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Brazil

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*𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

Couldn't resist a last picture with the girls... I was never part of a clique in highschool so I was all the more honored that these girls let me sit with them even when I ran out of bananas.
Meet Drama Queen, Hyper Princess, and Samui, the teenage girls at @samuielephanthaven and Big Daddy the boss of the sanctuary.
#midnightblueelephant
@tongsaibay @greenpearls
#kohsamui🌴 #tongsaibay #naturaltothecore #discoveramazingstoriesthailand #meintripnachthailand #amazingthailand #kohsamuiisland #kohsamui #kohsamuithailand #gulfofthailand #beachviews #palmtrees #tongsaibay #samuielephanthaven #elephantsanctuary #thaielephants #lonelyplanet #bbctravel #travelstoke #natgeotravel #livetravelchannel #traveldeeper #guardiantravelsnaps #tlpicks #natgeotravelpic #openmyworld #mytinyatlas #theglobewanderer #keepitwild

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*𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

Here is another does of Instagram vs. reality for you: for some reasons beyond my comprehension people love pictures of flower baths. So when the @tongsaibay invited me for a looong session at their Prana Spa I was excited for a milk flower bath and happy to oblidge.
Unfortunately/fortunately the bath tub is in a little courtyard outside and it was way too humid to take pictures with my regular camera. I went for the iPhone and while this picture (and its 100 alternatives) was shot, a nice juicy mosquito landed on my left boob. I blew it off but not before it bit me :( Don't say I don't do things for the 'gram!! #midnightblueelephant
@greenpearls
#kohsamui🌴 #tongsaibay #naturaltothecore #discoveramazingstoriesthailand #meintripnachthailand #amazingthailand #kohsamuiisland #kohsamui #kohsamuithailand #gulfofthailand #beachviews #palmtrees #tongsaibay #realwomentravel #flowerbath #spatreatment #frangipani #mytinyatlas #flowerporn #ig_flowers #flowerstalking #flowerstarz #splendid_flowers #flowerpower #floralflix #nature_sultans #ptk_flowers #ig_blossoms #superb_flowers

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*𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

Good morning, Koh Samui!
Honestly whenever I see people on Instagram taking pictures with their duvet out of bed I roll my eyes hard. And I feel bad for the staff who probably has to clean it up. With that said, coffee with a view in my duvet was cozy - so I kind of get it now - and no duvet was hurt or sullied in the process, and everything was returned to bed afterwards... #midnightblueelephant
@tongsaibay @greenpearls
#kohsamui🌴 #tongsaibay #naturaltothecore #discoveramazingstoriesthailand #meintripnachthailand #amazingthailand #kohsamuiisland #kohsamui #kohsamuithailand #gulfofthailand #beachviews #palmtrees #tongsaibay #nomakeupjustcoffee #realwomentravel #ladyinsta #wearetravelgirls #thetravelwomen #globelletravels #darlingescapes #girlslovetravel #girlsmeetglobe #travelgirls #sheisnotlost #girlsjustwanttotravel #girlsborntotravel #jetsettingchicks #thetravelwoman #dametraveler

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*𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

While nothing can beat feeding an elephant in my books (except for maybe feeding a giraffe), the views from my villa at @tongsaibay aren't too bad either - especially when they come with a side of rainbow.
I usually think private plunge pools are completely useless and have in the past often used them to wash my diving equipment. But this one is big enough to swim laps and since my calves are burning from walking up and down to the beach, I have decided to use it for skinny dipping and wine sipping. Thanks for the spectacle in the sky, Koh Samui!
#midnightblueelephant

#kohsamui🌴 #tongsaibay #naturaltothecore #discoveramazingstoriesthailand #meintripnachthailand #amazingthailand #kohsamuiisland #kohsamui #kohsamuithailand #gulfofthailand #beachviews #palmtrees #tongsaibay @greenpearls #rainbow #somewhereovertherainbow #beautifuldestinations #beautifulhotels #ecoresort #mytinyatlas #lonelyplanet #bbctravel #natgeotravel #livetravelchannel #guardiantravelsnaps #tlpicks #natgeotravelpic #travelawesome #openmyworld #nakedplanet

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*𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

One of the most exciting things on the agenda when staying with @tongsaibay was a visit at the @samuielephanthaven. While the tourism board is unfortunately still endorsing elephant riding, the hotel is not and will not organize any such tours for their guests. Instead htey send them here!

I have never actually been to a true elephant sanctuary in Thailand and this one is pretty new. The Elephant Haven is only a year old, part of Elephant Nature Park and home to 14 rescue elephants - they were all rescued from circuses, logging companies, and elephant riding businesses.
While I love places where elephant can be eventually be reintroduced into the wild and therefore any human contact is usually minimized, unfortunately this isn't the case here - the elephants have been domesticated already and now they get to live their lives according to what elephants do best: Eat Nap Play all day long.

With that I was not shy to help with the eating part (elephants eat 10% of their body weight each day!) because the elephant's rule is: no food no friends. Honestly it was one of the best things I have done in a while - how beautiful and clever they are! It was an honor to hang out, feed them and get slobbered on... #midnightblueelephant

@greenpearls #kohsamui🌴 #tongsaibay #naturaltothecore #discoveramazingstoriesthailand #meintripnachthailand #amazingthailand #kohsamuiisland #kohsamui #kohsamuithailand #gulfofthailand #beachviews #palmtrees #tongsaibay #SamuiElephantHaven #elephantsantuary #rescueelephants #thaielephant #mytinyatlas #realwomentravel #lonelyplanet #bbctravel #natgeotravel #traveldeeper #guardiantravelsnaps #tlpicks #natgeotravelpic #travelawesome #openmyworld

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*𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

I am back in Thailand and after a few weeks in Bangkok, back on Koh Samui. Coming back here is a bit emotional for me as it reminds me of the time I spent here with my ex during my dive master training, a difficult time to say the least. I am happy to solo travel this time and make new memories own my own on this beautiful island.
As with many places of Thailand, it can get crowded here unless you find yourself a hotel with a private beach like the @tongsaibay from @greenpearls. Oh and of course, come here in off-season. You might not always have those views but you will definitely have them for yourself!

#midnightblueelephant

#kohsamui🌴 #tongsaibay #naturaltothecore #discoveramazingstoriesthailand #meintripnachthailand #amazingthailand #kohsamuiisland #kohsamui #kohsamuithailand #gulfofthailand #beachviews #palmtrees #tongsaibay #Theimaged #visualsoflife #exploretocreate #discoverearth #forgeyourownpath #moodygrams #livefolk #theoutbound #beautifuldestinations #stayandwander #neverstopexploring #mytinyatlas

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Advertisement// What's the crazy lady doing with the banana leaf hat on her head?
This is a treatment which is called Shirolepa. A herbpaste is applied on your scalp before you get wrapped up in leaves. To be honest, it sounded messy and silly and I was not keen. But I had also gotten some really bad personal news, the kind you can't do anything about except drown your sorrows in copious amounts of wine. Since wine was out of the question I agreed to the Shirolepa which is said to help with insomnia and reduce stress.
Did it work? I am not sure but while I was wearing it realized that there is no way to take a serious and pretty picture while wearing a banana leaf hat so I started to goof around in front of the camera instead. And you know what? It made me laugh at myself which I guess is as good as it gets for stress relief when life throws you a curveball.
#midnightblueelephant

#srilankatrip #srilanka2019 #srilankatoday #srilankatourism #srilankadiaries #srilankalife #srilankatravel #lonlelyplanet #srilankatrain #SoSriLanka #VisitSriLanka #mytinyatlas #ayurveda #ayurvedalifestyle #ayurvedalife #ayurvedaeveryday #ayurvedamassage #ayurvedahealing #ayurvedasrilanka #srilankaayurveda #ayurvedaretreat #ayurvedahotel #neuewegereisen #bewusstreisen

@neuewegereisen @destination_srilanka

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Advertisement // The highlight of any Ayurveda retreat at Villa Safira is a flower bath on your last day. Have I told you that I don't like bathing very much? And a whole bunch of flowers only makes the concept marginally better for me. While by bath looked absolutely beautiful I felt bad for all the work and flowers it took to have a 10-minute bath.
So instead of your usual Instagram flower bath shot, I decided I needed to save some of the flowers and take them outside for a little photoshoot afterward.
#midnightblueelephant

#srilankatrip #srilanka2019 #srilankatoday #srilankatourism #srilankadiaries #srilankalife #srilankatravel #lonlelyplanet #srilankatrain #SoSriLanka #VisitSriLanka #mytinyatlas #flowerbath #ayurveda #ayurvedalifestyle #ayurvedalife #ayurvedaeveryday #ayurvedamassage #ayurvedahealing #ayurvedasrilanka #srilankaayurveda #ayurvedaretreat #ayurvedahotel #neuewegereisen #bewusstreisen

@neuewegereisen n @destination_srilanka_

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Advertisement // An essential part of any Ayurvedic retreat are daily, oil based massages. I had no idea what a true Ayurveda massage was (or how much oil was used) as a lot of places just borrow the term these days without the knowledge behind it.
Every day I would have a head, feet or hand massage, a face massage, a syncro massage with 2 therapist or an intensive massage as well as as special massage for any area of my body that needed a little extra attention that day. One of my favorite massages was a massage which was done with warm pouches which were filled with rice and herbs. If you ever wondered what a wagyu beef feels like, this must be it!
#midnightblueelephant

#srilankatrip #srilanka2019 #srilankatoday #srilankatourism #srilankadiaries #srilankalife #srilankatravel #lonlelyplanet #srilankatrain #SoSriLanka #VisitSriLanka #ayurveda #ayurvedalifestyle #ayurvedalife #ayurvedaeveryday #ayurvedamassage #ayurvedahealing #ayurvedasrilanka #srilankaayurveda #ayurvedaretreat #ayurvedahotel #neuewegereisen #bewusstreisen

@neuewegereisen

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Advertisement // While my guesthouse for the retreat wasn't directly located on the beach, they have a beach house and private access which guests can use and a complimentary tuk-tuk shuttle. Needless to say, I begged our driver Malage to teach me how to drive - I was useless, tuk-tuk driving is too much like motorbike driving for my liking...haha.

I forgot how much I like the beaches in Sri Lanka. They are not as picture perfect as maybe in Thailand or Maldives but they have a slight roughness to them which I really like. Especially after a few days of non-stop oily feet thanks to hours of Ayurvedic massages, it was my absolute best to stick my feet in the sand for a bit. I came to appreciate again how nice it can feel to have sandy feet ;) #midnightblueelephant
#srilankatrip #srilanka2019 #srilankatoday #srilankatourism #srilankadiaries #srilankalife #srilankatravel #lonlelyplanet #srilankatrain #SoSriLanka #VisitSriLanka #mytinyatlas #neverstopexploring #lifeofadventure #bbctravel #passionpassport #letsgosomewhere #wonderfulglobe #postcardsfromtheworld #igtravel #coconuttrees🌴 #srilankabeach #ayurveda #ayurvedalifestyle #ayurvedalife #neuewegereisen

@neuewegereisen @destination_srilanka

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Advertisement // One of my reasons for coming to Sri Lanka now was an invitation for an Ayurvedic retreat by @neuewegereisen .

Do you know what Ayurveda is? To be honest, I had no real idea of what to expect. I knew there were going to be massages and lots of warm water drinking but other than that I was clueless. As it turns out, there was not a chance for a #nomakeupjustcoffee picture simply because - there was no coffee! So here is my no make up hot water version ;) What would you like to know about Ayurveda? Tell me in the comment so I can answer your questions in my upcoming posts about the retreat!

#midnightblueelephant

#srilankatrip #srilanka2019 #srilankatoday #srilankatourism #srilankadiaries #srilankalife #srilankatravel #lonlelyplanet #srilankatrain #SoSriLanka #VisitSriLanka #mytinyatlas #ayurveda #ayurvedalifestyle #ayurvedalife #ayurvedaeveryday #ayurvedamassage #ayurvedahealing #ayurvedasrilanka #srilankaayurveda #ayurvedaretreat #ayurvedahotel #neuewegereisen #bewusstreisen

@destination_srilanka

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Ayubowan! Hello from Sri Lanka. I am back in the land of coconut everything, epic train journeys & the friendliest smiles.
To be honest, Sri Lanka wasn't on my travel agenda this year as I was just here last summer. But after the horrific attacks in April I felt the strong urge to go back and show my support for a lack of better word. Sri Lanka and I had such an instant connection ever since I first came here a few years back, and the bond grows deeper every time I return. So while so many people canceled their travel plans and Sri Lankan tourism has taken a massive dip, it was important for me to return right now.
I was so happy to see that the spirit of the Sri Lankan people is once again prevailing. And while it was raining cats and dogs (this was one of few blue skied pics I could take) for most of my stay, everyone was gearing up for an exciting holiday season ahead. So if you have thought about going to Sri Lanka, I can tell you - the time is now!
#midnightblueelephant

#srilankatrip #srilanka2019 #srilankatoday #srilankatourism #srilankadiaries #srilankalife #srilankatravel #lonlelyplanet #srilankatrain #SoSriLanka #VisitSriLanka #mytinyatlas #neverstopexploring #lifeofadventure #bbctravel #passionpassport #letsgosomewhere #wonderfulglobe #instapassport #travelstoke #postcardsfromtheworld #igtravel #coconuttrees🌴#in2nature #traintracks #traintrackshoot

@srilankanairlinesofficial @destination_srilanka

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If all the underwater treasures weren't enough, no country quite does sunsets like the Maldives. I am heading over to Sri Lanka but cannot wait to be back - maybe next year we head to the deep south @blueforcefleet ? Gotta see some hammerheads at last and some more 50 shades of pink!

#midnightblueelephant #advertisement

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My favorite fish is a frogfish! And batfish. And sharks. And bannerfish (but only when schooling!). And porcupine pufferfish. And eagle rays. And red toothed triggerfish (though I hate any other kind and still sport a bite mark on my fin from a titan trigger). And of course, I don't mind mantas either. Or whale sharks. Or yellow boxfish. Or basically any except for moray eels which I think are super gross!
Let's just say, diving in the Maldives doesn't get boring.
What is your favorite fish or marine creature?

#midnightblueelephant #advertisement

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I’ve got rolls for you 😂... I don’t think it ever took so much courage for me to post a picture. Sure I have posted the occasional bikini shot but always made sure the angle was just right or it was conveniently cropped. But this?
It took me a few days to get over myself to post it. There might have been a few ‘better’ ones from the bunch but honestly, this was by far my favorite. I look at this picture and I have to smile. I like myself. And while I was posing I knew I really was that happy. Rolls or not, my skin is tanned, my hair is salty, my boobs are on point, and my body was able to give me the most amazing diving experience a girl can have - what’s not to love?
With that said, the only thing I wish I could change in this photo was my camera functioning as a remote in my hand 🙈
#midnightblueelephant #advertisement

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Welcome aboard! A trip with @blueforcefleet in Maldives comes with killer inbuilt sunsets - move over, Bali!

And while liveaboard trips are about the only time I am up for sunrise, they were usually gloomy and overcast while the sunsets were 🙌🏻 #midnightblueelephant #advertisement

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