TTM Post Fam to Koh Samui and Bangkok

Well, Well, Well……….with Jacinta Mc Glynn (Travelbiz Senior Reporter)

The theme of TTM Plus 2022 is Spa & Wellness and, as many are privileged to know, Thai massage and wellness programmes in Thailand are simply the best. Flying in to the airport on Koh Samui (which by the way is one of the prettiest airports ever), you just know you’ve arrived somewhere special. A delicious lunch at Kimpton Kitalay is our introduction to the island and proof that Samui is a charming place indeed. By the way, nightlife is legendary on Samui and beach bars with sensational entertainment are on every sandy shore. Not that I patronised any of them, doncha’ know!…..

Our overnight refuge is at Absolute Sanctuary where the name alone engenders serenity and tranquillity and the group embarks upon a regime of massage, pilates and yoga. We must be the healthiest crowd around! Afterwards a superb dinner at the gorgeous Centara Reserve Samui, barefoot in the soft sand, makes short work of our health binge as we binged in another direction entirely. We rest overnight in the marvellously funky W Koh Samui where our very comfortable and quirky suites are really futuristic. The infinity pool area and silver sandy beach with gently swaying palms are very difficult to leave…..

However, the draw of Bangkok beckons, so it’s back to the brilliance of the capital and the fabulous Capella Hotel on the banks of Chao Phraya. Our river view suites behold all the commercial toing and froing of the city’s boat life and we enjoy a further banquet on the banks of this iconic river. The treats don’t stop there though as we head to the city outskirts for an afternoon of wellness activities at RAKxa Wellness. Well, a personal fitness assessment put me in my place! Refusing to divulge my score on the fitness scale, suffice to say, I wasn’t exactly amazing! Choices of massage, yoga sessions, stretching, hydrotherapy et al, RAKxa is innovative and astonishingly forward thinking.

This Post Fam trip was just like Thailand itself – amazing. Huge thanks and appreciation to those fine folk at TAT for inviting Travelbiz to participate and report exclusively for Ireland – Director of Tourism Authority Thailand London, Ms Sadudee Sangnil, the truly delightful Chris Lee and Joanna Cooke. You are simply the best and you are also so amazing.