September Ski

September is a great time to book ski deals for this winter, so if you haven't started thinking about it yet, now is the time! Check your local agencies for the best offers, they deal with some of the biggest names in ski including Neilson, Crystal & Inghams to name a few.

For some, ski holidays are a complete grey area, but honestly, once you've tried it you will want to go every year after that.

The ski market for North America is really growing and have resorts to suit non-skiiers, families, first times and the experts.

Breckenridge, Colorado

Beginners will like the well-groomed, gentle slopes on offer – there are 55 blue runs and some good terrain parks so there are plenty of spots to practise and perfect technique.

For the experienced skiiers, Mammoth in California and Whistler in British Columbia are two real favourites in North America 

Mammoth:
This is heaven for any experienced skiier. The ridge at the Panorama Lookout has double diamonds (the most difficult run rating in the North American system) scattered across it, couloirs and chutes which open out into vast bowls, steeps and deeps. There’s a large system of high-speed lifts, so seasoned skiers keen to get the most out of each day will rarely have to wait in line.

Whistler:
Consistently ranked as the number one ski resort in North America by a whole range of expert publications, Whistler was the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic Games. There are over 100 runs, five terrain parks and a 22-foot halfpipe.

The snowfall in North America is more frequent than in the Alps so is well worth the extra travelling time and is less crowded which means less time queuing for ski lifts-result!

If you haven't thought of North America as an option for your next ski holiday (or your first ski holiday!) then definitely add it to the list. There is plenty of information in brochures, online and from travel agencies, so do your research and you will absolutely find a resort perfect for you!

Happy Skiing

xoxo

I may be a bit forgetful

Ok so its now been 7 months since my last post! Sorry!

I will get the hang of this soon.

So to continue from where I left you all in March, I had arrived in Koh Samui and totally fallen in love. Its a vibrant, lively island full of lush greenery and stunning white beaches. We stayed in Chaweng Beach which is the liveliest part of the island and we had a fabulous stay! Its full of bars, restaurants, beauty salons, street vendors and ladyboy shows, which you have to see....when in Rome and all that!

We also did a brilliant trip to the national marine park Ang Thong, this was probably one of my favourite days.

The park is made up of tiny islands with no human inhabitants, just full of wildlife and plants and the best beaches I've seen...

We did some kayaking and snorkelling plus a delicious lunch of thai Masaman curry was included too, bonus!

After all that we then hiked up God knows how many feet to a viewing point across the island and a beautiful green lagoon, the view was so worth the hard work of the hike in the scorching heat...

I would highly recommend this trip if you're in the area.

After spending some time in the east, we then travelled to the west of the country to Phuket for our ferry across to Koh Phi Phi. If you haven't heard of that island (by the way Koh in Thai is island) this is where Danny Boyle filmed 'The Beach' with Leonardo DiCaprio.

I was so excited to get there, its easily accessible from Phuket & Krabi by boat. We stayed in an awful guest house owned by a really old Thai man, there were 5 of us in one room with 2 double beds and one camp bed. The sheets were stained and the bathroom was basically just a room covered in tiles with a drain in the floor. Gross! But this island was my favourite place in the whole of Thailand. It has such a fun atmosphere, but there are no cars or motorbikes and I had been told that all the electricity on the island is run by a giant generator. Not sure if thats true or not but I like it :)

Koh Phi Phi Don is the larger island and is basically like 2 massive hills or small mountains with a beautiful bay connecting the two. We trekked halfway up one of these hills and watched the sunset whilst eating dinner. It was an amazing experience. You can also still see some of the devastation left behind by the tsunami of 2004. Its quite touching and there is a memorial walk you can do but we didn't have time. 

The streets were cobbled and narrow but full of shops, boutiques, eateries, beauty salons and tattoo shops. If you're brave enough, get a traditional Thai tattoo, I did and it really, really hurt!! Plus, the guy that did it was slugging brandy right before he began, but I thought it just added to the experience!

The photo above is from our trip to Koh Phi Phi Le where the film 'The Beach' was actually filmed, and the very sand we stood on was the beach where they filmed the shark attack scene amongst others. The longtail boats pictured are a classic postcard shot and I think they make most people think of Thailand.

It truly is an amazing island and a must see, you have to stay on Koh Phi Phi Don as Koh Phi Phi Le is very small, although you can stay in tents on the island for a night if you wish, but can't say this is my cup of tea!

We went to Bangkok after this but there is so much to say about the capital that I will have to dedicate another blog post to that alone!

Enjoy reading my Thai experience, I have plenty more to write about so keep checking :)

Happy Exploring xoxo