{"id":17,"date":"2019-03-14T21:27:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T21:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sparkles-suitcase.com\/2019\/03\/14\/grown-up-holiday-time\/"},"modified":"2024-06-06T08:38:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T08:38:00","slug":"grown-up-holiday-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sparkles-suitcase.com\/?p=17","title":{"rendered":"Grown Up Holiday time…."},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nTravelling with small children can be hard work. Even with the best laid plans in place, a toddler sized spanner can be thrown in the works and everything can rapidly go askew. <\/div>\n
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\nWith this in mind, we decided we needed an adult’s only break, albeit a short one, as sometimes family holidays aren’t much of a holiday for the adults.<\/div>\n
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\nOk so call me selfish but 9 times out of 10 we get back from a family break and feel we need another holiday to get over the holiday. And I’m pretty sure we’re not alone in that.<\/div>\n
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\nOnce we’d arranged potential dates (thanks Mum!) we could concentrate on destinations…<\/div>\n
\nJon and I love travel, but despite having been all over Europe and the US, neither of us have really been much further afield. So we decided that one option could be to head East. Far East. <\/div>\n
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\nAfter an evening of googling and YouTube videos, we finally settled on the idea of Thailand. Usually we’d find it difficult to get time away from work, but now we both work remotely this gives us much more freedom to travel – we read a proton mail review<\/a> which gave us a lot of faith in working securely from our laptops while abroad so that’s one hurdle down.<\/div>\n
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\nNeither of us have been but we’ve heard and read some tremendous things about it. It sounds like just the destination for us to recharge our batteries and take a break from nappies and tantrums and demands to go on rides…again…and again…and again.<\/div>\n
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\nWe both have friends who have been and it comes highly recommended, but where to stay when we are there? There are dozens of fabulous looking resorts and hotels however we like the idea of  a home away from home, somewhere private but luxurious…which is where Samui-Villa.com<\/a> comes in handy!<\/div>\n
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\nThailand offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, but go to the wrong destination and we could miss out. After several discussions with friends we have decided on the island of Ko Samui. There are over 250 villas listed for Ko Samui on Villa Finder each with there own merits and reasons to choose. So far we’ve shortlisted 4 of them and it’s going to be hard to choose which one to go for if we decide to take the plunge.<\/div>\n
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\nKo Samui is a relatively small island with a small (approx 63,000) population. With average temperatures of 27c between May and August it’s hot, but not too hot for us to walk around.<\/div>\n
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\nIt also boasts some of the top 5 things Jon and I have wanted to see on our travels for a long time.<\/div>\n
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\n1) Big Buddha Temple. <\/b><\/div>\n
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\nJon has been wanting to see this since he was a child.<\/div>\n
\nThe Big Buddha Temple sits to the North East of Ko Samui on a small island called Ko Phan which is linked to Ko Samui via causeway. The golden statue itself is over 12 meters tall and can even be seen from the air as you approach Ko Samui!<\/div>\n
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\n2) Secret Buddha Garden<\/b>. <\/div>\n
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\nThis secret garden of statues is located in the hills of the interior of Ko Samui. A place of peace and tranquility to reflect and find solace-just what every busy parent needs!<\/div>\n
\nThis relatively new tourist attraction take you away from the beach and markets to forested hills and a cooler environment-a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of modern living. I’d read about it sometime ago and it’s been at the back of my mind to visit ‘one day’ ever since.<\/div>\n
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\n3) Wat Plai Laem<\/b>.<\/div>\n
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\n Another Buddhist temple, but one featuring Guanyin the Goddess of Mercy instead of Buddha. The 18 armed statue of her sits atop a colourful and very ornate temple located not far from Big Buddha to the North of the island.<\/div>\n
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\n4) Koh Tao-Turtle Island<\/b>. <\/div>\n
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\nSurrounded by beautiful crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches, this is the ideal spot to relax beneath the Sun and unwind. A hugely popular destination for scuba divers with lessons available this small island is a tropical paradise.<\/div>\n
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\n5) Ang Thong National Marine Park<\/b>.<\/div>\n
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\n On the bucket list of many travellers, Ang Thong gained popularity when mentioned in the novel ‘The Beach’ by Alex Garland. Located in an archipelago of approximately 42 islands, Ang Thong has a host of activities and sights to explore. From the outstanding flora and fauna to the inland lagoon (Emerald Lake) and coral reef we’d not run out of things to do or see.<\/div>\n
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\nFlights are available from Heathrow daily and parking at the airport is bookable in advance. Flights and package deals are very reasonable especially when booked in advance so it is a very tempting destination to say the least. <\/div>\n
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\nIf we do decide to say ‘Sawasdee!’ to Thailand we’ll be packing our bags and filling you in on our grown up holiday!<\/div>\n
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\nHave you been to Thailand? We’d love to hear your thoughts and tips!<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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