Arriving in Koh Samui.

06.08

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After the whirlwind day we’d had on the 17th, we needed a day to recoup before heading off on honeymoon. We spent the Saturday catching up with our nearest and dearest (who, ironically, we’d actually spent the least amount of time with at the wedding itself!), and, naturally, putting off the task of honeymoon packing until the very last minute. We also made the fatal error of leaving Jason’s car unattended around his brother and brother in law whilst we had a big family dinner at his Mum’s that evening, and so wound up drIving to the airport the following morning in a car covered in the sorts of graffiti that got us beeped at the whole way from home to Heathrow! ;)

I usually find flying pretty horrible (I’m nervous the whole time, and can’t ever seem to settle to sleep), but to be honest, after having had such a hectic few weeks leading up to the wedding, sitting down to a whole day of films and cat naps was actually pretty lovely!

HEATHROW >> BANGKOK >> KOH SAMUI.

The very first thing that hit us, when we arrived at our hotel in the North of Koh Samui mid-afternoon on the 20th, was the scent on the air.

The base note was, of course, the smell of the humid air itself. A layer of warm and spicy incense smoke made up the heart, and then, finally, a layer of frangipani that was carried towards us on a breeze sent up from the sea. I’ve never been anywhere in my life where the air smelled so beautiful- if I could’ve bottled it, I would have.

We chose the Melati Spa Resort in Tongson Bay as our honeymooning spot because we’d hoped it’d be peaceful and relaxing- something of a retreat after such a busy few months of planning. And you know what? It hit the mark on every level.

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The grounds of the hotel were vast- thick with palm and banana trees, orchids, frangipani trees, and bird of paradise plants. A maze of pathways cut through the jungly gardens, paths I found so very confusing and difficult to navigate I honestly didn’t manage to get from our villa to the restaurant at the very top of the grounds without getting lost once the whole time we were there.

The villas all are totally self-contained and secluded, so much so that we didn’t see another soul (aside from the staff) that first day until we finally made it to the restaurant in the evening. Saying that though, the quiet might’ve had something to do with the colossal storm that hit shortly before the sun set! I’ve never known storms like the ones we saw in Thailand. In the space of 20 minutes or so the wind would go from non-existent to being strong enough to set the palm trees waving and bending and swaying, then the sky would grow dark and moody and the humidity would reach breaking point, and finally, all of a sudden the heavens would open and raindrops bigger than any I’ve seen before would begin to fall fast and hard. We loved those nighttime storms, with their huge flashes of lightning and colossal claps of thunder, even more than the warm, balmy evenings.

We spent our first night in the hotel watching the storm from the traditional Thai restaurant right at the top of the grounds, whilst eating a veritable feast of some of the most incredible food I’ve ever had in my life. I know we ate maybe 8 dishes between us (all light and fresh and delicious), but the green curry with vegetables and fried silken tofu was *so* fantastic, all the others paled in comparison! I couldn’t even begin to explain what the flavour of the broth was, it was so complex. Sweet and tangy and creamy and warm all at once, with little rounds of tofu so soft they melted away as soon as they hit your tongue. I could’ve eaten that curry every single day without getting tired, it really was *that* good!

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The days we spent at the hotel were as happily lazy as you’d imagine. We’d alternate between basking like lizards in the sun (either on the beach or by the peaceful, adults-only Sanctuary pool our room backed onto) whilst burning through our books at a rate of knots. And I do mean quite literally burning, since the sun was so very hot the binding glue on the copy of The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro I was reading actually melted!

Our basking and napping and reading routine was punctuated with visits to the restaurant down on the beachfront, for both breakfast and lunch. We made it our mission to sample as much of the drinks menu as we could during the trip, not only in the name of hydration but also because every single one we tried was so outstanding, it seemed a shame not to taste the lot! Below is a banana, mango and yoghurt smoothie (my favourite!), and a lemon iced tea with sugar syrup that could be added to taste.

Special mention too must go to the fresh young coconuts that were available to order, served with both a straw for drinking the water, and a spoon for scooping out the creamy fresh. As a girl (should I say woman, now that I’m a wife and all? ;) who poured a the entirety of the first and last carton of VitaCoco coconut water she bought down the sink after taking and hating one single sip, the fresh stuff has me totally and completely converted!

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^^ Completely obsessed with red vegetable curries- the spicier the better! ^^

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^^ One particularly spectacular lunch for Jason- Northern Thai curry with fried noodles and chicken. ^^
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At the end of each of those first few lazy days, we’d potter back our room and I’d beeline straight for the outdoor shower, set in a tiny courtyard off the back of the bathroom and lined with tall banana palms. It was the very best place to rinse each day’s quota of salt and chlorine from my hair, all whilst pretending to be in one of those Herbel Essences ads of a few years ago ;) (anyone else remember?!)

There’s so much more I want to share with you from the trip (from our travels around the island, and the beautiful sights we saw along the way), but since I already feel as though this post will come out a mile long, we’ll regroup in a day or so…

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30 Comments
Posted in HONEYMOON, THAILAND, TRAVEL, WEDDING
  • Siobhan Watts

    Looks amazing Rosie, hope it’s not too tough adjusting back to normal life. Which it probably is! Love the photo with the little lizard, great light x

  • http://www.moonlitstories.com Valérie – Moonlit Stories

    Amazing pictures! It seems like the perfect honeymoon :)

    Valérie | Moonlit Stories

  • http://daydreamsofsummertime.blogspot.co.uk/ Sarah @ DaydreamsofSummertime

    Such gorgeous photos. I was in Thaliand a few years ago and I loved Koh Samui. xxx

  • http://thelensaffairs.blogspot.co.uk/ Kimberley Miller

    This place looks completely stunning. Looks like you had a lovely time :)

    Kim | http://www.thelensaffair.com

  • http://www.mirandasnotebook.com Miranda | Miranda’s Notebook

    What spectacular photos! Such an incredibly beautiful place. And I can imagine fresh coconut milk is a lot better than the stuff we get here! xxx

  • http://www.alittlelusciousness.com/ rosie alittlelusciousness

    So, so gorgeous, can I go there now please?!
    Rosie xx

  • http://www.lifeoutsidelondon.co.uk Michelle

    That looks completely and utterly honeymoon worthy. Beautiful.
    Welcome back to the real world, I hope it isn’t hideously traumatic.
    M x

  • emily couture

    This sounds like the perfect honeymoon :)

    emily xx

    emilycouture95.blogspot.co.uk

  • http://thisparticular.blogspot.co.uk/ Ala

    Sounds just brilliant! I’m glad you had such a relaxing time, enjoying all that lovely food! I cannot wait to go to Thailand, this has made me even more excited! x

  • http://stampplease.blogspot.com/ Camille

    This seems so relaxing! Thai cuisine is the best, I could eat it all the time!

    Silly Medley: Lifestyle and Travel

  • http://thecourtneydiaries.com Courtney

    Koh Samui looks gorgeous!! Seems like the perfect spot for a super-relaxing honeymoon!

    http://thecourtneydiaries.com

  • http://www.yvonnedzifa.com Yvonne Dzifa

    Beautiful post and pictures Rosie, I must say when I saw ur Instagram post or snapchat about coconut water I know what you meant! I grew up drinking real coconut water and scooping the flesh afterwards and its one of the best of natures juices!!! I have never found a happy alternative to the real deal! Glad u enjoyed both the storms and the Rays! xx

  • http://robowecop.com Rhianna Bowe

    Oh my lawwwddd this is beautiful! I absolutely adore Thailand but have never been to Koh Samui – definitely need to go!

    Rhianna | robowecop

  • http://www.brittonloves.co.uk Lauren S

    These photos are gorgeous Rosie, and thai food is just some of the most flavoursome! What a great start to your honeymoon <3

    Lauren x

    Britton Loves | Lifestyle Food Beauty

  • http://www.silverspoonlondon.co.uk Angie SilverSpoon

    There are some incredible hotels in Thailand, aren’t there? Looks like you had a fab time!

    Lots of love,
    Angie

    SilverSpoon London

  • http://jasmincharlotte.com/ Jasmin Charlotte

    Looks amazing. I loved our holiday to Thailand so imagine it was gorgeous for your honeymoon! x

    Jasmin Charlotte

  • http://lettersfromjuliet.com Juliet Margerison

    Gorgeous, can’t wait to see all the rest!

    blueskiesarehereagain@blogspot.com

  • http://mutedmornings.blogspot.com Mimmi

    Stunning photos! What a perfect place for a honeymoon :) This post makes me want to go back to Thailand so bad. Although the heat and humidity is too much, it’s still an amazing place. So beautiful, with so many kind people, and incredibly good food! The curry looks amazing.

    xx Mimmi, Muted Mornings

  • http://www.aprileveryday.com/ April @ aprileveryday

    It sounds like such a perfect place to have a honeymoon! Those storms though! I’d definitely have to visit out of rainy season haha! The food looks absolutely amazing – especially those curries! You have me dying to visit Thailand haha! I can’t wait for the next post!
    xo April
    April | April Everyday

  • http://www.blondeofcarbs.com Jessica

    Absolutely beautiful shots, I definitely feel tantalised to go! My dad has been a few times, but then again he has travelled nearly everywhere whilst I’ve barely scratched the surface of UK haha xx

  • Pili G

    This place looks so amazing! I really want to go! Looks like you are having an amazing time!

    Love

    Pili

    Records of my Troubles

  • http://mascara-and-maltesers.blogspot.co.uk/ Annabel

    Ohh everything just looks so picturesque, and never till I read this post did I have a desire to shower outside!

    Annabel ♥
    Mascara & Maltesers

  • https://www.secretlifeofmaggiemay.blogspot.com Maggie May

    What a gorgeous post! It sounds like a really idyllic, peaceful paradise – I’m quite jealous! The drinks sound very nice (I too am not sure about coconut water, but yours sounded lovely!) and I TOTALLY remember the Herbal Essences advert you’re referring too ;-) Looking forward to your next post.

    Maggie xx

    secretlifeofmaggiemay.blogspot.com

  • http://www.laceandlilac.com Abby | Lace & Lilacs

    Oh, what beautiful photos, Rosie! I haven’t yet been to Koh Samui, but was in Bangkok and Lampang this past April. It was so incredibly hot then, I can only image how boiling it must’ve been on your honeymoon!

    What a wonderful destination! xoxoxoxo

    • http://www.laceandlilac.com Abby | Lace & Lilacs

      *imagine :)

  • http://www.emmainks.com/ Emma Inks

    I want to jump into those beautiful pictures and join you in relaxing lizard life, Thailand is so beautiful what a wonderful place to enjoy your honeymoon.

    http://www.emmainks.com

  • http://mariiamblog.blogspot.com/ Mariam

    looks very relaxing and beautiful
    looking forward to see your new posts <3

  • Pingback: Coups de coeur du web #10 | Lauralou()

  • Lizzie Woodman

    Wow, it looks so stunning. I’ve never been anywhere so exotic, so it looks doubly amazing! And the food… Our honeymoon was in a medieval woodland cottage in Kent – in the snow – couldn’t be more different! x

  • http://sallytangle.blogspot.co.uk/ Sally Crangle

    Beautiful just beautiful!! It looks like a world away from everywhere and i’ll bet you were both so very ready for it!!!

    I can’t wait to see more!!!!!

    Sally xxxx

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