I Think I’ve Died and Gone to Thailand

Hi friends,

I am writing this to you from my plush, enormous bed in a Krabi resort. I promised myself I wouldn’t be smug in this post, except I’ve already broken that promise (and I didn’t actually make that promise anyway… uh oh). But in my defence, I am completely in awe of this place called Thailand and feel so privileged to be here. It’s so beautiful and amazing and oh I just love it so much!

Firstly, we are staying at a resort called Aonang Cliff Beach Resort and it is amazing. Aonang is the tourist town of Krabi, and our resort is so close to Aonang Beach and pretty  much everything this area has to offer. Gav, being the wunderkind that he is, found it and it has been heaven. Our room is beautiful and the people here are so kind and helpful. We have really felt taken care of for our entire stay, and it has just been so darn relaxing. After working long hours (with adorable children) for a long time, this break has been a welcome retreat. Here is what we can see from our bedroom window:

Perfect, no? If you ever come to Krabi I can highly recommend Aonang Cliff Beach Resort. The service is stellar and the breakfast is killer, You will love it!

I have been wanting to come back to Thailand ever since my first trip here 6 years ago now. That was a real “girls trip” and oh my gosh it was so much fun. Myself and 5 of my girlfriends came to Bangkok, Phuket and Phi Phi Island and I absolutely loved it. It was my first proper trip to Asia and it felt so grown up to go overseas without any adults (also my first trip without my parents). Of course, not everything was picture perfect (I’m looking at you, seedy Phuket nightlife) but overall I left with a very favourable impression of the country, the people – and the food. I have been wanting to come back ever since, and this year we finally made it happen.

Last time we came, I was quite a bit less adventurous with my palette and unfortunately my eyes had not yet been opened to the magical world of curries (something for which I will forever be indebted to Gav!). Because of this, I didn’t really get to the heart of Thai food, but I do remember eating a fried rice from a pineapple and being quite proud of myself. This time, I was determined to eat from a pineapple again, and it happened accidentally the other day, when ordering a “Hawaiian salad”:

Mm-mmm! This thing was so yummy and not really authentic in the slightest but still a very Thai spin on a salad. I thoroguhly enjoyed it and am glad to have ticked the pineapple dining off my (non-existent) list for this trip.

So, I mentioned we were staying in Aonang, Krabi but I haven’t really told you anthing else about it. For anyone wondering, Krabi is a small town in the south of Thailand, and it has a beautiful, relaxed beach vibe. Form what Gav’s told me, they don’t really market it to Australians, because they saw what we did to Phuket and they want to try and minimise the damage (fair call). Instead, this place is a hotspot for European travellers, particularly the Dutch and German. SO many Europeans here! It’s so funny, I think especially coming from super-homogenous Korea, but I just didn’t expect it. Of course, there is a mix of people, and there are also a lot of Indian and quite a few Korean and Chinese tourists here too, but getting on the plane was like something out of ‘The Sound of Music’. So much blonde!

AND another thing that I find really interesting here (although this could be a ‘thing’ all over Thailand) is the prevalence and incredible attractiveness of mixed Thai children. They are just insanely beautiful. Actually, we saw a few other variations of mixes too so it’s not just a Thai thing, but they are all beautiful and amazing. I don’t know what the genetics are doing but I like it!

Anyway, that was a bit of a rant but hey, that’s how my mind works! What I want this post to express (and what I think it is doing, given the amount of exclamation marks and CAPITAL LETTERS) is my extreme and perhaps severe love for this country. The people here are so friendly and as a whole are really kind and welcoming toward tourists. I always get a bit funny and sad when bartering, and on the first night I was looking at a kimono the vendor started getting a bit rude (out of desperation) and it can be hard to watch. Also some tourists are just despicable and rude and could give you a reason to hate ALL people. However, that doesn’t seem to happen so much in Krabi, and the Thai people seem to be really open to newcomers and generous and kind too. They’ve all been so lovely to us.

Sadly, we are leaving Krabi today and heading to Bangkok for one night, and then back into Incheon tomorrow afternoon. To be honest, although I’ve only had a week off here, it has been more than enough. I have done so much relaxing, I feel like it’s about time I got back to work! This has been a dream holiday, and although not everything has gone smoothly (our diving trip resulted in me throwing up into my hands in the ocean… twice), it’s been so beautiful and I am dying to come back here. Honestly, Krabi does not have the same vibe as Bangkok and Phuket, and probably even not like some of the other “party” islands. This is the perfect place to come to relax, unwind and enjoy a beautiful island lifestyle. I know we sure have!

I wanted to get this post up before we left, but rest assured there are more photos (mostly on Gav’s iPhone… so flattering) and experiences to be told, all in due time. Probably when I have my post-holiday come down and am dreaming of my island life with screaming children all around me. That said, I am really excited to get back to the kids and to Korea! I miss it, that crazy, amazing place we call home.

Thanks for reading, I will speak to y’all soon!

Steph x