Vantage Point | Ao Nang, Thailand

Now that Fashion Month is behind us*, we’re going, going, back back to Thailand, Thailand.

We’re still stuck in that in-between season here on the East Coast, so I thought it’d be a good time to up the ante on everyone’s wanderlust and revert back to sharing a few remaining tales from my travels.

Stories a-plenty and a healthy dose of beach-side envy, coming right up:

Where we last left off, my friends and I had just rounded out a weekend for the record books at the Full Moon Party in Ko Pha Ngan. In case you’re wondering, neon paint doesn’t wash off easily.

From there, we boated back to the airport and hopped on a flight to Krabi, where we caught our catamaran – a 50-foot boat we’re about to call home for the next six days.

Aboard our boat, Gundy Two, there were a handful of bedrooms and a few small bathrooms. We collectively spent most of our time lounging in the nets on the front of the boat, and truthfully, not one of us used the shower for the duration of our trip. We’d just rinse off with soap using a fresh water hose off the back of the boat (sparingly, as I’ll get to) .

I wore three items for the duration of our time on the boat — the Ellen dress from Otte, a floral frill bikini from Zimmermann and a t-shirt to cover my (ouch!) sunburn. For ventures to shore, I’d slip on Soludos (above) and a J.Crew panama hat.

During daylight hours, we sailed though the Andaman sea, island-hopping the likes of Ko Mak (monkey island) and Ko Phi Phi, exploring white-sand beaches and taking in scenic views of the secluded coastlines.

We spent a few days in Phang Nga Bay (“Pang Ngah Bay”) in southern Thailand, an area known for crystal-clear water and limestone cliffs. One of my favorite landmarks here is James Bond Island. It’s a teeny (by comparison) island that vertically juts out of the water.

It made its way to the international tourist map through a role in a Bond movie, and I still can’t figure out how it doesn’t topple over!

Most of the islands are uninhabited with spotless beaches and spectacular caves that are only reachable by diving or swimming.

Every day, we’d anchor and embark on an adventure. This typically entailed snorkeling, cliff jumping and kayaking, but one of my favorite afternoon activities was spelunking and mountain climbing.

On one particular afternoon, we swam to shore on Phra Nang Beach and climbed through a dense, rocky forest summit (with no harnesses, surrounded by wild monkeys — terrifying!), where we ended up spilling out into a hidden cove.

It took two hours and I ruined my white sneakers and bathing suit (from the red dye on the rocks), but the views, photos and experience were well-worth the sweat and sore muscles.

Back on the boat, much of our time was spent playing cards, lounging and drinking. We had a live-in chef who prepared each of our daily meals — from authentic pad thai to bacon and eggs, it was some of the best food I had in Thailand. (Other than the street food in Bangkok, which we’ll get to.)

All week, we had to make our own fresh water, so we were very conscious of how much we were drinking (and “showering” with). Luckily, there was plenty of vodka and pineapple juice on board.

Below, you’ll meet our captain, Brian. He’s a self-described gypsy with some of the most fascinating life experiences I’ve ever heard — many nights were spent sipping wine (from a box — bottled wine is a rare import in Thailand!) listening to his stories. Brian is textbook YOLO in human form, which you can probably tell by his itty-bitty outfit of choice.

Surprisingly, none of us suffered from dock rock, but Michelle managed to land a pretty impressive hangover that rendered her useless (and gave her first dibs on fresh water) mid-way through the trip. Love ya, Meesh.

Lastly (for today), I just have to mention the sunsets. The colors of Thai sunsets vary to amazing extremes, which was my favorite thing about disconnecting and living out on the sea. Thailand has some amazing geographic backdrops.

There’s a few more destinations I want to share with you from my travels this year, which I’ll do so over the next couple of weeks – barefoot bar-hopping in Ko Phi Phi, riding elephants in Chiang Mai, fish spas in Bangkok and my shitshow 29-hour flight home (*which I’ll be writing about Fashion Week recap style. Spoiler alert: It’s hilarious and stressful and you’ll be glad you’re not me).

Until then, friends… Let’s start stroking the Universe’s fucking ego so she gives us back our season of sunshine, maxi dresses, open-toe sandals and happy hours al fresco.

*Click below for more on my travels in Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand:

Tokyo | Kyoto | Hong Kong | Krabi | Koh Pha Ngan

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Photos via Hallie Wilson and Sara Swearingen