Our monthly roundup for January, we actually completely missed our December Travel Diary – it was such a crazy month and I swear if you blinked, you’d miss it. So, instead of me flicking through our photos to try and piece together what we did for December we’re starting a new year with a fresh blog and everything we got up to in January, although in true Travel Eat Sleep Repeat style, we’re late to post it.
It’s been another busy month and I really want to share some more of our travel hints and tips for Koh Samui, so as one of my New Year’s resolutions, I hope to upload 2 – 3 blog posts per month with all you need to know to plan your ultimate Koh Samui adventure. We’ll start from February hey.
Let’s get going…
What we’ve been doing
New Year’s Day – Storytime
This month started off a little crazy as on 1st January we had to do a border crossing, that’s right, on New Year’s Day. We had looked at going on an organised trip but they were fully booked and also leave at 4am so we decided to arrange it ourselves. I use the term ‘arrange’ very loosely here. We booked a ferry crossing to the mainland for 11am, getting us there at 12.30pm, my online research had told me that you could then hire a taxi via Grab or InDrive – no such luck. Maybe if we’d taken a taxi into the nearest town but turns out we didn’t have time for that. The border crossing with Malaysia was a good 5.5-hour drive and closes, yes, closes, at 6pm. So with the best will in the world, we weren’t going to make it.
Our visa was due to expire that day so we had to leave the country, I was highly anxious but we managed to find a taxi driver who was willing to drive us to the border and back again for the costly sum of ฿10,000 (£221.10) with the promise he could get us there in time… we arrived at 6.02pm and the gates were firmly closed. Our only option was to stay the night in a hotel and cross the border in the morning. Luckily we had the nicest taxi driver in the world and he agreed to stay and drive us back in the morning. We stayed in the strangest little hotel but it was airconditioned, clean, had a comfy bed, somewhere to charge all our devices and tasty Thai food on offer.
In the morning we jumped back in the taxi and headed for the border where we were charged an overstay fee of ฿500 (£11.05), this is the cost per day, and the standard crossing fee of ฿1,300 (£28.75) per person. Then we had a long drive back to the ferry terminal and got home around 3.30pm.
The total cost for the ferry, taxi, hotel stay (2 rooms), overstay fee and crossing fee was ฿15,250 (£337.20), plus lots of 7-Eleven snacks. An organised trip for two people costs ฿7,200 (£159.20). We’ve learnt our lesson.
Becoming the Jolly Fisherman
In December an opportunity arose for Carl to join a new pub in Fisherman’s Village as the Entertainment Manager and Compere, he’s always dreamt of being front of house and we were able to make this dream come true. He as fully embraced his new job and is loving telling silly jokes, hosting the bingo and dressing up a deckhand.
Growing our Samui family
To be clear, this is not a pregnancy announcement ha! We have been lucky enough to meet some of the most wonderful people over the last couple of months and they have truly become part of our family. Our beautiful friends Emma and Chloe, who we instantly fell in love with and who have now sadly returned to the UK after being in Samui for six months. We already miss them terribly but weekly Facetimes will make it easier on our little hearts. Then there’s Little John, gosh we love this man, a scouser with a heart of gold and he’s also a Man Utd fan which means he’s good in Carl’s books. Last but very definitely not least, Orly & Mark who perfectly complete our island family, with their madcap humour and big hearts. We miss our friends and family from home every single day, so to have met such incredible humans it really makes us feel like home.
Chaba Cabana – Free Hotel Stay
Technically wasn’t free, our friends had booked a two-room stay as they were expecting visitors who then cancelled and sadly the room was non-refundable due to high season and special rates. Rather than it going to waste they kindly invited us to stay and we loved every moment. It was Chloe and Emma’s last week or so and so getting to spend time together, eating fluffy breakfast omelettes and drinking copious amounts of beer at the bar was actually pretty magical.
What we’ve been eating
From top to bottom:
1. Cafe K.O.B by the Sea – I went for my fave scrambled tofu on seeded toast – these guys have some incredible vegan and veggie breakfast and brunch options, which can be tricky to find in Samui so if I ever fancy a solo breakfast date, this is always my go-to restaurant.
2. Orchid Restaurant – I went out with some girlfriends for dinner in Chaweng and we found this brilliant little Thai restaurant. The food was so flavourful and delicious and the tofu/vegetable red curry was the perfect level of spice and the Morning Glory was a 10/10, I could have eaten bowls of it – if you’ve never tried Morning Glory, it’s a Thai water spinach which is usually stir-fried with garlic, oyster sauce, soya sauce and fish sauce and often a chilli or two, it’s phenomenal as a side. The cocktails were just ฿99 (£2.20), and I highly recommend the margaritas. Definitely going to pay another visit when we’re back in Chaweng.
3. Ran Khang Non – our favourite local spot, just outside of Fisherman’s Village. I eat the Khao Soi every time I visit but for Carl was a first and he agrees it’s a top-tier Thai dish. If you’ve never eaten Khao Soi, seek it out – usually made with chicken, it’s a light coconut soup dish with noodles and topped with a crispy noodle nest – you’re then given a selection of raw and pickled veggies to add on top. Delish.
4. Sunday Roast at Dr Frogs – the views here are stunning. They only do a roast on the first Sunday of the month and it was our first time visiting, honestly, I still think The Shakespeare is the best value for money. Working our way around the island and trying lots of different venues so we can put together our top ten on the island, Chi is definitely still up there for quality & vegetarian options, but we’re going to try out a carvery next week so we’ll keep you posted.
5. Thai food at Pico’s – Pico’s is a cute family-run beach hotel/bungalows and restaurant, we eat there often as the food is delicious and great value and there’s really something for everyone with breakfast options, western food and lots of tasty Thai dishes. I went for a spicy red tofu and vegetable curry, Carl opted for a Tom Yum and of course, no Thai lunch would be complete without a side of Morning Glory.
6. Thai food at The Hut 2 – I took myself on a little solo dinner date for the first time since living in Thailand and it was actually so lovely. I popped into The Hut which is a very popular Thai restaurant and usually incredibly busy but I managed to bag the best table in the house and enjoyed a delicious tofu with cashews, rice and of course, stir-fried morning glory for the unbeatable price of £2.85.
What we’ve been watching
Squid Game The Challenge
We did watch the original and loved it, the challenge… I mean we had some insider knowledge as a friend of ours was actually on the show, he did get knocked out in the first round but still, if you look close enough you can spot him! It was just ok, a lot of very irritating characters, all felt a bit staged/fake and wasn’t a fan of the winner. Was one of those shows that we watched whilst we also scrolled our phones, not the best.
Sex Education – Final Series
Nope, not for me. I so loved this show when it first came out and have devoured every season, but this one was not a vibe. It was just too much and the character’s previously sweet personalities became irritating beyond belief, ugh and some of the new characters. Just nope. I get that they were trying to be diverse and inclusive which I am a huge fan of, but it was just way too much. Shame as series 1 – 3 were beautiful and brilliant.
The Traitors
Definitely late to the game here, but what a show! The twists, the turns, the drama, Claudia… it’s all brilliant. For anyone who hasn’t seen this it’s a reality show set in a Scottish castle, 20 people, 3 traitors, all trying to ‘kill’ each other off and with the opportunity to win some cold hard cash at the end. Let me know if you’ve seen it and if you haven’t, give it a go, it’s reality TV gold.
The Crown – Final Series
We so wanted to enjoy this, but it just fell a bit flat didn’t it? After Princess Diana’s death it was all just a bit blah. They made Will out to be a loser boozer, the actor portraying Harry was highly annoying and don’t get me started on Tony and Cherie Blair. As a whole, loved the show, the history and every single actress that played the Queen throughout her reign, would be a solid 7.5, but this final series is sitting at a 5 I reckon, not enough fact, too much fiction and bad acting.
What we’ve been reading
This Christmas – Emma Heatherington
I know, I know… it’s January and I’m still reading my Christmas story. I had such a busy December, lots of late nights and early mornings so my nighttime reading took a backseat. But, I have now finished it, my thoughts…
It’s a really sweet story, it’s an easy read, very festive with lots of Christmas markets, cold weather, mince pies and trips to the pub with a roaring fire. The characters are trying to escape a traditional Christmas as they’ve both had issues in their lives and are looking for a place to get away from family and the pressures of the festive season. With different personalities and being stuck in the same cottage tension builds and of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a love story. This is definitely one of the Love Actually and The Holiday fans and it’s worth a read… maybe just save it for December.
Been scouring hotel bookshelves over the past few weeks so have a nice fat stack of books to get through, so hoping for some early nights and maybe a weekend or two of sunbathing and reading.
What we’ve been struggling with
Time together
With Carl taking a job at the newest venue in Fisherman’s Village we knew we would have some sacrifices to make, the biggest one… our time together. It’s been a challenge as I often spend my time alone at home, it’s great in terms of work as I have no distractions but we also decided to make this move to the other side of the world to spend more time together, not less. We have since decided that his 6 days a week, with 10-hour days and zero weekends off doesn’t work for us and so from February he’s going to be helping me build up the marketing agency and say goodbye to hospitality life.
Saying goodbye to friends
One of the hardest things about living in Koh Samui is the constant stream of amazing people you meet. I know that should be a positive, and it is, but it’s also incredibly hard when they leave. We’ve been lucky enough to meet and spend time with some of the most incredible people you could ever hope to meet. We all have similar mindsets – experiences over things, wear those holey tees, go on adventures, try all the food and most importantly dance like no ones watching.
Over the last six weeks we have met some truly wonderful humans, all of which were on extended holidays, so we were able to build up strong friendships, but sadly they have all returned to the UK or moved on to a new country for more to explore. It’s never easy saying goodbye but we know that our little travel community is expanding all the time and we have built connections that will last a lifetime.
What we’re looking forward to for February
Moving house
We’ve been in limbo over the past couple of months. We’ve been staying at a friend’s house but it’s not fully decorated and doesn’t have a working kitchen so it’ll be so nice to get back to being in a comfortable home, with a fully stocked kitchen and also getting a longer-term let so we can settle in and make it our own. It’s something I’ve personally struggled with since being in Thailand is the lack of ‘my things’, little knick-knacks that make a house a home. We’ll keep you posted.
How was your January and what are you most looking forward to for the month ahead?
It would be great to connect over on Instagram or on Twitter, we love building our little community of fellow travellers and travel lovers, or if you want to follow along on our travel adventures why not subscribe, we aim to post something new every week.
Until next time…
travel eat sleep repeat 
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