Thailand has always been a much-desired destination that my husband and I have wanted to explore. We headed off to Phuket mid-March for a quick visit when my husband was lucky enough to win the trip through a work raffle! The tropics are known for hot and humid weather but there are some variations in the seasons according to when the monsoon is passing through. The best time to visit Phuket is between December and March with the temperatures between 24 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius and the lowest humidity in the year. It was often hottest at midday to mid-afternoon with a sea breeze picking up after 5pm.
So, armed with this information, I prepared my travel capsule. Believe it or not, I started with shoes. In Thailand, everyone wears flip-flops or sandals majority of the time, even when you are going to restaurants. Starting with shoes just makes it easier to pick out the items that I know will with the footwear.
The next item most worn are swimmers. I brought three pairs as I knew I would be swimming daily, and we had also planned excursions to the Elephant Sanctuary and the Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park. The Elephant Sanctuary gets very muddy so I had a pair of swimmers that I knew I would put aside after that excursion (until I could get home to give it a proper wash). The Elephant Sanctuary was really the highlight of my trip. There’s no elephant rides at this sanctuary and the objective is the rehabilitation of elephants but it also includes looking after the livelihoods of the caretakers (Mahouts) of the elephants and their families. Phang-Nga Marine National Park was another outstanding outing. Most people know it from films like The Beach and James Bond.
The best space savers were the dresses that I brought. I brought three, the Hannah Dress from By Hand London, not photographed unfortunately, but it was the first dress I wore out to dinner. The Pattern Scout Flora Dress was also very cool and easy to wear in the humid weather so it got a few wears and was great for beach walks and for dinners. Lastly, I also took along my True Bias Lora Dress which has a very flattering silhouette, and it was made with very lightweight cotton. Again, it was something that could transition from a shopping trip at the local markets to dinner at a restaurant on the beach.
Surprisingly, the item that I over packed were shorts. One was left unworn. I had packed four but honest could have just packed two. I loved the Sorrento Shorts which is a great high-waisted style of shorts from Sew Eloh Patterns. This paired well with the Avola Cami and the white Cashmerette Brattle T-shirt. I packed and wore all three of my Brattle shirts.
Thailand is home to some amazing temples with 94% of it’s population being Buddhist. To visit these holy sites there is a dress code where legs and shoulders are covered out of respect. I wore my True Bias Dani Pants with my Cashmerette Brattle Top and the linen in the pants were so cool to wear. We visited the Big Buddha which has amazing views and we also stopped by Wat Chalong Temple which is a huge complex of temples. Unfortunately, we were also taken to Tiger Park. I can’t comment on the ethics of this type of tourism. It was very clean and the tigers looked well fed but I did not do any research beforehand as I wasn’t expecting this stop. They are magnificent creatures and I hope that this sort of tourism encourages people to look after their habitat.
On the day that we went to Old Town Phuket, I wore my Sewhouse 7 Free Range Slacks with my Fabricstore Ash Cami. This was handy as there are a few temples that we visited in Old Town and we stayed until evening so my covered legs were kept safe from mosquitos. Old Town is filled with interesting Sino-Portugese architecture and reminds me of Malacca and Penang. It’s worth a look, I just wished we had timed our visit with the Sunday Markets which are famous as two streets are closed off for the stalls and food carts.
Apart for wildlife excursions and tourist destinations, my husband and I travel for the chance to taste the cuisine. We were a bit disheartened at first at the watered-down versions of Thai dishes we were being served at the venues we had tried until my husband came across Silk’s Restaurant. It’s a fine dining Thai Restaurant attached to a resort. For the special long lunch, I wore my Swimstyle Set made with the Tallulah Tie Top and the pants of the Tamarama Set. It was a delicious lunch and it felt special to get dressed up for the lunch date.
Final mentions are some accessories that I made and brought along. The Motif Studio Utility Tote was great as a poolside and beachside bag. It contained so much and the big pockets inside and outside were very handy. The other accessory was my Melco Bucket Hat. I’m super proud that I was a tester for this pattern which Melco are making free for their subscribers.
I’ve probably overpacked by some people’s standards but I was happy with my items. The only unworn item was one pair of shorts and in a country where humidity can get quite high, I felt that multiple changes were needed out of necessity and sometimes excursions needed items that were appropriate for the context of that tour.
Thanks for reading and happy sewing!
X Em
Em Sew Happy Blog 