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January 11, 2015Low-

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NEW YEAR SALEat the d hotel Drogheda2 B&B & 1 DinnerFrom Only €75pps*

2 B&B & 1 DINNER FROM ONLY €75ppswww.thedhotel.com 041 9877700 info@thedhotel.com

the d hotelDrogheda

H Adventure Holidays offer adventure holidays,biking, hiking, water, multisport and family holidaysworldwide. For more information see www.adven-ture-holidays.ie

H Flights to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport withEtihad Airways cost from €644. For more information

province. The 22nd NationalPark in Thailand providesbreathtaking views of lakes,waterfalls and endless wildlife.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourshort stop here as it providedus with many picture perfectmoments, particularly when wewere greeted with fireflies whoadded some sparkle to our night.

It’s also worth mentioning thatthere are plenty of authenticThai bars and restaurants in thevicinity of the park, Ruth and Ifound Pawn’s restaurant on themain street to be particularlydreamy in the curry department!

The final leg of our tour as partof a group saw us embark on abus and ferry ride to the Islandsof Ko Samui and Ko Tao. Perhapsone of the more touristy Islands,Ko Samui was the ultimate beachtanner’s paradise with stretchingwhite sands, crystal clear waters,heaps of greenery and hiddentemples.

Ko Samui is also quite large incomparison to its neighbours.If visiting I would recommenda trip to Chaweng, the Island’slargest, most popular resort.Here you will find Ko Samui’slongest beach, along with a hostof shopping centres, pubs andclubs. The area of Lamai wherewe stayed (which was equallyenjoyable) was smaller andquieter.

Following on from our two-day stay in Ko Samui we caughta ferry to Ko Tao, an Islandrenowned for its diving andsnorkelling facilities. Otherwiseknown as ‘Turtle Island’ due toits shape, we found the compactparadise to have more sceniclandscapes, a cool, more hip vibeand a crazy party atmosphere.

Wanting to spend our lastfew days as independentexplorers, Ruth and I wavedgoodbye to our group a day earlyto venture West to the Island ofKoh Phi Phi Don.

A lengthy but bearable ten-hour bus and ferry journeymeant we arrived on theawe-inspiring isle off theAndaman Coast in under a day.The stunning Island, which isso small that it has no roads,consists of many parts such asLaem Tong (a haven for thoseon honeymoon) Loh Ba GaoBay, Loh Dalam and the lively

part of Tonsai where we parkedourselves for two nights.

Last but not least no trip toThailand would be completewithout a visit to ‘Ao Maya’ inKo Phi-Phi Leh – otherwiseknown as the setting for TheBeach movie which was basedon the famous novel by AlexGarland. Following a tediousamount of research, Ruth and Idecided to visit it on a ship calledMaya Bay Sleep Aboard. Thisexperience, which was by far themost memorable part of our trip,enabled us to stay on the actualbeach overnight with a barbecue,snorkelling and an opportunityto swim with the plankton.

Would I go back to Thailand?In a heartbeat. Was three-and-a-half weeks enough time toexplore every nook and crannythis exotic hotspot has to offer?Not a chance, but by going with agroup it’s safe to say we made themost of our time there.

In conclusion, a trip to Thailandis a must for any traveller whoseeks a break from the highsand lows of everyday life. AsLeonardo Di Caprio said himself:“Paradise is how you feel for amoment in your life when you’rea part of something, and if youfind that moment… it lastsforever…” and our memories ofThailand certainly will.

Rebecca Lee

Airwayssee www.etihad.com

AS HUGE fans of the Hangover moviesand on the recommendations fromfriends who had previously travelled toBangkok, Ruth and I decided to kick offour trip of a lifetime by living it up witha three-night stay at the ever so plushTower Club at the Lebua Hotel.

The famous five-star skyscraper hotelwhich boasts 68 floorsis the third tallestbuilding in Thailand.Situated just 40minutes from BangkokSuvarnabhumi Airportand with most attrac-tions a short train rideaway, it offers a widerange of rooms fromaffordable luxury toserious pamper your-self paradise.

To mark our arrivalinto Thailand Ruthand I opted to stay ina two bedroom riverview executive suite.It had four generoussized balconies, akitchen area, livingroom, dining room and two bedroomseach of which were surrounded by largeglass windows.

Having played a key role in one of myfavourite movies of all time, The Hang-over Part II, Ruth and I also paid a visitto the hotel’s three-bedroom Hango-ver II Suite which hosted the cast and

crew when they were filming there (youcouldn’t get me off Bradley Cooper’sbed!).

Hardcore film fans can also pay a visitto the Lebua’s most famous restaurant,Sirocco, which featured heavily in themovie and fed and watered Zack Galifi-

anakis, Justin Bartha,Ed Helms and the manof my dreams BradleyCooper himself! For aless pricey and equallyenjoyable fine diningexperience I wouldrecommend a trip toBreeze on the 52ndfloor.

A trip to the famousSkybar is also a must.Based on the roof ofthe enormous tower,this so-called island inthe sky provides someserious panoramic viewsof the city. The bar is alsohome to one of the mostfamous rooftop scenesin the movie which Ruthand I recreated in 36°C.

Having heard so much about TheLebua, I had extremely high expec-tations and I am glad to say that itsurpassed each and every one.

Staying thereA one-night stay at The Lebua in Bang-

kok starts from €103 a night. For moreinformation see www.lebua.com

ALITTLE LUXURYINTHESKIESABOVEBANGKOK

HANGOVER: Rebecca andRuth recreate famous scene

HEAVEN ONEARTH: Rebeccaon the beach atthe picturesque

Maya Bay

DRESS UNIFORM: Rebecca with two palace guards in Bangkok

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