Blog, Travel

Thai-Style

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Catamaran anchored off our own private island. Chicken Head Island.

Flip. Trip. Repeat. This has become a little family mantra for us.

We love to travel. Home renovations feed our travels. Hence the reason we closed on our current home days after returning from a two week vacation sailing Thailand. (A vacation we rewarded ourselves with after our last home remodel). Talk about a quick cure for Post Vacation Depression (PVD). Maybe ‘cure’ isn’t the right word. More like full on shock and preoccupation.

One Monday we were leisurely waking up filling our coffees with Bailey’s until we moved on to our Rum-filled Painkiller beverages as we sailed crystal clear water. And the very next Monday we had keys to a home that hadn’t been lived in for months, nor updated since the 80’s. We would quickly need stronger coffee and actual painkillers. In the form of Advil and a deep-tissue massage. Maybe a therapist too.

Today I’m going to hit a few of the highlights from spending two weeks on the other side of the world. I know many of you have made resolutions to travel more this year. Whether it’s to the other side of the world or just crossing state lines I think every trip you take is one of the most important things you can do for yourself (but may I argue that your quick night away across town doesn’t get to count towards your ‘explore more’ resolution?!)

If exotic vacations pique your interest, you may love a few of my highlights from Summer 2018 in Thailand.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Flying Business Class Round Trip Houston to Phuket. We booked this entire trip with miles getting VERRRRRY creative via transferring our AMEX points to Asiana Airlines and flying EVA Airways. Best experience of my life. Additionally, using actual money would have cost us a fortune. But thanks to creatively using credit cards for work and other monthly budgeted items(and paying those cards off!!!!) we experienced the flight of my life. Thank you Points Guy for teaching us how to better utilize the miles we had. (*just remember…if you’re carrying a balance and paying interest on credit cards, your ‘free’ flight isn’t really free. My father would appreciate me reminding you all of this financial fact!)
Business Class on EVA Airways. Dream
When you board your flight and are all of a sudden sad that it’s only a 13 hour flight!
Champagne and Steak at 40,000 feet!
Veurve Champagne, steak and a movie at 40,000 feet. Heath is going to have to up his dating game after this experience!
Even Heath fits comfortably!
Heath is 6’4″. Nothing more to say here!
  • 3 Night Stay at Banyan Tree Phuket. We found a great deal on a buy 2 nights get one free! And before you start referring to me as that coupon lady, one peek inside my disorganized wallet and you’ll realize I could never keep up with a coupon habit. But I do pride myself on conquering amazing online deals. Banyan Tree is amazing and it does come at a price. But please think about this for a minute: A $350/night hotel within most cities in the USA and Europe could get you a delightful room. Sure you’d feel a bit spoiled. BUT you go to Thailand and spend $350/night you will live in a mansion, be treated like Meghan Markle and not be able to decide which shower you want to use. I’m not kidding. So sure, you could get an amazing room in Thailand for $60 bucks. But you could also use this trip to see how royalty lives. A dollar goes a long way!
Banyan Tree pool
Welcome gifts and our very own pool. I’m still speechless.
Private pool means the luggage must wait.
Private pool means the unpacking must wait. We seriously hopped right in.
Breakfast bike ride
With a strong case of jet lag we used the resort bikes to cruise around for an hour before heading to breakfast
Banyan Tree breakfast with a view
Breakfast, a view, delicious champagne. But more than anything, I want you to know they had an enormous honeycomb that was dripping gooey honey into bowls. Need I say more?
A boozy bike ride always satisfies
Boozin’ and cruisin’ back to our bungalow Mansion.
  • Chartering our own Catamaran! Boarding the Dream Yacht Charters Lagoon 450 catamaran and watching my husband at the helm. Ladies it’s pretty sexy to sit with champagne while watching the man you married steer a boat out of harbor. After 2 years as a Cruise Director on SeaDream, I was destined to marry someone with sailing skills. #nailedit. There is nothing like waking up in the morning, on the water, as you are anchored just off of a deserted beach. There is a lot to be said about getting to do what you want, when you want, where you want.
Two catamarans under the Thailand sky
Still in Awe. Two catamarans set sail under the Thai Sky.
Shrimp delivery!
Well I’ll be darned if a boat didn’t pull up to sell us the shrimp they just caught an hour prior. (FYI…pricing was the same as Central Market)
Captain and his crew on board the catamaran.
The Captain and his {motley} crew.
Jumping for joy at sea
You can act a fool all day when you ‘own’ the boat for a week!
quintessential long tail boat in Thailand
The quintessential Long Tail boat. Its the equivalent to seeing Icebergs in Antarctica. They are everywhere. Each one is a little bit different. And you still get excited with each one you see!
Fourth of July on a private island
We had an island to ourselves and played good ‘ole fashioned yard sand games, dressed a fool and rung in ‘Merica’s birthday!
Thumbs up for Thailand
If Siskel and Ebert were here, they would agree that Thailand gets TWO thumbs up!

Please share in the comments what trips are on your bucket list! I’d love to know. And I also want to hear if you’re interested in details on how to plan your own sailing adventure….or even just hoping to get tips on future trips to take!

XO, Meredith

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6 Comments

  2. Love the way you tell a story. We are heading to Holland in April for a one week bike trip through the tulips and staying on a barge! Very economical. Thanks for sharing my comments on credit cards. Love you

    1. Your April bike vacation sounds amazing! Thank you for your kind words. Bring me with you on any adventure and I’ll do a free write up for you! :). Keep using those CC’s wisely!

  3. I love living vicariously through you! Maybe I should just let you start planning all of my trips 😉