To give you some context, Thailand featured in my RTW trip as a final stop off to break up the flight home from Australia. I knew it as a country that featured as one of the original must travel locations and being a hub for the whole South East Asia region. However I did regard this as a generic itinerary and therefore I had tailored a different trip, one that was a little bit unique and not a carbon copy of ones my friends had been on.
What makes the Winter Carnivale so special is, firstly, most Americans don’t know about it. Second, there is fun for literally everyone. If you have kids, head for the snow slide, face painting and parades, if you are a couple looking for romance, the skating, and steamy spas are for you. If you are a party animal, you can “laissez les bon temps rouler” all around the city, for all 17 nights of the festival. Whether young or old, no visitor can resist the majesty of the Ice Palace, the awe-inspiring snow sculptures and overall magical ambiance of the city.
The ever changing shades of aquamarine are stunning as we skip over the waves. Before long Captain Pat swings us around as he spots huge sting rays sweeping across the flats. Next stop – an amazing coral grotto big enough for us to enter boat and all. Our morning is spent zipping between one beautiful island to another, ogling at movie star’s private cays and trying to out-race the occasional squall.
