Hola! Our arrival in Phuket was not exactly the serene island landing we’d pictured.
The flight had to turn around mid-air. Three hours later we boarded again. We touched down to a wall of tropical rain. By the time we grabbed dinner, the only thing any of us wanted was sleep.
Not exactly the calm tropical arrival you’d plan. But that’s life between borders — sometimes the travel part of travel is genuinely hard.
After a good night’s sleep, everything felt better. And so did the weather.
☀️ Pool Day — No Apologies
After weeks of cities, museums, typhoons, and Bangkok energy, we gave ourselves full permission to do absolutely nothing for a morning. Pool day. No itinerary.
It was exactly what we needed. Four people staring at the sky from a pool in Thailand, not trying to optimise the day. By early afternoon we were refreshed enough to actually want to explore — but we needed that reset first. Sometimes the best travel decision is the lazy one.
🏖️ Rawai Beach & the World’s Smallest Hermit Crab
First proper stop: Rawai Beach. Long-tail boats lined up along the shore, coral washed up on the sand, and the quiet that only a local beach has when the tourist crowds haven’t found it yet.
The kids found the tiniest hermit crab scuttling around in the sand and were absolutely transfixed. One of those simple, slow travel moments that costs nothing and goes on the highlight reel anyway.
We carried on wandering in search of lunch — and that’s when the real find happened.
🍜 The Best Thai Food We’ve Had in Thailand
Following a restaurant sign down a residential street away from the beachfront, we stumbled into a small local restaurant that turned out to be the best meal we’d eaten since arriving in Thailand.
The difference was immediately obvious. So much flavour. Everything we’d eaten closer to tourist areas had been fine, but dialled back — adjusted for Western palates, missing the depth. This was the real thing. Everything we love about Thai food, actually tasting like Thai food.
We can’t stress this enough: if you’re in Phuket, leave the beachfront strip and wander. Follow the signs down the quiet streets. Eat where locals eat. It’s always worth it.
🦎 Water Monitor Lizard Spotting
One of the more unexpected wildlife highlights of our entire Southeast Asia trip happened on a casual afternoon walk — water monitor lizards. Massive ones. Several of them. In and around the water like they owned the place (they do).
They look prehistoric. Like mini-dragons that never got the memo that their era ended. The kids were somewhere between delighted and terrified, which is arguably the ideal reaction to wildlife.
We spotted a few different sizes along the same stretch of water, including one that appeared to be about to go for a swim right in front of us.
🎨 A Little Bit of Paradise & an Unexpected Art Class
Wandering further, we found what can only be described as a little bit of paradise — a spot by the ocean with incredible food, cold drinks, and that rare quality of making time disappear. We sat down for a minute and an hour vanished.
And then we noticed it: an art studio attached to the space.
The kids and Jem ended up having an impromptu art class right there — painting their surroundings with the sea directly in front of them. Nothing planned, nothing booked. Just a moment that happened because we kept wandering.
Those are the ones that stay with you.
🐘 Lily Elephant Camp — Our Favourite Day
This was the highlight of Phuket. The highlight of Thailand, honestly.
We visited Lily Elephant Camp — an ethical sanctuary dedicated to giving rescued elephants a better life. No riding. No chains. No performances. Just space — space to roam, play in the water, and be elephants again.
We booked a full-day experience: helping prepare their food, feeding them by hand, and walking alongside them through the jungle. It was extraordinary. Watching these enormous, gentle animals splash around in the water while Hayden and Amaya fed them — that’s the kind of moment you travel for.
If you’re visiting Phuket with kids and you’re looking for one unmissable experience, make it an ethical elephant sanctuary. Just make sure to do your research — look for sanctuaries that don’t offer riding, keep the elephants unchained, and prioritise the animals’ wellbeing over performance. Lily Elephant Camp is one we’re happy to recommend.
🇪🇸 Big News — We’re Going Home
Phuket gave us the reset we didn’t realise how badly we needed. Sunshine, slow days, a chance to breathe.
And now it’s time for the next chapter.
After nearly three months away, we’re heading back to Cortijo Renacer. We have genuinely no idea what the farm looks like — how much the land has grown, what’s changed, what surprises are waiting. And we’re hoping — fingers crossed — that the olives are ready.
Our first olive harvest is coming.
We’re pausing the travel series just for a little while to take you back to Spain with us as we check on the farm and start restoring again. We still have Phi Phi Island, Krabi, and South Africa to share with you — and those episodes are some of our favourites — but Cortijo Renacer has been waiting, and so have you.
Subscribe if you haven’t already — we’ll see you back in Andalusia next Saturday.
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Have you visited an elephant sanctuary in Thailand? Or found a hidden gem restaurant by following a random side street? Tell us in the comments — we love these moments. ¡Hasta la próxima! 🌻