Scott and Chez’s Wedding

I’m a loser with the flu and a computer on a Friday night and there is nothing on TV so I’ve done a visual view at which rooms people have booked into.

I don’t know who is in which superior/deluxe rooms so I’ve put all of you that have booked up the top.

Click on the map for the full size version (it might appear small so click on the image again once it loads).

Lisa/Lachlan you guys are still floating in the sea as I’m not sure which room you’re in yet. I’ll rescue you once it’s confirmed.

Cough cough. Now I’m going to bed. And now you know how seriously daggy I am on the inside.

Here is some quick info on how to book a room for the wedding. Rooms in the resort are filling up near the beach so if you want to get something nice you might want to look into it pretty quick before someone else gets in there.

Which Room?
Every room is nice at Charm Churee, so check the pricelist and see what suits your budget before you start booking. Obviously the more expensive the room, the more luxurious it is. Beautiful sunset views and roomy balconies to chill on is what you get for the more expensive spots and they are metres from the beach.

When Should I Book?
Now! To reserve, email Leka at reservation@charmchureevilla.com and say you’re part of the Scott & Cheryls wedding. You must pay a deposit on the room before Oct. 31, 2007, once this is paid you can get a full refund up to 10 days before the wedding.

How do I Pay Deposit?
Download this form to pay deposit and fax it to Charm Churree with your payment details and you can email to confirm the deposit has been received.

Which Room do I Want?
Every room is nice, but splurge if you can! This place is beautiful. Check the map below for a rough idea of where the rooms are compared to the beach. I have circled the places that are taken by people attending the wedding below in dark black.

View large version of map here.

We have just returned from a “research” trip and we’ve found a perfect venue on Koh Tao. We’re holding the wedding at Charm Churee Villas, in Jansom Bay on Koh Tao. It’s a gorgeous little spot, it has a palm-tree lined beach with great snorkeling, really nice villas (with airconditioning) to stay in, and a beautiful restaurant. It’s only a 10 minute stroll into town as well, so it’s really nice and central.

Charm Churee are giving everyone 25% off their accommodation, which is a really great deal. Accommodation ranges from about AU/CA $80 per night up to about $500 a night for a 3 bedroom apartment. We’ve seen all of the rooms, villas and apartments they have, click here to see photos and a price list. For those backpackers amongst you, there are also a lot of other options around if this is out of your price range.

Please give us an email or call if you are thinking of staying here. We have checked all the rooms out and can advise on the best villa locations, or perhaps who can split up into which shared apartments. We checked them all out while we were there…

There is a backpacker’s bungalow next door , and they have beachfront villas from about AU$20 per night. They are very very basic, and if you haven’t backpacked before then you should not even consider it – it’s just a bed with mosquito net, fan and toilet. There is also a mid-range complex within 5 minutes walk, and their villas looked really gorgeous as well - their prices start from AU$40 a night for a basic double room with fan.

We also found an amazing boutique hotel in Bangkok called the Davis Hotel. It’s a gorgeous oasis in the chaos of Bangkok, they have a beautiful pool with loungey deck chairs, great bars and restaurants, and they are very central to everything. Rates here start at about $100 per night. We also have recommendations for cheap backpacker places as well as more mid-range hotels.

So what’s next?

February is high season in Thailand so everyone should book their accommodation in Koh Tao by September. You need to leave a 30% deposit when you book, however you get it all back if you cancel the booking more than 10 days before you arrive. For all those people that are a “maybe” on coming, I suggest that you book soon anyway, and then you can cancel with no penalty if you decide you’re not coming. When you book, mention that you’re coming for the wedding and they will apply the discount.

So the plan at the moment…

Arrive in Bangkok on the weekend of 22nd February. It would be great if everyone stays at the Davis as it’s such a lovely hotel, however you can stay wherever you want to. All meet for dinner and drinks on Sunday night 24rd at Vertigo, the nicest bar in Bangkok.

Monday 25th
Fly from Bangkok to Samui, a 50 minute flight. We’ll try to arrange to all be on the same/similar flights. We will organize a private boat to take us from Koh Samui to Koh Tao, a 2 hour boat trip. We’ll then be picked up and taken to Charm Churee. Depending on which flight we take out of Bangkok, we should get there about 2-3pm.

Spend the rest of the day settling in, relaxing and enjoying Koh Tao. All meet at sunset for cocktails and beers.

Tuesday 26th
More relaxing and beach time if you want it. We are organizing a thai cooking course for anyone interested in learning thai cooking, and they will also run a massage course for anyone interested in learning Thai Massage (no happy finish, Justin). Possible other activities are: scuba diving, wakeboarding, snorkeling, a longboat tour of the island, scooters around the island, day spa/massage treatments etc. Again all meet at sunset for dinner and drinks.

Wednesday 27th
Morning activity – elephant trekking to the next beach. Totally voluntary as you won’t catch me on an elephant - but I’m happy to take photos for everyone. Alternate activities are as before – massages, scuba diving, longboat trips, snorkeling.
Afternoon/evening – wedding at sunset.

Thursday 28th
We will probably stay on Koh Tao for another night after the wedding, but if anyone wanted to go to Koh Pha Ngan or Koh Samui there are ferries that leave between about 9 and 2pm. Koh Pha Ngan is about an hour and a half away, and Samui is about 2 hours. The ferry is 500 baht (about $15-20) and includes a transfer to your hotel/airport if you’re going all the way to Samui.

If you’re going to stay on Koh Tao, it will be more of the same… drinking beers, eating great food, snorkelling, scuba diving, etc. We’re still not sure how long Scott and I are going to stay or where we’ll go next, but will be staying in Thailand for another week or so after the wedding, probably staying in the islands.

We’ll just be chilling out and hanging around so definitely feel free to stay where we’ll be staying. I know some people are planning on going to Angkor Wat in Cambodia after the wedding, and I’ve heard some people are going to go to Vietnam or other parts of Thailand. It’s very easy to get around Thailand, there are always ferries, flights and buses so you won’t get stuck anywhere.

Click here for prices and photos of Charm Churee
Click here to see other options instead of staying at Charm Churee - nearby resorts

Click for larger version

Release your inner Mad Max

Chill by the beach

sunset cocktails

Vodka lemon shake goodness

If you do want any advice on hotels in Bangkok (or even Cambodia, Vietnam, etc) drop us a line and we can give you some recommendations.

We’re going over there in June and we’re going to do a few hotel inspections to see what sort of quality they are so we’ll post here and put links and prices.

Once we get down to the wedding destination, I imagine everyone wants to stay in the same place. We’re going to pick a venue with a variety of accommodation styles and costs as we know not everyone is in the same boat financially - some people only like to travel 5 star wheras some people are happy with just a bed and a mosquito net. We’ll make sure we’re catering to everyone’s travelling styles and budget. The place we have in mind has a range from AU$80 to $300 a night, so it varies from beachside apartments to little private bungalows. There’s also more “backpacker” style accommodation a few doors down.

We’ll keep you updated.

Here’s some information on Koh Samui if you haven’t been there before.

Koh Samui has an airport so we’ll all be flying here, whether the wedding is here or on Koh Tao. It’s quite a nice island, although it is quite developed. It has some gorgeous beaches and it’s loads of fun to rent scooters and ride around the island.

Our first choice is to have the wedding on Koh Tao, if it’s logistically possible. It’s a really undeveloped island - they only got electricity quite recently, and you used to only be able to stay here if you were scuba diving. It’s become a bit more developed in the last couple of years so Scott and I are going to check it out in June and see what it’s like.

We’re hoping that this place works out as it looks gorgeous. We’ll let you know by mid-June whether it will be this one or not…