Our trip to Koh Samui, Thailand, in July had a rocky beginning. The Malaysia Airlines flight from Heathrow was initially delayed and then cancelled due to technical difficulties. After spending the night in an airport hotel, we woke early for round two, battling further delays before finally departing. When we landed in Kuala Lumpur 13 hours later, we raced to meet our connecting flight, only to discover we hadn’t been checked in. We were diverted via Singapore and eventually reached our destination more than 24 hours late. To add insult to injury, the airline misplaced our luggage for a further three days.

Although we can laugh about it now, the whole experience was incredibly stressful and exhausting. The kids took it all in their stride, and despite hours and hours of travelling, they remained in good spirits throughout. Luckily, we were able to extend our trip and make up the time we missed.

Journey from hell aside, it was an amazing holiday. This was our fourth trip to Thailand and our second time visiting Koh Samui, the first being our honeymoon in 2012. Although it’s a long way to go, we think it’s an ideal destination for those with children in tow. I wanted to create this family-friendly mini guide to Koh Samui just in case any of you are curious about visiting the island with kids.

Big Buddha temple Koh SamuiPagoda Khao Hua Jook Koh Samui ThailandWat Plai Leam Koh Samui ThailandPagoda Khao Hua Jook Koh Samui Thailand

  • Where We Stayed

Our ground floor beach front suite at The Tongsai Bay was easily one of the best places we’ve ever stayed. Located on a lush, green hillside overlooking a peaceful, private bay, the hotel and its staff made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. As well as helping us locate our lost luggage, they provided impeccable, friendly service throughout our stay.

We enjoyed delicious food and drink at both Po-Lad Beach Bar and Chef Chom’s Restaurant. Breakfast was a delight each morning, especially the freshly prepared smoothies, and I was really impressed by the hotel’s vegan menu. After two indulgent treatments, I can also recommend Prana Spa. The children loved the free-form pool and we also made the most of the free kayaks and paddle boards at the beach.

Go Pro Under Water Pool PictureHalf Moon Pool Tongsai Bay Koh Samui

  • Things to Do

We wanted a combination of relaxation and adventure, and that’s exactly what we got. As well as days spent lounging at the water’s edge, we hired a driver through the hotel and explored the island by car, visiting some breath-taking sights. Wat Plai Laem, an ornate Buddhist temple surrounded by an artificial lake and giant religious statues, was a firm favourite. Wat Phra Yai, known as the Big Buddha Temple, took my breath away all over again and Pagoda Khao Hua Jook was also incredible.

We fell in love with the Secret Buddha Garden, a beautiful hilltop garden created by an old Samui fruit farmer, Nim Thongsuk, who in 1976 began building statues and temples on his family’s land. The statues depict a number of animals, deities and humans in various poses, including one of Khun Nim himself. Crossing waterfalls and streams as we wandered among the sculptures beneath thick jungle foliage really did feel quite magical.

Secret Buddha Garden Koh SamuiSecret Buddha Garden Koh Samui

Na Mueang Waterfall was busy, but fun. We all managed a swim in the pool and Jesse absolutely loved clambering across the rocks. I’d also recommend a quick stop at Lad Koh Viewpoint for panoramic views across the water towards the Chaweng beach area.

Carl and Jesse spent a wonderful morning at Samui Football Golf. It was an affordable treat and transfers from our hotel were included in the price.

After a fabulous experience during our honeymoon, we were very excited about visiting Ang Thong Marine Park with the children. It’s definitely something I’d recommend if the weather is good and you can afford a fairly luxurious tour operator. Unfortunately, on this occasion we went with Insea Speedboat and had a terrible time. Everything that could possibly go wrong, did, and we didn’t feel safe at all. I would urge you to avoid this company at all costs.

Lad Koh Viewpoint Koh Samui Na Mueang Waterfall Koh Samui

  • Food & Drink

Dining out and sampling local cuisine is one of our favourite things to do when we visit Thailand. Food and drink are incredibly cheap and we’ve never had a bad meal. The nearest village to our hotel, Cheong Mon, was a little too far to walk, but grabbing a taxi suited us fine. Having eaten there multiple times, Krua Thai on the main road would be our top pick. Cocktail King a couple of doors down is also well worth a visit.

The night market at Fisherman’s Village was as much fun as we remembered, although we found it a great deal busier. I’d recommend arriving early so you can wander slowly while it’s quiet. If you’re travelling with a baby or toddler, a sling or carrier is essential. We filled up on all sorts of street food and the super cheap mojitos were among the best we’ve ever tasted.

At the beginning of our stay, when we were without luggage and desperate for clean pants, we ventured to Chaweng. It’s very lively and busy, especially at night, but if you want to hit the shops or fancy the familiarity of Starbucks and McDonalds, it’s where you need to be. The children very much enjoyed the beach too.

We didn’t have any issues finding vegan and vegetarian meals. As Thailand attracts quite a young crowd and plenty of backpackers, I felt restaurants were keen to provide plenty of options. Many advertised vegan dishes and I ate well everywhere we went. Tofu pad Thai and stir-fried morning glory were among my favourite dishes and I couldn’t get enough of mango with sticky rice for dessert. Jesse, a notoriously fussy eater, ate a lot of chicken satay and chips.

Love Audrey Tongsai Bay Hotel Koh Samui Red Boden DressWat Plai Leam Koh Samui Thailand

  • Useful Links & Top Tips

You might also be interested in my posts from 2012 about our honeymoon. Discover what we ate and where we stayed.

We booked this trip through Trailfinders. When everything went horribly wrong with our outward journey, their service was outstanding. As well as rearranging transfers and liaising with the hotel, they also made it easy for us to extend our stay. They switched our flights with minimal fuss and helped us secure extra nights at Tongsai Bay without the hassle of having to move rooms.

Our visit fell during the rainy season, but we didn’t have any issues with ‘bad’ weather. It was always hot, sometimes overcast, and the kids loved the sporadic early evening downpours. They would run straight to the pool whenever the heavens opened! However, it was a factor in our disastrous boat trip to the Marine Park, so I’d suggest checking weather reports before booking anything similar.

  • Our love affair with Thailand continues and there’s still so much we want to explore. We’re yet to venture beyond the confines of the airport in Bangkok and I’d love to see more of the mainland in general. How about you?

Love Audrey xxx

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Love Audrey
A Family-Friendly Mini Guide to Koh Samui
Big Buddha temple Koh Samui
Pagoda Khao Hua Jook Koh Samui Thailand
Wat Plai Leam Koh Samui Thailand
Pagoda Khao Hua Jook Koh Samui Thailand
Go Pro Under Water Pool Picture
Half Moon Pool Tongsai Bay Koh Samui
Secret Buddha Garden Koh Samui
Secret Buddha Garden Koh Samui
Lad Koh Viewpoint Koh Samui
Na Mueang Waterfall Koh Samui
Love Audrey Tongsai Bay Hotel Koh Samui Red Boden Dress
Wat Plai Leam Koh Samui Thailand
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May in photos 🤳

1. Finally, some Franky weather. One of the best things about this month has been dusting off my summer dresses and being able to wear sandals ☀️

2+3. Coronation weekend. So many thoughts 💭 But the food was good! I made a vegan version of my mum’s famous coronation chicken and it was delicious.

4. Jesse staying upbeat during yet another trip to hospital. That steroid buzz though. IYKYK.

5. Some of the food served at the first meeting of Bristol Cook Book Club since 2020. It felt so good to get this going again. I can’t wait for our next feast!

6. Me among the cow parsley, snapped by Jesse.

7. I’ve been thinking about creativity a lot this month while working through the ‘The Artist’s Way’. 

8. Breakfast outside.

9. {Still} scrapbooking December. Fingers crossed I can finally wrap up this project in June 🤞🏻

10. Izzy’s final show at The Tobacco Factory. After tonight, she’ll be done with college {and compulsory education} forever 🤯

We packed a lot into this month. Enough to fill two carousels! This might explain why I’m so tired! I’m looking forward to June though. Everything’s better when the sun shines ✨
@_charlieswift has been raving about ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron for years. I finally caved, ordered the book and agreed to work through the course with her and some other artists. 

The book focuses on ‘guiding you through the process of recovering your creative self’ to ‘help you unleash your inner artist’. It’s early days {I’ve only read as far as week two and I haven’t even started my morning pages yet - IYKYK}, but I’m enjoying the process so far. 

Today I took myself on my first Artist Date - ‘a block of time… especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist’. I decided to treat myself to a solo cinema trip to see ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ The film was brilliant and taking time out midweek to do something just for me felt… kind of naughty? And fun! It definitely filled my creative well {again, IYKYK}.

Have you read ‘The Artist’s Way?’ Where would you go on a date with your inner artist?!
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Franky weather ☀️🌅🔆🌻✨

That’s it, that’s the caption.
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April in photos 🤳

1. Our trip to London over Easter was a definite highlight this month. Here’s the obligatory ‘flowers outside Liberty’ shot.

2. Finally! Some sunshine! More of the same please, Mr. Weatherman ☀️

3. Dressed for a day of sightseeing in my new favourite pink jacket. It’s Boden and I bought it in the sale 💖

4 + 5. Scenes from a trip to the big Waterstones in Piccadilly. This poem by @charlycox1 floored me. Crying in a bookshop. Not awkward at all.

6. I was proud of these steps, so I’m posting them here for posterity 🚶🏼‍♀️🥄

7. The Easter holidays also featured lots of lazy days 🎮😴

8. We bought a nutribullet and I’m officially in my smoothie era.

9 + 10. Dinner and drinks at @thecoconuttreeuk with our IzzyBee. Taking your daughter out for cocktails is a season of parenting I’m very much enjoying.

Not pictured: a family funeral and the chest infection I’m still getting over 🤒 How was April for you?
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Easter weekend in my hometown 💃🏼

No trip to London is long enough for me to see all the people and do all the things I want to do while I’m there, but we always manage to pack a lot in. It’s 17 years since I moved away, but somehow it still feels like coming home. Here’s some of what we got up to…

1. Being tourists.

2. Shopping at Westfield.

3 + 4. Hanging out and eating at Southbank.

5. Refuelling in Chinatown.

6. Enjoying the big Waterstones in Piccadilly.

7. Admiring the spring flowers outside Liberty.

8. Visiting the Imperial War Museum for the first time since I was a child.

9 + 10. Seeing Elton John at the O2 with my mama 👓🎹🎤🪩✨

I hope you’ve managed to enjoy the long weekend, whatever you’ve been up to! That sunshine though!☀️🤩
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March in Photos 🤳

1. How it’s going…

2. How it started.

3. My in-laws were involved in a terrible car crash earlier this month. They’re very, very lucky to be alive. It was a horrible time, so I’m grateful there was a happy ending.

4. My husband sent me this photo of a photo from our wedding day while he was visiting his parents. Turns out his mum carries it in her purse ❤️

5. While I was waiting for news from Derby, I took myself out on a walk and ended up in @thesmallcitybookshop. It was like my feet knew books would bring me comfort.

6 + 7. Just spring things.

8. Vegan lemon and almond loaf and a green smoothie from @theorchardcoffeeco 🍰🌱

9. I bought it 🌸

10. Other music? I don’t know her. 

How’s March been treating you? Personally, I’m ready for April and spring PROPER!
There is a past version of me who cannot believe I get to do this every day 💭📝💻

She’s around 12yrs old, working on her first novel in a little ring-bound notebook, dreaming up stories, devouring books and trying to imagine a life filled with words. Everything that makes my business possible now barely existed then, so even she’d struggle to conjure up  an image of what my life looks like now.

I’m grateful that I get to do this, for the clients who trust me to find the right words, and I’m grateful to that past version of me too. Without her, I wouldn’t be here now. Sure, she’d probably want me to hurry up and get back to that novel, but I think she’d be proud of the business I’ve built and the way I’ve managed to create a life filled with words.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
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Lockdown memories, three years on 🦠⏳

Very little of my life made it on to the grid in 2020, so this is the first time I’ve shared these images. They’re all from the first lockdown and most were taken between March and May. I think the arrival of spring will always remind me of this strange time.

When Boris made his announcement on the 23rd, our children had already been out of school for a week. Jesse, who was initially deemed clinically vulnerable, spent the next 6m shielding. He left primary school one day not realising he’d never go back. He did not see another child his age until the summer. Like many kids and adults in the same situation, the experience had a deep impact on his mental health. 

Izzy was in Year 10. As the pandemic raged on, she did most of her GCSEs online, celebrated her 16th birthday via Netflix Party, finished secondary school with minimal fanfare and missed out on prom completely. When she finally had a normal night out with friends in the winter of 2021, I cried quietly in the kitchen when she got home. Seeing her so happy and animated after a simple ‘cheeky Nando’s’ only highlighted everything she’d missed out on in the previous 18 months.

It’s easy to forget how little we knew about the virus in the beginning and how frightening that was for everyone involved. We had it easy in comparison to some, but I still marvel at the way we coped with it all. The way we isolated, home schooled and kept our businesses ticking over. My goodness it was hard! As my children often joke, I hope we’re done living through major historical events for a while.