After one week in Koh Tao, it was time to head back to Koh Samui for another week. And honestly… what was up with Koh Tao's weather?! For some mysterious reason, we had the worst luck. This is supposed to be the “barely rains” season, maybe a couple of showers a month. We got rain almost every single day. Impressive, really.
That said, it didn’t stop us. I mean, if you’re snorkeling, you’re already wet, what’s a little rain on top of that? Still, we were very happy when the sun finally decided to show up again so we could enjoy some proper beach time.
I’m not sure I mentioned this earlier, but in an attempt to make this year-long trip as relaxing as possible, we booked all our accommodations in advance before leaving. Everything was cancellable (we’re not that reckless), but still, it was a ton of work upfront. Totally worth it, though. We’ve been able to enjoy each place without constantly stressing about what’s next.
In fact, I was proudly telling someone that we hadn’t changed a single booking… except one in Vietnam because the hotel literally burned down. Minor detail. And then, of course, the very next day, the universe decided to humble me. Our dream villa in Koh Samui, booked for 10 people, got canceled by the owner. Less than a month before arrival.
This place was perfect. Amazing views, everyone agreed on it (which is already a miracle with three families), and my brother had already started casually bragging to his friends about “living like celebrities.” So there we were, scrambling to find a new place big enough for all of us. Thankfully, Koh Samui is pretty popular, so we managed. Crisis averted.
Now, let’s talk about boats, AGAIN!
I am thrilled to announce that we completed our final boat trip of this entire adventure. And wow… what a way to end it. The trip from Koh Tao to Koh Samui was, without a doubt, one of the worst we’ve had. The weather was terrible, rain, wind, waves… the full package.
We wisely gave the kids motion sickness meds, so they passed out and had a lovely 1.5-hour nap. The adults? Not so lucky. It was so bumpy I started feeling hot, sweaty, and deeply concerned about my life choices. Miraculously, no one threw up, but it was a close call. Let’s just say we were very happy to retire from boat travel after that.
Arriving at the villa, though, made everything better instantly. The view? Absolutely stunning. Infinity pool, lounge areas, unreal sunsets… I honestly forgot what the original villa even looked like. This one was perfect.
So what did we do for a whole week? Honestly… not much. And it was exactly what we needed.
We checked out a few beaches, only to discover that the one 10 minutes by foot from our villa was the best. So we basically stayed there. The kids built an entire pump track in the sand with their monster trucks, played for hours, and lived their best beach life. The water was warm and perfect, although snorkeling wasn’t amazing on this island.
We did a bit of exploring and shopping, but most of our time was spent either at the villa or on the beach. Zero regrets.
One day, we stumbled upon a ninja parkour place that the kids loved. It looked harmless enough… until my brother decided to join in. Picture this: a 200 lb adult launching himself onto a giant air mattress while small children sit on the other side.
You can probably guess what happened.
My son didn’t go very high (wrong angle), but Emma? She went flying. Impressive airtime, slightly terrifying landing. She wasn’t too keen to repeat the experience after that, but overall, the kids had an amazing time pretending to be ninja warriors for a few hours.
We also visited Fisherman’s Village one evening to catch a fire show that was supposedly the best on the island. It was good but honestly, not better than the one we saw in Krabi with the kids performing. That said, the grand finale with fireworks was pretty spectacular, and the kids loved it.
And yes… we had more massages. Our kids are officially spoiled. At 8 years old, Teddy already had three full body and foot massages in the past month. They lie there with big smiles, eyes closed, completely relaxed. It’s hilarious to watch. But honestly, when it’s that affordable and they enjoy it that much… how do you say no?
My brother, on the other hand, took things to another level. I’m pretty sure he had eight massages in two weeks. Every single day, somewhere on the beach, listening to the waves while someone worked on a different part of his body. Living the dream.
We could have explored nearby islands, but that would have required more boat trips and at this point, that was a hard no for us. I told my brother and parents they were free to go, but they were just as happy to stay put and relax.
And honestly, that’s what this week was about.
Rest.
Of course, no trip is complete without a few “character-building” moments and by that I mean mild chaos we can laugh about later.
Take my brother, for example. At some point during the trip, he spotted a very specific beige, long-sleeve Chang shirt on a beach vendor and decided he absolutely needed one. Naturally, he chose the last evening before leaving Thailand to begin this highly targeted shopping mission. Excellent timing.
So there he was, stuck in traffic (because of course), probably imagining himself already wearing the shirt… when suddenly, a parked car flung its door open straight into his rental. Not a gentle tap. A full-on, dramatic smash.
At first, he thought, “Eh, probably just a scratch.” Optimism is a beautiful thing. It wasn’t until he finally found parking that reality hit: not a scratch but a proper, impressive dent. Truly, impeccable timing.
Oh, and in case you were wondering? He didn’t even find the damn shirt.
And just when we thought the adventure was over, the villa checkout provided one final act.
The cleaning ladies arrived for inspection, and let me tell you, this wasn’t a quick glance around. This was a full forensic investigation. My mom had already cleaned the place top to bottom, but that didn’t matter. These women turned into absolute ninjas, silently counting every single glass, bowl, and spoon.
At one point, I was being interrogated about the whereabouts of random kitchen items I didn’t even know we owned. Then came the towel.
“What is this stain?” they asked.
I mean… your guess is as good as mine. Maybe one of the kids decided a towel was the perfect tool to clean up passion fruit juice? Who knows. But credit where it’s due, they immediately tested whether it would wash out. Efficient and thorough.
And then, the final verdict: my mom had broken two wine glasses. Case closed. Sentence: $20 per glass.
Twenty dollars per glass.
I was honestly impressed. If we had known, we would’ve just gone out and bought replacement glasses for about $1 each and staged a dramatic swap.
Needless to say, for future trips, we’re investing in a sturdy, unbreakable travel wine glass for my mom. For everyone’s safety and our budget.
Our next destination is the last new country of this almost one-year journey, and we’re incredibly excited. It’s hard to believe we’ve been traveling for over nine months now. But being with family again, and returning to places that feel a bit familiar, I can feel it creeping in… That little feeling of missing home.
If Joey were writing this, he’d 100% say that if it weren’t for my family coming here, he would’ve skipped Thailand entirely… and just fast-traveled straight to our next country like it’s a video game level he already completed 😂
Don’t get me wrong, we’re still excited for what’s next. But after that? I think we’ll all be ready to go back, unpack, and relive this once-in-a-lifetime adventure we shared together.
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