perfection

Ko Samui was not on my list of destinations when I set out on this trip. In fact I had planned to be in Vietnam by now.

I first came here in 2004, and was absolutely blown away by the place. The beach was unlike most I had ever been to before, the bars were crazy and everything was just brilliant. For those reasons, I had been reluctant to come back. I just didn't think the second visit could ever live up to the first. It would be like a veteran footballer going back to a club where he enjoyed rich success in his youth out of nostalgia. Or something like that...

As a rule, I don't go back to the same places I have been on holiday to. There is simply too much in the world to see. But Ko Samui had a draw to me that has been impossible to shake off, and boy am I now grateful for that.

The reason I opted against Vietnam was because I would like to visit the country properly, rather than dash around a few places in a week. As I have also said, I'm pretty fed up with moving around every day and the constant hassle of arranging appropriate travel and accommodation. A period of getting up in my own time and doing nothing is just what I need right now.

I'm staying in Chaweng, which is the busiest and some would argue most beautiful stretch of beach on Samui. It is absolutely stunning. This part of the world has its critics, most notably holier than thou travellers who bemoan the expensive hotels and the presence of Starbucks and McDonalds. It is true this area is, in parts, commercialised and pricey. But there are unfortunately very few parts of the world where you are far away from access to a Big Mac, and nobody says you have to eat there. Plus Samui is also absolutely teeming with great locally owned and run bars and restaurants.

The overnight train to Bangkok en route to coming here was outrageous fun. I got completely shit faced in the restaurant car with a group of American travellers, who were all good value. We sat there for ages glugging back beer after beer - all topped off with generous pourings of cheap Thai whisky. Even the bar staff joined in. As the wind blew in from outside as we sped through the jungle, I grinned widely and thought 'this beats the Marquis of Granby'...

Conversation with the yanks ranged from the drunken inane to the intelligent. All were Democrats, all Obama supporters and all upset by the damage that had been done in recent years to America's reputation. From what they were saying, it does appear some people do take out their opinions about Iraq and Bush on Americans in general when they are overseas. This is ironic considering nobody really does the same against British travellers. Anyway, all agreed much would change should Obama win in November. I was interested to learn much of big business in America thinks the same way. The Democrats are currently pulling in nine times as much corporate cash as the Republicans. At first this surprised me, but when you think about it a bit more, it starts to make sense. If you are CEO of a company with ambitions to expand your business overseas and make more money, who would you rather have as the leader of your country? A Republican associated with unpopular wars? Or a fresh-faced, youthful Democrat with massive appeal to people under the age of 35? It ain't, as they say, rocket science. Obama wins in November, and then we all start eating Big Macs, drinking Starbucks coffee and supporting the New York Yankees. Or at the very least some people instinctively feel less of a revulsion towards worldwide American brands.

Anyway, after getting solidly pissed I passed out in my bed around midnight. The next thing I knew, it was 7am and we were pulling into Bangkok. Sleeper trains in this part of the world are a fantastic way to travel. I just love laying in bed and looking out the window at the surroundings - preferably with a glass of whisky in my hand. And it's dirt cheap - roughly a tenner - saving on accommodation costs for the evening.

From Bangkok Station, I caught a cab to the airport. As is typically the case in the Thai capital, on several occasions I thought we were going to have a high speed crash. The driver - when not trying to drive as fast as humanly possible - asked me quite a lot about football. He asked who I supported, and when I told him he just burst out laughing. Tosser. He was a Man United fan...

The flight over to Samui only took an hour. From the moment I arrived I instantly knew I had made the right decision to come here. The sun is shining and I'm now off to the beach...