular gambler, that it was my first attempt and the significance of the the number 27. He immediately moved all of his chips on to number 27 and low and behold number 27 came up. I won about 40 US dollars and he won a lot more than me! I would recommend The Seychelles for its high class resorts on stunning islands and for its unspoilt natural beauty. It might cost a bit more than The Maldives or Mauritius but is regarded as being more exclusive.

19 October 2018

After a month travelling overland in Cambodia and then Vietnam I wanted to move on to Laos, so headed for the border crossing in Quang Tri Province called Lao Bao. Back in February 1999 there wasn't an awful lot at this border crossing. There were half a dozen children carrying satchel type bags, hanging about, and they asked me if I wanted to change some money. I thought I'd risk it as I wasn't expecting to find currency exchanges in Laos, so handed over USD100 and they gave me great big wads of Kip which I managed to find room for in my pockets and bags. I'd arrived at the border in a minibus from Danang and most people seemed to be jumping on a bus, but it wasn't going where I wanted to go. The North East of Thailand (Isaan) borders Laos and the two countries are separated by the Mekong River. As I could speak Thai and knew a bit of specific Isaan dialect I thought I would be a bit adventurous and anyway, had missed talking with the locals in their own language whilst in Cambodia and Vietnam. Therefore, I approached a truck driver and it turned out he was going to Savannakhet which was where I wanted to go. We haggled over my fare; the driver initially wanted an extortionate USD100 but happily agreed on USD10, so I settled down in the front of the truck for the ten-hour journey, with the BBC world service on my radio. I arrived in Savannakhet in the evening and found a nice little guest house for the night. In the morning I jumped on a bus for the seven-hour ride to the capital Vientienne. I arrived in the evening and found a little hotel and spent a couple of days visiting temples and frequenting little French styled coffee shops. After Vientienne I carried on with a four-hour bus journey to Vang Vieng. In February 1999 this was a stunning little place. Situated on the Nam Song River, there were a handful of fairly basic guest houses and a few little eateries selling the usual banana pancakes, fruit shakes and beer etc. It was chilled out and it was bliss, with lazy days spent by the river with a few travellers and locals. It was a wrench to drag myself away from Vang Vieng, but I had always intended to head further north to Luang Prabang, so after four days I jumped on a bus for another four-hour journey. Laos is very mountainous and as my very basic buses went up and down the narrow mountain roads I was amazed at the sight of the little wooden houses that the hill tribes built right on the edge of the drop. With a gust of wind or if they rolled out of bed the wrong way they would be gone! I spent four days here visiting as many temples as possible, including The Golden Temple, Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Mai, and spent some relaxing time people watching, which was really interesting with all the hill tribes coming and going. In the end I had a real yearning to cut my stay in Luang Prabang and head back down the road to Vang Vieng, so that’s what I did. I'm so glad I decided to do that as I was able to spend quality time in a really beautiful place. After another four days in Vang Vieng and having spent two weeks desperately trying to spend all the Lao Kip currency that the children at the Lao Bao border had given me, I admitted defeat and headed back to North Thailand. I crossed the Friendship Bridge between Vientienne and Nong Khai and tried to pay the Thai taxi driver with Lao Kip. He laughed at that idea, so I had to give him Thai Baht instead. When I asked him what I should with the Kip he said to throw it away. It’s like monopoly money and only worth something in Laos. The people in Laos were really warm and friendly. I had a great time there and still have my leftover Kip somewhere.

18 March 2013

I left Phnom Penh in Cambodia and took a taxi to the border with Vietnam. Here I entered Vietnam and took another taxi to Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City as it is officially known as now. It struck me how busy it was and how many people there were whizzing around on little motorbikes compared to the Phnom Penh where it was more laid back and less affluent. I decided that Saigon was quite an exciting place and went off to find somewhere to stay, armed with my Lonely Planet Vietnam book. After the things I had seen in Phnom Penh such as S21 prison and thousands of skulls I was quite hardened to those sorts of sights and so the following morning I headed for the War Museum or War Crimes Museum as it is known locally. Here I came across all kinds of military hardware from fighter jets to enormous bombs and tanks and other artillery. It was quite shocking seeing what had been dropped on people during the war, and some evidence of the effect of Dioxins from Agent Orange are displayed. Another day I got a motorbike taxi driver to take me to the Cu Chi Tunnels which were the network of tunnels that the Vietnamese used to move around in undetected by those above ground. It was quite a feat to construct these tunnels, but it’s only when you see them that you realise how small they are, too small for a lot of larger western people to move in without getting stuck. After a few days of sightseeing and relaxing I caught the train to Nha Trang which is one of Vietnam's most famous beach resorts. It was quite a slow journey as Vietnam is quite mountainous so there was a lot of going up and coming down, but it was very scenic and relaxing. We were fed whilst on the train which was something with rice eaten with chopsticks. I managed this ok, but the Japanese man sat next to me was a real expert picking up grains of rice. Whilst in Nha Trang I decided to take one of those notorious boat day trips. Basically hundreds of people board a number of boats then they all sail off together to have a party see a few of the little islands in the vicinity. There was lots of loud music and liquid refreshments and I really enjoyed the experience. After five days here I decided to carry on my rail journey further north to Dannang. Whilst here I found an interesting little bar called 'The Heart of Darkness' which was inspired by the famous war film 'Apocalypse Now'. The highlight of my time in Vietnam was when I took a day trip from Dannang to the Marble Mountains. I always try to see temples and cultural sites and the Marble Mountains really surprised me as they contain a number of caves which themselves are home to some really large and stunning Buddha statues. I've no idea how they got there or if they were carved where they stood, but they were really impressive. One thing about Vietnam that was different to other countries in the region was that the Vietnamese really loved having their photos taken with western people and that happened a lot on that day trip. After 4 days in Dannang I decided it was time to head for Laos and the border at Lao Bao. I bought a ticket on a minibus to take me on the 90 minute journey to the border.

18 December 2017

I have always been interested in culture and visited some amazing temple sites around Asia and the Far East. I managed to fulfil a particular ambition when in 1998 a couple of top men from the Khmer Rouge were taken into custody and all of a sudden Cambodia was a lot safer to travel to. I travelled overland from Bangkok in the back seat of a pick-up truck and spent 8 hours covering the 140 kms of the old 'Dancing Road'. At that time the 4 wheels of the pick-up were rarely ever touching the dirt track road at the same time as it was just a long procession of holes and craters and therefore your organs bounced around inside you. This was why they called it the 'dancing road' and when I eventually arrived in Siem Reap, tired and covered in dust, travellers were waiting there to ask what the journey was like! I 'm glad I experienced it but wouldn't want to do it twice. Nowdays however there is a proper road and regular flights so travellers are now spared the experience. Siem Reap (Khmer for Thailand defeated) was my gateway to Angkor Wat and the temple city of Angkor Thom. Angkor Wat itself is a truly magnificent temple on its own, but within the walls of the temple city, Angkor Thom there are another 54 temples. For most of us that would be too much, so I spent 5 days there and concentrated on Angkor Wat, The Bayon, with 54 towers and a face on each of the 4 sides of each tower, the Terrace of the Lepers, the Terrace of the Elephants and Ta Phrom, which is stunning as the jungle has grown over it and around it so that Ta Phrom is gripped by the roots of massive trees. I also ventured a bit further a field by motorbike to see Banteay Srey which many Cambodian's regard as the most beautiful temple. I saw these temples at sunrise and sunset and throughout the day in order to fully appreciate them. The Cambodians I met there were some of the friendliest and funniest people I have met anywhere and this makes you feel for them even more when you remember how they suffered a the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. I could have stayed on in Siem Reap much longer but took the express boat down the Tonle Sap lake to Phnom Penh for another 9 days there. I spent leisurely days sat by the river in the FCC or Foreign Correspondents Club and enjoyed the wonderful food they serve there and between meals visited attractions such as the National Museum, Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace. The experiences of one particular day will remain with me forever as I visited the sites that show the brutality of the Khmer Rouge. They are not the sort of places where you come out smiling, but it is important to understand how the people suffered, and you feel sorry for them, especially because they are so friendly and funny. I first went to Tuol Sleng or S-21 which was a school that was converted to a torture centre. You see how the people were incarcerated and tortured. Of the 17,000+ people that were taken there only about 10 people survived!! Bizarrely, from there I proceeded to the Commando Training Centre where I was able to fire weapons at targets, and these weapons were an M-16 and an AK57 which is a big machine gun supported by a tripod. From there I then went to Choeung Ek which is where the 17,000 people from S-21 were buried or killed and then buried. Half of the graves were dug up and I stood inside a Pagoda with 9,000 skulls only inches from me. It is very sad, and a massive contrast from the beauty of the temples of Angkor and the temples and museums in Phnom Penh. I would highly recommend Cambodia as a holiday destination and I absolutely loved my time there, but a visit to S-21 and Choeung Ek is not for the faint hearted.

18 December 2017

I went to Indonesia as a traveller rather than a tourist so I wasn't looking to stay in a fancy hotel. There are plenty of those, but as well as visiting the cultural sights I was hoping to find some nice Batik art to bring back to the UK. After flying in to Yogyakarta I headed for Jalan Prawirotaman and found a little place called Sumaryo Guest House. This was fairly basic but adequate for me and a quiet establishment. The rooms were situated around a little garden with a pond and water features and in the mornings there would be three or four employees who would spend hours cleaning the pebbles around the little garden! It is common here for guest houses to leave a flask of black tea and some cakes and pastries outside of your room in the afternoon and I would always look forward to this after being out all morning. I spent about six weeks in Yogyakarta and scoured all of the back street art galleries looking for some special Batik art rather than that offered by the galleries in the larger shops on the main roads. I managed to track down some of the best artists (Masters of Batik) and commissioned lots of Batik directly from them. In between finding all this Batik, I went off in search of the culture and there is a lot in Yogyakarta as it is one of the cultural capitals in Java, Solo being the other one. Years ago a Sultan lived in Yogya, so it is possible to visit the old Water Palace and the Sultan's Palace (Kraton) to see how royalty lived back then. The highlight for me was travelling out to two massive temple sites about 30 minutes from Yogya. Both are over 1200 years old, which predates Angkor Wat by about 300 years and both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Both are stunning and make for great photo opportunities with the very active Mount Merapi Volcano in background. Borobudur is a Buddhist Temple which had been rediscovered by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1814. There are ten tiers to this temple with 2672 Bas Relief panels which tell stories from Buddha's life and parables from Buddhist texts. There are also 72 Stupas and 504 Buddhas. The Buddha statues on the higher levels are enclosed in perforated stupas; one is purposely left incomplete to reveal the Buddha inside. Another is supposed to give good luck if you can touch its hand; it's harder than it looks, as once you stick your arm in, you have no way of seeing the statue inside! I then went to Prambanan which is a Hindu Temple. It was quite badly damaged by an earthquake a long time ago, but the five main temples have been restored and these are stunning. Originally there were 240 temples at this site. The sheer size and scale of both of these temple sites is mind boggling when you consider they were built over 1200 years ago with no modern machinery and were built to worship two different religions. I also travelled down to Bali and headed for Ubud which is the cultural capital here. It is inland, so away from the beach resorts, but again, I was looking for more art here and some special sarongs. The place I was looking for sold lots of different Reggae designs of Sarongs that would be hung from walls and other sarongs with designs of God Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvathi. One thing that I saw in Bali that I had never seen anywhere else was that on the main roads, instead of having road signs advising against speeding and other dangerous driving habits, there were big concrete platforms by the side of the road with wreckages of cars that had been involved in accidents! In the end I returned to Java another two times and spent approximately three months there in total and I can honestly say I really enjoyed my visits there and met lots of really nice people.

18 December 2017

When I first made my way to Thailand after travelling over land from Singapore via Malaysia, I sat on a ferry for 2 hours and marvelled at the beautiful, unspoilt islands we passed before arriving at Koh Samui. In the late 80's the big hotel chains hadn't arrived and the airport wasn't yet operational. Many of the local Thais owned large areas of land and were often unaware as to its value. At this time the favourite sons and daughters were given the valuable coconut land and the lazy children or black sheep were left with the beach land, worthless as they produced no coconuts to sell. How quickly it changed and the black sheep realised they were sitting on gold mines! I have spent 7 years in total on Koh Samui and it's sister island Koh Phang-an but that first trip in the late 80's was magical as it was all new to me. I stayed in a small bungalow resort called The Little Mermaid in an area called Tongtakean Bay, halfway between Chaweng and Lamai beaches. At that time I had the whole of Tongtakean Bay to myself, swam in the clear water and broke open coconuts on the rocks for a free drink. A year later The Samui Yacht Club had been built there. I rented a little motorbike for a couple of pounds a day and spent a month whizzing around with the sun on my back and the wind in my hair and discovered the island. To the south of Lamai beach I came across Hin Ta and Hin Yai which are Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks so named because of the shape of them and popular with Thais who believe a visit to the rocks will help them with fertility. Just south of Hin Ta and Hin Yai is a temple called Wat Khunaram which is largely bypassed by tourists but is very important to the locals. A very popular monk called Loung Pordaeng who died about 30 years ago is sat in a meditation attitude behind a glass case. His body has been mummified but it is said that his hair and nails still grow and are cut once a month. I was quite amazed when I visited this temple but have since seen something similar in the Chanthaburi province of Thailand. Sometimes I would take a left here and leave the main ringroad at Ban Huathannon to head for a for place called Thong Krut where there was a little restaurant and a fishing lodge, ideal for getting away from the busier beaches and magic for sunsets. Near here I also visited the Snake Farm and was amazed watching the star performer with lots of angry-looking snakes including Cobras and King Cobras. He also put masses of deadly scorpions all over his face and even down the front of his trousers. Apparently he's been stung so many times he is actually immune, but even so, I don't think it's something I would enjoy doing! If I hadn't taken the left turn, but kept on the ringroad I would soon come to Na Muang Waterfall. I went there many times as it was very cool there and I could swim under the waterfall in a pool with tiny fish nibbling at my toes. There was always a lovely fresh young coconut to follow, from a little stall next to where I parked the motorbike. I would then follow the road to the main town Nathon before heading north past Maenam beach with views of Koh Phang-an on my left. At Bophut I rode along a little causeway to reach a tiny island and Phra Yai or Big Buddha, where a massive golden Buddha is seated high up above the temple at the top of the steps, and overlooks Samui and the surrounding islands. I returned to Big Buddha many times and it was always a very impressive sight. Koh Samui Airport is very close to here and I've had the pleasure of using it many times. I always say with its open structures with thatched roofs surrounded by flowers and palm trees, it is the kind of place where you could put your towel on the grass beside the runway and stay there for 2 weeks. Koh Samui airport makes for a wonderful introduction for people arriving in Samui for the first time and gives a taste of what is to come.