The Land of Smiles

Sawadee ka! That's hello in Thai. After spending 10 days in Thailand I think that and thank you are about all language I picked up. I did start brushing up on my Korean a little bit on this trip and learned some more key phrases. I am looking forward to start using these while I am out and about.

View from our room

Pool with swim up bar

Dennis and I left Chiang Mai and continued on our Thai adventure to the beautiful island of Phuket. We  arrived at the one of the most luxurious hotels that I have ever had the pleasure of staying at called The Indigo Pearl. The really nice part was we only paid about 200 dollars total and we stayed for 5 nights.  Thailand probably is one of the most inexpensive places to vacation and your American dollar can go really far. (30 baht equals about 1 dollar) Our room was incredible and had one of those rain like shower heads and a bathtub outside on the balcony. The next day we got to explore the rest of the facilities the and we discovered the rest of the hotel was just as unique and luxurious! It might of not been near the most popular area on the island but was perfect for a more quiet and romantic atmosphere that Dennis and I wanted. We went to the adult only pool, with a swim up bar, the first day and then visited the private beach club most other days. The ocean had this beautiful emerald color to it and it was the perfect temperature for a nice swim. Just outside our hotel there was a little back street which had lots of local restaurants and some cute shops where you can buy very cheap touristy items. This hotel and location had everything that we could of imagined and more.

Kendall Jackson of Thailand

While in Phuket we had the pleasure of going on an all day sailing tour to visit the famous Phang Nga Bay. What a spectacular sailing trip that was. We got to go inside several caves and check out their hidden lagoons (hongs), swim and eat lunch at our own private little beach, and view some of the most marvelous looking islands in the bay. It was an amazing day with our hilarious Aussie captain on our little sailboat called Sakai. It was a highlight of our time on this gorgeous island. Overall Phuket was BEAUTIFUL and Dennis and I had a fantastic time.

Sailing with adult beverages!

Hongs from inside the cave

Our final days were spent in the city of Bangkok. The night we arrived we decided to check out the Muay Thai boxing at Lumpinee. What a neat experience it was. We got ring side seats and got to see several matches with beers in hand. Mauy Thai boxing is a combination of boxing and kickboxing since they are allowed to use their hands, legs, elbows, and knees. At the beginning of each match both boxers did this sort of dance routine which was a graceful tribute to pay respect to their trainers, spectators, and buddha.  It was a exciting Thai tradition that I was glad we got to see.

Mauy Thai Boxing 

The next day we decided to take a boat taxi to explore the rest of the city. In the past Bangkok used to be referred to as"the Venice of the East" which now most of the canals have been covered by roads....I guess a little more efficient than a boat. We road the water taxi first to Chinatown where we visited the very famous market. They had the biggest selection of jewelry and accessories that I had ever seen. It was like the store Sam Moon but on crack and even cheaper. Hundreds of booths with more jewelry and accessories then anyone could imagine. Poor Dennis had to be dragged through this market and I don't think it was a favorite stop for him. Our next stop was to visit the famous Wat Pho with the reclining buddha. This buddha is enormous; about 150 feet long. It was a very impressive sight to see. After the Wat Pho we headed home for our dinner cruise. The dinner cruise was a very toursity thing to do but was a great way to see all the famous sights at night on the river all lit up for the night time viewing. They also had a entertainment on each deck. Guess what American songs they sang?? The YMCA and Country Roads. I think Country Roads is an international favorite since I also heard this a lot in the bars in Austria. Along with those selections they sang some famous Korean, Chinese, and Indian songs. This cruise catered to all cultures and it was fun to party the night away with them.

Overall, Thailand was a great place to visit and Dennis and I hope someday that we might be able to visit again. The people are so nice, the food is so tasty, and the beaches are beautiful. Plus, it is so inexpensive compared to most vacation destinations. If you ever get a chance I would highly recommend visiting this beautiful country.

Sunset at Patong Beach 

I hope you all are having a great week! I will be making my way back to the states for about a month in less than a week. I can't wait to go to a Gator game for "girls" weekend, fly to Texas for Meredith and Brian's couple shower, go wedding dress shopping, and see all my wonderful family and friends! I hope you have a great rest of your week and I can't wait to see most of you soon!!