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If you’re preparing for your own Cotswold Way walk and want to know things like how to get to and from the trail, where to stay, distances, costs, and what the food and drink options are like, read the first part. The extra night we’d factored in had allowed us to turn two long days of walking into three short ones, but it was now time to start getting a bit more serious about things. The floorboards creaked, I don’t think there was a straight wall in the place, and the smoke alarm definitely had a mind of its own, but the owner was lovely and by this point on the walk, we’d probably have slept outside on a bed of nails if it’d come with a decent breakfast. If you’re looking for a week-long walk that showcases some of best parts of a particularly attractive piece of the English countryside, and doesn’t require enormous amounts of fitness or equipment to enjoy, you’ll find it on the Cotswold Way.

Ever since, life has been a steady stream of alpaca-themed videos, alpaca-themed posters, alpaca-themed items of clothing. The alpacas weren’t thrilled about the idea, and to be honest, neither was I. Spending time with these wonderful animals had turned out to be an unexpected highlight of my time back in New Zealand. In the middle of New Zealand’s South Island, it’s a pretty convenient location for anyone heading south from Christchurch. It’s low-key, in the way that many of the best attractions in New Zealand are, and nice to contribute to a small family-run business rather than a big tourism operator.

There are also various minivan services from downtown Bangkok to Koh Chang, plus at least one full-sized bus that runs from Khao San Road early in the morning. Some of the bus and minivan services from Bangkok go directly to this pier (including the 999 bus mentioned earlier), which makes life easier. If you’re flying into Trat airport on the morning or lunchtime flight, getting to Koh Mak is much the same as getting to Koh Chang. You’ll have to take an overnight or very early morning bus to Trat from Bangkok’s Ekamai or Morchit bus stations.

The pack uses Osprey’s “Stow on the Go” system for hiking poles, where they sit on the side of the pack, underneath your arm. It’s fine for a long weekend, since it easily fits several day’s worth of clothes and other miscellaneous stuff inside. Because it’s a lightweight hiking pack, though, it doesn’t have the extras like a laptop compartment or padded pockets that you get with travel-specific bags and cases. As a result, and because it’s just that little bit too big to be sure it will be allowed as carry-on, it’s not usually my first choice for trips where I won’t be doing any real hiking.