Koh Bulon Lae

We arrived at Koh Bulon Lae James Bond stylie via speedboat, transferring into a local longtail in the shallow waters just off the island. These local boats are traditional wooden fishing boats adapted to be powered by car engines fixed onto a long scaffold bar on a pivot, with one end used to steer and the other end housing the prop drive with the propeller fitted at the far end some 20 feet away. We bounced are way through the waves getting soaked to the skin before beaching in the shallows and wading the rest of the way to the beach - this is not 5 star holidaying!!

We spent the first couple of nights at Bulon Marina, not on the beach as the name suggests but a short walk inland. This stilted wooden bungalow came with a large double bed, but no top sheet. Luckily we had brought our own in Ilkley. The rain continued making ideal conditions for mosquitos which seem to adore the taste of Sarah. We took the opportunity during brief interludes of clear weather to explore the island, sticking to marked paths after stories of three types of indigenous snakes being prevalent. We saw giant monitor lizards sunning themselves at Mango Bay and searching for edible snacks amongst the fisherman's huts.

We have now moved to the cheaper resort of Viewpoint (£12 a night) to a stilted bungalow on the steep jungled hillside overlooking the sea.