Sometimes I love my job even more than other times. 
This week, I traveled to the island of Koh Samui to see if I could locate a spot to bring a group. It is an island Martin and I have gone to often the past few years since we are always a little short on time. The days of catching a fishing boat to a dot in the middle of the sea not really doable in only a week.
So Samui has been our retreat, a haven of sun and sand and people. Chaweng was always the easiest, lots of bungalow choices, lots of Thai food, long stretches of beach with restaurants catering to seafood grilled over coals on the beach. But it is busy-full of cabaret shows, loud bars, wall to wall concerete bungalows replacing the once quaint thatched rooves of years past.
My group indicated on the survey that beach time would have made an already delicious trip absolutely devine, and so I took it upon myself to search the sandy beaches for a perfect holiday spot for my travelers.
I started in Lamai, another long strip just south of Chawang that boasted pampering spas and infinity pools-what a LONG way I am from my weeks lazing on a bamboo floor paying $80 for a weeks accommodation and nightly seafood BBQ's. But we are in the 21st century and like many of my travelers, there is something yummy about going to sleep in crisp linen, dining by candle light to Jack Johnson and a beach towel that is replaced each day. I discovered many great hotels/resorts, ran miles on the long beach, swam until my fingers withered. But the "town" of Lamai consists of Seven Elevens, boom boom bars and more souvenir shops than Khao San rd. I knew there had to be some place better. Someplace that resembled the Thailand we remembered from long ago.
I hired a motorcycle taxi on Saturday. With my back pack stuck between his legs, we soared through the hills of the island to the north end. Hours later, after checking out at least a dozen resorts scattered along Maneam beach, I settled into the quaint (yes, there is still someplace quaint in Thailand) of Bophut. The Fisherman's village still holds the charm of yesteryear:old wooden shop houses, fisherman trawling the waters, sarongs and lounges not uncommon. Added to this are fabulous boutiques, delicious restaurants fronting the sea, coffee houses. I fell in love instantly.
Yesterday I worked again, wandering the beach barefoot in the linen pants Maew had designed for me. Stopping at each resort along the beach, looking at rooms, facilities, menu's, spas. Bophut will be added to my Thai Massage/Yoga tours. Discovered several wonderful places that would be a perfect addition to our trips right in the heart of the charm yet in the middle of paradise! I spent the afternoon lounging by the sea, finishing Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses, pinching myself. Bliss. Complete bliss. The only down side is that the sand is coarser than Lamai and very hard to run in. But the waters are calm and you can swim forever-which I did yesterday! Bophut is one of those places were you can be barefoot the minute you step out of the taxi, wear only your bathing suit and a sundress and turn brown as a berry!
and ... I am so excited to begin my Stress Escape tours! The resort I found to pamper those that need complete R&R will be thrilled at the treasure I found!
This week, I traveled to the island of Koh Samui to see if I could locate a spot to bring a group. It is an island Martin and I have gone to often the past few years since we are always a little short on time. The days of catching a fishing boat to a dot in the middle of the sea not really doable in only a week.So Samui has been our retreat, a haven of sun and sand and people. Chaweng was always the easiest, lots of bungalow choices, lots of Thai food, long stretches of beach with restaurants catering to seafood grilled over coals on the beach. But it is busy-full of cabaret shows, loud bars, wall to wall concerete bungalows replacing the once quaint thatched rooves of years past.
My group indicated on the survey that beach time would have made an already delicious trip absolutely devine, and so I took it upon myself to search the sandy beaches for a perfect holiday spot for my travelers.
I started in Lamai, another long strip just south of Chawang that boasted pampering spas and infinity pools-what a LONG way I am from my weeks lazing on a bamboo floor paying $80 for a weeks accommodation and nightly seafood BBQ's. But we are in the 21st century and like many of my travelers, there is something yummy about going to sleep in crisp linen, dining by candle light to Jack Johnson and a beach towel that is replaced each day. I discovered many great hotels/resorts, ran miles on the long beach, swam until my fingers withered. But the "town" of Lamai consists of Seven Elevens, boom boom bars and more souvenir shops than Khao San rd. I knew there had to be some place better. Someplace that resembled the Thailand we remembered from long ago.
I hired a motorcycle taxi on Saturday. With my back pack stuck between his legs, we soared through the hills of the island to the north end. Hours later, after checking out at least a dozen resorts scattered along Maneam beach, I settled into the quaint (yes, there is still someplace quaint in Thailand) of Bophut. The Fisherman's village still holds the charm of yesteryear:old wooden shop houses, fisherman trawling the waters, sarongs and lounges not uncommon. Added to this are fabulous boutiques, delicious restaurants fronting the sea, coffee houses. I fell in love instantly.
Yesterday I worked again, wandering the beach barefoot in the linen pants Maew had designed for me. Stopping at each resort along the beach, looking at rooms, facilities, menu's, spas. Bophut will be added to my Thai Massage/Yoga tours. Discovered several wonderful places that would be a perfect addition to our trips right in the heart of the charm yet in the middle of paradise! I spent the afternoon lounging by the sea, finishing Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses, pinching myself. Bliss. Complete bliss. The only down side is that the sand is coarser than Lamai and very hard to run in. But the waters are calm and you can swim forever-which I did yesterday! Bophut is one of those places were you can be barefoot the minute you step out of the taxi, wear only your bathing suit and a sundress and turn brown as a berry!
and ... I am so excited to begin my Stress Escape tours! The resort I found to pamper those that need complete R&R will be thrilled at the treasure I found!
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