Travellers' check

Mu Koh Surin is a national marine park with unspoiled beaches and zero hotels. Nor will you find any big construction going on, because everything is protected by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

Surin Neua, Surin Tai, Ri, Kai and Klang - the five Andaman Sea islets that make up the Mu Koh Surin archipelago - became a national park in 1981.

You get there via Kuraburi district, which is about 60 kilometres from the town of Phang-nga. The marine park is 70km from the Kuraburi pier - and just 5km from Burma's maritime border.

You can spend your whole holiday on a white sandy beach, but the Surin Archipelago is top-rated for excellent diving and snorkelling too. Koh Surin Tai (Southern Surin Island) is also home to sea gypsies, the Moken.

There's a national park office and visitors' centre at Ao Mae Yai on the North Island. Admission to the park is Bt400 for foreigners.

You can camp beneath the sky, and accommodation is also available in the form of bungalows at Ao Chong Khad. Expect to pay Bt2,000 a night for twin beds, fan cooling and an attached shower room-toilet.

The best time to go is from December to April. The park is closed from May to November, when the weather plays tricks.

For prime diving, head to Koh Stok, the most northern of the islands, which has massive coral reefs; Koh Torinla, the most popular diving spot; and Koh Mangkorn (Dragon Island), where the sea turtles are protected and the coral forms Christmas trees.

Is it possible to get to the floating markets or riverside markets near Bangkok by public transit? I'd prefer somewhere within an hour's drive of Bangkok. - Kitja

In Thai, a market is talad and a floating market is talaad nam. The older, established ones like Damneon Saduek are appealing but geared to tourists, so you might instead try the newer ones close to Bangkok.

At this newer variety you'll find regular and floating markets combined. It's a riverside market with vendors in boats bobbing about as well.

The Bang Nam Peung floating market in Samut Prakhan, near Bangkok, can be reached by public bus No 6 from Bang Lamphu - it runs right past Khao San Road.

Or you could catch Bus No 82 at Sanam Luang and ride to the Prapradaeng Pier, then take a songthaw to the market.

The Taling Chan floating market in the south of Bangkok is easy to reach via bus No 79 from Siam Square. It stops right in front of the market.

To get to Donwai market in Nakhon Pathom, make your way to Pin Khao and take the shuttle van past Wat Rai Khing to Don Wai.

And, if you do want to see popular Damneon Sanuek floating market, get a shuttle van from the Victory Monument past Bang Pae Damneon Saduek to the Damduen Saduek District Office, then take a songthaew on the yellow route via Wat Chotikaram and Ratchaburi to the market entrance.

Thais use these means of transport all the time because they're inexpensive, so you get to know the locals too.

Bon Voyage!