Part Two: Thailand Bliss, Oman Adventures, and Dubai Celebrations

OK, so back to Thailand. It was our first time there and honestly, I hadn’t given too much thought to what to expect. I was just really excited for two weeks with my gang and no early school runs, work, or schedules.

But my, oh my, how I fell in love.

We flew direct with Oman Air, and at just over six hours, it’s a relatively short hop from Muscat. We were travelling during Ramadan and, if you’ve ever wondered.....yes, food and alcohol are served onboard.

The only difference is in the airport lounge, where alcohol isn't served during Ramadan, so something to keep in mind if you're partial to a pre-flight glass of bubbles.

The Marriott Merlin Beach Resort was beautiful, set on its own private beach, about 10 minutes outside Patong in a peaceful spot surrounded by lush forest. Patong itself… let’s just say it was interesting, but the hotel location meant we could dip in and out as we pleased.

The weather in April was humid but bearable, with a 10 -15 minute rain shower most evenings to cool things down. The resort had six restaurants, pop-up food stations, three enormous pools (never once had to fight for a sunbed....winner winner), and the staff service was excellent throughout!

The absolute icing on the cake? The kids’ club. It was included (though I would’ve paid for it!), and the timetable was so good that Emma and Teddy actually begged to stay longer each day. That’s when you know it’s good.

Activities included tie-dye t-shirt making, cupcake decorating, treasure hunts, sea glass keyring making, Butterfly Sanctuary tour (the hotel has this within the resort), Mug painting, Water dodgeball, Foam party (the kids loved this)...and the list went on and on!

The hotel also has a fantastic spa, which I made full use of on Mother’s Day (thanks, Danny and kiddos). Even better, either side of the beach were outdoor (very rustic) massage parlours set up by locals. At the Billy Bob bargain price of £8 for 60 minutes… who am I to say no? There’s something blissfully peaceful about getting a massage while listening to the waves lap the shore. Heaven!

Side note: both massage huts also advertised a laundry service, which I’d advise anyone to use with caution. We used it twice. The first time, we handed over quite a bit of washing and got it all back clean and ironed for about £30, bargain. The second time, we decided to be helpful and separate our whites and colours…

....only for the white laundry to completely disappear. It turned out they’d accidentally given our clean whites to another guest who had since left the resort. As you can imagine, we weren’t thrilled, but these things happen. They did kindly compensate us for about half the value of what was lost. Still, next time I’ll just use the hotel laundry!

We only ventured out a few times, including one slightly terrifying tuk tuk ride up a steep hill back to the resort where I’m pretty sure I left actual fingernail marks in the seat. Not for the faint-hearted, but hey, I can laugh about it now… just.

One of our highlights was visiting the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. I really wanted to find somewhere ethical, no riding, no performances - and this place ticked every box. The elephants were gentle, majestic, and clearly well cared for. We learned about their stories and habits and got to feed them (a lot of bananas were involved). It was humbling, heartwarming, and will forever remain a core memory.

We also went out for dinner a couple of times and ended up at Sizzle Rooftop Restaurant twice. It’s just a five-minute taxi from the hotel, and it was fantastic, incredible views, impeccable service, excellent steak, and wine that hit the spot. I even tried their tiramisu, which they make at your table to make it a more immersive experience. It’s on the pricier side but absolutely worth it.

Once back in Muscat, there was no time for post-holiday blues, we had our first ever friends coming to visit from the UK! We’ve had family stay before, but never friends (thanks to Covid and babies), and I was so excited. I planned a jam-packed itinerary to give them a proper taste of Oman:

• Sunday: Late-night drinks and dinner at ours with non-stop talking until past midnight.

• Monday: Boat trip to the Daymaniyat Islands with Daymaniat Shells, snorkelling with turtles and octopuses with a pit stop at the whitest sand beaches you will ever see!

• Tuesday: Pool day at the W, dinner at Woodlands, and drinks/shisha at Mynah’s Edge at the Intercon.

• Wednesday: Morning sea swim at Shatti, breakfast at Darcy’s, a wander through Muttrah Souq, and dinner at the American Club.

• Thursday: The grand finale, Wadi Shab in the morning, followed by a sunset BBQ at PDO Beach.

  
  

By the end of the week we were all knackered, but my cup was full. Oman really is a special place. If you’re a friend reading this and thinking of visiting, the door is always open. Just shout.

Speaking of Wadi Shab… I’m slightly ashamed to admit it was my first-ever visit to a wadi. Disgraceful, I know! I was a little nervous, but thanks to my friend Claire’s brilliant blog, Oman Wanderlust, I felt prepped and ready. (Side note: her blog is packed with ideas for things to do and places to visit in Oman!)

We drove the 90 minutes from Muscat and arrived around 9am (a wise move in the April heat). There is plenty of parking if you arrive early enough, but when we left at midday, the car park was packed (some people had even blocked other cars in!!).

Wadi Shab is one of the more family-friendly wadis and our friend’s four-year-old made it through the hike like a champ. You start by taking a tiny boat across the water (1 OMR per adult), and from there, you’re surrounded by dramatic cliffs, natural pools, and the clearest turquoise water I’ve ever seen. We only got as far as the waterfall due to time constraints, but I’ve already vowed to go back. It was breathtaking.

And then, just like that, we were back to reality. We’ve been navigating some challenges with Emma around separation anxiety at bedtime. Specifically, she’s been needing us to stay on the same floor while she falls asleep. Not the end of the world, right? Except… sometimes it can take her up to an hour to drift off, and by then I’m practically crawling to bed myself (5:30am starts aren’t very forgiving when you’re running on empty!).

I needed a solution, something gentle, positive, and structured - so I created Emma’s Sleep Confidence Mountain. It’s a fun, visual, step-by-step bedtime routine that helps her gradually build the confidence to fall asleep on her own.

The journey is framed like an adventure, with five progressive stages that slowly reduce her need for us to be close by. Each stage has a clear goal (like falling asleep while we’re upstairs, then downstairs), plus nightly sticker rewards and a special treat at the end of each stage to keep her motivated.

By breaking things down into manageable steps and giving her a sense of ownership over the process, it’s honestly been amazing at how she's grown with it. The transition has been so much smoother, and it’s been genuinely lovely to see how proud she is as she progresses.

If you’d like to see the full chart or the steps, drop me a DM! We’ve even done it for Teddy too, and for the first time ever, he’s managing to fall asleep without us lying next to him. I’m so proud of him… though I’ll admit, it tugs at the heartstrings a little watching him grow up so fast 😭.

So after all that parenting progress and a very full-on April and May... I did what any slightly frazzled mum would do, I packed a bag and escaped to Dubai for a girls’ weekend. And what. a. weekend.

We kicked things off with a boujee lunch at Sushi Samba on the Palm (I’ve developed a thing for sushi lately, but only veggie or meat ones, I still can’t do fish). The food was spot on, and they offer a great value business lunch if you’re ever in the area. They also made one of THE best espresso martini's I've ever had...and that's saying something!

Then it was on to Aura Sky Pool, the world’s highest 360° infinity pool. Located on the 50th floor of the St. Regis, the views are simply jaw-dropping. We swam around the full-circle pool as the Dubai skyline shimmered around us and watched the sunset melt into the horizon. A proper pinch-me moment.

That night we headed to Bla Bla on JBR Walk… and let’s just say, the views were better than the service. After waiting an hour for a pizza and being accused of trying to blag a freebie when I politely raised the issue, I mentally checked out. I won’t be rushing back.

Friday morning, some of the girls did a SUP HIIT class at BeBeach, while I opted for sun-lounging and pool-dipping to avoid the 40-degree heat. BeBeach had a cool, laid-back vibe (though service varied depending on who you got). Luckily, we had a good one and had a great time.

We wrapped the weekend with an R&B drunch at STK, and let me tell you - it was a vibe. Every 90s banger you can think of blasted through the speakers, and we danced non-stop. Floor, chairs, banquettes - you name it.

My 25-year-old self would’ve looked at me and said, “Who even are you?!” To which I’d reply, “I’m living my best life, babes.”

The birthday girl and I stayed one more night, napped like proper nana's (that’s what two days of partying will do to you), wandered around Dubai Mall, ate cake, drank tea, and finished the weekend with more sushi.

As I write this, I’m packing for the UK summer. We’re swapping desert heat for British summer time (with a hint of drizzle), and I am so ready for it.

But when we return, Oman will look a little different. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know a few close friends are moving on to other places.

As an expat, goodbyes are something I’m getting used to - but they never get easier. It’s the cost of living a life full of hellos in a place that’s become home.

Catch up with me again soon as I’ll be checking back in with our summer travels, including what the kids and I get up to in Chester, Manchester, and Sussex. Plus, a cheeky little trip to Lisbon to celebrate Danny’s 40th....whoop whoop!