Goa may be one of the smallest provinces in India, but that certainly does not mean that it has the least to offer. I ended up spending triple the amount of time that I was intending to there as I found it to be a truly awesome place. Whether it’s relaxing on a secluded paradise beach, partying your socks off with fellow backpackers and young Indians or exploring ruined Portuguese forts and the charming city of Panaji Goa has something to suite everyone’s tastes. In my case I liked to do a bit of everything and mix it all up a little.
In this article I will give you a small breakdown of each of the areas I visited during my holiday in Goa, trying to give you a few handy hints along the way:

Palolem beach

This was the place where I kicked off my Goa adventure and after getting off a 14 hour overnight bus from Cochin in Kerela I was very pleased with what I saw. A beautiful stretch of golden sand with stunning turquoise water. I suppose it looks very Thai island esque, however the elements of India are still firmly there.
Although the town of Palolem is very small there are enough amenities to keep you there without it feeling like it is too overrun and touristic.
When you first arrive in Goa it is very easy to find reasonable priced accommodation as there are plenty of chilled out beach hut resorts all along the main beach, haggle your heart out for the price though as this really is the Indian way for EVERYTHING!
Palolem is very relaxed and there is nothing more relaxing than to try out some yoga. When exploring the area on mopeds we came across this amazing little yoga school about a 15 minute walk out of the town centre. It was set in a small wooden cottage in a small jungle where you truly are at one with nature. The owner Swami was so friendly and for someone like me who was trying out yoga for the first time he was very patient (especially when I was falling about all over the place!)
Agonda beach

Literally the next bay north of Palolem is the even more relaxing and quiet Agonda beach. There really isn’t a lot to do here except to chill and soak up the rays. Something I would strongly recommend to do while you are in this area is to hire out mopeds and ride out to the Cape Rama fort. It’s a couple of hours drive but when bike rental and petrol are so cheap there really are no excuses! The scenery is stunning, you barely meet any other vehicles and it makes for a great half day excursion. The fort itself is still very intact and has been taken over by cows, as has much of India! Also while you are in Agonda look out (or up rather) for the bat alley on the path that runs along the back of the beach. I have never seen so many bats in one place and at one time!

Panaji

Sunset on the Beach, Always a Good End to The Day!

Further north up the coast is Panaji, Goa’s capital town. It’s very quaint, charming and unlike any of the other Indian state capitals as it seems to have escaped that crazy ‘I might get run over today’ vibe. Whilst eating in a restaurant here one night a cow just strolled in and lay down on the middle of the floor and no one seemed to care, this is just one of my many random Indian experiences!
Panaji provides a nice break from the beach and enough aimless wandering to keep you entertained for a couple of days. The old town is dotted with lots of elegant reminisces of the former Portuguese occupation and at times you may feel like you are in Europe.
If you are looking for some local culinary delights you will have to check out Sher-e-Punjab. This place is full of locals, is cheap and serves up some amazing fish/ meat and vegetarian curries. Also some of the best roti and naan bread I ate in my whole time in India! Don’t get drawn into one of the more touristy places as you end up paying triple the price and are left thoroughly disappointed.

Anjuna

Anjuna, in the far north, was the last place I went in Goa and it has a completely different vibe to the beaches in the south. It has a much busier party vibe. I had some fun times there as there is a wide variety of bars and clubs to tickle your fancy. Just ask around and you will easily find out where the big club nights are on. Don’t ever buy club tickets from randoms who approach you claiming to be club promoters; we were unfortunately caught out in this scam. You can easily get them from hotel owners or just on the door when you arrive.
One place I would definitely recommend to stay in Anjuna is Asterisk its one of the only official youth hostels in the whole of India. It’s a great social place to meet people and the owners were really friendly and helpful.
Whilst in the whole Goa area I would recommend trying the local spirit called fenny (It’s made from cashew nuts, apparently!) and mix it with some sprite, you can find it in all the local shops and the locals will tell you it will ‘give you good crazy time’

I wish I had some more time to explore Goa as there is still a lot more I wanted to see and do there. But as I’m sure you all know that is one of the down sides to backpacking there truly is never enough time to see everything!

This is a guest post from my buddy Luke who is currently on a year out from teaching in Egypt – he’ll be contributing a bit over the next few months!

I would’ve left before the weekend but unfortunately I cocked up transferring my cash around and found myself with no money for a few days!

I’ve been sat on Phi Phi for the best part of 2 months now and it’s been an experience peppered with highs and lows. Overall though I’m going to be a bit sad to leave this place -  it’s beautiful (when the sun is actually out….stupid monsoon season!) but mainly due to the fact I’ve made heaps of friends here and got to know the whole place really well.

I am however ready to leave – call it island fever if you will!

But basically since I stopped my dive master training and decided on some new plans I’ve been bumming around waiting for my apartment contract to finish, working on the blog (and some exciting new projects!) and partying hard in between!

I’m definitely ready to leave but an odd thought has been crossing my mind….

“uggggghhhhh backpacking”!

A Bit Worrying!

Given the title of the site this thought has been rather worrying!

There’s a few things that have contributed to this conclusion though – hostels, bouncing around, money and Asian food!

I’ve been pretty settled in the last few months, and the slight flashpacking stint I did before that!

I’ve had a nice private room, double bed, air con, wifi and hot shower ensuite. I’ve moved onto Phi Phi and it’s been some very productive times and really comfortable!

Now the thought of having to share a room with 10 strangers in a noisy stinky dorm room makes me groan in annoyance! UGGGGHHHH! 

As does the thought of having to pack, repack, unpack and repeat. Let alone having to lug all my crap onto buses, ferries and tuk tuks. UGGGGGHHH!

And money?! Well Phi Phi has proved pretty dam cheap living wise and rent is heaps cheap on a monthyl basis. Having to budget hardcore again and search for places on the cheap is a pain. UGGGGHHH!

And Asian food?! Well put it this way I’m over it. I literally can’t look at a Phad Thai without dry heaving and the thought of eating anything noodle based isn’t my idea of culinary heaven right now! In fact I don’t think I’ve eaten any Asian cuisine for the past month – chicken cordon bleu, burgers and jacket potatoes have been the order of the day!

I’ll Be Back…

All Packed And Ready to Go…

Despite these worries and thoughts I’m not giving up on backpacking at all, so don’t worry!

I know it’s a case of getting back into the flow, into the bubble and embracing everything about travel that has driven me to do it long term.

As soon as I get back into that dorm and meet a heap of amazing people from all walks of life I’ll sleep easy.

Once I’ve sorted out my bag and everything has it’s place again packing will be a breeze.

Limiting my money makes me look for different options, it keeps the adventure going and I want to show you guys you don’t need to be loaded to make the best of your time on the road. Once I get in the mindset money won’t matter.

And the food?! As soon as I’m back in Bangkok I’m going to see the awesome Phad Thai Lady on Koh San. 30baht and a minute later I’m sure all my food worries will drift away, and who knows what crazy treats Cambodia will have for my palate? I need to rediscover the adventure within food, meals should add to your experience.

Once I get back in the flow all will be right again with the world. Lazy lie ins will quickly be replaced by sunrise excursions. Afternoons on the beach will turn into photo missions amongst new places.

Deco and Banana Bar replaced by new and exciting venues, and divers will become an eclectic mix of nationalities and new friends just waiting to be found.

As much as I may resent the thought of backpacking right now I know it’s where I belong and where I feel the most at home.

It’ll just take a bit more adjustment this time!

Roll on the next adventure…

Most importantly it gives me the flexibility to do what I want, when I want, and as a blogger it means I can jump on opportunities as they arise.

None more so than my recent dive charter trip with Khao Lak Scuba in Thailand.

I was heading to bed after a few cheeky beers and it was about 1:30am. I grabbed my iPad for a cheeky check of Facebook  and a notification had popped up in my email. It was a contact form email from a dive boat owner I’d met briefly over dinner through Eddie at Barakuda Scuba and I’d taken the opportunity to chuck him my business card.

The email was pretty simple, he’d checked out the site, liked what he saw and invited me on a 3 day dive live aboard. Stoked!

The only stipulation was I needed to be at Phi Phi pier within 30minutes!

I didn’t need any persuading, I threw together the bare essentials and shoved them in my dry bag, I did however need to locate my flat mate Harriet to give her the one set of keys we have! She’d opted for a big night out with the girls so I frantically ran around town trying to find her.

As expected she was drunk in a bar! After quickly explaining the situation. Taking a torrent of drunken abuse about how jealous she was I legged it to the pier, by 2am I was sitting about the flagship Manta Queen 3 with company manager Stefan and his tour leader Geoff…

The Boat

The Magnificent Manta Queen 3

The Manta Queen 3 is an amazing vessel, it’s sheer size is amazing and I don think I’ve seen anything than really matches its size and facilities since I’ve been in Thailand. The last time I stepped aboard anything of this caliber was when I did my original dive courses in Cairns, Australia – and that came with a hefty price tag!

The MQ3 is kitted out with everything you’d want for a 4 day dive trip. From the sun deck complete with hammocks, a spacious dinning and briefing deck and even a fully air conned entertainment room full of sofas, bean bags, huge flat screen and more movies than you can shake a large stick at – perfect for relaxing in the evenings or during your surface intervals.

The rooms on board vary in size depending on your setup, from doubles and triples through to bunk bed style cabins – all of which have adequate space for your bags, air con and of course a sea view!

Then of course is the dive deck. The MQ3 does this in equal style to the rest of the boat. It can comfortably deal with up to 40 divers so its well laid out for minimum stress.

There’s inbuilt wetsuit racks and an onboard air compressor (complete with nitrox option) and the dive platform is big enough for an easy entry and exit…complete with hot showers too!

The Staff and Service

The level of service from the Khao Lak Scuba crew does the boat justice. The level of professionalism is perfect yet they retain the friendly approachable vibe that you need to make a dive charter enjoyable.

Geoff Hard at Work!

Before each dive we were thoroughly briefed about the site, the safety and the marine life and once you hit the water it was clear all the dive guides and instructors knew the site well and were as stoked to be in the water as were!

The Thai staff were awesome too and it was always service with a smile. The dive deck guys were always on hand to help you out when kitting up, although it took some adjusting having someone put your fins on for you whilst you clipped up!

Dive Sites

Of course the main make or break point on a dive charter is the location you explore underwater, and the Khao Lak itinerary took in some of the best site the Andaman sea has to offer.

When I came to Phi Phi I had 3 sites I wanted to see; Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and the King Cruiser Wreck.

Unfortunately with it being low season no dive shops on be island were running trips that far out. However the MQ3 included all of them – needless to say I was stoked to finally check them out!

The View From Cathedral Cave

They didn’t disappoint either! With near perfect visibility throughout the whole trip and zero current I got to dive them at their best. Huge schools of Barakuda, Trevelly, Bat Fish and mor other species than I can count swam amongst the magnificent and pristine hard and soft corals covering these sites.

Over the full trip we covered the following;

•  Koh Ha
• Hin Daeng
• Hin Muang
• Shark Point
• King Cruiser Wreck
• Anemone Reef
• Koh Phi Phi (4 dives over various sites inc 1 night dive)

Cost

Now you’re probably thinking with this level of service, this standard of boat and this range of dive sites that the live aboard comes with a crippling price tag, and I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that.

More Leopard Sharks

But Khao Lak Scuba aims to provide flash packer quality at backpacker prices.

The full dive charter, including Phuket pickup, 11 dives (including 2 night dives) 3 nights accommodation and all meals, drinks and snacks comes in at 16,800 baht – just over £350 – for the low season, it’s slightly more in high.

For anyone that’s dived before you’ll appreciate how much value for money that is! To put it in perspective one of the days includes 4 dives on the Phi Phi Islands – these alone would cost you over £120 without any accommodation!

The great new too is you can do your full PADI Open water (or a number of other courses) on the boat too.

In my mind if you’re looking to learn to dive as part of your Thai backpacking experience (which more and more people are) but arent too sure if you’ll dive much in the future then why not go all out and see the best the country has to offer in a little bit of luxury?!

I comparison to the £700+ I paid to do the same in Australia it’s a no brainer!

Overview

Overall I had an great time aboard the MQ3 and was rally blown away by the services Khao Lak Scuba offer. Having spoken to a number of other divers on board who have dived throughout the globe this opinion was mutual to everyone.

Stingraaaaaaay Stingray!

The only issue I have with the whole experience is the fact it’s set the bar pretty high for any other dive trips I go on throughout my travels and I’m worried my taste for diving luxury won’t be matched very easily!

If you’re looking to hit up some dive sites during your time in Southern Thailand or become qualified then I strongly recommend checking out the Khao Lak Scuba Adventures website for some more info or having a browse through their Facebook Fanpage, which they continually update with pics and info from all their trips!

Also as an added bonus I’m teaming up with them to save you some dollar – in fact they’ve been awesome enough to offer 10% off their netprices (so basically minus equipment and park fees)

…on ALL bookings made using the promo code “BPB Dive Deal”  – that means liveaboards, day trips and even full PADI courses – saving you heaps!

***DISCLAIMER; I received a complimentary dive trip from Khao Lak Scuba Adventures – but rest assured all opinions are honest and my own***

Carrying on from last month when Katja flew over I spent the bulk of this lat month living it up in some 5* luxury, taking some time out from the backpacker bubble and basically having a holiday from my holiday!

It was good to relax and spend a few days achieving absolutely nothing! I bounced from Phi Phi to Koh Lanta for a few days in the nicest accommodation I’ve ever had the opportunity to experience and then back to Phi Phi for more island goodness.

After saying goodbye to the girl as she flew home to Switzerland I met up with a travel buddy of mine from my time in Chang Mai and Pai and on a rather large whim I decided to head to Phi Phi with her to start our Dive Masters courses with Barakuda Dive Centre.

The last few weeks have therefore been full of underwater fun, chilling with leopard sharks, turtles, octopus and heaps of nemo fish! With a large dose of getting to grips with working in a busy dive shop and completing my Rescue Diver course!

Stats;

Overland Distance; 184.55kms 

Flight Distance; n/a

Total Distance; 184.55kms (wow that’s heaps less than usual!)

Main Spots; Koh Lanta, Phuket and Phi Phi

Transport Taken; Mini buses, ferries, tuk tuks, dive boats, long tails

Flights – None this month!

A Fairly Minimal Month of Travel!

Money Breakdown

Thailand – £826 over 31 days  = £26.64 per day

+ dive course expenditure for my Rescue course and equipment, an additional £403

Total spent – £1129 = £36.40 per day

Well settling down on Phi Phi certainly reduced my monthly spend, it’s been easy to do here for 500baht per day plus accommodation. However the dive course stuff has been a big outlay, but I knew that was coming and had budgeted for it.

I did end up spending slightly more than usual at the beginning of the month though treating the girl to meals and paying for her accomdation – which I thought was fair enough given the fact she flew half way around the world to come see me!

Cheapest Place – taking out the fact I’ve had alot of free accommodation this month Phi Phi was the cheapest, especially once you’ve been here for a while. Local restaurants and bars give you heaps of discounts if you work here or keep coming back!

Most Expensive Place – Phuket is still the most expensive place, third month running!haha!

Biggest Splurge/Unforeseen Expense – my dive courses. They ain’t cheap. And combined with buying equipment too it’s been a big investment. And I did shell out about £80 for my bamboo tattoo!

Highlight – Without a doubt the highlight of the last month was staying in the Cha Da Beach Resort on Koh Lanta, it’s by far the most amazing place I’ve ever stayed!

Lowlight – apart from having to say goodbye to the girl for the 4th time this year probably the weather in the last few days on Phi Phi. Monsoon season is in full flow!

Top Shot

A Sleepy Leopard Shark

Once again I’ve been super slack on the photography front (seriously I really need to get my act together and make the most of these amazing places I’m visiting!) but I’ve really enjoyed using my GoPro dive housing to get some shots during my scuba courses. This sleepy leopard shark is my favourite though!

What’s Next?

Hmmmm….this is a pretty tough question!

If you read this site alot you’ll probably be thinking – hang on I thought you knew what your plans for the rest of 2012 were?! Well my world is a little more chaos than normal and I have a pretty big habit of being indecisive and chopping and changing things around!

There’s a post later this week that will explain everything – but I can assure you it’s going to result in heaps of awesome stories to tell!

But it also got me thinking – the Internet is full of travel blogs listing off everyone’s top activities/memories/bucket list items and the more I read the more I realise the same things pop up time and time again.

So I thought I’d try and balance out all this positive travel talk and come at it from a slightly negative side, because like everything travelling also has its downsides and I thought I’d share some with you – here’s My 10 Worst Travel Experiences!

At the time they all sucked quite a bit, but with hindsight they now make me chuckle and are some great stories to tell! Like my Dad says – no experience is a bad one if you learn something from it!

• 

  Check my Free Nosejob!

  Taking a surfboard to the face - yup surfing isn’t the safest sport in the world! After 10 years of relatively accident free surfing I took a 9 foot longboard to the face whilst surfing in Byron Bay, the result was a broken cheek bone, broken nose and 4 weeks of looking pretty beaten up!

• My buddy getting spiked in Laos although not directly one of my personal bad experiences I did have to look after my buddy Matt when he got spiked in Vang Vieng, Laos. I just thought he was epically drunk to start off with but he was bed ridden and puking for the best part of 4 days…not good times.

• Running out of cash in Oz I ended up running dangerously low on cash during my time in Australia, within $1000 of being broke and with another 8 months left in the country. I did manage to tie myself over with a large chunk of cash I made by being in a nudist movie though!

• Getting snogged by a ladyboy yup you read it right, during my time on Koh Tao I managed to get snogged by a ladyboy. But no I wasn’t drunk and end up finding I’d taking a chick with a dick home…I got dragged on stage during the finale of the Ladyboy Cabaret!

• Getting mugged by the Mafia - this isn’t a stroy I’ve published yet, nor mentioned to my eve worried mother! But the short of it is me and my buddies Nic, Anna and Audrey tried to go see a ping pong show in Bangkok. Sh*t got loose and we got into a really bad situation with some very bad looking people who basically mugged off of to the tune of over £150! Bad times!

• 

  Slightly Exaggerated, But It Bloody Hurt!

  Stepping on a stingray (or 2!) another surfing related accident! Whilst surf coaching on the beaches of Montanita in Ecuador I managed to stand on not one but two stingrays in the space of a week. The poisonous barbs in my feet were possibly the most painful experiences I’ve ever had!

• Nearly being robbed on a nightbus - this happened pretty recently and left me feeling pretty vulnerable for a bit, knowing that someone had broken into my bad and tried to steal my stuff. Luckily I didn’t have anything of value in there, but its still shocked me!

• Getting super ill in Ecuador - I got some kinda crazy fever illness thing whilst living in Montanita and was bed ridden for the best part of a week. I could barely eat, couldn’t sleep and was burning up. People realised it was heaps bad when I bailed on an epic surf trip! Luckily for me though Katja was on hand to nurse me better and I’m very grateful! Getting ill whilst travelling is never fun.

• Xmas Day in Sydney - sounds amazing right?! Well when you’ve built up the thought of spending xmas day on Bondi beach, Australia with a BBQ for the best part of your adult life it’ a MASSIVE let down when you actually pick the first rainy xmas in 40 years to go do it! That day sucked big time!

• ‘That’ Night In Pai - In hindsight this event is absolutely hilarious, but at the time being woken up by a drug fuelled hostel worker going bat shit mental at everyone and punching your buddy in the face isn’t the best way to settle into a new area! Needless to say I checked out earlier than planned!

My first stop on this holiday from a holiday was courtesy of the lovely guys at Roomorama who asked me to test out their booking engine.

Roomorama.com

As a lover of all things tech and also being a massive Apple geek I like things to work quickly, simply and look pretty too. I was pleasantly surprised that the Roomorama homepage provided all of those things. I could quickly get to work searching using the basic but effective search bar at the top and was even provided with a sample of accommodation from around the globe before I’d even started – which was handy as at the time I literally had no clue where to head!

Nice, Clean and Simple to Use!

Cleverly this gets you thinking about luxury from the start as these featured properties look freaking beautiful and my thought process quickly switched from a week in a budget or mid range place to a one night splurge!

Once my initial search was done I was presented with a whole heap of options to sift through – and naturally the first few were uber expensive! However help was at hand for the budget conscious with a good range of perimeters to locate the perfect place.

Needless to say budget and wifi were the top of my list of priorities!

The booking process is pretty simple, although maybe a little bit long winded for those looking to secure something  quickly or instantly. After choosing a place to stay (and browsing through the range of pics on each property) you simply ping off a request via the site. Then it’s down to the owner to respond.

Mine was dead quick off the bat, but I could see how this may concern anyone looking to get something sorted there and then.

Once confirmed (and you can ask any questions you want at this point) you can pay there and then via credit, debit or even Paypal.

…and if you’re super cheeky like me you can hunt around the interweb and find some discount codes to waiver the booking fee – now thats some backpacker bargain hunting!

Now comes the bit I wasn’t so keen on, the emails. Once booked you receive 2 emails – one saying “hey everything is sorted here are the details” and another saying “oh you need to sign this too” (I’ve paraphrased this by the way!).

The signing thing was pretty much my only gripe with the Roomorama experience. Not only did I need to sign something with all the t&c’s (couldn’t this simply be done with a tick box on the site?!) I also needed to send off a copy of my ID. Luckily I travel with my iPad so I simply took a shot of my passport and mailed that. But if you were travelling a little bit lighter on the tech side or using internet cafes it could prove a little bit more arduous.

Paperwork done…I looked forward to my stay…

First Taste of Luxury

In the end I decided to stay at Sea Pearl Beach Resort in Patong Beach. It’s right on the beach front and I’d seen it in passing earlier this year on my way to Phi Phi – most notedly due to the lush looking pool and the poolside bar!

The Perfect Crash Pad!

Checking in with my Roomorama codes was a breeze, and I was stoked when all my gear (and it’s mounting up these days) was taken to my room by a porter, something I’m VERY unused too…in fact I’m pretty sure that this was the first time I had received such service! I don’t know what I was more smiley about, that or the fact the lobby to the hotel was amazing – complete with waterfeatures, restaurant, you name it it was there – it was like stepping inside the tardis!

As the door swung open on the room I was stoked and realised I’d made a pretty dam good decision – this place was spacious, clean and kitted out!

The room came equipped with a huge king size bed, widescreen TV (I hadn’t watched TV for agggggges!), mini bar (again dangerous but not too expensive actually!) beautiful bathroom and even a mini kitchenette!

I think it goes without saying that after dumping our stuff me and Katja heading straight for the pool for an ice cold mojito!

The resort itself is well kitted out and to a large extent you could get away without leaving it to sample to chaotic delights of Patong. With a large restaurant, huge spa and a tempting pool it covers all bases. Although despite it’s price tag alot of this comes at extra cost – and anyone who’s travelled Asia will realise that 2,000baht a massage is rather steep!

Much like the Phi Phi Island Cabana my major issue is with the fact the place charged heaps extra for in room wifi. However Sea Pearl met my needs halfway on this one and and provided free PC use in the lobby, still if you’re looking at working on your trip I’d prefer in room to be on tap.

Overall though the place was great. The staff were really friendly and chatty, the included buffet breakfast was amazing (I completely over ate and stuffed my starving backpacker face with pancakes and fresh fruit!) and location was spot on, a mere stones throw from the beach and ocean, and a couple minutes walk to the main shopping spots and of course the mayhem of Patongs Banlga Road – which is a must! The only major downside was the fact that this place is well out of the backpacker trail and budget, with my Deluxe Double coming in at just shy of $100 per night!

Still if you want to treat yourself it’s a great option, and the Roomorama site caters for a huge range of budgets and styles.

Atmosphere – 3/5

Cleanliness – 5/5

Facilities – 4/5

Value – 3/5

**I received a complimentary stay at Sea Pearl Resort courtesy of Roomorama.com – but rest assured all opinions are honest and my own**

It’s a case of having too much time, too many opportunities, too much flexibility and just enough cash!

That may sound like an ideal position to be in but with my levels of indecisiveness it can prove to be a complete mind f*ck and leave you a little bit stressed!

But after tossing around ideas like bailing to Oz in 3 weeks, doing my divemaster course on Koh Tao, heading to Japan, exploring the Philippines, bouncing back to Bali or simply sticking to the original plan and heading to NZ to work I finally came to a decision.

And yes it was pretty last minute…

Deciding Factors

See the original plan for my RTW trip was to hit up northern Thailand, Laos and the Thai Islands before heading into Malaysia. From there I was meant to fly to Oz, spend a couple weeks in Byron Bay and then land in NZ ready to get some work…all in the space between May and September.

But since then Bali came into play, they blogging took off and I found myself with a bit more dollar and time on my hands!

Still, the main things playing on my mind whilst sorting this new plan of attack are the same any traveller has to deal with before hitting the road;

Visas, budgets, future plans, opportunities and time.

And if you’re on the road now, or planning a RTW trip I suggest you pay heaps of attention to all of them, because mucking any one of those up can come back to bite you in the arse pretty quickly!

In the end I’ve opted for the Divemaster route – something I’d previously decided on earlier in the year!

For me it provides the best opportunities to work and travel, as well as being the easiest option in regards to visas and money.

However there has been one major alteration – I’m now basing myself on Phi Phi for it!

Being Opportunistic

Yup – you might have guessed it but savy saleswoman @Ally_Toullec convinced me to change coasts and come dive with her and Barakuda Scuba on Phi Phiinstead…although I’m sure money had something to do with her pitch!

Ally Hard at Work!

In the long run Phi Phi (although more expensive than my original Tao plan) looks set to be better for me.

Dive wise the sites on the island are epic as I found out during the last few weeks of fun diving here. There’s a larger variety and heaps more marine life to discover.

Lifestyle wise I find Phi Phi less of a party vibe than on Koh Tao. Don’t get me wrong I like to party and there is plenty of opportunity to get drunk and make some bad decision on this island (which can happen heaps wherever you are if you’re living in Thailand!), but it’s no way as enticing as Tao.

…and after 8 months of chaos around the globe I’m ready to take a bit of time out from ruining my liver and chill a bit!

Like one of the dive shops on Phi Phi says;

 “did you really travel all this way simply to go drinking”?! 

And one of the biggest deciding factors was the fact Phi Phi provides a better chance of a bit of work too – either promo for the bars or being a dive guide – which will help keep costs down and prolong my travels before needing a proper job to boost the funds again!

Jumping in With 2 Feet

So after convincing one of my travel buddies to join me I’m now settling in to Phi Phi life.

We’ve sorted a pimping pad next to the ocean for the next two months, slammed down some serious cash on dive equipment (ouch!) and been taken under the wing of Miss Toullec as she guides us towards becoming qualified divemasters.

The View From My House…Not Bad Hey?!

I’m pretty stoked to see how the next few months pan out, and already I’ve had some amazing fun dives whilst my buddy Harriet ploughs through her Advanced Open Water – mingling with beautiful Leopard Sharks, Barakuda, Lion Fish and plenty of Nemos!

It’s been a great start to a great adventure which will hopefully help me end 2012 in a sunny paradise and provide an opportunity for a new career path.

It’s a big investment but I’m hoping that the risk will pay off!

I shall also be putting together a dive feature for you guys too – talking through each stage of the qualification, giving you the low down on places to dive around the world, what costs and equipment you might need and generally inspiring you to make some bubbles and explore the ocean!

The New Office Window…!

And if you’re in Asia why not drop me an email and come dive with me and the Barakuda crew on Phi Phi?!

The place is MASSIVE – in fact the hotel borders both sides of the island, straddling the centre of the beautiful landscape – with the front entrance on the pier side (a minute walk from the ferry) and the back onto the horseshoe bay which is the centre of Phi Phi nightlife.

I must admit though I felt slightly out of place checking into a place of such grandure in my usual backpacker state – I would love to know what the rich German family checking in behind me thought they’d let themselves in for! But occasionally a bit of flashpacking is in order, a dabble of luxury amongst the 15 bed backpacker dorms I’ve been living in for the best part of the year.

And luckily AsiaRooms.com came through and hooked me up with 5 nights of double room, air con, en suite bliss!

Negotiating the slightly maze like gleaming white corridors with a porter lugging our baggage (something I had never really experienced before, and felt slightly uncomfortable with as keeping my bag on me has become second nature now!) we arrived at our room and as the door swung open the room before us had me grinning like a Cheshire cat!

Not Too Shaby!

The double room was airy and spacious, with a sea view balcony to match. The en suite bathroom with hot water (oh the joys!) was an equally pleasant surprise.

Complete with air con, a mini bar (dangerous!), huge king size bed and in room safe I was happy to based in it for a while, and the look on Katjas face was priceless!

The Stroll To Breakfast…

Over the next few nights we made the most of the facilities – relaxing in the HUGE pool within the complex which overlooks the beach, ordering in room massages (no happy ending!), relaxing on the balcony in the evening with an ice cold rum and coke and generally enjoying some serious down time in a comfortable private room which was made even sweeter by the fact when we returned every evening it had been cleaned from top to bottom!

After tucking into the free morning breakfast – an epic buffet feast of made to order omelettes, thai dishes, pancakes, fresh fruit juice and some seriously strong coffee – the location of the PPIC means it’s easy to explore the island.

Fancy a Dip?!

Within a few strides from the front door are a whole host of restaurants and a couple minutes will bring you into the main part of Phi Phi where food, shopping and bars line the street, and of course you can decide which beautiful beach you wish to spend the day topping up your tan on!

Cost wise I’ll be honest – it’s a full on flashpacking affair, with double rooms starting at around £130 per night! But I was also surprised at the amount of younger people staying there and chilling by the pool – unless of course they’re being savvy backpackers and sponging up the facilities! If so good on them!

Still if you’re looking to treat yourself or have a bit more cash to splash its an amazing place to stay.

View From the Pool

My only real gripe is the fact that although all rooms have wifi it’s not included, and at 120 baht per hour (about £2) it’s not cheap to work as a blogger from there! However there are plenty of cafes nearby who are more than happy to give you free access to the web so it’s an easy flaw to get around.

Overall I was stoked with the place – look at the pics, who wouldn’t be stoked with that place?! And although it lacked the communal vibe of hostel life the pleasant and friendly staff always had a smile on their face.

The perfect way to take a break from the backpacker bubble.

Facilities – 4/5 (would’ve been 5/5 if the wifi was free!)

Location – 5/5

Cleanliness – 5/5

Value – 3/5 (simply due to the fact the price tag is pretty hefty!)

** I received a complimentary stay at the Phi Phi Island Cabana courtesy of AsiaRooms.com – but rest assured all opinions are honest and my own** 

Running out of money, getting hopelessly lost, missing a flight…

But theres one which tops the biscuit, but unfortunately is one of the most common hazards facing travellers – getting robbed.

Talk of the Trail

Over my world wanderings I’ve heard many tails of people getting robbed, some more concerning than others.

One of my passengers whilst working at STA Travel got robbed at knife point in Rio, people I’ve met in Asia have been pick pocketed, others have been scammed at local currency exchange places.

When you go on holiday you tend to let your guard down slightly though, you’re exploring the world, care free and enjoying life, so it’s easy to slip into bad habits and unknowingly put yourself in a vulnerable position.

Overland Safety

I’ve been pretty lucky to avoid scenarios like the above (touch wood!), but through no fault of my own I did nearly get robbed a few weeks ago whilst in Thailand.

I travelled overland safely on my last trip there and had no reason to believe this time would be any different, but my overnight bus journey from Bangkok to Phuket nearly turned out to be my undoing.

I’ve heard a lot about scams on overnight buses in Asia – peoples hand luggage being robbed whilst they sleep, being pick pocketed by the person next to them, so I’m always on guard, my hand luggage by my feet and with the rain cover for extra deterrence.

What I hadn’t considered was my main luggage in the hold.

That Sinking Feeling

I always padlock my main bag – whether it’s for plane journeys or simply moving hostel – it’s easy enough to do and it’s always better to be safe than sorry, and this overnight bus was no exception.

But on collecting my rucksack in Phuket I was puzzled that the zip and lock were in a different location. I soon ignored it and didn’t think much of it…until I checked into my next hotel.

…as soon as I opened my bag I realised something was up.

The contents of my bag…

Having lived out of a bag for the best part of 6 months at this point I had packing down to a fine art, everything had its place, fitted in neatly and I could locate everything pretty quickly.

But now the contents where a mess. Not just a moved slightly around in transit mess, a someone’s riffled through my stuff mess.

At first I started to panic – “what did I have in my bag“, “where are my debit cards“, “what have they taken“.

I felt completely exposed and vulnerable for the first time on my travels – it was an odd feeling and one I’m not keen to experience again.

Then it mixed with anger – how dare some pikey Thai guy try and steal from me. How dare he try to potentially ruin my trip that I’d worked and saved so hard for.

What a complete dickhead!

Whoever had picked the lock and gone through my bag had gone through EVERYTHING. Wattle bottles had their caps removed, my first aid kit had been opened, my toiletries bag routed through, even my travel towel had been unravelled.

The whole thing was a mash of unorganised clothes and travel stuff.

A Lucky Escape

But the more I looked through my bag and regained my calm the more I realised that nothing was actually missing, nothing I could gauge of any importance anyway.

My brand new ENO Hammock was there, trainers, all my clothes, boardies, surf kit…it was all still there.

Then it dawned on me – they were looking for the easy steal; money, credit cards, passport, camera gear, laptops…

A smug grin started to appear across my face – all of my valuables had been in my hand luggage, on my person, on my lap, inside the bus and it had never left my sight!

It was quickly followed by a slightly arrogant chuckle too – whoever had gone through my bag had also been through the smaller bag I use to keep all my charger and electronic cables together.

Within that bag was a Canon 7D manual, GoPro charger and the distinctive white Apple laptop charger.

They must’ve been pissed knowing I had all that gear on me but had safely stowed it by my side!

Word to The Wise

I was lucky enough to get out of the whole thing with only the inconvenience of having to repackage and organise my bag – it could’ve been heaps worse.

I’ve since invested in a better padlock for my bag, but I’m still very wary about what I keep in my main rucksack, especially during the times I have to leave it unattended.

Many people I’ve met keep all sorts if valuables in their bags – and I have no doubt that some of the people on that bus ended up with things of importance being stolen from them.

I’ve also met backpackers who have experienced similar situations on night buses (especially to and from Bangkok) some of whose lost large sums of money in the process.

Don’t be put off overland travel by any means, I will use night buses in the future despite what happened; they’re a cheap, easy and convenient way to travel.

Instead learn from my experience. Always padlock your rucksack, and where possible keep your valuables where you can see them – especially when it comes to things like money, credit cards and your passport. And worse comes to worse find some solid annual holiday insurance - that way if anything does get taken you’re not out of pocket.

I could loose everything I own, but with those 3 items you can at least survive until everything is sorted.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

This time around I wanted to check out the waters of the Phi Phi Islands, which are even more famed for its variety of sites and abundant sea life.

Luckily fellow blogger Alley Toullec is now working on the island as a Dive Instructor at Barakuda – so joined by my brother and his friend (who are completely new to the dive experience) we hit the water…

Heading Out

Pre Dive Briefing

It’s only a short walk from the Barakuda Dive shop to the wharf – and along the way Ally explained the dive site we were heading too and what to expect.

On board we hit the sun deck on the top of the boat and had a bit of time to relax and take in the beautiful surroundings as we left the harbour and headed north to our first dive site.

Being already qualified I was left to top up my tan whilst Ally ran through the basics with my brother and Tom. Even though they can be quite a handful she remained professional and friendly – a credit to her patience!

After they were briefed she ran through the kind of marine life we could expect to find at the first site, a good mixture of everything!

Hitting the Water

At our first dive site Ally ran through the standard DSD tests – clearing your reg, flushing your mask and what not so they were safe to go explore underwater.

The dive site itself was beautiful – the visibility was easily in the 20m range and the water temperature? Well put it this way I was 18m underwater wearing just boardies, tropical dive paradise!

Guided around the site we managed a solid 30minute dive – pretty good going on the newbies who were good on air.

The major thing I noticed underwater on the first site at least was the lack of other divers around. On places like Tao it’s like a the M1 at rush hour on some dive sites, but here we were seemingly with the ocean to ourselves. I’m pretty sure this is a combo of the sheer variety of dive site son Phi Phi (thus reducing traffic at each spot) and the fact Ally obviously knew the place like the back of her hand.

A Hard Day In The Office for Ally!

She was also a dab hand at showing us around the marine life – from finding Nemo, through to moray eels, cuttlefish and shoals of fish. It reignited my love for the world of diving.

Second Dip

Stoked with the quality of marine life and diving of the first site we were amazed that the second dive site looked better from the off. Crystal clear waters running along a rock cliff face with an abundance of coral.

We weren’t disappointed once we got under the water either – with coral shelves, huge shoals of fish and a good mix of everything you’d want to see on a dive.

Although my brother didn’t get to fulfill his bucket list item of seeing a turtle we did get to witness a moray eel chow down on a baby squid – which was crazy to watch!

Once again Allys skills as a dive instructor meant we made the most of our time and oxygen – clocking up a 40 minute dive with air to spare!

The Bottom Line

My experience with Barakuda was nothing short of great fun and amazing! Yes I was lucky enough to be taken out by Ally who I know through the world of blogging but she’s super friendly and all the other dive instructors were equally bubbly and fun – both with myself but you could also tell during the briefings to their groups that the same level of service is afforded to everyone.

Throughout the experience with her and the Barakuda team I felt safe, secure and well informed on what was in store.

Onboard the boat itself is comfortable and spacious – with all the facilities you’d expect from a busy dive island including lunch, coffee, soft drinks and plenty of room to chill out and get your briefings done.

The dive shop is always heaps busy with customers and divers – and a busy dive shop is always a good dive shop!

Cost wise Phi Phi isn’t as cheap as it’s east coast island cousin Koh Tao – but Phi Phi offers a huge range of dive sites within a fairly small area – meaning less travel time and more time in the water!

From shallow bay dives full of Nemos and bright coral through to epic wreck diving and night dives full of luminescent plankton – you really are spoilt for choice!

Dives on Phi Phi are also the same price throughout the island – meaning the only deciding factor is which shop you prefer, and Barakuda Dive is top of my recommendations!

Go check out their dive package on the Barakuda website, peruse the amazing underwater shots on their Facebook page and also keep up to date with all their dive experience and what not via twitter.

**I received a complimentary half day dive from the guys at Barakuda, but please rest assured that all opinions are honest and my own**

Images courtesy of Ally Toullec and Barakuda Diving

There’s always a few things you need to adress on a long term trip with multiple destinations that can make the difference between holiday heaven and holiday hell…

Insurance

Insurance is a necessary evil with any kind of travel. The bottom line though is you have to hope its the biggest waste of money from your travel budget – because that means you come home in one piece! But if anything goes wrong you’ll be super glad you sank the cash and got the right cover. And don’t worry, you can shop cheap life insurance to find the right plan for you.

Make a list of activities you’re planning on doing or could possibly end up doing for each destination – and make sure that whatever cover you get means you’re insured as many providers add extra premiums for high risk activities such as skydiving and bungee jumping.

Also check that the countries you’re heading too are covered – many policies have an extra premium for cover in the USA.

Currency

With multiple destinations comes multiple currencies – and this can prove rather tricky if you’re unsure of your plans or you’re bouncing around quite a bit.

It’s also difficult to judge how much cash you’ll need to take on your person for your intial few days. Do you’re research and find out how much basic costs are (ie meals, beer, taxis etc) and take enough to be comfortable with so you don’t have to rush around on landing to find an ATM.

Sorting some travel money – either for your destination or airport layover – before you leave the UK is quickly done, but don’t leave it until the last minute!

If you can prebook a few nights accommodation and have them paid before you leave – that’s always a great way to cut down stress.

My top tip would be to always keep about £25 of american dollar bills tucked into your wallet as they’re accepted worldwide.

Jabs

I’ve already chatted about travel health in the past – but it’s always good to remind you all to make sure you check with your GP what jabs you’ve had, what you may need and any medication you might need to stock up on before you leave!

A Slight Plan

Personally I think it’s stupid to land in a country on a one way ticket without a slight plan!

Even if it goes out the window within minutes of landing having a rough idea of where you want to stay and a list of what you want to do will help you make the most of your time abroad.

By all means leave it ambiguous and dont book too much – but that little tick list could make a massive difference.

I spent a year in Oz and on my return found a list of things I’d researched – I forgot to take the list with me and on reading through it I’d missed out alot of cool stuff I had put on the to do list!

So make a list – chuck it on your email and look at it occasionally – it could help fill a lazy day or help you plan your next move.