Hatyai: A Small Trip, A Soft Reset

 I didn’t plan this trip. Tak expect apa-apa pun, honestly.

Semua start dengan soalan simple dari ibu
“Nak ikut tak trip bas ke Hatyai dengan staff office ibu?”

And I just said yes.
Takde checklist. Takde itinerary. Just… ikut je.

And sometimes, that’s how the best resets begin- quietly, unexpectedly, and without pressure.

Day 1 : Check-in, Souvenirs & Floating Vibes

Kami sampai Hatyai dalam tengah hari. First stop?
Kaysorn Souvenir Shop, around 1.30pm.

 

Tempat wajib kalau nak borong fridge magnet, keychain, snek Thailand semua jenis ole-ole ada. Even kalau tak plan nak shopping pun, mesti akan terbeli juga. “Satu je,” I said. Ended up beli lima. Classic.

Lepas tu, check-in hotel around 3.11pm.
Hotel tak jauh dari Central Hatyai. Bilik selesa, cukup untuk tidur dan rehat after a long ride.

Malam tu, kami gerak ke Floating Market around 7.00pm.
This place memang lively! Penuh dengan bau makanan, lampu-lampu, suara peniaga. Makan grilled seafood, mango sticky rice, Thai tea dalam bekas comel. Jalan pelan-pelan, makan sambil tengok lampu. Simple, tapi puas.

   

Day 2 : Elephants, Horses & A Bit of Soul

Pagi-pagi lepas breakfast, kami ke Chang Puak Elephant Camp around 10.16am.
Tak naik gajah, just ambil gambar and tengok surroundings. Ada juga yang naik ATV dan tengok show, but I just wanted to chill and observe.

Lepas tu terus ke Songkhla City and sampai around 12.22pm.

Kami singgah Samila Beach, angin sepoi-sepoi bahasa. Dan ya, I naik kuda tepi pantai, tak tahu kenapa tapi it felt so freeing.

Tak jauh dari situ, kami solat di Songkhla Central Mosque masuk waktu dah dekat 2.45pm. Masjid dia besar, tenang, dan cantik.

    

By 3.00pm, kami ke Seaverse Cafe & Restaurant.
View menghadap laut, makanan sedap, and tempat dia aesthetic sangat. Perfect for coffee, cake, or just staring at the sea for no reason at all.

  

Lepas tu? Free time.

Most of us just jalan-jalan at Central Hatyai Mall, and later singgah 7E Thailand (confirm semua borong air & snack pelik). This free & easy time actually my favourite, no plan, just enjoy.

 

Day 3 : One Last Look, Then Home

Tak banyak aktiviti on the last day.
Just pack barang, breakfast, and naik bas balik Malaysia.

It felt fast, like all good things do.

But somehow, walaupun sekejap, trip ni bagi ruang untuk aku tarik nafas.
To pause. To just be.

So yes, Hatyai was my first travel for 2024.

It wasn’t the grandest or the most luxurious but it gave me exactly what I needed at the time: a short pause, a soft reset.

Just a week after that… I’d already be packing for my next adventure -  Europe. (That story? Coming soon, in another post ✈️)

In shaa Allah, masih banyak langkah yang menunggu.

More roads to take, more places to heal, and more memories to keep.

Because these days, I no longer travel just to “go”.
I travel to feel, to reset, to remember who I am - one journey at a time.