Off the coast of krabbi, relatively under-developed, tons of nearly vacant beaches...

go to the most modern place there and see how it compares to the west

going to Koh Lanta like the other guy who commented. It is underdeveloped compared to Phuket and some of the other islands. There is a "downtown" type area but many of the guesthouses are a motobike trip away. The roads were dirt when I was there and really washed out, so renting a motobike can be adventurous. Our guesthouse had a nice 4x4 and they would take us into town regularly for internet, shopping etc, but watch the dust if you are in the back! Another good reason to start island hopping in Koh Lanta is because it is one of the more southern islands on the western side of the peninsula. You can easily travel north to Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket etc. From Phuket, you can get good deals to hop over the peninsula to Koh Tao and then travel south to Kho Phan Nan, Koh Samui etc. Southern T is a lot of fun, and you can get into craziness on any of the islands, but Koh Lanta is really chill, laid back, and easy to find your own space. Culturally, the island is home to the Sea Gypsies...google stories on how they knew the tsunami was coming. To borrow one of Lee's lines I enjoy...cool people those Sea Gypsies.

If you're looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of your busy travels, why not find a place that has everything you may need... Look for a beach, a relaxing bungalow, nearby (somewhat hygenic) restaurants, tropical bar (with fruity drinks), and hopefully wireless access. The last thing you want to do when you're on your relaxation week is to have to travel for restaurants/internet/beaches, etc. Enjoy the tropical resort-type places and live it up. Just one question though... knowing both of your tendancies to order Phad See-ew and Panang Curry at every Thai restaurant in Seattle, are you guys trying any other Thai dishes while you're down there? And is the Panang over there as good as Ruby's??? hahaha.

I think there are some nice, all inclusive resorts on Koh Lanta that have restaurants, spa services, and possibly wireless internet within the resort. I was there a 4 years ago so roads may be paved, new businesses opened, restaurants, resorts etc. I had a single beach bungalow with no ac for $3/night and the "resort" village I stayed in served all the food, beer and whisky I needed. My only need for travel was internet access. But there were super high end resorts 1/2 mile from the place I was staying, muchless throughout the rest of the island. Being that blogging the trip is part of your trip, it may be good to research resorts on the island if you are interested in going there desiring wireless connection. The beaches are beautiful and you won't have the crowds of other islands. I second Mark's notion of having stress free diggs...good luck!

When we were in Thailand in need of a nice relaxation we headed to Koh Maak which is not necessarily in the south, but closer to Cambodia. It was the most relaxing place. Very chill, no nightlife, no electricity except at night, good food, bugalows on the beach for $15 US and clean showers. The sunsets were awesome from the dock and the atmosphere was fabulously relaxing. We used it as our time away from our travels also.

Thanks so much folks. We've landed in an idyllic place for on the southern tip of the Phuket province called Baan Krating Jungle Beach. However, we'll be leaving here in a few days and going to a new place. We are pretty isolated here. I do think Internet access is key, but I'm leaving this comment (and posted this entry) from the Treo Smartphone. Mark, we branched out a bit, it we did do our research on panang curry, phad see ew and phad thai. I like them just fine, but the best stuff seems to be what u stumble upon in a street stall. It may not have a name we know, but its yummy! We'd love to hear from more people too... We've heard good things about Ko Phi Phi?