During our stay in Thailand we headed out to the hills to have lunch at Monsoon Valley Winery. I was surprised that there was a winery here, never having been to one in Thailand before.
Monsoon Valley Hua Hin
There is also an elephant sanctuary situated here and you can take a small minibus out to see them. We had left it too late to book a tour though.
Anthony and I were delightfully surprised by the magnificent scenery that surrounded us.
We were seated outside on the verandah and had a lovely view over the extensive vineyards. It was exceptionally hot though and I was still recovering from a flu virus! There was a fan nearby which I had positioned to blow on me.
Stunning views from our table on the verandah
The menu was full of delicious dishes and when they arrived did not disappoint. Starting with a charcuterie board followed by coconut flakes and dried shrimp in grape leaves and grilled prawns and pineapple fried rice. We enjoyed every mouthwatering morsel.
You can’t tell that I have a fever!
Enjoying a crisp cold white wineA multi coloured sculpture of an elephant made from wood
The Monsoon Valley Restaurant
Another creative sculpture
What a wonderful way to wile away an afternoon, good company, great views and gourmet food. I would definitely recommend a visit if you are ever in Hua Hin.
Continuing with our week in Hua Hin, today we set off for the wetlands in a nearby national park. We had missed out on the abundant lotus flowers blooming but were hoping to see some birdlife.
This national park is surrounded by towering majestic limestone mountains. There is also a kilometre long boardwalk to view the surroundings or you can hire a boatman and his boat, which we did.
Viewing Tower
The first thing I noticed was the complete silence with maybe the occasional bird call. You are immediately struck by the serenity and peace here.
Boats for HireOur happy captain
The birds were there of course, hidden by the long grasses so it was difficult for me to take any decent shots.
It was a hard job for our tiller man to navigate through the reeds. Going slow or fast or stopping completely to untangle the propellor. He did need to get out a few times to push us through!
The photos below are the best of the bunch. It was tricky trying to focus, especially when Mr. Tiller only briefly slowed down.
Gliding through the reedy waters and looking out for the birds was a great way to spend an afternoon. We were on the boat for around 45 minutes and our backsides were getting quite numb.
One of the boats on a tour
A pagoda to sit and relax and watch for wildlife
This is a tour well worth taking, reasonably priced and well organised.
After this we stopped at a small place for iced coffee. Although try as I might I find iced coffee too bitter for my liking.
Behind the kiosk there was a large cactus display showing some very quirky and colourful blooms.
A Gallery of Cacti
If you’re ever in Hua Hin, I highly recommend setting aside a day for this amazing outing. It’s a wonderful escape from a day at the beach.
We recently spent a week in Hua Hin with Anthony’s brother and wife in their beautiful apartment. On our first night I managed to capture the bright orange moon from their verandah.
Daytime photos
Our first morning was spent walking around Khao Tao Lake. It is a serene and tranquil man-made reservoir. There is a running track and cycle path. We met plenty of other walkers on our way.
The lake is surrounded by ornate gold lamp posts topped with turtles. Luckily for us the water lilies were still blooming.
A fresh fruit juice bar to quench your thirst after your walk sits on one side of the lake.
A traditional fishing village is located just by the lake.
Brothers in Arms
A quick stop at the beach for breakfast
After a lovely morning walk we headed to a local shopping mall where I could get a pedicure.
We decided to get a tuk tuk back instead of waiting for a taxi. Such fun weaving through the traffic with the wind in our hair. Our tuk tuk was a “Hello Kitty” style, decked out with small toys and painted pink.
A selfie of me and the driver!
Looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week brings.
Last week we caught up with Anthony’s brother and wife for a few days in Bangkok. Having been here many times before, there was no need to be a tourist. I had booked us into the Chatrium Riverside Hotel with a fantastic view over the Chao Phraya River. Staying by the river is a wonderful way to see Bangkok, as most hotels have their own river boat. The ferries run all day to Sathorn Pier and from here you can take other boats or walk a short distance to the station.
City and river views from our room
Our first morning was spent catching up over a lengthy breakfast, watching the river transport.
After breakfast we took the river ferry over to the Iconsiam. A massive shopping mall, not with just shops but also artwork, fountains, waterfalls and many restaurants.
It was the King’s Birthday today plus Father’s Day, so we expected crowds. It wasn’t as bad as we feared and we had the ferry almost to ourselves.
Outside and inside the Iconsiam was absolute mayhem, people milling around and taking photos and generally blocking the way! Didn’t expect anything less being a public holiday.
Not your traditional tree!
The basement has a floating market with many hawker type stalls. It’s also where all the Thai style handicrafts are located. I did manage to pick up a few Christmas presents.
I wanted to see the waterfall on the third floor, which drops from the middle of the ceiling and changes colour as it falls. This was spectacular and a feat in architectural design.
For lunch we snagged an outside table overlooking the river and ate while we watched the different boats go up and down.
Taking the same route back to the hotel, we had more of a wait for connecting ferries.
These guys don’t hang around and it’s a swift turnaround. You have to be quick on your feet to jump on and off! But no complaints as it’s a free service.
A new suitcase for me, plus goodies inside for Anthony. I’ll have no trouble at the carousel looking for my case.
We had a quick rest before heading down for a seafood buffet. The weather was perfect, with a light breeze making it possible to sit outside. For me it’s still quite hot, but you see many of the Thai people with hoodies and sweatshirts on as it is Winter.
The next day we took it easy around the beautiful pool, catching some rays and swimming a few laps.
Our last evening was spent on a nearby rooftop bar drinking champagne and watching the sunset.
Bamboo Canopy
Old Banyan Tree
There is plenty to do in Bangkok, from visiting the temples, just browsing the many shops or taking a leisurely cruise along the river. Also with many different cuisines you can eat cheaply at the hawker stalls or fine dine if that’s your thing. Bangkok is a wonderful city to stop over for a short break.
One from the archives. This was from a trip to Chaing Mai quite a few years ago, visiting the Karen Tribe near the border with Burma.
Neck Rings are an age old custom dating back to the 11th century. It symbolises beauty and elegance. Some rings can weigh up to 20lbs! Contrary to popular belief they don’t actually make the neck longer but push the collar bone and ribs down. This practice still goes on today but now very rarely.
Thailand is a country that I’ve visited many times over the last thirty years! As you would imagine I’ve seen countless changes from sleepy beaches dotted with small basic huts to ridiculously large resorts with five star hotels. Although Bangkok has never really changed that much, always busy 24 hours, just three days is plenty there! Thailand is a country where you can have almost any type of holiday, hiking, biking, swimming, diving, shopping, drinking, relaxing and of course eating the most delicious food. I can’t say I’ve done everything but the options are there! It’s such a welcoming country and I look forward to many more visits.
This post is just about two of the places I’ve loved the best, Koh Samui and Khao Lak.
Koh Samui
Koh Samui is the second largest island in Thailand, Phuket being the largest. It lies off the East coast of Kra Isthmus. Before Koh Samui had an airport it was a fairly difficult place to travel to. I remember when I first visited in 1989 we travelled on a bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then a ferry. It was around 11 to 12 hours! I’m not sure I would ever do that again.
My daughter and I went a few years ago for her 25th and we stayed at a fabulous “adults only” resort near Fisherman’s Village, Bophut. We spent our days shopping, drinking and relaxing on the beach on beanbags instead of sunbeds.
Strawberry and Mango Daiquiris
Beachfront dining
Fisherman’s Village
or your money back!
Love a mangy dog
We loved this resort with it’s swim up bar, so easy to walk from the pool to the beach in just a few steps.
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
Hubby and I have also been to Koh Samui and stayed at Mae Nam beach, at the very top of the island. It wasn’t a fancy place but just right for us. The larger resorts tend to be set quite far back from the beach and it’s the less expensive ones that actually have the best location.
The small individual villas were perfect
My perfect beach
🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖
Khao Lak
We first visited Khao Lak in 2000 and when we mentioned it hardly anyone had heard of it. It was recommended by a travel agent when we lived in Hong Kong. Back in the days before internet travel and online booking so we were really taking a chance. Flying into Phuket and then driving back onto the mainland with a driver sent by the hotel, the journey was around 2 to 3 hours. Nowadays it it much quicker with a new bridge and highways being built over the last decade or so. We stayed in one of the only resorts on this very long stretch of the coast and loved every minute. Sadly as everyone knows the 2004 Tsunami swept many of the small resorts away along with thousands of tourists and locals alike.
We ventured back quite a few years later with some trepidation but just took the chance like many others. I’m so glad we did as this is still one of the most amazing stretches of coastline in the world.
One thing you can be sure of in Khao Lak is turquoise seas and stunning sunsets.
We will definitely be back again to visit Thailand, hopefully sooner rather than later
