Our dangerous experience of Bangkok nightlife

 7 - 14 Feb

Neither Sam or I were looking forward to being back in Bangkok but we had no choice. With Chinese New Year creating public holidays and the weekend taking away another 2 days there really was no option. We fly to Burma Thursday 14 Feb and we need to have approved visas first!

So sleep deprived from yet another overnight bus we spent Thursday morning sorting that out. It's amazing how the first place we went to was going to charge us 3000 baht while the second place only charged us 1500 baht. Goes to show you that you should always try a few places and never stick with the first one.

We found a room 3 streets down from Khaosarn rd for 450 baht ($14.60) with air con. It wasn't much but the owner was a great friendly guy and the restaurant served delicious food. We just needed somewhere to crash out and still be close to Khaosarn to sort out visas etc. We did stroll down Khaosarn to look at the shopping and food stalls, it was then we found women selling fried Scorpians which Sam was desperate to try. I even had a bite surprisingly - it tasted like crispy fried chicken - yum!

Friday night we decided to head out and experience the nightlife of Bangkok. We started the evening off with draught beer, then moved on to the buckets and soon we were drunk. I was down 3 buckets as I was eager to have a wild night and so I jumped at the chance when some local Thais were asking us to join them at their table and sharing shots with them. Sam wasn't as drunk as me so he saw right through them and realized that none of them were drinking and they kept refilling my shot glass over and over so I was downing them like they were water. I was told the next day it was rum which surprises me as I hate rum! I also was too drunk to even make the same realizations that Sam did, I had no idea I was the only one drinking. They were trying to feed Sam shots to but he kept pouring them under the table. This one guy seemed to be orchestrated it all as apparently he was ordering the girl to pour me another shot then he'd order another girl to give Sam a lap dance. It was all very dodgy. Sam managed to convince them that we wanted to go pull out money for more drinks so we could get away and they seemed to believe him.

Unfortunately the second we were walking away the shots must've hit me all at once because I collapsed to the ground and started vomiting in the gutter. It was from this moment on that I became legless and unable to comprehend anything that was going on or follow any instructions from Sam. I hardly remember any of the night after those shots so Sam had to fill me in the next day.

I couldn't move from the gutter as I was obviously so far gone at this point and everything would've been fine if we could have stayed there til I got better but we were being pushed off the gutter by some locals with stalls there. The Thai's who had fed us the alcohol kept taking my bag off me. Now this is a bag designed to be hard for pick pockets and also goes over my head so you can't just snatch it off the shoulder. For them to have completely taken it off me without me even realizing just highlights how bad I really was. Sam had to keep snatching it back off them. Sam realized he couldn't get me home in that state because I couldn't move and it was too hard for him to move me. We were literally 5 mins from our accommodation but Sam got us in a tuk tuk which is where things got worse. Some random  Thai guy got us in the tuk tuk and this is also where Sam has a very hazy memories - I mean he was drunk as well. Just not as bad as me. We don't know why the Thai guy got in our tuk tuk but he basically took control and even though Sam was directed the driver to our guesthouse the Thai guy was speaking Thai to the driver who then took us in the opposite direction and way away from the crowds. We ended up in some dark alley and things started to look very bad. Obviously I was too drunk to be moved or Sam would've got us out and away sooner. He started yelling out of the tuk tuk for police and found a German tourist somewhere along the way and begged him to get us help. Sam also thinks that in the dark alley is the point where he gave the guy all his money to let us go which then they drove to a brightly lit area but which was still deserted. Sam again tried to get me moving but I was hysterical and telling him to fuck off... Of course I don't remember this one bit and had I known our situation I would not have done that. I was also vomiting out the tuk tuk so I was obviously in a state I couldn't move from.The guy in the tuk tuk with us was also trying to get my bag off me again and again. He did get it a couple of times but Sam kept snatching it back. It's amazing that I still had my bag by the end of the night.

It was in the bright area that the guy in the tuk tuk with us started pushing and shoving Sam then got him to the ground and kicked him in the stomach several times. Sam did not fight back as he did not want to make the situation worse. Then out of nowhere an ambulance arrived with the German tourist who had obviously got them there. This is when the tuk tuk and thai guy disappeared. Sam was telling them I had been fed shots and could've been drugged and that I should go to hospital for a check up. I was so far gone that they actually had to move me in a stretcher. Apparently I was hailing abuse at them to and that I just wanted to go home. Even though they also agreed I needed a check up by looking at my state, they finally willingly let me go and somehow I got Sam and I home because I recognized where we were. Sam is hopeless with directions so even if I could've walked back at Khaosarn rd he wouldn't have been able to get us home unless I was with it enough to point the way.

So everything was ok in the end, we got home safe and sound and I had my bag with everything in it. Sam has been a bit traumatized and doesn't like to talk about it. It's hard for me because the night is largely blacked out and I was the one at fault for everything. If I hadn't stupidly taken shots from these people I would've been fine to walk us home and we never would've got in a tuk tuk in the first place.

I've definitely learned a valuable lesson here anyway.

Tomorrow we are off to Burma! Well as long as the visas come back approved - we'll find out when we pick them up in a couple of hrs. It'll be nice to get out of Thailand which has robbed so much off us, literally and also just because it's so expensive.

I wander what is in store for us in Burma... Stay tuned and I will update when I can. I heard the internet is hard to come by so it may be awhile before my next post. Until then......

Our very own piece of paradise - Koh Lanta

 30 Jan - 6 Feb 2013

Yet another long journey over night - this time a boat, then bus, then minivan and finally car ferries. We left Koh Phangan at 8.30pm and arrived at Koh Lanta at 2.30pm. I think it was our longest journey yet. The overnight boat was hot and smelly as we were all laid out side by side with no room to move. You couldn't even rest your arms next to your body without touching the person next to you. Talk about personal space!

We got the minivan to drop us off at Long beach as we had read this beach was very spread out with a range of accommodation including cheap backpacker and also 5 star. We decided that we'd then walk along this beach trying to find a place with all our luggage in the middle of the day in the burning hot sun . It was beyond difficult.

                                                              Walking Long beach

It didn't take us long before we were stopping for a break to eat. I was in intense pain from all the weight I was carrying and needed the break more then Sam did. We hadn't found many accommodation options, they were either out of our price range or fully booked. It is peak season after all I suppose...

It's lucky we did stop because we soon found out that the next backpacker beach which we though we were walking towards, was actually in the opposite direction. The beach was called 'Klong Khong' and was apparently mainly run by local Thai's with tree house style bars and bungalows and very cheap accommodation. Once we realized Long beach was too expensive for us we decided to head straight there by tuk tuk. The staff of the restaurant/bungalow we ate lunch at were extremely helpful and got their own tuk tuk driver to take us to several different bungalows in Klong Khong until we found availability. I cannot believe how different locals are on Koh Lanta to Koh Phangan - they aren't out to drain you of your finances every second they can - they actually genuinely want to help. It was a nice change.

We found a place called Isara Lanta with one bungalow available for 700 baht ($22.70) a night. It was out of our price range but we'd been spending this so far in Thailand anyway and it was a really cool place with excellent staff who made us feel so welcome. So we settled there. Our bungalow was very cute and the whole bar/restaurant and common area was all outside on the beach with a cool vibe and crazy artwork that reminded me of Kangaroo bar. We were so happy we locked ourselves in for the week.

                                                           Isara Lanta - common area

                                                              Isara Lanta - Restaurant/Bar

                                                             Isara Lanta from the beach

We then spent our days lying on the beach, drinking beer, watching sunsets, swimming, smoking weed.. basically chilling the fuck out. Next door to us became our favourite haunt. It was a bar called 'Fin's Stoned Bar' - a comic way of using the Flintstones. We didn't actually make it there til our 3rd night but we did buy joints off them earlier. They had a sign out the front with 'Bang Lassie, Special Shake, Shisha, Joint'. The bang lassie intrigued us and we were desperate to find out what it was. So on our first visit we asked. It turned out to be a weed banana milkshake! It was soooo goood! The staff there were amazing, they were all local Thai guys who were friends and went out of their way to greet every single customer that walked in and make them feel welcome. They'd individually go round to them and friendly chat about anything and everything. It was 5 star service in our opinion. They soon became very familiar with us as we'd come everyday as soon as we'd wake up, start with an early Bang Lassie and lunch then not move for hours. We'd sit there stoned out of our minds and watch the ocean, and eventually the sun setting over the ocean. The Thai guys would frequently come by and share their joints with us - keeping us well fucked. We'd chat with them and anyone who sat next to us. It was the most relaxed and chilled out bar I've ever been to. We were in love. Even on the days we'd come in and start with lunch first, deciding to drink later and not get stoned, the staff would come over and share joints with us so that no matter what we'd always end up stoned.

                                                                        Day bang lassies!

                                                              Fin's Stoned Bar at sunset

We made some friends in this couple on our first or second night. They were from London and were also big stoners - so we found ourselves sharing joints with them. We convinced them to each get a bang lassie and when that kicked in everyone went silent and was laying down - I think it totaled us all. That night the locals also decided to cook up a BBQ and share it with the customers, so I got this awesome plate of chicken wings with this amazing Thai sauce and Sam got a whole plate of fresh prawns - too amazing!

                                        Our new stoner friends getting on the bang lassies with us!

                                                              Sam - after his Bang Lassie

                        The local bar guys cooking up a BBQ feast of fresh seafood and spicy chicken wings!

                                                      Sam's pretty happy with his prawns

When our week in this amazing stoner paradise came to an end we both felt more miserable then we'd ever felt about leaving anywhere. We did not want to go. But sadly Bangkok was calling and we needed to get our visa applications in for Burma as we were already down to 1 week before our flight.

We told the bar guys that it was our last night and they made sure they said their goodbyes. They also did try and convince us to stay, and we wanted to so badly. We even tried to think of ways we possibly could stay but every way would cost us more money. We got them to have bang lassies ready for us in the morning so we could spend our day of travel stoned as fuck. We got a boat straight to Phuket and had the most amazing time high out of our minds. Then we caught another overnight bus to the smelly and noisy Bangkok. We are definitely planning on returning to our new favourite place in the whole wide world - Koh Lanta we are not done with you!

Koh Phangan round 3 - full moon party madness!

 23 - 29 Jan 2013

We arrived in Bangkok at the horribly early time of 5am and neither of us had slept. Sam was feeling like shit and so I promised him we'd get a room for the day so he could sleep. We arrived on the famous Khaosarn Rd by taxi to the aftermath of the night before - which was funnily enough still going. There were drunks in the street who could not walk or talk with a drink still in their hand. By this time it was already 6.30am. The street seemed disgustingly seedy to us and so sleep deprived we walked through trying to find a guesthouse with availability. We found one half way down with air con for 400 baht ($13) for the day. Sam collapsed almost instantly. I soon followed.

I dragged myself out of bed about 10am to go and meet my sister Amanda who was arriving from Australia. She was late at our meeting point by about half an hr but once she made it we had a sweet reunion. We woke Sam up to join us for lunch then spent the day getting drunk on the rd next to Kaosarn.

By the time we left on our night bus we were all so wasted which helped us fall asleep pretty much straight away. However as with all night buses you never sleep too deeply and we arrived in Koh Phangan exhausted about midday. We were very exited to get to our hotel which had been highly recommended by Sam's friends and sister who had all stayed there and experienced the 'crazy party hotel'. We walked into the lobby and instantly felt the negative vibe from the staff. The boss I think was Greek was yelling rudely at other guests and staff. I don't think we ever saw him not yelling. He was an angry bastard. We had to wait about 20mins before we were even greeted and even then it was in a disgusting manner. We were shoved off to our rooms which on our reservations said 'double beds', instead we were taken to two twin rooms side by side. Of course this doesn't matter for Amanda but Sam and I are a couple - we are sick of getting single beds! Especially as this hotel was booked months ago and costs more then anything we've stayed in yet (other then our anniversary hotel). We had splurged for the full moon and we did not want to have to settle in anyway. So back down to reception we go and wait longer for the angry greek to sort out a double room. He kept claiming it was the travel agent we booked through that put down single beds. Whatever. We handed him our confirmations from our travel agents and they both clearly stated double beds! I wasn't in the mood for arguing so I let it be.

They ended up giving us a double bed but it was extremely springy. I think it was the most uncomfortable bed we had slept in since leaving Australia. You couldn't lay on your side as the springs would dig into your hip and it would hurt like hell. The room was ok, except the shower had no hot water. Amanda had hot water so I don't know why we didn't.

We had been looking forward to this hotel for a month, in all the cheap places we'd stayed and the shit we'd put up with to save money. We were desperate for a pool and a pool bar to relax and have fun in. This place was supposed to have exactly that. I mean it was the party hotel, it had two pools and they would have massive foam and pool parties according to Sam's friends. We soon discovered both pools were not swimmable. They were disgusting. Both green and floating bits of rubbish and crap. I wouldn't even stick my toe on it. The hotel was a huge let down. Apparently it had just changed management in the last 2weeks so we figured everything had gone to shit since then. What a massive disappointment.

We decided to not let the hotel get to us and headed down to the beach to mellow mountain for an afternoon of magic shakes. We actually ended up at Kangaroo Bar which is next door to Mellow Mountain and soon started to relax and let the horrible hotel leave our minds. The mountain is by far my favourite place at the full moon party (I'd been two times before). It's up on the cliff and you get the ocean breeze while you watch the waves and the party on the beach from a more chilled out distance. They have gone to a lot of trouble to decorate the place with UV paint and crazy art designs which look awesome when you're on the shrooms. The bar only has cushions and small tables lined up along the balcony which has a real traditional thai style about it and also really cool for when you're mushied out.

We got the shakes straight away and excitedly waited for them to kick in. Another disappointment - they were so weak! We still enjoyed them but all they really did was make us lazy and tired and not up for anything. We soon switched to beer and spent the rest of the evening drinking and sharing joints which led us to meet some cool people.

                                                    Amanda with her mushie shake

                                                            The cool artistic Kangaroo Bar

Amanda was desperate to go this famous pool party so we sadly dragged our arses out of comfy Kangaroo bar about 8pm. The guys we had met said they'd been before and that it is definitely something you need to check out. I'd been before to obviously and yes I had a wicked time - but Sam and I really wanted to stay at Kangaroo bar. I think we were just too stoned by this point that we couldn't be bothered moving. We eventually did though, for my sister. Sadly the pool party was dead. Not a single person in the pool! There was a fair crowd around the tables but that's not a pool party... Sam, Amanda and her new friends that she had pulled in from somewhere along the way (two guys) all got in the pool and I just sat on the side drinking.

We decided to head back to the beach and the mountain at some point but when we jumped out of the taxi we all got separated. Amanda was with her two guy friends, I was on my own and Sam had gone back to the room to change. I did a walk through the beach and got fixated on the guys fire twirling. They were fucking cool. I soon realized I was the only one watching them and one guy came up to me and got me to hold one side of his chain with fireball on the end whole it was linked to the other one and spinning. Hahaha it was so cool!!

I got up to go find the others and walked through the crowd, towards Kangaroo Bar as I figured that's where they'd go. Luckily I found Sam! We never did find Amanda again until we were heading home and boy did she have a story of her night which included some random guy bleeding out all over the floor near our room.

                                                          This is what we came home to


The next day was the day before the full moon. We decided to head up to kangaroo bar to kick off the night with beers and joints. It was more packed then yesterday so drunken Amanda had to use her skills and got us a seat with two guys along the balcony. These guys became our Koh Phangan friends! Sam especially got along great with them. So we spent a few hours drinking and smoking with Max and Alan before Amanda yet again dragged us away to another adventure. This time I was extremely grateful however. She had heard about some special bar on another beach where you can only get to it by 4wd truck or boat. Max and Alan decided to join us and off we went in search of this secret beach. It wasn't hard to find our way as the whole full moon beach was full of longtail boats lined up trying to take people to Had Tien (the secret beach). They wanted 200 baht from us each and we all refused saying how ridiculous that was. We only wanted to pay 150. We finally got them to go down for us and we were soon climbing into a longtail boat filled with many other party goers. They had warned us that the sea was rough but we had NO idea what we were in for! It was INSANE!!! The waves were massive and they didn't slow down so the boat was flying over them and everyone was being lifted from their seats and slammed back down again. Not to mention how wet we all got - completely saturated from head to toe! It was also pitch black so you couldn't see the waves - you could only feel them! Max somehow managed to smoke - god knows how. I was gripping onto my hat and my beer while also trying to take photos as I was being lifted high in the air with every wave. We were all wasted of course so we found it hilarious! They finished the ride off by slamming us full speed into the bank of Had Tien Beach and thankfully had told me to hold on a few seconds before so I was kind of ready for it... as ready as you can be for something like that. Holy shit. I think the boat road was by far one of my highlights of the whole week.

We then climbed up this hill to Eden bar where we found a very chilled out hideaway up on the cliff looking out over the ocean with plenty of places to chill out on cushions or a dance floor in UV with a wicked DJ playing. We all fell in love instantly. Sam went to the bar and discovered you could buy pretty much anything you wanted - LSD, Mushrooms, MDMA, Weed... etc. This place was so different to anywhere I had ever been. We bought some weed and soon were smoking joint after joint, meeting awesome randoms and getting totally messy. Amanda and I decided to have some MDMA which kicked in about 1.30am when we head off to Guy's bar which is the main destination for Had Tien.

                                                                         Eden bar

                                                             Alan, Sam and I - Eden bar

                                                       Amanda on the D-floor - Eden Bar

Everyone pretty much died at this bar and Sam and the boys soon left us while Amanda and I stayed on. When we died as well we head down to the beach to wait for a boat back to Haad Rin. Now they were charging 300 baht per person and there was nothing you could do about it as we wanted to go home. They also wouldn't leave until they had a full boat which meant you could be waiting forever. The sun started to come up as we waited... and waited... and waited. An annoying 23yr old lay with me on a banana lounge that I was on and started trying to cuddle up and sweet talk to me. When I said I had a boyfriend he gratefully left me alone. But man he was so annoying he wouldn't shut up! Finally a local said he would take 8 of us home in his truck.So the annoying 23yr old and his friend plus Amanda and I and some other guys piled in the tray of this 4wd ute. We were just sitting on benches with no roof and soon found ourselves holding on for dear life! It was the scariest drive home ever! The roads were dirt with potholes everywhere and massive steep hills which the driver flew up like a crazy man then would fly over the potholes and we'd all fly up out of our seats. I think it was even crazier then our boat ride! I was looking ahead at the track and laughing my arse off at the speed we were going. It was like a wicked fun ride, even though my stomach did drop a few times.

I spent that day in bed, only getting up to vomit. I think the MDMA had something in it because both Amanda and I were incredibly sick all day. We tried to eat but every time we did we'd just throw it up. We were sick well into the night and I was trying to push through it by drinking as it was the full moon night afterall. I think the last time I vomited was about 10.30pm but it wasn't til I bought a red bull & vodka bucket that my night finally turned around and I was ready to party - by this stage it was 2am and Amanda was passing out while Sam wanted to. Our friend Alan was tripping balls on mushrooms and too intense for both Sam and Amanda who wanted him to fuck off. I think he finally got the picture as he did. So I was flying high and ready to party while Amanda and Sam were crashing hardcore. It was definitely not the best full moon party I'd been to.. that's for sure. I mean I did keep them going by hitting up Kangaroo bar and getting us shakes, though I think that made things worse as both Amanda and Sam then felt incredibly sick for a long time. I was briefly sick but surprisingly not too bad.

So we sat up on the mountain til the sun rose and watched the beach as it slowly lit up. I then had to walk both Amanda and Sam through the beach so they could witness what I had my last two times. It's hilarious to see people the morning after in the daylight - so many different types of fucked up. This one chick was dancing topless while this guy was completely naked and they were rubbing up against each other simulating sex.

The next day, our last one on Koh Phangan was spent up North on a beach I had never heard of. Amanda had heard of it from an Austrian guy she met at Eden bar. It was supposed to have good snorkeling. The taxi cost us 200 baht each which was expensive but we soon realized it was a long way away. The beach was beautiful and so relaxed. All instantly fell in love and chilled out in the beach bar which strangely enough had a bar big! LOL. We didn't do much that day and soon I got a bit bored wanting to go home. The three of us had a disagreement as Amanda wanted us to come back and stay in a bungalow for the next 3 nights while Sam and I wanted to keep going to Koh Lanta - an island our friend Alan had raved about. Sure enough he was on mushrooms - but Koh Lanta did sound amazing. Amanda felt at home on this Northern beach however, and being as stubborn as I am, did not want to budge from what she wanted. Sam and I just found it too boring, the bar was dead and there were no other real bars and hardly anywhere to eat. The beer was warm as they didn't have proper refrigeration either. It seemed like the place for old hippies to come and just lay around and do nothing. I mean there was practically no one around.

                                                                     Chillin at the beach bar

                                                                             Bar pig!!

The next day we decided to part ways, Amanda would head back to the beach she loved so much while Sam and I would set out for a new adventure -Koh Lanta.

Our week in Chiang Mai

15 - 22 Jan 2013

So instead of having a big night on the 13th and recovering the 14th, we ended up having a big night on the 14th and were then hungover on our journey to Chiang Mai. It was hell. I was worse then Sam by miles. He never seems to get real hangovers like I do. It's not fair! Especially as I had purposely switched to water early on in the night and had eaten a substantial dinner at Mcdonalds.

I hadn't packed of course so I'm frantically running around the room half asleep and with the hangover from hell jamming all my belongings in my bag with no sense of order what so ever. Sam stayed in bed because apparently he had packed when we got back at 4am - I must've passed out because I never saw this!

We tried to check out and pay our bill but we found the night shifter passed out at the front desk with an almost empty bottle of vodka - real professional!

 The mini van to the airport was excruciatingly long and uncomfortable. I had my head down trying not to vomit the entire way. We both had to keep running to the toilets at the airport, I thought I was going to vomit but ended up going the other way which I soon found out was not actually part of the hangover but some bug I had picked up somewhere along the way. I was very sick in the stomach for the next 3days straight.

Thai Airways is extremely comfortable with excellent service. I could not believe how much space you have just in economy - I have never flown with such a spacious airline before. It felt like luxury. I just wish I wasn't so ill and could enjoy it. I had my head down for the entire flight trying not to vomit.

We arrived in Chiang Mai about 1pm and headed straight to the Gap House - a guesthouse recommended in the Lonely Planet. It was amazing. We arrived to this incredible lush, green jungle Thai style accommodation. Everything was made out of wood and it felt like you really were in the jungle. They had a room available for the same price as our tiny, no window and smelly Phuket room and it was AMAZING!! It was a little wooden cabin with trees all around keeping it in a cool shade all day. Our room was huge and very Thai style with wooden furniture, walls,floorboards... it was the cutest room ever. The bed was extremely big and comfortable with 2 pillows each - it felt like we were at a 5star hotel and we were only paying $20 a night!

                                                           Our room with little patio!

The lonely planet said this place was famous for it's cooking school, so we signed up straight away for the next day. I then jumped into bed and tried to make sleep my awful hangover away.  Little did I know that I was indeed sick and would go through another 2days of feeling like this. I did manage to get my butt out of bed and go out for dinner which was Chicken Cashew Stir Fry and was probably the most amazing chicken cashew I have ever eaten. The flavour was so different up here in Chiang Mai - the food is delicious!

The next day we got up about 9am for our cooking course. They first took us to a local fresh food market to show us different vegetables and ingredients used in Thai cooking so we could see what certain items looked like. It was quite amusing as our two guides were hilarious! They were trying to make every moment a funny one and cracking the strangest jokes.

After the market we arrived at the cooking school and despite my stomach grief I somehow managed to get through the day and made some delicious Thai food! We made about 5 courses before midday alone and then got to eat them all for lunch. I barely got through half of mine because I was so ill, but the chicken cashew I made was just as good as the one I had eaten the night before! So I know how to make amazing chicken cashew now :)

                                                 All the meals we made - and just before lunch!

                                                    Cooking the best chicken cashew ever!

After lunch no one was in the mood to keep cooking as we were all so full and lazy, but we still made spring rolls and pad Thai to take home with a coconut desert for dinner that night! We got free apron's and a cook book to take home.All in all I was very impressed with the school. The best part of all was we didn't even have to do any of the hard work like chopping the ingredients or cleaning!

The next day was spent in bed feeling sorry for myself as I was still annoyingly ill. We did wander out for lunch and a fruit shake. We fell in love with the fruit shakes in Chiang Mai. They were always so amazing and way better then any we discovered South of Thailand. Plus everything was way cheaper!

After 3 nights in our $20 cabin, we decided to hunt for something cheaper as after all, this is the place we were hoping to save some money. We tried every place on the main street and they were either fully booked or looked like shit. Finally we found a place down a hidden alley, at first we went to walk away because there was a 'No Vacancy' sign out the front but the guy who owned the place saw us and came running after us saying there was one room available for 2 nights only. Such a shame as we needed it for 4. We didn't realize that Chiang Mai was going to be so busy - we thought we'd escape that after leaving the South. The room was only 300 baht ($9.70) so it was our cheapest room yet in Thailand.

We booked in straight away for a fishing tour the next day. Sam had been desperate to go fishing for awhile and Chiang Mai had a lot of good options. It was a little pricey but it was a full day with guarantee of catching massive catfish and also lunch included. I'd never fished before other then once camping when I was a child so I was excited to give it a go. I was desperate to do a one day elephant mahout training at this famous camp where you look after one elephant all day, learning how to communicate with it, bathe with it, feed it,  ride it bare back etc. It's suppose to be very gentle on the elephants and an amazing experience. Chiang Mai was famous for it. Stupid me decided to wait til after the fishing day to book as we weren't sure what day to do it yet.

We had to get up bright and early the next day as we were picked up before 8am and driven only half an hr to the fishing lake. Our driver also ended up being our guide and it was only Sam and I booked in, meanwhile he had 10 the day before apparently!

The day was awesome! It was so relaxing chilling by the side of the lake, drinking very cheap cold beer  - they even provided eskis and ice! We just had to buy the beer. Our guide did all the tedious  work of baiting up, casting out etc and then as soon as there was a bite Sam and I would take in turns to reel it in. Now that was the hard part. I could not believe how I was meant to pull in 18kg fish! I soon learned that there is a skill to fishing and it's all in your hips and back. I had to wear a belt to put the rod in and then just used my body weight to reel it in.My first few times I used my hands too much and they were hurting so bad I soon learned the correct way. My first fish was huge and I couldn't hold the bugger as he kept wiggling and he was so slimy and it was just so weird I kept dropping the poor guy. Our guide helped me hold my first one but I held the 18kg one I reeled in later all on my own!

We were fishing right up til the sun went down as our guide just didn't want to stop. He wanted us to catch 20 fish - and we were fucking close! We were also very wasted by the end of the day and Sam went into a horrible Changover - what you call a hangover when you drink Chang. I wisely had switched to Leo beer earlier in the day so I was feeling really good. I had also been smart and kept my water intake up. See I know how to drink sensibly people :)

Sam pretty much crashed out when we got back and as it was Saturday night I wandered off on my  own in search of the famous Walking Street markets. I thought I found them when I came across stalls and stalls of food and drunkenly enjoyed the feast. When I got back Sam was passed out cold. Poor boy.

Sunday was a lazy day. We were told our room was now available for our last two nights in Chiang Mai so we were super happy about that. We liked it there. I went down to ask about elephant mahout training and found out it was fully booked out for our last two days :( I was super depressed for awhile as it was something I massively wanted to do. Sam comforted me and promised we could always come back after full moon and do it then.

Sunday night we went off in search of the walking street markets and this time succeeded in finding them! The complete opposite direction to the ones I was walking through the night before... strange. We decided to start off on the right side and once we reached the end we would circle back and do the left side. Well we did never reach the end... The street just kept going and going and going. When we finally did come to an intersection the markets split off in all directions. I don't understand why it's called walking street markets when it's more like a massive block of streets! It was the most insane markets I have ever seen in my life. Sam bought stuff for his family and I barely bought anything. Weird I know. Considering we spent about 3hrs just walking that one side of the street!

Our last day came very quickly and we found ourselves having beers with one of Sam's animal refuge friends he met in Bolivia. He had just arrived that day and we were leaving on overnight bus that night so we only  got a few hours of catch up in. They tried to convince us to stay but we had to leave, I was meeting my sister in Bangkok in the morning and then we were off to Koh Phangan for the full moon party. We really had no room to budge. Sam got more drunk then I did, mucking around with his friend so I had to be the responsible one and keep an eye on the time. Even with that it was hard to drag him away and we found ourselves rushing to the bus with no food in our bellies. Luckily you can always count on a 7 eleven in Thailand so Sam got us some microwaved Thai food. It did the trick!

So we were off to Bangkok, sadly leaving the amazing Chiang Mai already... But with an awesome adventure ahead of us!

Last days in Phuket

 11 - 15 Jan

We spent our last 5days in Phuket at our original cheap guesthouse (Chalermporn) in our favourite sleeping in room that's always dark and quiet. I also forgot to mention the insanely fast wifi this place had. It was the fastest internet I have ever experienced, even faster then back home. I could download movies in minutes and entire Tv seasons in 30/40mins. I went a little crazy and wrote myself a massive list of what I wanted downloaded then ticked them off one by one. It was wicked!!

Sam's birthday was on the 13th so we made sure we had the 14th to recover, though we didn't end up having a crazy one. The night before we hit up our local night markets and Sam got this insanely spicy dish which he was struggling to eat. We're both spicy lovers big time so to see Sam struggle you know it's spicy! He finished the whole dish which he shouldn't have because he spent his entire birthday the next day feeling like shit. He was in a lot of stomach pain and didn't want to drink or do anything special. Then I went to move my money over from my money belt to a new bag and discovered 5000 baht ($160) was gone. I had it yesterday and the only thing I'd done since then was the night markets, so I must've been pick pocketed there. That sent me into a very bad mood and I was trying so hard to ignore it and focus on my birthday boy. Fuck it was hard though. I had planned to take him out for lunch and dinner and pay for all our drinks. I was going to spend up big on my special boy but then all of a sudden I had no money and had to pull more out. Sam felt so bad for me he didn't want me to pay anymore but I refused to let him. We had a late and small lunch then went to Patong beach and had a couple of beers at a beach bar before a seafood dinner and some more drinks. We were in bed by 9pm I think...pretty poor effort.

                                         The birthday boy enjoying a birthday beer on the beach

The next day we were supposed to be hungover but because of our particularly low key night for Sam's birthday we were both feeling really good. We had two large Chang's in the fridge which we obviously had to finish because we couldn't take them so we stated drinking and watching stoner movies like Harold and Kumar. Once we finished the Changs we felt like more so Sam ran down and bought more from the 7 eleven, then more, and more. Soon enough we were both wasted. Sam suddenly felt like hitting Bangla rd and I was hesitant as we did have to get up at 7am for our flight to Chiang Mai and we hadn't even packed yet. But we were both really drunk and in a going out mood so off we went!

As we hit Bangla rd this man with a ping pong show sign stopped us, like they constantly do every time you hit Bangla rd. There are so many of them! The previous times we had come out we had tried again and again to find a ping pong show as Sam hadn't seen one yet. We tried soooo many different ones, each time we were disappointed as we had to pay astronomical prices for beer as that's basically the entry frees and every time it wasn't a rela ping pong show - it was just a strip show and maybe someone that did one ping pong trick. I had seen two shows before on previous Thailand visits so I knew exactly what to expect and these shows were not the real thing!

Anyway, our last night in Phuket we decide to give it one last try. And luckily we did because JACKPOT!! It was a real show! Sam was laughing and couldn't believe everything they did, which of course no one can but it's something you have to see when visiting Thailand. When I went to the toilet I came back to my man chatting with the girls next to us and we soon found ourselevs partying with them! First we lost to  a game of pool against them (yes neither Sam or I play) then we hit up a nightclub and danced ourselves silly. Even my boyfriend who hates dancing was breaking it down! He was insanely drunk though... I stopped drinking at the ping pong show and got on the water - trying to be sensible as I knew we had to get up for our flight. Luckily I did because Sam was a write off! He didn't even know the way home and he had no memory of the end of the night of course.

                                             Our new friends we met at the ping pong show

We got to bed about 4am and I had the alarm set for 7. I woke up feeling like absolute shit of course. Even with my best efforts of switching to water! Stupid Changover...

Living the Island life

 8 - 10 Jan 2013

The day after we became official PADI open water divers we set off for another adventure, this time 2 nights and 3 days on the Similan Islands - the best place in Thailand for snorkeling (also diving but the sites are deeper then we're certified for).

We checked out of Cheap Charlies the night before and left our big bags for them before being picked up bright and earlier by minivan then proceeding to sit through the ride of hell for 1.5hrs. The minivan was full of big, loud french men in their 20s all in the mood to party 24/7. Sam and I couldn't even sit next to each other as they had already take over all the seats. There was on in the front, in between two of the guys which I took, then one in the back in between two others which Sam took. The two in the front, who I was in between, were the worst of the pack by far. The guy on the left had the speaker for their french gangster music which they decided to have blaring at an extremely unnatural volume which blared in my left ear - deafening me. Then the guy on my right would not shut up for a second. His mouth was constantly open whether he was singing to the awful music at the top of his lungs so he could be heard over it, or yelling to his friends even louder so they could hear him and respond equally as loud. It was hell. I was so uncomfortable sitting in the middle of them, I had no space to myself and then they would communicate over the top of me, bending over me to pass things to each other or just talk with their hands over the top of me. They had no sense of what personal space was at all and they repeatedly leaned on me which slowly drove me insane.

Finally we reached the boat port and we were free from them! Yay! So we thought when we saw mass amounts of people. Little did we know they were on the same speedboat as us - yay! We ended up sitting in the main inside section while they sat out the front so we didn't have to be near them anymore.

We stopped just off one of the islands after the 1.5hr boat ride and jumped in for some snorkeling. We saw Nemo fish and a massive turtle but some dick jumped in and tried to grab the turtle which then made it take off like lightning and ruined everyone's chances at taking photos. Just before we got in the water we were told by our guide to not touch any sea life - well that's common sense anyway isn't it? This guy was another douche, we had a boat filled with them it seemed.

After snorkeling we headed to Island No. 8 for a Thai buffet lunch and also where we would be left for 2nights, all alone to do whatever we pleased. It was a beautiful island with a stunning beach, so we certainly weren't complaining! I mean you have to come such a long way, by minivan then boat which is 3hrs of travel already, imagine being on of the millions of day trippers who then have to travel back  by the night. You'd be rushed at each island and wouldn't truly be able to enjoy yourself.

                                             Our home for 2 nights -  not too shabby eh

We spent the afternoon snorkeling on the left side of the beach where we saw many different tropical fish and took some pics - nothing overly exciting though. We got out about 4pm then wandered what we should do. The Island didn't have much to it - not even beer! Luckily I bought my magazines and kindle so I was able to read, but Sam got a little bored and started playing with the millions of hermit crabs everywhere.

There were so many crabs, all around the tents and just plain everywhere. We really felt like we were living the Island life by camping in the sand and walking barefoot because our shoes were left back at the boat dock when everyone was told to leave them. They didn't tell us overnighters to hang onto ours,  so then we spent the entire 3days barefoot!

You could hear the ocean right behind us from the tent which was such a soothing sound all night. We were totally 100% relaxed... But still there was no beer. How can you not serve alcohol!! Our tent neighbor was a German who was also missing the lack of alcohol so we bonded over that.

I also stupidly left my new Thailand beach towel on the beach after we were snorkeling as I figured we'd come back, when we did the tide had risen and my towel was nowhere to be seen... I tried to find it with the snorkel and mask but it was like looking for a pin in a hay stack.So pissed off at my stupid self!

The next day we spent the entire morning snorkeling the right side of the beach and saw heaps! First I sad a wicked jelly fish that was so close to the surface it freaked me out at first - I thought it was going to attack!

Sam apparently saw a giant puffer fish but when he went to show me it was gone.. At least I got to see the jelly fish and Sam didn't because we had gone different ways around a big rock.
We found ourselves really far out and taking many photos of different types of fish. I had always been paid at diving down with snorkeling before because I couldn't pop my ears, but since learning to equalize in scuba I found it much easier and was snorkeling like a pro! I had so much fun diving really deep and chasing fish for a pic. They didn't stay still like in scuba though and would bolt when you dove so you had to chase them. I was having a ball. Just as we were about to call it and head back to shore for lunch, Sam spots a sea turtle! It was only a teenager, so not huge, but it was still wicked!! We got to swim right up to him and take photos and he didn't seem to mind us. I guess when they aren't grabbed by douchebags they don't mind it when you swim with them. We found ourselves following it for ages and then it finally went all the way to the top for air. We got so many photos as I reckon we followed him for a good 40mins or so. I can't believe we got to see a sea turtle all on our own!

We met up with the same guide from yesterday to have lunch with him, which ended up being the exact same lunch and dinner we had yesterday - so we'd had this buffet 3 times now! Which ended up being 5 times in total when we came back for dinner that night and lunch the next day....

We spend that afternoon snorkeling on the left side again because our German friend had said he saw a sea turtle and heaps or moray eels. Sam was desperate to see the eels. So we spent hours and went way further then we did the day before - it was worth it to because we found ourselves an eel! And another sea turtle! We followed the turtle for ages again and it eventually came up for air. It was such a magnificent feeling swimming with this fine creature. We lost track of time. We also found some cuttle fish and got a wicked photo with them before heading back over the other side to see if the giant puffer fish was back so I could see him this time - and he was! I cannot believe how much we saw snorkeling Similan - more then I have ever seen in my entire life snorkeling!

                                                        Me with one of the cuttle fishes

                                         Giant Puffer fish (visibility was difficult as he hid in a cave)

That night we climbed up this view point to watch the sunset over the beach then we spent one more night in our tent by the sea and enjoyed the peaceful sound of the ocean as we drifted off to sleep.

Our last morning we decided to just relax in the water instead of snorkeling - we'd basically snorkeled that Island to death anyway and were pretty happy with what we found. So before the millions of speedboats filled with day trippers start swarming our beautiful beach we took some couply photos of our own.

We visited Island No. 4 and 6 in the afternoon on our way home and we saw more Nemo fish, Lobsters and a Lion fish! That completed our 3days of snorkeling the best waters in Thailand - we were extremely satisfied :)

Diving!

 4 - 7 Jan 2013

After 5days of partying and sleeping in all day we were getting bored and sick of our dark and dingy room with a horrible drain smell coming from the bathroom. We also didn't want to be spending $20  a night which was double the price of our budget. So off we went the day before we were due to check out walking around trying to find something cheaper. I think we spent an hr going in and our of guesthouse after guesthouse - not a single one was lower then 800 baht! They were all a 1000 baht or higher or fully booked out. Omg, I had no idea how expensive it was going to be for us in Thailand. We then decided to go back to our place and try and book in for longer, but sadly as it was the only cheap place around they had already booked out our room. Fuck. So we ended up finding this place called Cheap Charlies for 750 baht a night. The room was massive and really nice but there were no sheets and they charged extra for them.

Our diving course began on Friday 4th Jan and I was feeling extremely nervous for it. I had done diving when I was in primary school in the local swimming pool and I had hated it! Breathing through the regulator just felt so strange to me and I didn't think I would ever do it again. Yet here I was, enrolled in an open water divers course.

The first day was spend mainly all on theory. We did get in the pool after lunch to begin learning some skills  but I freaked out instantly and couldn't get my breathing under control. It just felt so wrong to be breathing only from my mouth and I constantly felt out of breath sitting dead still. As I struggled with just the breathing I found the skills terrifying, then I started shaking from the cold and the instructor said we should get out, finish our theory and try for the pool again tomorrow. We did have two days for the pool stuff after all.

The second day was much better. I took a little longer to get the hang of breathing but once I did I was fine. I started to complete each skill one by one and we managed to finish everything required by 4pm! The scariest skills by far were always to do with the mask. Having to take that off your face then put it back on and empty the water all the while deep down below the surface is such a scary feeling. Still I managed to do it - as scared as I was to start with. By the end of the day I was feeling way confident  and so ready to hit the open water!

Sunday was our first day and we did 3 open water dives at Raya Island. The visibility was great and we some amazing sea life. I was loving every minute under the water and always felt so disappointed when it was time to come up. That feeling of floating under the sea next to the sea life is indescribable. It is something everyone has to experience.

We had an American underwater photographer with us that day who was taking pictures of divers and sea life and would sell them for 1500 baht which I thought was crazy expensive so Sam and I just concentrated on learning to dive and ignored her when she swam past us. We also had Miss Germany 2008 on board with us who wore a mermaid suit then would swim underwater for photos. She didn't have any scuba gear on her so she'd just hold her breath while posing with scuba divers. It was quite amusing!

At the end of the day I had a conversation with the photographer about housing and underwater photography which has now sparked my interest in the field. I'm thinking of doing an underwater photography course when I get back to Sydney. I obviously need to do more diving as well to get better at my buoyancy but I totally think this is something I can really do. I saw her pics at the end of the day and they were spectacular! I mean we got up so close to the marine life and swam side by side with them and they weren't even afraid of us which would make it very easy to take photos.It's going to be an expensive hobby though, her underwater housing cost her a measly $5k.

Our second day open water diving was the best! We went to the Phi Phi Islands which was cool because Sam got to see them. I've been there done that back in 2011 when I was on a Thai holiday but Sam obviously never has. It was also a completely different way to experience Phi Phi deep down under the sea. You see a whole new side! The marine life was even more spectacular then Raya Island. We saw three massive sea turtles on our first dive! The first was swimming and we got to go right up next to him and practically swim with him - I was spewing so bad I couldn't have my camera with me. We saw so many different types of fish,  coral, eels and even a sea snake! Our guide had us swimming through these crazy tunnels of coral and we did it brilliantly which makes me think we've got our buoyancy under control pretty good!

We did 6 open water dives in total, 3 at Raya and 3 at Phi Phi. Our last dive was at Shark Point which was our guides favourite dive site. You can see a spectacular amount of sea life there and so much fan coral. The current was too strong for us though and a french beginner diver ran our of air so we had to bail and swim back earlier. Sam and I both used more air then usual which we were told is normal when swimming against a current.

So now we're official open water divers! I cannot believe how amazing diving is, I want to do it every day! We can't afford to do anymore in Thailand as it's too expensive here but we're totally going for our advanced certificates in Vietnam!

New Year's Eve in Phuket

29 Dec 2012 - 01 Jan 2013

Our first overnight bus in Thailand wasn't too bad I have to admit. We couldn't believe how smooth it was after bus travel in Nepal. We managed to get some Valium which helped knock Sam out cold,  but me not so much.I think I managed a very scattered hr of sleep but still the seats were super comfy and went really far back. I'm just a bad sleeper.

We arrived in Phuket about 7am and grabbed a taxi to Patong Beach where our pre booked guesthouse was located. The driver had no idea where it was and ended up dropping us off on a street and leaving us to then walk around for the next 2hrs in the hot sun with all our baggage trying to find it. We asked a million different Thai people who all kept pointing us in different directions so we found ourselves walking backwards and forwards like lost puppies. Sam wanted to give up and just find somewhere else but we had already paid the first night deposit and I wasn't willing to throw money away like that. It was horrible, the sun was beating down on us and we're loaded with all our baggage which was killing me slowly.  But I was determined to find our place! Eventually we did but it was only 10am by this stage and we couldn't check in til 1pm. So we dumped our stuff, changed into swimmers and headed to Patong beach. It was extremely hot and crowded and not a nice beach to relax on at all. Thai people are trying to sell you all sorts of stuff and you never get a moment of peace. We had made sure lathered ourselves with sunscreen and only spent a total 1.5hr on the beach itself before having lunch and heading back to the guesthouse to check in. We soon found ourselves very badly sunburnt and realized the sunscreen we bought in Nepal was super dodgy! You shouldn't get burnt in only 1.5hrs in the sun when you've applied sunscreen!

Our room was 650 Baht ($20) a night and was a basic standard room. It was in  the center of the building with no windows so it would appear like nighttime 24/7. We soon found this very enjoyable when day sleeping! Which we ended up doing a lot. We would sleep til  2pm in the afternoon and because of the quiet and darkness it would feel like the middle of the night!

The best thing by far about our new home was Banzan night markets which were literally 1minute walk from our front door. They were run by Thai locals and were stalls filled with different cheap Thai food and were on every single night! We found ourselves eating there constantly. The different food selections were incredible and the deserts amazing!

We hit up Bangla rd on our first night to let our hair down and get drunk. We started on the cheap Changs from 7 Eleven before finding a bar which had a large sign saying 4 cocktails and 4 shooters for 500 baht. This was my last memory before everything went black.

Sam said we were walking back to our room, pretty much straight after that photo, when I disappeared. My last memory was of us drinking those cocktails and shots and then I came to sitting in the gutter of Bangla Rd with my head between my knees spinning out like a bitch and trying not to vomit. I could see everyone's feet and hear all the drunks walking up and down the street all around me. I heard people talking about me and laughing but I couldn't move, I couldn't lift my head in fear of vomiting. It was awful. Eventually this nice Dutch girl and her English boyfriend dragged me out of the gutter and took me back to my guesthouse on the back of taxi scooters which was insane. Sam was sitting out the front looking like someone had died. He was worried out of his mind for me, he looked everywhere apparently and even contacted the police, who obviously did nothing. They're probably use to it. It was 6am by the time we were reunited and apparently I went missing about 1.30am. I was missing for hours! Poor Sam... I tried to introduce him to my new friends who bought me home but he was in a very bad mood and so I thanked them and we went up to bed sleeping the day away.

We spent New years Eve mostly on Patong beach as there was alot going on. Lines and lines of food stalls which Sam was loving, cheap changs and fireworks. We got sucked into buying a big fuck off firework which we let off ourselves. It was huge! It gave off a big BANG explosion in the air but it only went off once and we were expecting more. Still it was awesome.

People were lighting lanterns and setting them off in the air filling the sky with beautiful floating lights. There were so many going off at any one moment that the sky looked like it was filled with millions of orange glowing stars. Some didn't make it and would crash and burn in the sea - Sam and I laughed at the failures! Soon Sam was sucked into buying one of his own and it didn't matter that he had two Thai people assisting him in launching it - the thing crashed and burned miserably! I could not stop laughing but I think Sam was actually sad - he had said it was a symbol of how our relationship would last... uh oh lol.

We were never in one place all night. There was too much going on that we found ourselves back and forth up the beach admiring it all. As it got very close to midnight we waited for the countdown but there wasn't any, the amount of fireworks just suddenly increased as the sky was exploding like crazy from a mix of professional ones and people setting off their own on the beach. It was madness and kind of felt like Territory day in Darwin! You had to run all over the place to dodge the ones that fell over lol.

We then walked through a very packed Bangla Rd where people were going mental with silly string and foam. We got sprayed a few times. It was insane.

The night ended with Sam getting very sick which we think was from a seafood dish he got at one of the food stalls along the beach.

What a great way to bring in 2013 :)

Treatment fit for royalty - Bangkok

 26 - 28 Dec 2012

We wake up in Bangkok on Boxing Day, check out of our budget accommodation and walk the 800m down the road to our 5 star resort 'Sofitel - So Bangkok' where we'll be spending two nights for  our 1 year anniversary.

The hotel is just another block which adds to the Bangkok sky rise but it's perfectly located with a view of Bangkok and Lumpini park. We walk in all hot and sweaty from our midday walk with all our baggage and instantly smiling, happy and well dressed Thai staff are swarming all over us, greeting us and taking our heavy bags off us. The service is already outstanding. Everyone seems so happy for us to be there, like we're king and queen. 

As we're checking in this Thai guy who is obviously gay with crazy blue dyed hair and extreme jewelery greets us with his over the top personality and does his very best to make us feel super special. I had mentioned it was our anniversary when I booked the room and so he gave me flowers straight away and wouldn't shut up about how lucky we love birds are on the way to our beautiful life together. He was extremely over the top but it was really nice to be fussed over. The room was a travel zoo deal I found online, $129 a night for an upgraded deluxe room, free cocktails on arrival, buffet breakfast and spa vouchers.

As we're checking in and chatting with this crazy character who looked like he was from The Hunger Games, a lovely Thai lady starts making us a welcome non alcoholic Thai cocktail. It was amazing to watch her pour several different test tubes of liquid into a glass of ice and then mix them all together and watch the colours change like magic. Sam and I got snap happy.

                                                   Pouring the different colours of liquid in

            The end result, one of the left has been mixed while the one on the right still hasn't changed colour

The over the top gay guy showers us with spa vouchers and free cocktail vouchers (6 in total) before he leads us to our room, on the 16th floor. We walk in and are captivated by the beauty instantly! The room is stunning, not too mention a floor to ceiling view of Bangkok and the park. We have a free mini bar (non alcoholic) and fruit basket. Our happy friend then says we'll be getting a surprise later! Wow! He also invites us to his party at one of the bars where there will be free nibbles and drinks from 6.30pm!

After running around the room like excited children, checking everything out, we decide to head to the restaurant and have some lunch. We are totally not leaving this amazing hotel until we have to!

The restaurant is set with the same view of Bangkok as in our room and we opt for outside on the balcony. We brought some of our vodka down in a water bottle and sneakily mixed it with ice cold sprite while we feasted on one of our favourite Thai dishes - Roast Duck Red Curry.

After lunch we head up to the pool with our water bottle of vodka and order some more cold sprites and proceed to spend the rest of the afternoon drinking ourselves silly by the pool. We didn't actually go in as it was too damn cold! lol. The sun never hit the pool during the day so it was always cold. Still we loved the view which was the same to die for view of Bangkok and Lumpini park.

That evening, all buzzed from our vodka and sprite, we head to Mui Mui bar where the gay guy was throwing his very elegant party with free nibbles and drinks. The place was over the top fancy and being budget back packers we totally felt our of place. Still we dressed in our best (well the best we had) and made an appearance and our friend was very happy to see us! The nibbles were exquisite and the wine divine. Sam and I were in seventh heaven.

After awhile we got hungry, so we asked the concierge to recommend a nice local Thai restaurant. The one he told us about was only a 10minute walk away so off we went, excited for some more Thai food! The restaurant was over the top fancy and expensive - I guess that's what you get in this area. I had my first taste of soft shell crab and am now officially hooked! Sam ordered duck and wasn't happy, it was very dry and bland.  Pretty poor effort for such a overpriced restaurant. Still we drank red wine and ate Thai food like there was no tomorrow.

The next day (our anniversary) we made ourselves get out of bed at a reasonable hr so we could soak up every minute we had in this hotel. We enjoyed the huge range at the breakfast buffet before heading to Mui Mui to use our free cocktail vouchers then changing into our swimmers and heading back up to the pool with our sneaky vodka. We then proceeded to spend the day entirely by the pool, eating... drinking... Living the life really. Seeing as it was our anniversary day we wanted to spend it our way.

We didn't leave the pool til it was dark and we were eventually hungry. The concierge helped us out again by booking us a table at another Thai restaurant - this time on one of the highest buildings in Bangkok with an incredible night time view. The food there was exceptionally brilliant! We ordered 3 mains and an entree and every single bite was like biting into heaven. We decided to splurge and bought a bottle of red wine to help wash it all down. It was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had in my life. Certainly Anniversary worthy!

Sadly the next day we had to check out of  luxury. We piled all our bags on our backs once more and headed off for the bus station to book an over night bus - destination Phuket!