Koh Chang, Thailand: Bathing with elephants.

Holy cow! The elephant trek was one of the best things I've ever done. It's like riding on some sort of dinosaur. Once you're on the back of one looking down, you realise just what freakishly superb creatures elephants are. Ours was a female, yet still seemed enormous. It's feet - like the base of roman pillars with toenails the size of teacups - were so graceful as it picked and chose the most comfortable path along the stony, beaten track.

The highlight was arriving at a crystal clear mountain pool where first we went in for a paddle. And then three elephants came in to join us, including an enormous male with huge, gleaming white tusks. I sat on our elephant's head while she bathed, and responded to the gentle calls and instructions of our guide. I'd recommend this to anyone who ever visits Koh Chang. You can do it in other places but the elephants are very well cared for here, and there were no touristy gimmicks like making them squirt water in the air or tip you into the water. We then finished the afternoon on the beach, where I got my first mossy bite, right on the knuckle. It's currently swelling up a treat. Little git.

What else? Jacqui's had a massage in an open-air hut by the beach, which she absolutely loved even though they pulled her about a bit and cracked her fingers and toes. Koh Chang is a bit quiet at the moment, and some bars have resorted to free BBQs to lure in the punters. So we've dined for free on tasty chicken kebabs the past two nights.

Last night I was kept awake by the whistling wind, which is surprisingly strong, and the strange incessant crunching noise from inside the beams of our hut. I assume this is woodworm? Its rhythmic and droning and, well, sounds like an unpleasant thing munching wood I guess.

I shall now proceed to devour an entire, freshly caught snapper fish for three of your English pounds. I'm splashing out tonight, y'see. Most dinners are a quid fifty. Ta-ta.