I Won an 8-Night Trip to Thailand and My Next Year in Travel
Most people know I don’t shut up in general. Well, now I really won’t shut up. I won a trip to Thailand!!!
Here’s how it happened.
As many of you know, I have a gorgeous job in the travel industry in a chic London office. Iced lattes on the house, a shower room which I have dubbed the ‘glam room’, and a genuinely low-stress gig. Dream.
Every so often, the company sends out invitations to networking events or trade shows, typically held in a restaurant or hotel after work for around 50 people. The purpose is allowing suppliers to connect with buyers (obvi).
The typical lineup includes tourism boards, hotels, airlines, travel agents, you name it. And the night’s theme was all about Asia.
You go around, get a few drinks, mingle, listen to some presentations and then, let’s be honest, the real reason most people sign up: the prizes!
They start out small, a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher, a bottle of champagne, and slowly ratchet up. There were about eight prizes and they had just called the seventh one. This was the last chance to win something, and the prize? An 8-night stay across four properties in Thailand.
They called a random number, 13, and I thought, well, this is my childhood best friend’s soccer number, so good luck, good luck, good luck.
Then the host said: Charlotte Heinrich.
Ahhh!
I strutted up to the podium in my (now lucky) cheetah stilettos and took my picture with the donor while about ten of my colleagues chanted, “Char-lotte! Char-lotte! Char-lotte!” It was a moment I’ll never forget.
Now let’s get to the juicy details.
The properties? Four nights in an eco resort in Khao Lak, two nights in a resort on Phang Nga Bay, and two one-night stays in bungalows on Cheow Lan Lake, part of one of Thailand’s best national parks.
When will I be going? Per the vouchers, I can’t travel between December and March, and one voucher expires at the end of May 2027, so I’m planning for late April or early May 2027.
Who am I taking? My dad! I get my love for adventure from him, and my parents have truly given me an incredible life. (And no, my mom isn’t offended. She’s more of a château in France kind of girl.)
Are flights included? No, but I do accept Venmo, Cash App, bank transfer, PayPal…
Am I going anywhere else? Yes! To start this trip of a lifetime, drum roll please… Dad and I are going to Beijing to see the Great Wall of China! So it’ll be Beijing, Thailand and then, (subject to approval from my department head), I’ll be using my one-month work abroad perk to spend two weeks in Vietnam and two weeks in Bali - woohoo!
What activities will I be doing? Elephant sanctuary, kayaking, island hopping, snorkeling, jungle trekking, cave trekking, night markets, village tours, you name it. Did someone say 400 Instagram stories?
OK, now April is a long ways away. Being the spoiled travel addict I am, I will not be able to wait that long to leave the country. So here are my plans (and yes, these were made before the big Thailand news):
Long weekend in July: girls’ trip to Barcelona!
Week holiday in September: solo in Rome (with a side quest to Orvieto) for 3 nights, Corfu for 2 nights and then meeting Sarah in Ksamil, Albania for 3-4 nights!
Cheeky 25th birthday celebrations: Morocco with my UK girls. Love ittttt.
Then I’ll be in America from Thanksgiving to Christmas with my family. Back to London for the dreaded Q1 and then it’s almost time for Asia!
I’m thinking I might need a cozy weekend in Wales in late February for everyone’s benefit… My mom literally says, “I know you get into funks when you haven’t been on a trip in a while.” Guilty as charged.
Am I the luckiest girl in the world? Yes.
Now send me your Asia recs!
