• Claire Reed
  • Claire Reed

Thailand

A 18-day adventure by Claire Read more
  • Back across the lake

    April 9, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    After speeding back to the pier with some more sight seeing along the way, we made the 2 hour drive back to the hotel. A fabulous day with our amazing guide, Ya.

  • Street food and market

    April 10, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After a day by the pool and beach, we went through the market and got some water pistols for celebrating Songkran (Thai new year) on Sunday as well as a few other bits and enjoyed cocktails, cocktails and street foodRead more

  • Surin part 2

    April 10, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    After the Mokken village we stopped for snorkeling. The reef is really amazing and the visibility incredible.the photos and videos just don't do it justice at all! Then we stopped for lunch on the North Island and got taken out snorkeling again on a long tail boat. The reef this time was even more amazing, we saw so many varieties of fish!Read more

  • Surin part 1

    April 11, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    After an early start we took a 1 hour 20 minute speed boat ride out to the islands. First stop was they Mokken village. These 'sea gypsies' used to just stop on Surin for monsoon season but have now settled here. Then have their own language and cultures and seemed very happy to have visitors, selling their beautiful crafts and enjoying the sweets Arabella offered the Mokken children. A very authentic experienceRead more

  • Overnight on Surin

    April 11, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    We were so unlucky with the weather. The island experience an unseasonal 15 hours of heavy rain overnight. Fortunately we stayed dry on our tent but it made the island experience quite challenging and meant we missed out on snorkeling in the morning due to the sea state.
    Arabella enjoyed sweeping the leaves and was saw monkeys, water monitors, bats and bugs but luckily no snakes!
    Read more

  • Snorkeling

    April 12, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We enjoyed 2 more fabulous snorkelling spots before heading back to the mainland. We found lots more Nemo fish and Dory too! We saw huge trigger fish, star fish, pipe fish and amazing coral. The kids ability and confidence in the water is mind-blowing. I end up holding their life vests while they dive down and swim around like fish themselves. And Arabella easily keeps pace with me even when I have fins on and she doesn't!Read more

  • Happy Thai New year

    April 13, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Today is Song Kran, the celebration of Thai new year. We had been told to expect water fights... Arabella was prepared before breakfast!
    As soon as we got to the pool the kids found others who were also prepared and English Vs German commenced in the pool 😂Read more

  • Song Kran

    April 13, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    The hotel organised a morning of games for the kids (and adults!) this included cucumber golf 😂, hoopla, football, sack race, balloon popping and darts plus a huge water fight including giant bins of ice water. As you can imagine, the kids had a ball! The staff were all really involved and got just as wet as the kids. And there was a very sly elderly gentleman who kept creeping up on everyone and pouring buckets of water over their heads! I think he got all of us at some point!Read more

  • Pool day

    April 14, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Found Arabella some decent goggles after she lost 2 pairs whilst body boarding and the market ones split after a day!

  • Meeting the elephants

    April 15, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    These 3 female elephants have all been rescued. 2 from the circus in Phuket and 1 from logging. One has only been at the centre for a month, another for 10 years. Even in the short time we spent with them it was clear they all have their own personality. The children were blown awayRead more

  • Elephant feeding

    April 15, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    They get fed 7 times a day and wouldn't survive in the wild as they couldn't find their own food 🙁

  • Bamboo rafting

    April 15, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We spotted a family of huge frogs and a bright green snake as we floated down the river. We fed fish which Joseph was convinced were piranha! So peaceful and very hot!

  • Rafting coffee stop

    April 15, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Unexpectedly, whilst rafting we stopped under a huge cliff face where a fire was heating bamboo tubes of water and we were given tea and coffee in bamboo cups!

  • Khao Sok viewpoint

    April 15, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    A beautiful view of Khao Sok national park and then a trip to the Tsunami memorial. This represents the height of the wave 😟

  • Tsunami memorial

    April 15, 2025 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    The height of the wall represents the height of the wave. It was really moving to spend time here. Our guide was working in a cafe at the time but had taken a day off to visit his family in Phuket. 20 people who were in the cafe that day were killed by the tsunami 😟Read more