The adventure continues. The quest for the ultimate budget holiday.

Amazing. A $3 kick-arts curry to die for – not die from.

This may well be one of the best budget travel destinations in Asia.

I’m in Ko Tao.

It’s a tiny island in Thailand that has been talked up by people I tend to take advice from.

But is it a good place to hang? Is it really that cheap? Will I die from bad food?

Because ‘cheap’ is only cheap when you can obtain what I call a high quality travel quotient. i.e total price divided by the total number of bad experiences equals??

The first thing I do is check out of my night one accom right next to the ferry terminal and rent a bicycle. I walk into the bike rental place and see that machine guns are for rent too. The guy is decked out in camo gear but he seems ok.

I haggle him down to 80 baht ($3ish) a day for an elegant lady’s bike – the only one left. I politely decline his generous machine gun offer and away I go.

I cruise it to Sairee Beach, the main little town on Ko Tao and get talking to a yank dude over breakfast (omelette, mango shake, banana pancakes for $7). He recommends a little area just 1km out from the town. That way you can hang in town if you like yet get total solitude.

I rode up the very steep hill with my pack, and dropped like a stone down the other side.

After looking at 3 places, I nail it.

Water lapping on rocks right beneath me and a view into the sun setting over the water for just 900 baht or $32 bucks a night.

This is the view.Check it out. >>>>>>>

If you want to go super tight, you can get decent places for half that. I was also amazed I was getting free wireless even though I was really in the middle of nowhere.

So in a couple of hours I was set up. Transport. Accom.

But what about living expenses?

Well…

*Laundry done on demand – $1.50

*Fruit shakes  - $1

*An amazing curry – $3. A three course meal $10ish.

*Large beers – $3. Spirits – $3. G&T’s went down very well.

*2 hour Yoga session – $8. I got super bendy and enlightened.

But sunscreen was expensive. A tube of Banana Boat cost about the same as Australia. I also did a lot of reading and second hand books weren’t cheap either.

So bring your own sunscreen and reading material and you’ll have it nailed. Seriously.

In a few days I’ll show you how to buy presents your friends will love plus I’ll share some extreme Tight Arts tips from some backpackers I met.

These guys take it to new levels.

La-gon.