Koh Samui.

Travel Tips

Stay: KC Resort and Over Water Villas, Chaweng Beach. I would recommend this resort to anyone who is willing to ride a scooter to and from town/beach/other areas. It is set back from the main street on a hill. The service is great, rooms are very tidy and have a jacuzzi on the balcony with a great view. Buffet breakfast is provided and includes an egg station and fresh juices.

Activities:

• Scooters - ensure you wear a helmet! Please! The roads on Koh Samui are very unstable and are of poor quality. I saw numerous accidents and so many people with serious bandages. You'll pay anywhere between 150B - 300B per day depending on the scooter. The shop owners require about $100AU deposit and your passport. We rented from 2 different owners and left a licence (for ID purposes only - it is "illegal" to drive/ride without an international drivers licence) instead, but it took some encouragement! Petrol will be 40B/L from side stalls.
• Massages/Pedicures - all the little salons are 'much of a muchness'. Prices vary by about 100B and please avoid the one with leopard print chairs across from the Bondi Bar on Chaweng Beach (lovely ladies, crap paint job!). Try a massage on the beach at the Southern end of Chaweng - only 200B and very relaxing.
• Russian Cabaret - located in the bar area of Chaweng Beach. Very entertaining!
• Grandpa/Grandma Rocks - on Lamai Beach stands rocks that resemble a penis and vagina.

Eating/Drinking:

• Islander Bar - very cheap food from all parts of the world. Try the chicken massaman curry. Jugs of cocktails for 300B which are delicious and made using fresh fruit, not syrups like many other bars.
• Magnolia Cafe - a tiny little cake house style restaurant which does 99B cocktails without a service charge. They also had the best pad thai dish from the whole trip, which is not expected at all.
• Ark Bar - apparently the beach party goes off on Friday nights however we missed it unfortunately. We did go on a Saturday night, which was a beautiful time on the beach sipping cocktails and watching the world walk by.

• Green Mango - AWESOME! I highly recommend finishing your night out at this place. So many people and so much fun. We had such a good time with friends we made in Bangkok.

Other:

• Airport Transfers - make sure you book a transfer prior to arriving at the airport. There are no metered taxis on Koh Samui so whenever you use one, you must agree on the fare prior to getting in. Don't worry about booking a transfer when you leave, if you are confident enough and chat to a local they will take you to airport for an acceptable price.
• Full Moon Parties - it is easy to travel to/from Koh Samui for the night. Speed boats travel every hour and are quite cheap.

Bangkok.

Travel Tips

Stay: Siam@Siam Design Hotel - this hotel has a very chic appeal and the interior decorating is absolutely gorgeous. The hotel offers buffet breakfast which is of good quality and there are a number of bars and the pool overlooks the city. The location is perfect and is very close to MBK shopping centre. Compliments to Casey Reid (Flight Centre, Ashmore City) for the recommendation.

Activities:

• Tuk Tuks - outside the hotel was a driver who offered to take us on a tour at 50B/hour (about $1.60). Many travellers are warned to stear clear of Tuk Tuks offering tours however we felt very comfortable with the driver. Tuk tuk drivers will take you to: large gem shops, a trip down the river, tailors and other places where he earns a very small commission. We enjoyed our trip and spent the whole day and night with him.
• Ping Pong Shows - I recommend you speak to a local (we used our Tuk Tuk driver) and they will take you to a show where you will pay 300B entry and drinks are normal prices. If you go to the shows around the Pat Pong night bazaar, entry is free however drinks start at 900B which is completely ridiculous.
• Tailors - we paid about $300AU for a 3 piece suit (pants, skirt, jacket) for me and a 2 piece suit (pants and vest) for Jack at Sawasdee Tailor. The shop was immaculate and very professional. The suits were made in high quality cashmere wool.

Other:

• Time - we stayed 2 nights and had 1 full day in Bangkok and it was the perfect length of time.
• Airport Transfers - the taxi system outside the arrivals section of the Bangkok airport is comprehensive yet easy to use. A taxi ride to the Siam area costs 250B - 300B, whereas a booked transfer can be much more expensive and you will pay p/person.

Mould Cleaner.

I am not necessarily financially bound, but I am very financially conscious. And a very, very fussy cleaner, I have always avoided mould cleaning products which sell at prices around $5.00 and opted for something cheaper, such as Woolworths Home Brand bleach and just scrub the living sh** out of the tiles. I have since discovered Woolworths Home Brand now offer Mould Cleaner for less than $3.00. This product has 49g/L of Sodium Hypochlorite and 30g/L of Sodium Hydroxide, a greater amount of active ingredients than 'top shelf' products such as Mould Away and Exit Mould.

If my mother ever reads this, she will break out in hysterical laughter. When I would visit for holidays and she needed to buy cleaning products I would try to sway her to the ones I use. You'd think that I would understand with 50 years of practice a woman knows what she wants. I still try.