Every family has their unique Christmas traditions. Some families go visit their relatives, some families decorate Christmas trees, some families exchange gifts. And it just so happens that my family has always taken a vacation. It is a time for my family to just chill out and have fun together. Without a doubt, my best memories come from these Christmas vacations. We see this as a silver lining, the thought of being at the beach is what motivates us to get out of bed amidst the cold Iowa winters. In the past, we have always gone to Maui and we absolutely love it there. Between the volcanos, the sweet pineapple, and the indigo waters, there's not much to complain about. But last year we decided we wanted to try something new and and we went to the Virgin Islands instead. There was some debate between my family if we should go back to Maui or try something new again. I was really strong in my argument and we decided we wanted to experience a new culture. I have always taken initiative on planning vacations because its just something that I enjoy. I have a insanely long list of places I plan to visit someday and Thailand is definitely in the top 3. We've had the trip planned since summertime. After buying a couple books and trying to gather as much information as possible, we decided on the island of Phuket. Phuket is in the south of Thailand and as it is technically an island, it is massive. It is surrounded by the crystal clear Andaman Sea. You can reach in from the mainland through bridges. We plan to visit a couple of the surrounding islands, after all there are hundreds and hundreds of them. On my list right now, I really want to spend a few days seeing the Similian Islands and the Phi Phi Islands. We are staying in a villa on the west side of Phuket. We chose the villa because it's on it's own private cove on Karon beach. One perk is that the resort has a 4 month old baby elephant that lives on the property. I'm really excited for the food. Thai food is my favorite type of cuisine and I'm so excited to taste some really authentic food! But I have to say the most exciting thing is all the exotic animals. My family and I are a crazy animal loving squad so the fact that there are monkeys and elephants freely roaming around is just about the coolest thing ever. There is actually beach called "Monkey Beach" that a huge group of monkeys call home and they swim with you...how cool is that? One thing that we are dreading is the crazy flight. It's a total of 20 hours of flying for just one leg of the trip. We connect in China after a 14 hour flight and then we have another 6 hour flight to get to Thailand. This is definitely the longest flight I have ever had to endure. Don't even get me started on the jet lag...it'll be tough but definitely worth it! Here are some pictures of insanely gorgeous scenery:
Similian Islands
Ko Phi Phi Don from above
Phi Phi Islands
Monkey Beach
The baby elephant that lives on the resort property
Wow, that sounds like such an exciting trip! Bring me in your suitcase haha...I can't wait to hear all about your vacation and experience when you come home. :-)
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Shelby Younggreen
12/2/2014 03:23:09 am
Yes, it will definitely be an exciting adventure! I can't wait...I'll will be sure to show you all the pretty pictures I take :)
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Mrs. Marshall
11/26/2014 12:27:35 pm
Oh my goodness! Your passport must tell amazing stories! Wow...wonderful pictures.
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Shelby Younggreen
12/2/2014 03:28:22 am
Thank you for commenting! Yes, I can't wait to look back on my passport and see stamps from all around the world someday :)
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Sophia Jungblut
11/29/2014 04:10:37 am
This sounds like the perfect vacation! I'm in love with the baby elephant - they are my absolute favorite animals. I think it's a great family tradition. Have fun and take a lot of pictures!
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Mrs. Wagner
12/1/2014 03:55:34 am
Thailand! Oh my goodness! I want to know more. This is a bucket list travel location for me based on the fact that every photo I see looks like paradise. (They always go here on The Bachelor.) You must show me photos when you return! A BABY ELEPHANT? Can you pack me in your carry-on bag? :)
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Anna Weih
12/4/2014 02:58:41 am
I'm so jealous it's not even funny because Thailand is definitely my top vacation spot. The monkeys look cute and I hope you get to feed them bananas.
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Clara Petri
12/5/2014 01:43:26 am
Wow that looks so exciting!! Monkeys are really cute and so are baby elephants. Phi Phi islands sounds funny to say. Have fun!
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Shelby Younggreen
Traveler. Cat Lady. Harry Style's Girlfriend. Music lover. Urban Outfitter's Addict. Ice Cream Enthusiast. Vampire Diaries Fanatic.