Penang, Malaysia

I wasn't really looking forward to Penang, not sure why, it was always the place people went to on a visa run from Thailand. I couldn't have been more wrong. Really vibrant China town and Little India.





Lots of reminders from the old colonial times. The Island was administered by the British East India Company. A short hop on the funicular to the top of the mountain gave us a great view of the city below. Some magnificent villas were built in the hills back in the day as a cool retreat from the heat of the city.

The famous Sarkies brothers from Armenia built a hotel smack on the top. they were the chaps who built the Raffles hotel in Singapore and also the plush Eastern Oriental in Penang. Certainly seemed like the guys to hangout with if you were well healed and flush. If your interested, here's a good right up on the lads www.amassia.com.au/Raffles.htm. although it doesn,t seem to mention the propensity of one of the brothers for dancing the night away whilst trying to balance a glass of whiskey on his head.

Hot dog is it lads? :)

Don't ask we didn't try one :)

Its Mr Myagi again and now he's cookin noodles and gettin right hot under the collar. They love their noodles in Penang.

It's a strange thing food, in all its myriad of shapes and sizes, tastes and textures but stop for a moment....who the hell though of making chicken floss? and then stickin it on a bread bun for consumption by the masses.

Is it just me?

Answers on a postcard :)

Couple of street scenes, we really love the fast food action in SE Asia, fresh as a daisy :)

Ko Lanta and Ko Mook

Not your average road side warning from back home, like "grit on the road" or "mind out, cattle crossing" still a sobering reminder of the devestation caused not so many years back by the Tsunami.

Little bar on Ko Lanta perched on the edge of a cliff. We hired a moped and headed off for a bit of exploring but with the heat of the day it wasn't long befor we hit the hammock and chilled :)

Speeding past Railley Beach, the setting for the film, The Beach. It's been killed off by the publicity but still beautiful from the boat.

Always nice to be back on a dive boat heading towards a dive site. This time near the Pih Pih islands. Breakfast on the boat - bacon baguettes and fresh fruit set us up for a nice day under the water. Lovely corals and plenty of fish but no underwater camera to capture it all :(

I'm looking slighty bemused at the longtail boat heading off to the right of the picture. It's 5pm in the afternoon and Diane and myself have literally been dropped off in the water on the island of Ko Mook. We don't have anywhere to stay and i'ts a case of "whatever" ....hitch the pack and start walking :)

I know sweetheart... it's late we're hot, sweaty, knackered, nowhere to stay and you're stood in seawater with wet trousers 100 yards from shore in the mud :)

Always look on the bright side of life de da de da de da de da :)

The thing is a twenty minute walk takes you from a muddy jetty to a gorgeous empty beach with a lovely breeze and cool drink. Ko Mook is a really chilled place without the rat race which is taking hold of many of the popular islands in Thailand

Daniel Craig eat your heart out .... 00Pople returns from another snorkelling mission :)

Just a short longtail boatride from our beach bungalow we find ourselves outside this cave in an overhanging cliff face. Used in years gone past by pirates to store their booty.

It's pitch black inside and we swim through... headtorches reveal bats in the low hanging cave and the echos from the sea are really eerie. Upon swimming through you come out on a surreal sight. In millenia past the roof on the cave collapsed and formed a perfectly round and protected beach.

Looking up you see a patch of round blue sky and the sun shining down.

Diane clambering on board for the last train home. Its off to Penang Malaysia !!