Visas: Most visitors can stay for 30 days without a visa

Women Visitors: It can be hard, but not impossible for lone women. Expect lots of staring and don't take risks you wouldn't take at home.

Food: Absolutely fantastic choice and range of foods. Would suit even the most jaded palate but tone up your spice buds before you go

Shots: You'll need Hep. A, Typhoid, Diptheria and Tetanus, Polio and possibly others such as Rabies depending on where you're going.

You'll probably need Malaria tablets too.

Health risks: AIDS, cholera, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, rabies

What to buy: Silk, Clothes are fantastic value, you can have silk suits hand-sewn for you in Bangkok at a fraction of the price you'd pay elsewhere. Also great for handicrafts especially wood, colourful brollies, gemstones & silver.

A word of advice - Watch out for scams and bargain your heart out!

Word of warning: We've heard stories of people being attacked as they were walking home on their own along Long Beach on Ko Lanta.

They were attacked at knife-point and beaten because the attacker had difficulty removing one of their backpacks.

Luckily there were no puncture wounds but one is scarred for life and the other may not regain full use of her hand. The message is to never walk alone nor in small groups at night.

If possible, get public transport. The relaxed feeling on many of these islands makes it easy to forget that there are dangers for farangs.