27 November 2025 Steps: 11,744 Today we enjoyed a slow, relaxed morning at the villa, and took the opportunity for Pops to spend some time working with Jess on her maths - it’s not every day you have a maths teacher on hand to help with these things! After a bit of homeschooling, we walked down to Lock Lack Coffee, where we got some fantastic smoothies and yogurt bowls . It was nice to have some fresh fruit in the morning! Lanta Animal Welfare Centre After an hour playing i

26 November 2025 Steps: 8,565 This morning we caught a flight from Bangkok down to Koh Lanta . It was nice having some help at the airport and my parents took the girls to McDonald’s for breakfast while Susie and I relaxed in the airline lounge. I could get used to this! We had pre booked our transport to the hotel with Mun Lanta . They met us at the airport and since our parents were joining us it made sense financially to get a private van. There was plenty of space for all

25 November 2025 Steps: 10.524 The Grand Palace, Bangkok The Grand Palace, Bangkok This morning we finally got to visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok , after turning up yesterday only to find it closed because of the commemorations for the Queen Mother who passed away recently. A bit of bad timing, but it worked out better as we got to walk around in the morning which was cooler , especially as we all had to wear trousers into the palace. And the palace is really strict about c

24 November 2025 Steps: 12,234 Wat Arun from the river After a quick breakfast, we made our way into the centre of Bangkok to visit the main temples, the Grand Palace, and to spend some time in the Khao San Rd area. Wat Arun The traffic was horrible and it ended up taking us around an hour to get to Wat Arun (200 baht entry fee), our first temple in Bangkok. Wat Arun sits on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River and is one of the most beautiful temples, as the central spir

23 November 2025 Steps: 7,858 Meeting up with Family in Bangkok! Today we flew to Bangkok to meet my parents , and even though their first flight was delayed they still managed to make their connection with minutes to spare. In the end they actually met us at the airport because our bags took so long to come out. We wanted to catch a six seater taxi but were told the large one could fit all of us. Technically they were right, although the girls ended up in the boot on a make

22 November 2025 Steps: 6,030 This morning we headed to the Coconut Market which only runs on Fridays Saturdays and Sundays. Later in the afternoon we gave the girls a treat and took them to watch Wicked For Good at the cinema . The Chiang Mai Coconut Market The Chiang Mai Coconut Market is a lovely artisan market set amongst tall coconut trees, and it’s a great place to find higher quality crafts and clothing . It’s also a good spot to eat, with stalls serving skewers, s

21 November 2025 Steps: 7,862 The girls at the Siamaya Chocolate making Workshop in Chiang Mai Today we visited Siamaya Chocolate in Chiang Mai and it ended up being one of the best experiences that we have had on this trip - educational, hands on, and we even got to eat the final product! Learning About the Chocolate Making Process The workshop starts with a look at how their chocolate is made , beginning with the cacao pods that grow in the forests of northern Thailand . Th

20 November 2025 Steps: 5,312 This morning we left the city and made our way to Bua Tong, better known as the Sticky Falls . It is such a fun waterfall to explore with kids as you can climb straight up the limestone rocks without slipping. Getting to the Sticky falls The sticky falls It took us a while to finally get on the road, as we spent almost an hour trying to find ourselves a ride to the falls . We had tried booking the ‘hire by the hour’ feature through Grab, but we

19 November 2025 Steps: 11,273 We started our morning with breakfast at the hotel, and honestly, it might be the best hotel breakfast that we’ve had on this trip . The selection was incredible - everything from classic English breakfast items to Thai dishes like stir-fried chicken and even massaman curry. There were cold cuts, cheeses, yogurt and muesli, roast pork, pancakes, waffles, all kinds of juices, breads, and pastries… and even ice cream! I don’t think that we will be

18 November 2025 Steps: 4,927 Today was mostly a travel day as we caught the Green Bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai , where we’ll be staying for five nights. It feels good to settle in one place for a little while after moving around so much lately. Green Bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai We looked into a few different options for getting to Chiang Mai , including hiring a private taxi, since that can sometimes work out cheaper for our family of four. A taxi would have come

17 November 2025 Steps: 6,448 We started our day with a lovely breakfast at our hotel, the Le Méridien Resort . One thing I really appreciate in Asia is that many hotels have a kids eat free policy , which makes the breakfast buffets great value for families. After we’d eaten we headed out to explore some of Chiang Rai’s famous temples. Chiang Rai's Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) Our first stop was Wat Rong Suea Ten, or the Blue Temple , as it is more commonly known. After v

16 November 2025 Steps: 5,714 The second day of our Shompoo Cruise was an even earlier start than the first day – we had to be at the hotel reception at 6.30 am! At least there are lots of places to relax on the boat , and Jessica fell asleep again, and didn’t stir until we arrived at our first stop at 9.30am. Ban Paksith Village We stopped to stretch our legs at a local village called Ban Paksith , where we were shown around their village. I always feel a little awkward wh

15 November 2025 Steps: 3,098 Today was a very early start , as we were being collected from our hotel at 6.30 so we could catch the slow boat at 7am from town. The Shompoo Cruise Slow Boat Today we boarded the Shompoo Cruise slow boat , and the boat itself is very comfortable, with plenty of space to sit, lie down and relax . The cruise is definitely on the higher end of the price range , but we’d read some pretty rough reviews of the cheaper public slow boat and decided tha

14 November 2025 Steps: 2,431 Today was a relax and recharge day , and we decided that we would stay at the resort, rather than travel into town, so we spent time relaxing by the pool, going to the gym, homeschooling and packing our bags, as we leave early tomorrow morning. As I don’t have too much to write about today, I wanted to share my thoughts on our wonderful stay at the Namkhan hotel , as well as our time in Laos in general. The Namkhan Hotel Our time at the Namkhan

13 November 2025 Steps: 8,705 This morning we made an early start (or at least early for us) and drove about an hour to Kuang Si Waterfall hoping to beat the crowds. Spoiler alert: we didn’t quite manage it, but we still loved our visit. On the way back we stopped at the Laos Buffalo Dairy Farm for a tour and some buffalo ice cream , which was delicious, and the kids absolutely loved meeting the animals. Kuang Si Falls Kuang Si Falls was on our 'must visit' list from the mom

12 November 2025 Steps: 13.002 This morning we went for breakfast at the hotel restaurant . They serve a lovely continental breakfast of pastries, cereals, cheeses and cold meats, plus they have an egg station. They also have great coffee which I always appreciate first thing in the morning. Big Brother Mouse After we had spent a few hours at Big Brother Mouse chatting with students to help them with their English skills a few days ago, I wanted to go back and spend some tim

11 November 2025 Steps: 6,952 Breakfast at the Namkhan hotel This morning we went for breakfast at the hotel restaurant . They serve a lovely continental breakfast of pastries, an egg station, cereals, cheeses and cold meats. They also have great coffee which I always appreciate first thing in the morning. We spent some time walking through the organic farm , where the hotel grows most of the food they serve in their restaurant. It’s my dream to have something like this in Ca

10 November 2025 Steps: 9,065 This morning we left the Living Land Farm Homestay after breakfast and took a tuk tuk to our hotel for the next five nights, the Namkhan Hotel . This was a bit of a splurge for us compared to many of the places we’re staying on this trip, so we were excited to get to the hotel and see what it was like. The Namkhan Hotel Prior to us arriving, I had emailed the hotel to let them know about our 100 day trip , and to see if there was anything that t

9 November 2025 Steps: 4,147 (but we did plough a field) Today started with a nice breakfast in the centre of Luang Prabang, before checking out of our hotel and getting a Tuk Tuk to the Living Land Farm Rice Experience , where we took part in an interactive rice planting tour and then had dinner and stayed at the homestay overnight. The Living Land Farm Homestay Accommodation Our hut for the night The accommodation is a basic but lovely thatched hut right next to the rice p

8 November 2025 Steps: 7,604 Today we left Siem Reap and Cambodia and flew to Luang Prabang in Laos where we are spending 7 nights. Luang Prabang is one of the cities that we are most excited to visit as we have a homestay at a rice farm as well as a bit of a splurge at a luxury hotel. Eating Seared Beef and Red Ant Salad We spent the morning packing and relaxing by the pool for one last time, as we don’t have a pool for the next two nights. For lunch, I decided to try one o