Hi lovelies, or rather, S̄wạs̄dī Ka! (Sawadee-Kah) We spent an amazing 6 days on the beautiful island of Koh Samui and we have so much to share with you! We fell in love with the Thai culture and hospitality and we're sure you will too! What To Do: SAFARI TOUR We headed for an adventurous day out with Julie from Raging Bull Safari. We hopped into the back of the truck and off we went to explore different parts of Koh Samui. We had such a fun day out and highly recommend it! BIG BUDDHA TEMPLE Our first stop was the Big Buddha. This was our first temple that we saw in Thailand and it is stunning! Julie told us the stories behind what the statues meant and it was great to find out that background information. The Big Buddha is literally HUGE! We learned temple etiquette: You have to cover your knees and shoulders, but don’t worry as you can borrow a sarong if you didn’t pack any temple ready clothes. When you visit any temple you have to take your shoes off before you set foot in the temple and that includes the very first step up to the temple. (This goes the same for your hotel room, staff will take their shoes off before entering your room / spa and it’s polite to do the same). The feet are seen as dirty & the most removed from the spirit as the head is viewed as the most sacred part of the body as the spirit lives in there. Removing shoes is the next best thing to leaving our feet outside! Also not to worry if you’re wearing expensive shoes, they’ll still be waiting for you! We always try our best to take our shoes off when we’re home but we’re hoping to make it more of a routine when we’re home. We stopped along the way to admire the beautiful scenery before jumping back into the truck and onwards we went! Next we stopped by Grandfather and Grandmother Rock. If you have a look, we think you can see why they're called that!... Words to live by MUMMIFIED MONK TEMPLE We visited Wat Khunaram, where you can see a mommified monk in a seated position. He died mediating in this position and surprisingly has not decayed. It is quite an unusual sight for us to see and also fascinating. The monk asked that when he died, if he did not decay, for him to be displayed as a reminder of the Buddhist teachings. Whilst there, we shook a pot of sticks for a numbered stick to fall out. This then gave us our fortune! Watch our vlog to find out more. WATERFALL We walked across the bridge below to visit a waterfall. There was another bigger waterfall further on but unfortunately we were not wearing the right footwear. Bring trainers to your tour to adventure further! MAGIC / SECRET BUDDHA GARDEN We next stopped to visit the Magic / Secret Buddha Garden which is full of so many different statues created by Khun Nim, until he died at the age of 91. STANDING BUDDHA Next on our tour we visited a huge standing Buddha and great views over Koh Samui. This statue can be found at Wat Theepangkorn. JUNGLE 360 After a few hours of sightseeing, it was time to stock for some lunch high up in the mountains. We couldn't imagine that there would be a restaurant so high up after making so many winding turns but low and behold, there was Jungle Route 360! We enjoyed tasty vegetarian Thai dishes, while getting to admire the stunning view. Thank you so much to Julie for such a fun and unforgettable experience! Khob Khun Ka! ETHICAL ELEPHANT SANCTUARY A life long dream for us has been to meet elephants in an ethical way, so when we found out that we would be going to an an ethical elephant sanctuary, we were so excited that we nearly cried! After our tour was finished, we arrived at Samui Elephant Sanctuary excited to meet the elephants and to find out more. After an introduction about Samui Elephant Sanctuary, we split up into groups to go meet and feed the elephants watermelon's and banana's. We heard their sad stories which made us feel so upset that anyone can treat a beautiful creature this way. We're so glad that they have been rescued and wish we could help rescue ALL of the elephants still being used in the tourism trade. We all had watermelon slices but the elephants especially love eating a whole watermelon, so we were each given a watermelon to treat the elephants. Watching an elephant crack a watermelon and enjoying eating it is now our new obsession! An 'Elfie' - elephant selfie! We had such an amazing experience visiting Samui Elephant Sanctuary and highly recommend you visit them if you get the chance! PSA: please never ever ride an elephant and if you witness an elephant being mistreated by their keeper in Thailand, document it and submit it to Samui Elephant Sanctuary so they use the evidence to release them. Samui Elephant Sanctuary has to pay for rescuing elephants, hence raising funds by having visitors meet the elephants and find out more. You can hear some of their back stories in our vlog. ANG THONG NATIONAL MARINE PARK Ang Thong is made up of 42 islands and on our trip we got to visit two. When you arrive at the islands, it is simply STUNNING and absolute paradise! I think the pictures speak for themselves. We had the best time and we didn't want to leave! THAI COOKING CLASS While staying at Sala Choeng Beach, they kindly treated us to a vegetarian cooking class with Head Chef, Max. We got to make our favourite Thai dishes- Green Thai Curry and a Green Papaya Salad. First we were taught how to make the paste for Thai Green Curry. Everything smells so fresh and flavourful! Once all the ingredients were chopped up, we had to make it into a paste using a pestle and motor. Save to say that Max had to step in to get it to a paste like consistency, but we had fun trying! Did you know that the green lime looking wedges are in fact Thai eggplants/ aubergines that are often found in Thai green curry? With the Thai Green Curry finished, we moved on to make a Green Papaya Salad. What surprised us is how quick this is to make and it is SO tasty! If you haven't tried it before that you must! It normally comes with fish sauce so you can ask to remove that if you're vegetarian / vegan. Finally the time came to enjoy our very own Thai cooked dishes next to the beach. Can't get much better than that can you?! Thank you so much to Max for such a wonderful lesson! Khob Khun Ka! SPA TREATMENT - THE BANYAN TREE We were kindly treated to a wonderful spa treatment at the Banyan Tree hotel, followed by lunch. We were treated to a Rainforest Indulgence, which is a hydrotherapy spa experience. It was so unique and lots of fun (going from hot like a steam room and then having to pull an ice bucket to tip over your head and scream haha!) You end it with a few different water pressure massages in the pool and then relax on hot beds with tea. After a wonderful experience, we enjoyed lunch by the beach. Their Thai iced coffee (we get it with condensed milk & coconut milk) was super tasty! Where To Stay During our 6 days on Koh Samui, we got to experience three different luxury hotels. All were very different and yet equally amazing! SALA SAMUI CHOENGMON BEACH RESORT For our first night on Koh Samui, we checked into the Sala Samui Choengmon Beach resort. Upon arriving in Koh Samui, we headed straight to Sala Samui Choengmon Beach Resort. It was about a 10 - 15 minute drive from Koh Samui airport before we arrived and we were greeted with a refreshing welcome drink and towel to wipe our hands. We found out that the Sala brand has a few luxury hotels dotted around Thailand and that this is the first location from which they expanded. We couldn't believe our eyes when we checked into our villa suite with our own private pool and outside bathroom. It was so peaceful and tranquil! Sala Choengmon has two pools, right opposite the beach. One for adults and children and an adult only pool (the darker coloured pool). They also do the tastiest fresh coconuts! When we returned from exploring, we had a delivery of champagne which was a wonderful surprise! Shortly after landing, we were also treated to a couple massage at their spa. We had the perfect setting for our first night on Koh Samui by dining at the restaurant on site, located next to the pool and beach. We of course had to go for vegetarian Green Thai Curry and Papaya salad! SALA CHAWENG BEACH RESORT The next day we checked into sister property, Sala Chaweng Beach Resort. Upon arriving we could tell that it had a completely different and more modern vibe. We checked into the biggest hotel room that we have ever had the pleasure of staying in. It is SUCH a stunning suite, complete with your private infinity pool! Later that evening , we enjoyed food and cocktails at their beach front restaurant. How cute are these cabana's? Spot Whitney! We also enjoyed breakfast in the same restaurant, just look at the view! SILAVADEE: For our final last few days we got to stay at the luxurious hideaway, Silavadee Pool Spa Resort. We loved exploring the resort by buggy! We walked from the restaurant to our room once and realised just how steep the hill is, haha. We got to stay in a scenic pool villa that looks like it's a tree house, surrounded by lush tropical trees! We were mesmerised when we walked in to find a four posted bed, leading out to our private pool and deck. The bathroom has a shower and bath tub that looks outside! We were also greeted with the loveliest welcome, in true Wegan style the hotel manager gifted up rosé wine, pale pink roses and pink macaroons! We loved having breakfast in the Moon restaurant, overlooking the ocean. The buffet and food to order were scrumptious. Plus their Thai Iced Coffee was great! (& they remembered our coconut milk order haha). Oh & they also have two pools, a spa and a beach! What more could you want?! Sad to leave but we hope to return one day soon! Where To Eat The Star at Silavadee was one of our favourite moments of our trip. We got to select a vegetarian menu from their Moon restaurant and we were so surprised by the stunning sunken tables overlooking the ocean. Talk about a romantic setting! They also have a Sun Deck that you can hire for private functions. Always goofy no matter what the setting! The cocktails and food were superb! Whitney had a watermelon and lemon grass martini and I had a lychee martini. (That cucumber and tofu starter was spicy and delicious by the way!) Overall, we had the most amazing experience on Koh Samui and we definitely want to return! How To get To Koh Samui? You have to fly via Bangkok (from London it's about 13 hours to Bangkok), and catch a connecting flight to Koh Samui. The only airline that flies to Koh Samui is Bangkok Airways as they own the Koh Samui airport! What's the weather like on Koh Samui? We visited in September, and it is thought to be better weather on this island than others at this time of year. We found the wear to be a bit unpredictable and mainly cloudy and trpical rain. This just made it even more of a tropical paradise! Is Thailand LGBTQ+ Friendly? 🏳️‍🌈 Yes it is! 🙌 With our travels we like to focus on where’s safe for us, and to recommend to our dearest followers to visit. Did you know that Thailand is considered one of the most welcoming and LGBTQ+ friendly country in Asia? Thailand’s official religion is Buddhism and monks have blessed same-sex ceremonies, even before the bill for same-sex civil unions was passed in 2018. Plus, it has never been illegal to be LGBTQ+ in Thailand! . Honestly, we have felt so safe, accepted and embraced as a married lesbian couple in Thailand and couldn’t recommend it enough! 💕 We hope this guide helps you if you travel to Koh Samui. Want to see it in action? Watch our vlogs below: Pin Me *This trip is a paid partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) UK. Thank you for hosting us! Follow us on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube