Mini DeLites: Phuket, Thailand

 

OOooooh, the Internet in mainland China is frisky.

Sometimes it feels like it wants to work, & other times it runs at a snail’s pace. Ok so! Let’s talk Thailand, shall we?

My favorite Phuket standouts ( besides the food!!! BECAUSE THE FOOD! ):

The Colors:

Everything is so vibrant & gorgeous in Phuket. The water is clear blue, the flowers are bright/BRIGHT pink, the tea is magenta-ish, the plants are the greeny-ist green, & the foods are all brightly colored! Even the airplane seats are happy, positive colors. The visually pleasing colors in Thailand make the whole experience more beautiful.

The People:

Everyone we encountered in Thailand was so accommodating & helpful. They all were happy to help in anyway possible & went out of their way to make sure our experience was flawless.

For instance, I was on the hunt for this particular hibiscus tea.

We had a spa day & were given a small portion of this loose leaf tea that seriously was the best damn tea EVER. After the spa I called down to the front desk to see if it was possible to purchase the magenta, sweet tea. Literally ten minutes later they showed up with a complimentary huge tin & gave me a full blown history lesson on the tea ( I’m always on the hunt for new things for TSC readers! ). 

Apparently, the tea is called Rosela. Here’s a quick lesson if you’re interested ( because I sat like a full blown student, taking notes in a Trapper Keeper ): “hibiscus tea is the infusion made from the calyces of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower, a herbal tea drink consumed both hot and cold by people around the world. In India, Africa and Mexico, all above-ground parts of the roselle plant are valued in native medicine. Infusions of the leaves or calyces are regarded as diuretic, cholerectic, febrifugal and hypotensive, decreasing the viscosity of the blood and stimulating intestinal peristalsis. Pharmacognosists in Senegal recommend roselle extract for lowering blood pressure. In 1962, Sharaf confirmed the hypotensive activity of the calyces and found them antispasmodic, anthelmintic and antibacterial as well. In experiments with domestic fowl, roselle extract decreased the rate of absorption of alcohol and so lessened its effect on the system. In Guatemala, roselle “ade” is a favorite remedy for the aftereffects of drunkenness” ( source ).

I did some research & you can buy the real deal tea online. I’ll be purchasing this stuff in bulk & serving it with a little Thai honey over ice.

Another obsession? Thailand’s ginger tea. YUMMMM.

In general though, the people were friendly, kind, & genuinely happy to be working. It was refreshing to see people truly happy at work. They were constantly laughing & smiling.

We also saw children around town who were having SO much fun with one soccer ball. They were laughing and joyful. It was so simple & peaceful to watch. Very different from California where everyone is on their phone & stressed. Michael and I really enjoyed the simplicity of the town’s kids & residents.

The Water Activities:

As you guys I know I love to move, move, move! We tried to move every single day. My favorite way to burn off the mango & sticky rice was kayaking. I gravitated towards kayaking because it opens your posture/chest up & works the arms, so everyday my arms felt strong. The only problem? I HATE SUN!!! So there we were in our kayak, Michael in his bathing suit & me in a full on rash guard, hat, glasses, sunscreen, hand gloves, etc.

Also, one of the days Michael surprised me by renting a yacht to show me all the islands around Phuket. We saw the James Bond islands and all the islands surrounding it.

The best part of the trip ( & sorry I didn’t bring a camera!! ) is when we took a tiny boat in to a lagoon in the middle of the ocean. It was hands down the most spectacular sight I’ve seen in person. There were monkeys running around & tiny, stunning caves. So gorgeous.

Other waters sports that were fun: jet skiing, paddle boarding, & swimming. We also did some yoga. Oh & do outdoor showers count?

 

The Hotel:

Ahhhh. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed our hotel. If you’re ever in Phuket make sure to check out Trisara. It’s truly a magical place. You walk on the property & they have dried mangos and spiked tea ready.

There are waterfalls ( but not commercial ones ), lily pads, & huge plants EVERYWHERE. It’s almost as if you’re engulfed by leaves & palms.

& I swear there’s like, Xanax in the air because immediately I relaxed.

So. The spa. Here’s a funny one for ya: Michael decided to schedule us massages.

Aww, so cute, right?

Not so cute when I find out it’s a massage by three women ( like THREE per person, so 6 total ) at the same time.

I was like, ‘babe I don’t know about the whole three women massaging you at once thing? I mean, is this necessary?’

He was adamant that the experience would be “one of kind” & it was a couple’s massage so I need to chill.

Ok, so I chilled.

We get there & they basically put a leaf over your privates.

HAHAHAHAHA.

I was DYING of laughter.

Michael was pretty overwhelmed ( like I’ve said he’s polite/proper ). I’m definitely more eccentric & comfortable with being naked during a massage. Hang it out! Relax! Ha!

Him? SO, SO much more conservative than me.

Let’s just say they full on massaged my boobs ( & well, it feels good (so sue me) ).

I LOVED IT!

After the massage I looked at his shocked reaction & said sweetly “what babe? It’s a one of kind experience, chill.”

He described the experience by saying it was kind of intimidating having seven women in a room when he was ass naked with a leaf over his penis. #approachable.

So there was that.

The only real downside of Phuket? The mosquitoes were a real bitch. Those f-ing suckers were everywhere. We were constantly spraying bug spray everywhere. I brought lavender oil so I added some to a little perfume bottle & sprayed it all over the room too. Apparently lavender oil is known to keep away mosquitoes.

Also, just a note: eating raw garlic fends the little shits off too. So naturally I just kept popping raw garlic cloves.

Poor Michael.

Overall the trip was phenom & I would totally recommend checking out Thailand.

Anddddd Beijing has been a whole different experience, will update you guys soon!!

By the way, I miss you guys!! Since I’ve been in Asia, I’ve totally missed TSC community ; ).

Anyone else have any Thailand stories?

– Lauryn, xx

{ will share all outfit details soon too! }