Bringing the pages alive
Melanie PikeHey 2026! I have to say that I'm full of excitement for the year ahead. Kicking-off hosting my very first tours in Thailand will be a massive thrill. As with...
Step into the pages of 'Doing Life Differently in Thailand' with this bespoke, relaxed, women-only adventure.
Filled with Thai culture, local connections and incredible food - always leaving room for those spontaneous moments that make travel truly special.
Realising in her early fifties that she needed to do life differently for a while, Mel seizes the opportunity of a few months with no responsibilities in her happy place, Thailand. Among the sun-soaked streets of Phuket's Kata Beach, she discovers the joys of solo travel and embracing new experiences.
At its core, this book is a celebration of c ourage and curiosity, where each moment is infused with possibility and wonder, inspiring readers to step outside their comfort zones, live life to the full, accept the warmth of genuine human connections and create lifelong memories.
It's a reminder that travel has the power to awaken the senses and nourish the soul.
I never ever set out to write a book — but it turns out there was one quietly waiting inside me.
My relationship with Thailand began in 1989, when I travelled there as an exchange student and lived with a Thai family for twelve months. I learned the language, adapted to daily life, and, without realising it at the time, fell deeply in love with the people, the culture, and the rhythm of life.
That year changed me in ways I’m still discovering.
Since then, I’ve travelled back and forth between Australia and Thailand many times, weaving the country into my life rather than visiting it as a destination.
Thailand is my happy place — a place of belonging, familiarity, and calm.
My Thai friends often joke that I’m “80% Thai and 20% Australian,” and in many ways, it feels true.
In 2023, during a time of reflection, I felt a quiet pull to do life differently for a while. Once again, Thailand called me back — not as a tourist, but as somewhere I knew how to be. That experience became the heart of my book, Doing Life Differently in Thailand — a story about slowing down, choosing a different rhythm, and allowing life to unfold gently.
After I self published my book, something unexpected happened.
Women began contacting me, not just to talk about the book, but to ask a simple question: Could you share your Thailand with us?
Hosting my tours grew from that one question and my burning desire to share all that I love about the people, place and of course food!
In 2026 I will host small, women-only journeys in Southern Thailand that retrace meaningful elements of my own experience — not as a script, but as an invitation. These journeys are shaped by my lived experience, long-standing relationships, shared meals, and real connection with local Thai people. They’re relaxed, thoughtful, and designed for women who want to travel with curiosity, joy and have time to be themselves.
My tours aren't about ticking off highlights or transforming your life overnight.
They're about creating space — for connection, for reflection, and for experiencing Thailand in a way that feels welcoming, human, and real.
I invite you to come and explore what doing life differently might look like for you— even if only for a little while.
Mel x