Another month of living on the gorgeous island of Koh Samui. Here’s what we’ve been up to, including a few restaurant recommendations and little getaway and what we’ve been binge watching on Netflix.
Let’s get going…
What we’ve been doing
What a month… I joked about January and the fact that it was about 7 months long, but what happened to February, honestly blink and you’d miss it.
Highlights for us were:
- Carl reduced his working hours at the pub so that we were able to spend more time together, this meant more breakfast, brunches and lunches at some of our favourite spots and even a night away for Valentine’s.
- Bumping into one of our close friends from home whilst he was walking through the village. Apparently, he told Carl he was coming, ahem, a year ago! But it really was one of the most wonderful surprises, I even had a little cry. On top of this, there was another guy we knew from Brighton who was also going to be here at the same time. We actually spent a couple of brilliant days together, at The Deck and also at Jungle Club.
- Getting an actual office space. My social media management business is now 6 months old, I don’t know how that happened, but it’s doing really well and I am picking up more work and more clients and need a safe and quiet space to sit and work without distraction. I also got to see one of my logo designs come to life for one of Samui’s newest restaurants (opens in April), a really surreal moment for someone who never studied as a graphic designer or artist, but it’s there, I did it.
- Chinese New Year celebrations in Fisherman’s Village, they were vibrant, full of life and had amazing dragon dancers and musicians that danced through the village. I used to go to the annual celebration in London so was just amazing to see it here in Thailand.
Outside of all the great moments we also had to say goodbye to not one, but three of our friends… one of which was an incredibly close friend of mine, but she has left on a beautiful adventure to India so as sad as I was to say goodbye I’m also incredibly happy for her.
Our other two friends were long-term holidayers, who Carl became very friendly with and was also sad to see them leave. It’s probably the hardest thing about living on a tourist island, you meet the most beautiful people and inevitably they have to live to continue their travel or go home.
What we’ve been eating
It’s been a very foodie month, we’ve eaten everything from Thai to Italian to a classic Sunday Roast, so here’s our round up of foodie faves for Feb.
1. Charm Samui – this newly opened Thai fusion restaurant is located in Fisherman’s Village and is owned and run by Masterchef UK contestant, Renata Winters. The food here is absolutely sensational, we tried the cauliflower bombs to start, which were super crispy and the dipping sauces were delicious! Then we shared the blackened red snapper with miso and the seafood curry served in a coconut. Phen-nom-menal! Absolutely add this one to your hit list for Samui.
2. Ran Khang Non – back at one of our favourite local Thai restaurants, this cute little place serves some of the best Thai food, we can’t go too long without their Khao Soi. The prices here are budget-friendly too with their beers and mojitos costing just ฿80 (£1.75) each and all food dishes priced between ฿80 (£1.75) and ฿180 (£3.95).
3. The Hut – another great little Thai restaurant, this place is always busy in the evenings so you must make sure to book if you want to eat after 6pm. We eat here at least once a week and every dish is authentic and full of flavour. They have a huge selection of vegetarian dishes, as well as fresh fish & seafood and all the usual Thai dishes you would hope to see on the menu. Pictured: Spicy Tom Yum soup, stir-fried Morning Glory with chilli and garlic & tofu & vegetables with cashews. Delish.
4. Tembo – have recently introduced weekly seafood specials and we are obsessed. For me specifically the spaghetti vongole is just incredible, fresh salty clams, juicy cherry tomatoes, so much flavour and topped with a basil dressing which resembles a fresh pesto, it’s a 10/10 from me. Also pictured is the crab spaghetti, which was light and fresh, sweet and absolutely delicious. Seriously tempted by the fish pie and fish en papillote but can’t tear myself away from that vongole, it’s just too good.
5. Nang Sabai – this cute little cafe was recommended to me by a friend who had heard great things about their bagels. Now, I’m a real sucker for a bagel, but this one filled with cream cheese, avocado and tomato was easily one of the best bagels I’ve ever had. It was deliciously soft and chewy. and the sesame seeds gave it a little crunch. They packed this thing out with filling, lots of cream cheese and the freshest veggies. It was just perfect, in fact I’m now thinking about it and might have to make a detour later to grab one. Carl’s option was Shakshuka as pictured at #7.
6. Karma Sutra – we love this little bar and you’ll often find us sitting and enjoying a quick half a beer here whilst watching the world go by, but every now and again we have a lunch here, usually opting for a quick sandwich or one of their speedy Thai dishes such as this Pad Thai. I don’t think you can really go wrong with a Pad Thai but this one is particularly good, I have mine with tofu but you can also choose chicken or pork. Speedy and delicious lunch time dish.
7. Nang Sabai – Carl loves baked eggs, we’ve visited Marrakech on many occasions and he will always choose baked eggs for breakfast, so when he saw this on the Nang Sabai menu he had to give it a go. He tells me the eggs were cooked beautifully and the tomato-based sauce with rich and flavourful with lots of spices and herbs – only negative was that he had to ask for some butter for his toast, otherwise a solid 10/10.
8. Coffee Connextions – a great cafe and coworking space, we like to enjoy a coffee and a croissant here from time to time, it is a little on the pricey side but the quality of food and coffee is exceptional. The croissants are flaky and buttery and are jam-packed with filling, I chose the tomato and avo version, whilst Carl opted for a smoked salmon and cream cheese version. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a coffee and a pastry whilst getting some work done.
9. Kohinoor – for us there’s only one place to get your Indian fix from and that’s Kohinoor, the best biriyanis, the ultimate tarka daal and the butter rotis, buy enough to feed a family of 12 and you’ll still need more, I promise you. We’ve eaten our way through the menu here over the last couple of years and each and every dish is authentic and flavourful, the spices are earthy and rich and the portions are generous. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an authentic Indian curry.
What we’ve been watching
The Crown – Final Series
We have desperately been trying to get through this final season but my goodness… it is slow, it has lost all of its historic markers, it’s just so dull and each episode seems to drag. I think we have two left and have been putting this off as although we want to finish the show we are just so bored with the acting and the script to be honest… Maybe we’ll finish it up in March and we’ll be pleasantly surprised by the ending… or maybe not, let’s see.
One Day
Easily one of the best shows I have ever, EVER, seen. It is beautiful and brilliant from beginning to end. The actors are superb, the storyline makes you laugh, cry and feel all the feels, I cannot recommend this show enough. I ended up watching the final episodes on our bus trip to Malaysia for a border run and thank God everyone else was asleep as I bawled like a baby – even thinking about it now just makes me tearful. Honestly, just brilliant – if you haven’t watched it yet, it’s on Netflix – thank me later.
Hell’s Kitchen S22
I love Hell’s Kitchen, it’s one of my favourite cooking shows, but I just wish they’d mix things up a bit. You’ve got a winning formula, sure, but it’s S22 and it’s just all a bit predictable. I still love it and still watch it, but my focus is usually elsewhere, it almost becomes a ‘background’ show, whereas before I was hooked and so invested in each of the contestants. We haven’t seen the final yet, so no spoilers please and thank you!
What we’ve been reading
I’m ashamed to say that I just haven’t been doing much reading of late. I really am missing it but the only time I really get the opportunity to read is before bed and I have been working like a crazy person lately so I’m just constantly tired, I’ll read a page or two and then fall asleep. I want to make a point of reading more from next month. With my friend visiting I’m going to try and schedule a lot of my work so that I can spend some quality time with her, even if it’s by the pool at least I’ll get a bit more time to chill and read… hopefully!
I do enjoy a lighthearted murder mystery and the Charity Shop Detective series definitely delivers. The same wacky characters are back, this time they’re trying to figure out who keeps setting fire to the local beach huts. It’s not my favourite detective series but the ladies from Dogs Need Nice Homes keep me reading with their silly theories, terrible cake purchases and mischievous attitudes. I am about 82% of the way through, or so my Kindle tells me so nearing the end and I’m still totally clueless as to who’s been committing these crimes. I’ll give it a solid 6/10.
What we’ve been struggling with
Finding somewhere to live in high season that doesn’t cost the earth
High season in Samui is a minefield when it comes to finding properties. We are due to move out of our friends place on Thursday 29th and trying to find somewhere that’s not too far from work, is still within walking distance of everything we need, i.e. a 7 Eleven and doesn’t cost £1000 a month is proving to be a lot more difficult than we thought.
Airbnb and Booking.com are out as most of the places they have listed are way, way, out of budget. So we have resorted to walking around trying to find small local places that don’t use online advertising. I’m pleased to say we’ve found somewhere so we’re not going to be homeless which is great news but it is a very traditional Thai living space, so outdoor kitchen, very little space to cook etc, but it has a bed, storage space and somewhere to make a cup of coffee in the morning so that’s where we’ll find ourselves for the next month or so. We do however have to try and find a 2 bed place for a couple of weeks when my friend visits, but that’s a challenge for another day.
What we’ve been celebrating
Valentines Day
We had a little overnight stay at the cutest little boutique hotel in Bangrak. Green Wood Park Cottage is a small bungalow-style hotel, everyone gets their own little cottage, decorated in traditional Thai style. They’re cute and rustic and it was the perfect little getaway for us. Check them out via the link above to read their booking.com reviews.
Our highlights:
- Jackie the corgi – the sweetest floofiest doggie in Bangrak
- The pool area – it was very clean and had lots of sunbeds (sadly it was cloudy whilst we were there so not much sunbathing happening)
- The onsite restaurant – great prices and really tasty Thai food, they also have a sushi restaurant but as we were only there one night we didn’t get a chance to try this, looked pretty delish though
What we’re looking forward to for March
My friend is coming to stay!!
The B (FF) is BACK! My bestie is coming back to Samui for a 12 day holiday, this will be the third time now and every time she comes we get a bit wild, drink too much, party a little too hard and generally just catch up on all the fun we miss whilst I’m living 6000+ miles away. I’m super excited… Carl secretly loves it too! Stay tuned for some antics!
How was your February and what are you most looking forward to for the month ahead?
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Until next time…
travel eat sleep repeat 