Journeying to see yet another part of this incredible country, we traveled by bus and ferry to the peaceful island of Koh Samet, in the Gulf of Thailand. After lots of cities and mountains, it was glorious to dig our toes into some fine white sand and swim in warm, blue water.

We spent our day and a half eating delicious Thai food and lots of roti, a crepe-like sweet made at little stands right on the sand. During the day, we relaxed as a group, went swimming, explored the beaches, and played Frisbee.

The best beach we discovered was Ao Prao, which is on the western side of the island. We arrived there in the second half of the day and had the entire beach to ourselves! There, we played a competitive trivia game that enabled us to reflect on all we’ve experienced over the trip. It was amazing to see how many Thai words, phrases, and foods we knew and how many different aspects of Thai culture that we’ve grown to understand and embrace.

In the evening, we watched a fire show altogether and enjoyed the peaceful sound of waves before heading to our next destination…the capital, Bangkok.