thailand – a tropical paradise (and a giveaway)
When I look at my journal entries from Thailand, they look like a string of ridiculously luxurious pleasures:
Coffee, snorkeling, cocktails, fresh seafood, fresh mango, fresh pineapple, reggae, sun sun sun, sun burns, sun cream, aloe vera, scuba diving (like flying under water), massages on the beach (every single day), long tail boat rides and speed boat excursions past small tropical islands jutting out of azure waters, sun rising, sun setting, moon rising, island hopping, beach combing, cocktail sipping, reading, spicy-salty-sweet-sour thai food, red wine, jack johnson, 80’s ballads, waves crashing into white sand, adorable hermit crabs, the sound of cicadas, the sound of tree frogs, mai tais in pineapples, other juicy drinks with flowers and umbrellas, soft evening breezes, cooking classes with big mama Mai shouting keeeeel it every time she crushed garlic with her cleaver, pick up truck shuttles with a massive beefy German man taking passenger’s suitcases and plopping them on the roof like they were 2-lb bags of apples and CCR blasting out of the speaker in the corner and the tough German man singing along to Born on the Bayou, and the two tanned French boys smoking fags in the back, crystal clear water, fruit smoothies, iced coffees, walking around in a bikini and fishermen’s pants (all day, every day), sea breeze and hammocks, Christmas lights and people wearing Santa hats on the beach and sending wish lanterns in the sky, bbq prawns, bbq fish, bbq corn, dinner with my feet in the sand, ceiling fans, warm thai hospitality, a visit to an amazing animal welfare sanctuary (where I wanted to adopt every single dog and cat), the way the ocean looks like silver tinsel under the full moon, beach bars, bamboo huts, 1-year anniversary celebrations, late night swims, more massages, more cocktails, more sun, more relaxation.
And the truth is, that’s what it was. You’ve seen it in all the brochures, all the travel magazines, the Blockbuster sensation The Beach. A tropical paradise, quoi? I didn’t write much the entire week I was there. Girl was too busy lying on the beach, sipping cocktails (which I think you’ve gathered) and swimming all day long.
The tan is starting to fade and it’s February in England and I think we all agree that we could use a day on the beach so today, I share with you some sunny, tropical photos. You are welcome.
P.S. Also! I just realized this is my 300th post, people. Holla! I think this totally deserves a giveaway. So leave a comment and let me know what your favourite honeymoon photo has been so far (anything from India or Thailand) and I’ll pick a lucky winner at random at the end of the week and SEND THEM THAT PHOTO. Good times, yes? Can I get a woop! woop!
P.P.S. This P.S. was sponsored by caffeine. Keeping the girl silly since 1993.
wonderingsandwanderings.com 
congratulations on your 300th post! you bring such a sense of adventure and grace and honesty to the interwebs and i look forward to your images and words every single time. choosing a favorite image is nearly impossible, they all tell a story i want to hear over and over again. i’m drawn to the girl in the window on the blue train, joe in the barber shop mirror, the portrait of the woman in the pink scarf…but the image i come back to over and over again is the cream building with the black birds (painted and real). it’s stunning and evocative and peaceful and speaks such a sense of place. seriously, i would love to see you organize photography/travel retreats. you are my travel/writing/photography guru. 🙂
Call me envy 🙂
Jeanine,
Thank you for taking me on a 10 minute vacation this morning. I have been up until the small (and sort of bigger) hours the last two nights getting assignments turned in. I am tired. This little trip to Thailand was just what I needed. I swear I could feel the warm sand between my toes. And those massages….if only they were real (to me).
I just have too many photos that are my favorite. I will have to come back.
Please go back to Thailand soon. I need another vacation!
Love,
Meg
This was such a relaxing read; that it made you feel like you were there also…. love Aunt Ginny
I have been so enviously following your honeymoon posts, I have always dreamt of going to India and following your blog has made me feel like I am right there with you. You have gone beyond the cliché photos and really captured what it must be like there. My favorite is the one in this Thailand post, under the thatched roof looking out over the boats and turquoise water (the fourteenth photo from the bottom). I can just imagine hanging that one on my wall and daydreaming about being on the beach in Thailand. Thanks for sharing your trip!
congratulations on your 300th post. Again a pleasure to see the pictures. I really love the shells from Thailand
What an amazing honeymoon – sooooo happy for you both. I hope re-entry to the ‘real’ world is smooth and sweet.
Impossible to choose “a” favorite. But if you randomly choose me then I’ll let you surprise me with either the shells in Thailand or the never ending terra cotta doorways in India. both so evocative and lovely. And – I love surprises!!
What–just one? Have you SEEN how many awesome pictures you’ve posted???
Ok top two that spring to mind: 1) the vanilla colored walls with the blackbirds painted & the real birds perched up top & 2) the blue-hued self-portrait in the canopy bed with Joe lying behind you!
Congrats on 300 posts…what an accomplishment! And Thailand, what a perfect 300th post…OMG, to die for gorgeousness! I feel relaxed just reading it, I can’t imagine living it. Heaven!
SO hard to choose… way too hard to pick one… I’m going back through to short list xxx
What a fascinating honeymoon adventure! Thank you for sharing. And really, it is quite difficult selecting just one picture, but what fun it has been going through them all again. The one I keep landing on though is the hanging shells – Thailand. I don’t know why. Look peaceful. I want to sit under them and get lost in a book. Happy Blogging!
Congrats on 300 posts! I am really loving your posts about your travels. You write about it so beautiful and the photos are filled with so much life. I don’t think I could pick a favourite photo… They’re all so wonderful and made more wonderful by being surrounded by other wonderful photos from your wonderful trip. (I don’t think there is enough wonderful’s in that sentence. Haha!)
Can I just let you know my favourite in case I get picked as a lucky winner? 😉 Love them all!
Cheers, Elena
Btw, you look incredibly fit in that photo “au miroir”. (Don’t worry I’m not going to ask for that picture…relax. Ciao from Italia
paradise!
as for the little giveaway i am really drawn to your images of jodhpur, the blue city… so dreamy and mystical.
I have to tell you that you and your husband are the most adorable couple first off!!!
Your photos are all just breathtaking too.
If I had to choose just one though, it would have to be the elephant in India.
There’s just something in his eye that touches my heart and I can’t stop looking at it.
Much love and hope I win!!!!
First off can I tell you that you and your husband are the most adorable couple?!!!
I love all of your amazing photos. You are a great photographer!
If I had to pick one though… It would have to be the Elephant in India. There is something in his eye that just touches my heart and I can’t stop looking at him!
I hope I made the cutoff date too!!!