I’m not a huge fan of January. It’s the month where I could very easily find myself glued to the couch, remote control acting like a third arm, convincing myself that hibernation is a perfectly reasonable choice at this time of year. I’m far more of a rest-of-the-year person than a depths-of-winter one. Which is exactly why January has become my ideal time to travel.
If nothing else, chasing longer days, blue skies and sunshine gets me off the couch. A good dose of warmth at this time of year carries you through until the evenings stretch again and the hint of spring appears on the horizon at home.
Two years ago, I visited Thailand for the first time and fell for it completely, so I knew I’d be back in the Land of Smiles again. This January, I returned with my husband Neil, drawn back to the warmth, the food, the kindness of the people and that indefinable sense of natural ease.
We wanted to balance the familiar with the new, going back to places we loved as well as explore parts of the country we hadn’t yet seen, especially the historic and deeply moving River Kwai, and its bridge, made famous by the classic film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, starring Alec Guinness and William Holden.
KHAO LAK
I’ve never really been into New Year’s Eve. The big countdown to midnight, when we’re supposedly meant to reset our lives with new resolutions, has always left me cold. I believe fresh starts can happen any day, or even at any moment. I’m also not someone who loves big, organised nights out with lots of people I don’t know, so when our travel agent recommended the New Year’s Eve event at The Sarojin in Khao Lak, my first reaction was that it really wasn’t me and thankfully my husband, Neil, felt the same.
We arrived at The Sarojin Hotel in the early evening darkness and were immediately struck by its beauty. Set within ten acres of lush tropical gardens leading straight onto the long, white-sand Laem Pakarang Beach along the Andaman Sea, the setting was simply stunning. The warmth and friendliness of the staff, and their easy, genuine chats full of helpful advice, never felt staged, it’s one of the hotel’s many great strengths. After dropping our bags in our room, just a minute’s walk from the beach, we headed down for a bite and a beer by the shore.
Sitting under a star-filled sky, watching the ocean lap the sand in a balmy 24°C, it was hard to believe it was the end of December, mind you hearing Jingle Bells being played in that setting felt a bit surreal!
The next morning, over breakfast, which is served all day until 6pm, we spotted the menu for the New Year’s Eve gala dinner. What we read made us think twice! A lavish eastern and western feast showcasing locally sourced seafood including lobster, oysters and crab, alongside beautifully-cooked meats, vibrant vegetables, and indulgent desserts and cheese. This was all going to be set around the pool with live music and followed by fireworks on the beach.
When in Rome as they say, or in this case Thailand…. So we decided to go for it. And what a night it was. We sampled a little of everything over a few unhurried hours, each dish expertly cooked and beautifully presented. After a walk along the beach, we got back just in time for a spectacular fireworks display at the edge of the ocean, sharing the moment with a few dozen guests and staff.
The first few days were spent mostly around the beach, walking along the seven kilometres of golden sand to sample local cuisine at the beachfront restaurants, where a variety of dishes and a couple of drinks usually came in at around forty euro. On a couple of evenings we even had to move our table in a few feet as the tide crept in — never a hardship.
It’s a gloriously blissful spot. The beach stretches for kilometres in both directions and never feels busy, with just a handful of relaxed restaurants and one or two small shops. It’s pure heaven.
The Sarojin is definitely up there as one of my all-time favourite hotels, and I’ll absolutely be back. On my previous trip I stayed at Rayavadee Resort, in Krabbi on the beautiful Phranang Peninsula, and while it was stunning, I’d rate The Sarojin slightly higher, probably because it’s smaller and more intimate, and certainly because of that gorgeous beach.
A lack of planning meant I never made it to the hotel’s much-lauded spa, but that just gives me yet another reason to return.
During the week we took a day tour of the temples, including the Wat Suwan Kuha, a striking Buddhist temple built into a cave near Phuket. Inside, we lit candles and incense, rang gongs and learned about Buddhist philosophy, karma, and how deeply it shapes life for so many people in Thailand.
Apart from this, we only left our immediate area twice. One night we wandered through Bang Niang Market, a lively tourist-focused market packed with food stalls, fashion, trinkets and street eats, including deep-fried insects, if that’s your thing! We revisited Mr. Chay Bar, a spot where locals and visitors gather for drinks, chats and great music, which we discovered two years ago. It’s starting to feel so much like our local now that I bought my husband the T-shirt! Beer lovers will appreciate that bottles are kept in a freezer, with the lid regularly popped open to stop them freezing solid.
We ate nearby at Green Pepper Restaurant, enjoying good local food. While the market is very much aimed at tourists with prices reflecting that, it’s great fun to watch the haggling. I overheard one woman solemnly explaining that the high prices were because everything was “authentic brands”. I didn’t buy anything this time, but last time I came away with a beautiful singing bowl and gong, still I loved soaking up the buzz. We aimed to go back to the same market a second night, only to find it closed, so check out the opening nights if you are in the area. Instead we went to Phuket for a wander around and a couple of drinks and dinner.
RIVER KWAI
Our next stop was the River Kwai, a place both Neil and I had wanted to visit for years. Getting there involved an internal flight to Bangkok, where the lovely people at Bangkok Airways randomly invited us into their lounge – a welcome surprise. I also managed to squeeze in a restorative 30-minute leg massage for about ten euro while waiting.
We stayed at the Inchantree Hotel Kanchanburi, and on our first evening we sat on the terrace overlooking the river and the iconic Bridge on the River Kwai. The bridge standing today is not the original, which was destroyed during World War II and later rebuilt, but the railway line beneath it remains part of the original Death Railway. More than 100,000 people are believed to have died during its construction, including around 12,000 Allied prisoners of war, among them men from Cork, whose graves we would visit in the coming days.
While in Kwai, I decided to research any Cork connections and was surprised by how many there were. Among them was Lance Bombardier Patrick Ahern from Fermoy, who died after horrific punishment at the hands of his captors, and Fusilier Timothy Keneally from Bishopstown, who escaped briefly before being recaptured, tortured and executed near Chungkai. Lieutenant Richard Duke, from Cork, died in May 1943 as a result of the brutal conditions, and his brother Private Basil Duke followed just three months later, from tropical ulcers.
At the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, we gathered information on the graves of Richard Duke and Patrick Ahern, but were told, incorrectly, that Timothy Keneally had returned home. At the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Neil located all the graves, including Keneally’s, and we later returned to the museum to have their records amended. His grave bore a small tricolour and a Celtic cross – a touching piece of home, so far away.
Visiting the museums and walking parts of the Death Railway was very moving. The cruelty endured by the men has been acknowledged as being among the worst of the war, yet stories of camaraderie and resilience were evident too. We took a train journey along the line and crossed the river, which was not only historically powerful, but also a beautiful way to see the beautiful countryside. And while Hollywood may have softened the edges, The Bridge on the River Kwai is still well worth watching if you haven’t seen it already.
Rural Thailand around the Kwai is green and lush, something you wouldn’t expect with the intense heat, but the monsoon rains clearly do their work. Fields flourish with crops from sugar cane and rice to rubber trees and more. Life here feels simple and grounded, very different from the tourist areas and cities. It is poorer, for sure, yet people seem to go about their lives with a clear sense of purpose.
Fewer people speak English in these parts, which we discovered on a boat trip with a local man whose English was only slightly better than our non-existent Thai. Despite that, we communicated well and had a wonderful trip, he even lifted a turtle briefly from the water to show us before gently returning it.
Our two weeks passed far too quickly, and I suspect we’ll be back again, though don’t tell my husband whose philosophy is to keep moving forward! That said, he’d love to see Chiang Mai so, who knows, we might combine it with a return visit to The Sarojin!
Thank you, Thailand, for once again delivering exactly what I needed: sunshine, perspective, and a reminder that the best way to reset isn’t at midnight on 31 December, but somewhere far from the couch, under a sunny, blue January sky.
Fact Box
We travelled with Love Holidays, whose knowledge of Thailand proved invaluable, particularly for organising the trip to the Kwai after we came across conflicting information online. They also introduced me to the wonderful The Sarojin.
We flew with Etihad Airways, paying €50 extra per leg (travel – not each limb!) for additional legroom, which was well worth it on the seven- and eight-hour flights from Dublin to Abu Dhabi and onward to Phuket. Stopover times were short, with no long airport waits.
The only thing I’d do differently next time is fly back into Cork Airport. Flying out of Dublin is OK when you’re heading off on holiday, but after a long-haul return, it’s a lesson worth remembering.
