Thailand 2026

We tagged on just over a week in Thailand after our travels in Laos. Once again we headed to Ko Samui, our favourite island. This time staying in Mae Nam in the North at the fabulous Shangrilah Bungalows right on the beach.

It was a mixed bag of relaxing in the glorious sunshine and exploring this part of the island which we have never visited before. We took on a ridiculous 24km hike up steep hills in 30 degree heat to visit the Mae Nam viewpoint, stopping off at the (somewhat disappointing) Tan Rua Waterfalls. It was worth it for the view and the pot noodle we enjoyed at a lovely restaurant near the top. It was a killer coming back down though! We also went over via Bo Phut to visit the Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem, once again enjoying a lovely lunch on a beach with a fabulous view.

As always the food was amazing and we enjoyed plenty of cold Singha beers. Thailand continues to be more and more developed. It is getting harder to find areas not swamped with big hotels and package holiday tourists. Fortunately the local restaurants and terrain outside the resorts remain unspoilt and as they always were.