A Wonderful Family Holiday to Koh Samui, Thailand

I just had to do a travel post since it had been pretty long since the last one. Not to mention, I had lots of pictures that I wanted to put to good use.

We usually plan something around the twins birthday. Last year we did a fun staycation at a water park integrated resort in Singapore, the year before that, a memorable holiday with my parents at Club Med Cherating beach Malaysia and the first year was celebrated with a themed-birthday party in India attended by close friends and family. 

This year, to mark their fourth birthday, we were leaning towards going to Siem Reap in Cambodia with a group of friends but changed our plan to a beach holiday in Thailand keeping in mind the interest of the kids and what they would enjoy more. 

We love Thailand so any opportunity to visit the country is welcomed. Having already been to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, we were toying with Krabi or Koh Samui for our holiday destination. Since Koh Samui had the reputation of being the less crowded and more peaceful destination for families, we went with the latter. 

First things first - If you have been to Koh Samui, you would be aware that the airfare from Singapore is pretty expensive considering the short flight. We flew Silk Air and had to fork out quite a bit for the airfare for the four of us. The airport at Koh Samui is privately owned and run by Bangkok Airways so be aware that airport taxes contribute a huge chunk to the final ticket price.

For the accommodation, you will be spoilt for choices as with most Thai destinations, there are no dearth of options which cater to all kinds of preferences and budgets. We made our choice based on the beach we wanted to stay closest to. I had read that Choeng Mon beach was a good choice for families with young children. We always stay at either resorts or hotels when we travel overseas so this time we thought we would try something different and booked a two bedroom condominium that was walking distance to our beach of choice. We figured a "home away from home" experience while on holiday is a good thing when you have kids in the picture 😊

Image source: Images of Thailand

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I'd say November is not the best time to visit Koh Samui but since we had planned to celebrate a specific occasion, we couldn't do anything about it. November is a bit of a gamble as the threat of rain is a very real concern. The upside is that the island is fairly uncrowded during low season. Samui's weather patterns differs from the rest of Thailand. In April through September, when most of the country has its monsoon, Samui stays fairly dry, but from October to December, it is wet in Samui and drier elsewhere. The driest season is from January to March so take note of that if you are planning a visit. 

Travelling with my offsprings is always an anxiety-inducing experience for me as the two can be likened to active volcanoes that can bring up the contents of their stomach without any prior notice. Even the car journey to the airport frequently ends in a vomit-fest so an uneventful journey is something I fervently pray for (but seldom occurs in reality). 

After a 40 min car journey, followed by a 1.5 hour flight (which did indeed include the use of airsickness bags and lots of wet wipes 😒) we touched down at Koh Samui. 

Samui International Airport is heralded as one of the coolest and best-looking airports in Thailand. The airport does have a delightfully rustic feel. The two terminals are open-sided, feature beautifully landscaped tropical gardens, charming shops and structures made of bamboo-and-thatch which gives it a resort-like appearance and intensifies the holiday vibe. The visa on arrival did take a while but we eventually made our way out and found the driver who was waiting to take us to the condo. 

The property was a short distance away from the airport. We found the apartment to be fully furnished with free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, televisions in the living room and both bedrooms with cable TV (more than 300 channels) and plenty of large beach towels. It also had a spacious balcony overlooking the pool. 

I was pleased to note that the sparkling clean kitchen had everything I would need to rustle up a decent meal if needed. There was a fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster, in-built over, electric stove, dish drying rack, sink and drawers and cupboards stocked with cutlery, pots and pans.

The communal areas featured a small kids pool, a medium-sized main swimming pool, a laundromat, a gym, convenience store and bar/cafe. 

The kids were thrilled with the accommodation and naively assumed that we had moved to a new place. They were very vocal in their appreciation of their "new room" and "new house" 😂

A Letter To My Daughters on Their Fourth Birthday

I realize every year, my birthday letters to my daughters are getting longer and more detailed. Although that may sound like a good thing, I'm worried that it will translate into a snooze-fest 😴😅

If you are checking out my blog for the very first time, let me give you a head's up that writing these birthday letters is a self-initiated annual tradition. I wrote letters to my twin daughters on their first birthday, second birthday and third birthday. I promised myself that I would document their early years to the best of my ability at least till they were five years old. I'm glad that I've stuck to my guns because reading the earlier letters gets me misty-eyed and brings back memories that were buried somewhere in the depths of my perpetually foggy brain. The realization that I would have forgotten many of those precious details if I hadn't painstakingly extricated from my memory every year, makes it a worthwhile endeavor.

As I had expected, succumbing to peer pressure, the twins wanted a princess-themed birthday party this year. We decided to organize a party next year marking their fifth birthday and instead go for a family beach holiday to Thailand a few days prior and celebrate their birthday at pre-school followed by a fun activity of their choice. It didn't take any persuasion to get them completely on board with the latter idea. The fact that preschoolers are notoriously fickle comes in handy at times like these 😛

To be magnanimous, I did consult the girls on what kind of cake they wanted. Unsurprisingly, they both wanted a "pink" cake with cream and flowers so I chose a simple vanilla cake with whipped cream with rosettes and sugar flowers. I had taken the day off to be able to pull of this cake (simple as it was) because let's face it, I am no cake decorating whiz and I need time to be able to do a decent job.

The previous day of the birthday passed by with a fun-filled celebration at school among their classmates in the morning and a visit to the temple in the evening. On the big day, we headed out to one of their favourite indoor playgrounds where they spent the entire morning followed by lunch at a restaurant. Dinner was spent with relatives who chipped in to make the girls feel special. And there were birthday cupcakes to be enjoyed by all. All in all, I'd say it was a memorable birthday 😊

And now for the letter which captures the essence (or maybe a bit more) of everything that took place since their last birthday....

Breathtaking Blooms From Little Flower Hut Singapore

Product + Service Review

Flowers are one of nature's many gifts that elicit positive responses in people. Take me for example - I can be having a perfectly ordinary day but when I catch a glimpse of a cheery assortment of fresh flowers on my table, my spirit instantly lifts and brings about a discernible change in my persona.

When the good folks at Little Flower Hut Singapore  said they would be sending me an arrangement of fresh blooms for review, I gladly accepted.

As a rule, I must always have fresh flowers at home. It has become somewhat of a habit since the past few years and is something I cannot do without. I'm not particularly choosy about the kind of flowers I like to brighten up my house with but I am partial to white roses, orchids, tulips, lilies and carnations. 

Communication with Little Flower Hut was a breeze, the flowers were delivered at the specified date and time and as you can see, the elegant handcrafted arrangement of pristine white roses, white hydrangeas and succulents in a glass vase was an absolute delight. The flowers came with a personalized card that actually ended up summing up my day for real 😊

Set against my natural dark wood furniture, the flowers stood out and made for a gorgeous centrepiece on the table that was admired by everyone in the family.

A bit more on the company - Little Flower Hut is a home-grown Singapore florist shop and online flower delivery service. Started in 2010, the company has grown to rank as one of the preferred florists to individual customers and corporate companies across the island nation.

The team behind Little Flower Hut are passionate about delivering flowers and gifts that brings a smile to their customers. You can celebrate any occasion with fresh flowers from Little Flower Hut. On their user-friendly website, you can find an affordable range of flower arrangements, hand bouquets, gift hampers, plants and more products that are suitable for a bevy of occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, funerals, Mother's day, Valentine's day, housewarming, graduation and such.

www.littleflowerhut.com.sg

The company offers same day flower delivery which helps serve last minute/impromptu orders. Their island-wide 24/7 Singapore flower delivery is quick, easy and convenient. 

For today's post, I've put together some ideas and tips that you could consider when gifting flowers for special occasions. Knowing the symbolism and connotation of flower types and flower colors, can help you choose the perfect arrangement to convey just the right emotion.

Recipe of the month: Sindhi Sai Bhaji

I am unquestionably a big fat foodie (pun intended). I appreciate all cuisines but have a discernible affinity to my own.

Indian cuisine to me, is one the most exciting and diverse global cuisines in the world. India is a microcosm of different styles of cuisine. Not only does each state of the vast country have its own distinct cuisine but there are even regional variations. Indian dishes are heavily influenced by region, climate, religion, traditions and culture. The cuisine incorporates a whole palette of flavours boosted by a medley of aromatic spices resulting in a titillating food experience.

Indian food is not just "curry" as is commonly perceived the world over. The culinary range that the cuisine offers is mind-boggling. Although the food is broadly categorized as 'North Indian' (more of bread and curry based) or 'South Indian (typically rice, coconut and lentil based), there is so much more to it than that. We can’t forget about West and East India. Western India which includes Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa and Eastern India comprising of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Orissa all have their own distinct and rich cuisines, too. There is so much I need to still learn from the cuisine of my motherland. I have so many recipes from other states that I have been meaning to try but haven't gotten around to doing so. One at a time!

Today's recipe is beyond my zone of familiarity in that I hadn't even heard of it until recently. It was only thanks to my chronic lurking on instagram that I became aware that such a dish exists.

Sindhi cuisine refers to the native cuisine of the Sindhi people from Sindh, Pakistan. The daily food in most Sindhi households consists of wheat-based flat-bread (phulka) and rice accompanied by two dishes, one gravy and one dry. Today, Sindhi food is eaten in many countries including India. Despite having a few Sindhi friends in school and college, I was utterly ignorant of the cuisine. Probably because food wasn't such a big part of my life back then the way it is now.

Sai bhaji (Sai = green; bhaji = vegetables) is a potpourri of lentils, vegetables, greens and spices. The reason this dish appealed to me so much is because of my undying love for greens. Fenugreek and dill are my two favourite greens with spinach a close third. And when I saw the generous use of vegetables in the dish, the newly acquired health conscious side of me  urged me to give it a go.

This is a one-pot dish. It incorporates easily available ingredients and comes together in a fairly simple procedure. It does take some time to prepare all the ingredients but the resulting dish is creamy, mildly spiced, delicious and packed with nutrition. Along with steamed rice or chapati, this makes for a wholesome meal.

I've made this dish a few times with minor modifications each time and ultimately I'm satisfied with this version. Like I said earlier, my love for dill knows no bounds so I don't mind this dish with double the quantity of dill than what is mentioned in the recipe below. But I do know that not everyone shares my love for this herb and so it would be prudent to go easy on the quantity if you are cooking for many people.

My family liked this dish (my fussy kids included) so it is something that is going to feature regularly on our weekday/weekend menu.

Try the recipe and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts.