Muay Thai Boxing & Lady Boys in Koh Samui, Thailand

As I have said before, the holidays in Malaysia are wonderful and we try and take every opportunity to use them to explore uncharted territory. The Indian holiday Thaipusam allowed us to have a 5 day holiday with friends to the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Thailand.

Kelly, Alex, Layla, James, Kaes, and I all left Thursday, January 24^th on an early morning flight to Koh Samui. There is a 1 hour time difference between Thailand and Malaysia, so we arrived with a full day ahead of us on the island. We stayed at the beautiful Amari Palm Reef resort on the east side of Samui of Chaweng Beach.

After getting settled into our hotel rooms, we spent the rest of the day by the pool and beach relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Friday we had the buffet breakfast at the hotel that was absolutely delicious! It was by far one of the most diverse breakfast spreads we have ever had and even more importantly had BACON! Since we don’t get pork too often in KL, it was nice to have it as an option each morning for breakfast. Turkey or beef bacon doesn't hold a candle to the real stuff. After more relaxing by the pool, we all decided to go get foot massages and then the girls roamed around the shops to see what kind of cheap knock-offs we could find.

Saturday was an interesting day full of lady boys! Me, Kaes, Kelly, and Alex decided to go get body massages this time instead of foot massages. When we got to the salon, the therapist they assigned to each of us was two lady boys!! Kaes was not excited and wanted to leave, but I told him there was nothing to worry about since I was laying right next to him. It was quite humorous seeing the look on his face, but he didn’t seem to enjoy the laugh at his expense J We both agreed it was some of the best massages we have ever had! That night we went to one of the famous lady boy cabaret shows that Thailand is known for all over the country. The show had some great performers and some of the ladies could fool most anyone!

Sunday was full of more lazy lounging, but at night we decided to attend a traditional Muay Thai Boxing match. Muay Thai is taught from a very early age and even boys as young as 14 were competing in this very intense type of fighting. Boys that didn’t even weigh 100 pounds all the way up to men up to 175 were involved in a series of 10 fights. Of the many times Kaes and I have been to Thailand, this was our first experience to see a Muay Thai match.

Monday was our last day before flying back to KL, so we had an easy day and had breakfast, then packed up our room. No trip to Thailand would be complete without a massage, so Kaes and I opted to get foot massages after a delicious Pad Thai lunch at a small local restaurant, and then headed to the airport for our afternoon flight.

  

We had a great, relaxing weekend in Koh Samui. It is definitely a quick and easy trip to get to for even a short weekend away from KL. 

Our Many Blessings of 2012

2012 has passed and I wanted to wrap up on the many wonderful blessings for which we are so thankful for during our first year of living in Malaysia.

In May we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with nine days in Japan. Springtime boasts the short lived cherry blossoms, but thankfully we were able to see them before they withered away until the next season. Sushi was some of the freshest we have ever tasted and the people were friendly and hospitable. Definitely at the top of the list for must see places to visit for anyone that has a chance to make it to Asia.

In June, my Mom came to visit and together we traveled to Phuket, Thailand and relaxed on the beautiful beaches of Patong while dining on local favorites foods and drinks at night. 

Kaes’ parents came to visit us in August and together we traveled to Laos to see Buddhist temples, eat fresh local food, and enjoy the beautiful sunset across the Mekong River.

In November, we traveled to Boracay, Philippines with our friends, Kelly and Alex, who live here in KL and are also from Houston. The powder white beaches, clear blue water, and friendly locals really made it a wonderful relaxing getaway from the hustle and bustle of KL. Kaes and I visited Boracay in January during Chinese New Year and loved it so much we wanted to come back knew Kelly and Alex would share the same love that Boracay has to offer.

December we were fortunate enough to go home to spend Christmas with family. Last year we spent Christmas in KL as we had just been home in October. The holiday season is never the same without the one near and dear to your heart to spend the best time of year. 

It has been an incredible year full of adventures and we hope to create many more memories in 2013. May the New Year bring you joy, love, and happiness throughout the year and always.