THAILAND - Tiger Temple
Tiger Temple, a place owned and run by monks, is set up to be a sanctuary for rescued tigers. I was very excited about our visit to this place as it has been a childhood dream of mine to get close to these stunning creatures. Although it was an amazing experience to feel what the fur of such a powerful cat feels like, it wasn't quite the encounter I had hoped for. Being a popular tourist destination I should have expected the circus feel to the set up. In reality it is a great opportunity to raise funds to support these cats with such big appetites and to improve the enclosures.
What really bothered me though was that the place didn't seem to be the refuge for tigers that I imagined it to be, rather another example of animal exploitation that is so commonly found in Thailand. The docile and sedate behaviour of the animals can only lead to a conclusion of drugging by the keepers to facilitate safe photo taking sessions.

THAILAND - Dive Safari Surin and Similin Islands

4 days aboard the Andaman doing a marathon 13 dives. Again the diving was first class but the boat was more like sharing a dormitory with too many people and too few shower facilities. On the very first dive we spotted the elusive Stringless Guitar shark, very rare to spot.

The dives were broken up with visits to a number of remote islands were James fit right in with his ever growing shabby Robinson Crusoe look