Making the most of the last few days!
June 16, 2025
Hello again from the best place ever! This trip is flying by and we don’t want it to end!
After wrapping up our SCUBA section, we had what the group later decided was the best day ever! The group woke up bright and early for one of the most well-known hikes in the area: Dragon Crest! We drank lots of electrolytes for the big day ahead then went to the trailhead in tuk tuks, everyone’s new favorite form of transportation. In the tuk tuks, we listened to hype music to get everyone amped up for the hike! Soon enough, we got to the trail and began our hike. Our LODs, Emma and Jack really brought the energy today and kept the group in super high spirits! I truly don’t believe the hike would have been as fun as it was without their infectious energy! The hike started with a pretty intense uphill, but it was no match for our group! We hiked right on up to the first view point and couldn’t believe our eyes! The entire hike up until that point felt like we were deep in the jungle, as we were completely surrounded by trees. It was amazing and we knew that the top of the hike was going to be amazing. This, along with some music, was just the fuel we needed to make it to the top! Once we saw the top, everyone started sprinting with excitement to see the view. Britton even took a moment to himself just admiring the landscape. We were so proud that everyone made it to the top, so we celebrated with Oreos and gummy bears! At this point, it felt like we were unstoppable. We hiked down listening to some sing along classics, like California Girls by Katy Perry. Needless to say, vibes were good when we made it to the bottom. Everyone was worn out, but feeling great, and ready for lunch. Tyler and I found a cafe with acai bowls and burgers; two things the kids have been begging for since the trip started. The kids got an assortment of burgers, acai bowls, fish tacos, French toast, Bolognese, and smoothies. It is safe to say no one walked away from lunch hungry. We officially deemed this the best place we have eaten at, as well as the best day yet! And it had only been the morning! We went back to the pool and we played star in the pool. After we played for so long that everyone’s fingers and toes were wrinkly, we got out and read our books in the setting sun. Once we wrapped up our pool day, we showered and got ready for dinner. We decided to try another new restaurant, because nothing could get us down at this point! We went to this Thai restaurant right next to our hostel and we had a giant Thai buffet! Another amazing restaurant! The pad thai was so fresh and delicious… I don’t think anyone had an empty plate afterwards! To put the cherry on top of a perfect day, we decided to get ice cream! We wrapped up our day with moonup where we opened it up by howling at the moon, then closed it by de-howling at the moon.
Our first day of rock climbing at the world famous Railay Beach was upon us. Once again, we woke up early in the morning, filled our water bottle, and headed out in the fan favorite open air tuk tuk vans. The kids were in high spirits and spent the ride to the dock singing a few country and pop songs. Once at the dock, we grabbed our equipment and to the longboats. After about a 10 minute ride we arrived at Railay beach, where we would spend the next 1.5 days climbing some of the most margostunning beach cliffs in the world. Britton, the fish expert, pointed out some diverse species of local sealife as we walked across the dock. After a safety briefing and some much needed cheeto puffs, the group set out on their first climbs. Tyler decided to head up to the top of the first route and clip in for some point of view action shots. Jack attacked the route first and others were soon to follow suit. Josephine made the climbs look easy! Tallis and Vivi used their determination and grit to get to the top of the cliff-they looked unstoppable!! Claire and Ridley were also eagerly going after the other routes! On our walk to the center of Railay town we grabbed a few gatorades, which we all have decided is 10x more delicious here in Thailand! After a much needed lunch of chicken tenders, fries, fried rice, and watermelon, we ventured down to the south side of Railay beach where we set up shop for our two hour break of volleyball and cooling down in the water. After a quick scoop of ice cream for an energy pick me up we headed back to our meeting point to grab our harnesses. Luckily, this time we were met with a group of local monkeys! After snapping a few photos we looked on as an adult monkey robbed a tourist of their pastry before perching back in a tree! Everyone was in shock, and no one could keep from laughing! Our next adventure required a quick 15 minute walk to the mouth of a local cave overlooking the pristine tropical beaches of the area. We then began our cave exploration. It was fun and exhilarating and a nice break from the sun. Then, we were met with our next test. A cliff to the opposite side of the mountain that required some rappelling. Ann Reid, with some helpful words of encouragement, took on her fear of heights and went in the first group of adventurers. Margot also did an awesome job taking on her fear of the cliff and was met with praise from the group at the bottom. After a hike out of the foothills, we were back on the south Railay Beach. We trekked through town straight to the dock with our shoulders high and our clothes covered in red clay. A short walk to the hostel Pizzeria was the perfect end to our long day and we piled on some much needed Italian pasta for another great morning of climbing. At moonup, we got to learn everyone’s middle names before calling it a night with a group favorite game of psychiatrist.
Our second day of rock climbing required a little bit of a late start. We rolled out of bed and enjoyed our regularly scheduled breakfast before piling into a tuk tuk and heading down to the Krabi dock one last time. Today we hiked straight through to the south side of Railay beach where we tried climbing a new wall. Jack and Emma scaled the furthest right wall early on with our new heights expert Ann Reid close behind. Tazewell attempted one of the new climbs employing the new strategy of using his legs more than his arms and submitted his next climb with ease. Vivi and Josephine took on the hardest climb that our outfitters could offer. They followed the commands and laser pointers of the local guides to make it almost on the top completely on their own. It was awesome! After climbing, the kids would take a dip in the nearby ocean before packing up their equipment and waiting for our lunch. After some chicken tenders and watermelon, we capped off our afternoon with a cold treat before heading back to Krabi one last time via the impressive longboats. Everyone was pretty worn out from the rock climbing, so we decided to have a final chill afternoon at the pool. We all jumped right into the pool to cool off then read our books. Claire ended up finishing her book that she was unsure about starting in the first place and debriefed it with the others who had already read it! We are definitely on the hunt for a book store as everyone wraps up their books… the trading has already begun! We soaked up the final rays in the south then decided we couldn’t leave Krabi without going to our favorite restaurant: the cafe! Everyone was so stoked to go back they were planning their orders the minute we told them we were going there. We practically were skipping to the cafe with excitement, and it was the perfect way to wrap up our time here in Krabi. We got little ice cream cups from the cafe then headed back for one last poolside moonup! We then packed up our bags eager for tomorrow’s airport day, and ready to explore Chiang Mai and the north!
We woke up bright and early to head to the airport for a flight to Chiang Mai with a layover in Bangkok! In Bangkok, we had a quick stop and grabbed some McDonalds for lunch, a familiar favorite. We then headed over to Chiang Mai and got there in the early afternoon. Just enough time to explore our new home! We are now off to the village for the final portion of our trip! Can’t wait to make the most of these last few days!
Thanks for reading!
Tales of Thailand
June 12, 2025
สวัสดี!!! Or, hello, from Thailand! We cannot believe it has already been a week here. Time is flying by and we are all having a blast!
On the first day, the kids woke up before breakfast due to jet lag, so Tyler took a few of them to explore the area around our hotel. They walked to check out 7/11 and the local shops. Soon enough, breakfast came, and everyone was impressed by the spread! There was tons of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, noodles, and even chicken nuggets! We ate a big breakfast for our long day ahead, then played a few rounds of cards before officially heading out for the day. We consulted with our first LODs (leaders of the day) to decide how we should spend it. They decided that we would start the day by walking to a temple, then walk back, go to lunch, and if we had time go check out the local mall. Everyone was super stoked about this, specifically about checking out the temple! We were so proud that all of the kids were ready to jump in and experience Thai culture. We took a long walk to see the temple, Wat Sangkha Racha. We took some pictures and walked around before heading back towards the hotel for lunch. On the way to lunch, we were all getting pretty toasty… luckily, Jack had the great idea of stopping at a 7/11! We all got some refreshments to carry us through to lunch. We stopped at a local cafe and all the kids got to try their first taste of local Thai food! Britton really took advantage of this opportunity and ordered a whole entire fried fish for lunch! With the eye still in it! He had no problems eating it right up, immediately impressing the whole group. After lunch, the original plan was to go to the mall, but everyone was pretty tired from the walk to the temple, so we decided to hang out at the hotel until it was time to head to the airport. Part of the group showered off, then we all met in the lobby once it was time to go! Josephine whipped out a Rubix cube, and showed us all her secret talent of solving it! She whipped through it with no problems and everyone was begging her to teach us her tricks. We then loaded up in the vans and headed to the Bangkok airport! Once we got to our gate, we got the cards back out and decided to play ERS. Ridley was a threat throughout the whole game with her quick reflexes, and became the ultimate champion! We then moved on to a new game that has quickly become the group favorite: The psychiatrist. In the psychiatrist, one person is chosen to step away from the group and the rest of the group has to make up a rule about their answers, and the psychiatrist has to try to find the pattern. For example, I was the first psychiatrist, and the group came up with the rule that if people lied for their answers they would be fidgeting their legs. Soon enough, it was time to board our flight. Time flew by as the kids journaled, slept, read, and chit chatted. They served us a chicken sandwich that reminded everyone of Uncrustables from home, but with chicken in them! We quickly landed at our new destination: Krabi! This will be our home for the next few nights as we move into the SCUBA portion of our trip! Everyone was pretty tired once we got to our hostel, so we went next door for some pizza. We were all blown away by the quality of the pizza and it was safe to say that we will be going back there for more! We finished the night as we do every night here on Moondance, with moonup. Moonup is a way for us to get to know each other better while also wrapping up our day. We moonup-ed and answered the questions: what is a moment in your life you wish you could go back to and why, as well as what is your favorite toe and why. Props to the LODs for having both a hilarious question and a thought provoking question! We said goodnight and everyone went to bed eager to begin SCUBA tomorrow!
Woooohoooooo!!!! Day 1 of SCUBA! We are so excited to start our session off with SCUBA diving. We have a great mix of certified and non certified divers. The non-certified group (Tyler, Tallis, Tazewell, Britton, and Josephine) headed out at 8:30am to start their pool lessons. I stayed back with the already certified group (Ann Reid, Claire, Jack, Emma, Vivi, Margot, and Ridley) and we hung around until our refresher lesson started at 10:30am. We passed the time by attending a yoga corepower-inspired lesson taught by Emma, and then walked to 7/11 to get some snacks for the group. We got an assortment of familiar American snacks as well as some Thai snacks to try. Before we knew it, it was time to head over to the dive shop to start our review. We took a quick quiz and then headed over to the pool to meet up with the rest of the group and practice some skills that we were all a little rusty on! The group getting certified was working hard, and they were able to complete all of their pool lessons in one day! We all went back to the hostel to hang out for a little bit before dinner. On the car ride back, we played one of my favorite games, called new face. We went around in a circle and everyone had to try to make a face they had never made before. Then, the rest of the group has to try to imitate their face. It had everyone crying laughing. Everyone was pretty tired from a long day in the pool. We spent the time playing cards, eating snacks, and getting to know each other better. Margot surprised everyone with Tootsie Pops she brought from home! She was so kind and shared them with everybody. The time flew by and before we knew it, it was time to go to dinner. We decided to take them to a spot recommended by past leaders, called Manana. It is a local Mexican restaurant run by a lady who calls herself ‘Big Mama.’ We came for the Mexican food, but we stayed for the great vibes that Big Mama brought. She immediately had the kids singing karaoke, and all of a sudden there was a frog mascot! Everyone was confused but also having the best time ever. We were surprised by the kids’ hilarious prank; they told Big Mama that it was Claire’s birthday! We heard them sing happy birthday and come out with.a huge plate of churros! We all sang her happy (fake) birthday and she celebrated with a big sombrero on. We sang a few more karaoke songs as a group, then decided it was time to walk back to the hostel. On the way back, the beautiful golden arches caught our eyes, and we decided it would be a perfect time for an ICE CREAM STOP!!!! We all got colorful ice cream cones and played new face. On our way back it started downpouring, so we sought a quick refuge and played our other favorite game: pterodactyl. Again, we were all belly laughing and we finally ended up making it back to our home. We did moon-up then scurried off to bed. Everyone was super excited about getting to try their new SCUBA skills out in the ocean tomorrow!
We had an earlier breakfast this morning, but everyone woke up with no problems because we were all so thrilled to get on the boat. We got on and they already had some fresh watermelon for us! Today, we were diving at the Ao Nang islands! These are some small islands off of the coast of Krabi, about 45 minutes away from the dock. It was pretty choppy, and rainy, but this did not dampen anyone’s spirits! Everyone was ready to jump in and check out the underwater world. Luckily, when we were under the water we couldn’t feel the effects of the rainy weather, so the ocean was like a sweet escape. In between the dives, we all ran up to the boat and warmed up on the inside of the boat. We got banana muffins and delicious sticky rice with chicken. This was just what we needed after a two long dives. We went back to the hostel and played cards before dinner. Tallis proved to be a threat during card games, specifically Dutch Cup. We played for about an hour before loading up into two tuk tuks to go to the local market for dinner! Everyone got cash from Tyler then got to explore the market for some local Thai food to eat. As a group, we had a great assortment of pad thai, gyozas, spring rolls, smoothies, and more! We were so proud of the kids for stepping out of their comfort zones and eating food they wouldn’t normally eat. We then headed home for a moonup under the stars and went to bed amped up for another day of diving.
Today was another exciting day because we got to SCUBA at the infamous Phi Phi Islands! Additionally, conditions were perfect for diving! The sky was super clear and sunny and everyone was stoked to soak in the sun. The water was Gatorade blue and the vibes were great. We got super lucky and the visibility was really good on both of our dives. We got to see some amazing wildlife, like sea slugs, stingrays, and puffer fish, as well as some of the most colorful and lively coral I’ve ever seen! This was also the first day everyone got to see a blacktip reef shark! This was such a win and it made everyone”s day. The Phi Phi Islands are farther from the dock than the Ao Nang Islands, so we got to spend a longer time driving out to the islands, and therefore longer time hanging out on the boat together! Because we were on the boat for so long, we decided to go back to the pizza place next door for dinner. It was a hit with the kids, and everyone got to order their own personal pizzas. We also took this opportunity to offer up… ice cream!! We walked to a local grocery store and let the kids pick out whatever treat they wanted. We went back and had a great moonup. The LODs kept a perfect balance between a hilarious question and one that allowed everyone to share a more personal part of their lives.
One last day of SCUBA!! Everyone was stoked for our last day of diving, and for everyone to officially be certified! We went back to the Ao Nang islands, specifically Koh Ha and Koh see. In Thai, Koh means island, Ha means five, and see means four! So we went to islands four and five. Our first dive began with some rocky waters, but once we were underwater we were smooth sailing. Right off the bat, we saw a huge jellyfish! Today was already spectacular and it had only just begun! Just a few moments later, Vivi and Ann Reid spotted an eagle ray! Even our dive guide, Natalya, was impressed. She said that it was the first time she has ever seen one here! We came back on the boat for an hour after our dive to hangout and have a snack, and then jumped back in for our very last dive as a group! We were all stoked for this dive, because afterwards, we would all be open water certified! We all went in the water with one goal in mind: to see a seahorse. In our dive briefing, the dive masters said that this was a popular island for them to hangout. We swam around for a little bit, and then before we knew it the dive master was searching on a coral reef. We all looked in and got to see a seahorse! The perfect cherry on top of a great past four days of diving. We were so excited because everyone in our group was finally certified! Tazewell was especially proud of himself, and was beaming the rest of the day! We got back on the boat and jammed out to some reggae and country music. Everyone was singing along and hanging out. It is crazy that we have only been here for a week but we already feel like one big family! Instead of going back to the hostel, we decided to spend the afternoon at the beach. We all played in the waves, the boys threw around the frisbee, and eventually everyone was sitting together talking. It was a great way to relax in the afternoon after a long morning of SCUBA. Back at the hostel, everyone jumped in the pool to get sand off, and we all played a great game of star! For those who don’t know, star is a pool game where one person says the initials of a movie then the other people in the pool have to race to high five the person and guess the movie. It was a blast! Everyone then showered off and we walked back to the Ao Nang market for dinner! The kids have so much fun trying all of the different Thai foods and seeing how much food they can get with the budget we give them. They walked around the shops for a little bit and got some cool trinkets and bracelets before we headed back to the hostel for moonup. Everyone went to bed early because we have an exciting early morning hike tomorrow!! We have been having the best time ever here and we can’t wait to update you with our next happenings!
Thanks for reading, and here are some shout outs from the kids!!!
🪷🧘♀️ – Caitlyn + Tyler
Tazewelll:
Hey Mom and Dad, I am having a wonderful time making good friends and doing challenging things love yall happy fathers day!!!!
Vivian:
Hey Mom and Dad! I am having so much fun in Thailand scuba diving, trying new foods, and exploring the town! I miss you guys so much!! Happy Fathers Day Dad!!! So sad I couldn’t be with you to celebrate and I can’t wait for the 4th!!
Jack:
Hi Family! This is the best trip ever and I’ve had so much fun scuba diving. The pad thai is fire and I love the food here. Tell Bella and Roo I miss them and will be back soon (mostly bella)… and happy fathers day Jason thank you for everything you do (especially cleaning my boat 🙂
EMMA:
Hello family, I am having the best time ever!! I have met the coolest people! I hope you guys are having so much fun at the beach and George having so much fun in Ireland golfing. Tell Ryder, and Camille I miss them and I will be back soon. Love you guys!!
Ann Reid:
Hey Family, I am having so much fun!! This trip is awesome I have met the best people, and the food has been very good! tell everyone I said hi! Scuba is so so cool! I love and miss yall!! Also Happy early Fathers Fathers Day dad thank you for everything!
Tallis:
Hey mom and dad! I am having so much fun! Scuba diving was awesome. The chicken here is really good. Can’t wait to see yall, tell everyone I said hey, and have fun with whatever you’re doing.
Britton:
Hi Mom and Dad, I hope yall are having fun with Isaac and not spoiling him too much. I’m having so much fun and finally got scuba certified. I saw so many cool fish like the titan triggerfish and blacktip reef sharks. I love yall both and happy fathers day Dad.
Josephine:
Hello mother, family! I hope you all are having fun on all your adventures! I have been having a wonderful time! So far we have scuba dove and I am happy to say I am officially open water certified! yippee! We saw lots of cool animals but the seahorses and nemo clownfish were my favorites! I have also eaten over my body weight in thai food including chicken fried rice, potstickers, and spring rolls. tomorrow we are going on a hike and I’m very excited! I can’t wait to show you all the pics! I miss and love you all!
Margot:
Hello family! I’m having fun in Thailand! We finished scuba diving today and saw sting rays, sharks, turtles, and many other fish I will talk about when I get back (The day after your birthday of course Marianne)! I have been trying different foods, exploring the country, and I have been having fun with the people in my group! Happy belated Father’s Day dad (I’ve been saying this for four Moondance trips)! I hope Snowflake is doing well because I know she misses me so much and I know you all will take good care of her, including the backscratcher if you can find it! I love you all and God bless you all!
Claire: Hi Mom and Dad, I hope you’re having fun on your trip!! Also happy early Fathers day. We just finished scuba diving today and it was so cool. I love everyone on my trip and we are having so much fun!! Love and miss yall!
Ridley: Hello Mother, Father, Helen, and Belle! I miss you all very much and I wanted to let you know that I am having the best time ever in Thailand. My group is awesome and all the activities we have done so far are awesome. I got to see some sharks and stingrays and snakes underwater in my dive and it was so cool. I hope you Helen and you mom have the best time in London. Happy fathers day also to my dear father and I hope you get lots of attention and have a great day. Tell Belle I say hi and give her some food in my memory. I love yall and see you in 2 weeks! Also my greenlight doesn’t work so I am in Thailand with no money but its awesome anyway!!
The Journey Begins!
June 7, 2025
Hello Thailand Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has arrived safely! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
