There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from a corporate stint in a city like Singapore. It’s efficient, it’s fast, and it’s digital. By the time we wrapped up work and headed north to Krabi, I didn’t realise I was carrying the weight of a thousand notifications.
We went to Thailand for a beach holiday, but what I got (and didn’t realise I needed until I got home) was a disconnect and mental reset.
The Art of Doing Nothing
When I travel, I’m that “planning” guy. Spreadsheets and a “let’s make the most of the time” mentality. I’m all about the itinerary. Do this, then do that. We only have a finite amount of time. But the highlights of the trip weren’t found in a spreadsheet. It was about slowing down and the quality time with the family. A slow start (supplemented by a buffet breakfast), a swim in the warm water, and an afternoon nap (admittedly not one that was endorsed by my wife). The naps, at least for me, were the highlight of the trip, if it weren’t for the monkeys.
Oh, the Monkeys
We need to talk about the monkeys. At the Centara Grand, the monkeys (specifically the long tailed Macaques) don’t just live in the jungle surrounding the resort; they own the place. We were merely their temporary, highly taxable guests. These furry security guards ran the place, and it was a regular occurrence around the pool, where they would try and take advantage of an ignored drink.
You haven’t truly experienced Krabi until you’ve been startled by a thud on your villa roof, followed by a tiny hand testing the lock on your balcony door. They are remarkably clever. Forget to lock that sliding door for even a minute, and you’ll return to find a macaque reviewing your travel documents or sampling your room service. After a well needed afternoon shower, I once walked back into the main room to find a furry security guard on our bed. In a weird way, the monkeys were the ultimate mindfulness coaches. They demand your absolute presence. Mostly because if you zone out for a second, they’ll definitely steal your pizza. (Which, by the way, the COAST Beach Club & Bistro were magicians at crafting. My kids still talk about those pizzas…
Connecting without a Connection
The best parts of the trip were the moments that would never make it onto a formal itinerary. It was the lack of friction. The kids didn’t argue. They focused on each other. They loved the attention they got from each other while my wife and I looked on. Without the distraction of the school run or the evening email crawl, the kids became the focus rather than another task to manage. We spent hours treading water in that warm sea, talking about nothing in particular, watching the limestone cliffs change colour as the sun dipped. I wasn’t the “planning guy” for those hours; I was just there. It turns out that when you stop trying to “make the most of the time”, you actually end up enjoying it.
I’m a spreadsheets guy. For me, data drives discussion. But this trip was a strange irony. The best moments of this trip, and those to follow, like our Christmas Markets trip to Europe, were the ones I didn’t plan for. There were no “family hikes” planned or see this and see that like we did in Paris. Just a kayak around the corner to the deserted beach, where we found absolutely nothing, which was exactly what we all needed with our busy schedules.
To Plan or Not to Plan
Ok, I plan. A lot. There’s no getting around that. But when is it too much? When does the spreadsheet stop being a tool and start being a barrier? I’ve realised that the plan should only be the scaffolding. It’s the stuff that gets us there. The actual “holiday” happens in the moments the spreadsheet can’t predict. It’s in the unplanned kayak trip, the shared silence while the sun hits the cliffs, and yes, even the monkey induced chaos in the villa. Maybe the ultimate plan is just to leave enough room for the unexpected. Even if it comes with a tiny hand trying to steal your Orange Fanta.
Oh, and just because you take the kids to a tropical destination does NOT mean they will think public displays of affection are appropriate.
After we had a week of family downtime, we had to leave and head back to Sydney. But even that was an experience.
