With so many amazing locations to choose from, Thailand is an ideal destination for a wedding or honeymoon. It’s also a wonderful place to propose to your loved one and in this interview we speak to two UK-based travel bloggers, Chloe (@wanderlustchloe) and Macca (@anadventurousworld), who got engaged on the beautiful island of Ko Lanta.
For readers unfamiliar with your online journey please tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Chloe: Hi! My life as a travel blogger started about 5 years ago when I quit my job in media in London and went on a three month backpacking adventure through Central America. I set up my blog just before leaving and once I returned I just couldn’t stop thinking about travelling. I was so excited to see more of the world, and loved sharing tips and photos along the way. Over the next few years I worked really hard to develop my photography, writing and video skills, and started to build a following. I guess the rest is history as I’ve been a full-time travel blogger for around 4 years now, sharing content from amazing destinations around the world – from Hawaii and Guatemala to Sicily and Indonesia . . . and now Thailand!
Macca: I set up my first blog way back in 2008 just before I went on a very long trip around the world for 2 years. The blog wasn’t very good but it was on that trip I realised I wanted to tell stories and work in travel for the rest of my life, so when I returned home I retrained as a journalist. Soon after that I became the travel editor at gapyear.com for a few years. However, the problem with working in travel is you talk about it a lot more than you do it! That’s why I went on another epic year-long adventure in 2014, this time with a focus on producing content for my new blog. Since then I have built up a multiple award-winning blog capturing the world one place at a time – for me that’s what An Adventurous World is all about.
How did you meet and was it love at first sight?
Chloe: We like to say we met in the Caribbean, but actually it was a Caribbean themed party at a networking event in London! I remember being quite nervous as I was at the event on my own and Macca was hanging out with a group of bloggers who I idolised. He seemed nice, but we only chatted briefly. The real flirtations started over Facebook Messenger a few days later!
Your trip to Thailand was a dream trip you’d been planning for a long time. Tell us more about how you decided on your itinerary.
Chloe: Thailand was an exciting destination for us. I’d never been, but Macca had visited multiple times. We were keen to include a few highlights (Bangkok, food, islands) but also visit a few spots that Macca hadn’t been to before. We also wanted to enjoy a mix of chill time and adventure. Ko Lanta had been recommended by several friends, so that was first on our list. Then we saw that we were in the country for Songkran, so we decided to spend those few days in Bangkok to really soak up (literally) the celebrations. My personal highlight (other than what we’re about to talk about) was Khao Sok National Park. The landscapes were truly epic and it was a wonderfully relaxing place to escape to for a few days.
Macca: One of the many things I love about Thailand is it caters for everyone and for all different ages. Even though I’d been before, I wanted Chloe to get a real flavour of the country, but I always wanted for us to create some new memories together too.
This trip was extra special because Macca proposed to Chloe. Macca, how long had you been planning the proposal?
Honestly, not that long! I think we booked our holiday in November for the following March, so it was around then I started thinking about asking Chloe to marry me. I told my family at Christmas and then started putting a few things in place. I had a good idea of how I wanted to do it, but wasn’t entirely sure where yet.
Why did you choose Thailand and in particular Ko Lanta?
Every year we go on one big holiday together and we’d been speaking about Thailand as a possible destination for a while. I’d been a bunch of times before and I really wanted to show her why I love the country so much. In my mind I had an image of how I wanted to propose to Chloe. Being the bloggers we are, I knew we’d both want it captured on camera to have that moment forever, so I based it around that. All I needed was a beautiful backdrop, somewhere relatively quiet, a camera, a tripod and a girlfriend ready to say yes! That’s why Ko Lanta National Park was perfect – I researched it and knew it was the most beautiful spot on the island. I picked out the lighthouse viewpoint overlooking the beach and it was so magical. Luckily there was no one else around either otherwise that would’ve been very awkward!
How did you ensure the engagement ring was safe at all times and not let Chloe see it?
Macca: Oh, that was very easy. I hid it in my tripod bag. In the 3 years we’ve been together, I can count the number of times Chloe’s been in my tripod bag, and none of them were voluntary, so I knew it’d be safe it there!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident were you the answer would be yes?
Macca: Yeah, fairly confident I’d say! 10?
Chloe, was this a complete surprise or did you have your suspicions?
Chloe: It was a total surprise. I had wondered when we first booked the trip if it might happen during the holiday, but I’d forgotten about it by the time we got there! When he proposed on day one I was totally surprised. What a holiday it was going to be!
Did you notice a difference in Macca’s behaviour at all?
Chloe: The only funny thing was that he was adamant that morning that he needed to buy a razor so he could shave. I kept saying it wasn’t important as we were on holiday, but he still went to the shop and bought one. I guess looking back, he obviously knew he needed to look his best for the big moment, but I didn’t twig!
If Macca hadn’t chosen the stunning setting of Ko Lanta to pop the question, where else on your Thailand trip would have been a good choice?
Chloe: Definitely Khao Sok National Park. It’s one of the most naturally beautiful places on the planet. It would have made a very romantic backdrop.
Please share your top five tips for a romantic trip to Thailand.
- If you’re visiting Bangkok, visit one of the sky bars at sunset. To celebrate our engagement, we went to the Banyan Tree for sunset cocktails and dinner under the stars. Seeing the twinkly lights across the city was very romantic.
- Visit one of the smaller islands and enjoy some time to yourselves. Ko Lanta was pretty quiet when we visited, and it was amazing to have the beach to ourselves a few times.
- Try an adventure activity in Thailand. Nothing brings you closer together than sharing a little fear and the sense of achievement afterwards!
- I absolutely love my spicy food, so if you ask for it ‘pet‘ (hot in Thai) it will blow your head off. Thai food is generally really really spicy so don’t be afraid to ask for it very mild; no need to try and impress your partner because it can go very wrong!
- You can’t come to Thailand without having a traditional Thai massage with your partner.
Chloe: It was my first time in Thailand, and I absolutely fell in love with the country. The beautiful landscapes, great food and mix of activities; I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to visit!
Macca: For me, I just loved making lots of new memories in a country I love with the fiancée I love. Thailand will forever be in our hearts for that.
See more from Chloe and Macca:
Blog: https://www.wanderlustchloe.com/
Instagram: @wanderlustchloe
Twitter: @wanderlustchloe
Blog: https://www.anadventurousworld.com/
Instagram: @anadventurousworld
Twitter: @anadvworld
You may also enjoy
Fan Club Thailand
Tourism Thailand (UK & Ireland)
We are here to help you experience the best of amazing Thailand. Bookmark our online magazine for ideas and tips for what to see and do in Thailand, and follow us on social media for even more travel inspiration.
