Travel Market Report Canada on Location: A G Adventures Fam to Southern Thailand

November is not my favourite month in Canada. But in Thailand? Things are looking pretty wonderful.

Travel Market Report Canada is accompanying a G Adventures familiarization trip to southern Thailand. There are 15 of us. A dozen female agents from across the country, G’s fantastic Victoria-based Global Purpose Specialist Jenna English, our Chief Experience Officer Phichet Mueangduang and myself, once again the drop of testosterone in an estrogen-filled ocean. I’ll survive.

I travelled via Qatar Airways through Doha. Despite being a 2A kind of guy, I grumpily occupied seat 55K on a 777-300ER. The confines were tight but the service exemplary.

I met our group at BKK, and we hopped on a Bangkok Airways turboprop for the 70-minute trip to Koh Samui. On that brief flight we enjoyed a tasty lunch of rice and chicken with Thai basil. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been fed on a puddle jump.

The island’s beauty was evident even before landing, and it got even better when we checked in to Centara Villas, a hillside resort with well-appointed bungalows, two lovely pools, jungle foliage and a beautiful strip of beach. It’s gorgeous.

The group bonded over a 7/11 snack and booze run and a delicious dinner of Thai and international dishes at the property’s Reef Café.

Then I slept like the dead, which was pretty much how I felt after 30+ hours of travel. 

Waking up to birdsong, wave music and sunshine made all the discomforts of travel worthwhile. With everything optional today, it’s very tempting to just stay and enjoy the pool and ocean, and about half the group made that choice.

I’m heading out sightseeing with the other half. We’re going to see some Buddhist temples, scenic viewpoints, a mummified monk and rocks that apparently resemble human sexual organs. The last on the list was the closing of the sale for the 12-year-old boy that lives on in my head. (Check out our Facebook page for photos tomorrow.)

The trip we’re on is Journeys: Explore Southern Thailand, an 8-day, Bangkok to Bangkok trip offered in conjunction with National Geographic Journeys. That means upgraded accommodations and a deeper dive into local culture and habitats.

Please follow along here and on our Facebook page as we bring you our insights and experiences. (And potentially x-rated pictures.)