Shopaholic in Thailand!

There are many things to do in Bangkok, but best of all is shopping. Having visited the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew we hit the shops! And it hardly feels like you’re spending any money!

We shopped with trendy Thai teenagers in the MBK shopping mall, and with dreadlocked backpackers on the Khao San road, and sent home another huge parcel of goodies for mother to open (some of which was even Tim's!). We’ll be back at least once over the next month, so plenty of time for culture!










I also experienced my first beer Chang-over of the trip, many more to come I’m sure. I forgot what that stuff can do to poor English stomachs…

Then we headed to Ko Lanta, a lovely island on the Andaman coast. We chose to stay on the almost-isolated Kantiang bay – there are only three small bungalow resorts and at ours only about 10 other guests.







We went on a short elephant trek through some jungle to a waterfall with no water (dry season) and a cave. Being on an elephant is one of the most uncomfortable forms of transport I have endured – I spent the whole time clinging on for dear life rather than enjoying the scenery! The elephants seemed well looked after and we got to buy and feed them bananas (I didn’t touch them but they seemed to go down well!). Our elephant was 41 years old!








Another fine day we headed out with some of the other guests (most of whom have spent the last two or three months on Ko Lanta and can’t bring themselves to leave!) on a longtail boat to nearby Ko Rok in the national park area. We snorkeled at three different points and saw so many amazing fish including a blow fish, loads of clown fish (Nemos) and angel fish – I think it was one of the best areas for snorkeling I’ve ever been! At one point I was in the middle of a huge school of little orange and blue stripy fish and they all started nibbling me! I got out of the water and my mosquito scabs had all gone! We enjoyed lunch on a stunning deserted beach with the clearest turquoise water – paradise!









Now we’re on Ko Phi Phi Don, hiding in our bungalow from the sun and nursing our severe sunburn (snorkeling always does that to me!). Hopefully we’ll make it on to the beach tomorrow and we’re hoping to go on another snorkeling trip…