Ton Sai (Phra Nang peninsula, Thailand)

We landed on Ton Sai beach at high tide and after gracefully disembarking the longtail boat waded ashore with our bags straight into one of the many bars that line the beach. Ton Sai is the first beach on the west side of the Phra Nang peninsula, about ten minutes away from the nearest road at Ao Nang by boat. It is flanked by cliffs at either end and behind it lies jungle, into which the village of wooden shacks and huts spreads back from the beach along dirt roads and tracks, where further bars, restaurants, massage parlours and climbing shops are found. Very different to the more developed and touristy resort of Railay futher along the peninsula this place feels a bit like a cross between a climbers' resort, shanty town and Glastonbury..... without the half a million people and mud!

Life here can be very good... you can eat a good meal in a decent restaurant for about a pound and get an hour of thai massage for three pounds. A lot of the climbing is on the beach right next to bars and restaurants and the sea is just metres away..... although there is a certain amount of jungle bashing to be done to get to some of the crags. Longtail boats are always on hand to ferry you between beaches, islands and climbing spots (even if they do sound like there are fifty motorbikes racing around the bay) and there's plenty of opportunity to kayak, snorkel or dive.

In fact there are plenty of reasons not to go climbing! However we had come with a purpose so we have been sampling the cliffs in the close vicinity. Suffice to say it is very hot, very sweaty and probably most challenging of all, very very polished. The climbing is quite good fun as it involves lots of knee bars and other contortions however I haven't yet even considered trying to lead anything, relying on Iain to put ropes up things for me. He has been working on a few harder routes on the beach in the mornings and is doing quite well given the handicaps!