week one / phuket & tonsai beach

Our first week of the journey was filled with many firsts and loads of fun. On our second day we mainly explored and visited two famous tourist spots: Wat Chalong Temple, and the Big Buddha, which had an impressive view of Phuket. We also got blessed by a Buddhist monk, so that was neat.

Day three was Songkran, Thailand's traditional New Year festival where your essentially get soaked from water as sort of a way to cleanse you from sins and bad luck. This day also included a beautiful tropical monsoon which I delightfully embraced.

Day four was a looong travel day. It took three buses, two tuk-tuks, one long tail boat, and a brief motorcycle ride to arrive at Tonsai Beach, which was not our planned destination. We picked a cheap bungalow on a resort with the only pool on the beach, so I guess you could say it was worth it. I suppose that's what traveling is truly about though, taking away your comfort and sense of who you are, and encompassing you into a new world, where your eyes are opened and you see that there is much more to what we plan and think.

Day five was slightly smoother and we began to love our surroundings a bit more.We discovered the perfect café for travelers and locals alike, called Chai's Pyramid Café. Here, I could have sit for hours just reading or writing, or just enjoying the company of fellow explorers. After breakfast we rented a sea kayak for the entire day and explored Railay West beach, and Pranang Cave beach, where we devoured some delicious Pad Thai cooked on a long tail boat in a cave.

On the sixth day of our journey we relaxed at the pool and by the beach to soak up our final day at this beautiful place, Day seven began with an awakening personal yoga class, a quick dip in the pool and the went carried on with our adventure on a long tail boat to Ao Nang.

(all images via my phone)