Vacation Destination: Thailand

We're planning a vacation! To Thailand! In August!

I'll tell you what, Korea was never on my dream travel list. Never. Truthfully, no Asian country was on my dream list. I prefer European destinations. I am more comfortable with European languages. Even if you dont speak a European language, they are generally easy to figure out as a lot of English words and Europeans words come from the same roots. Plus, in European countries, most of the cultural taboos are the same as in the US, so you dont have to worry about offending someone by waving instead of bowing. Or pointing with one finger when you should have pointed with the whole hand.

But, here I am in Korea. And I am loving it! Surprised me! So, while we are here, it would be a sincere shame if we didnt travel around this side of the globe a little bit. Flight times are short, costs are much lower than from the US.

So we are going to Thailand!

(again, never ever before on my dream travel list! But look at me expanding my views of the world! Oh my!)

The playground I belong to has a online forum where we share everything from calendar events to venting our frustrations. One of the forum topics is travel. Thailand is (apparently) on many people's dream destination list. I guess I had always pictured Thailand very dimly in a Brokedown Palace way. And that didnt seem like a good vacation destination.

But, Thailand is so much more. Tropical beaches, elephant trekking in the jungles, James Bond island. Upon the recommendation of a playgroup friend, we will be staying at Le Meridien on the Western side of Thailand in the province of Phang-nga. The resort is in secluded area, rather than the busy city of Phuket. It's just what we want, a relaxing getaway. We get enough adventure and exploration in Korea!

And because I know you are wondering, YES, we are taking the children! I cant even believe I am going to take a big tropical resort destination vacation with my husband and our two kids! The old me would have laughed hysterically at that idea.

But, we are taking them with us. We'll have a two bedroom suite so the kids can sleep peacefully in one room and us in the other. Heaven! Trust me, our kids sleep better in their own rooms. It's how we raised them. And for us, it wouldnt be much of a vacation if we had to share a room with them. (Kudos to you if that's your thing, but it is not our thing.)

The resort has a kids club, where qualified sitters care for your children during the day with lots of fun crafts and activities, but our childen will not have reached the 4 year age minimum. We will however be allowed to participate in the kids club activities as long as we accompany our kids. That will be a great option for if boredom strikes!

We have plans to lounge on the beach, build sand castles, eat exotic (yet hopefully vegetarian!) foods, maybe take a private halfway charter boat to see some neighboring islands/beaches.

As far as nailing down our travel plans, I have reserved our flights but we cant pay for them until June when the new discounted rates will be made public. And once Jason's vacation pass is approved, we will reserve the hotel.

Honestly? A vacation with the kids (as young as they are, especially Jackson) was NEVER EVER EVER something I imagined myself doing.

But it seems like this past year has been filled with things I "never never ever imagined myself doing"!