Fourteen days, a dozen of our gorgeous models and one epic luxury villa. Yes, this is how MAXIM does Thailand…
Bringing 12 MAXIM models from Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Miami, Los Angeles, NYC, Texas and Capetown was just the beginning of our Thailand adventure. The heat really hit us on arrival and despite the weather forecast of rain on the daily, we immediately knew we were in for some serious fun in the sun.
Greeted by the incredible Lime Samui team (the crew from the luxury villa which served as our 25home for two weeks) at the airport, we were whisked away to a paradise that far exceeded our expectations. Master bedrooms bigger than most apartments, incredible bathrooms leading to breathtaking balconies, infinity pools overlooking epic estate gardens, a jungle colliding with the sea and the most beautiful sunset views over the ocean. If heaven was actually on Earth, we just spent 14 days there.
With Australia being so close to Thailand and our cuisine heavily influenced by Asian foods, our Aussie girls were ready to eat up a storm and the villa chefs did not disappoint. Some of the Americans however struggled with the “foreign food” asking the Aussies to explain things like clear noodles and “why are they see-through?” Slowly, but surely, the foreign delights were embraced but not without some heavy-duty grocery store missions to stock up on M&M’s, popcorn and an array of sweets – yes, MAXIM Models love their junk food. Of course, it’s also safe to say the villa gyms were beyond busy. Especially after the hidden stash of villa Nutella supplies were discovered and immediately became the food of choice – or as a chaser to every meal. In fact, on multiple occasions there were murder mystery inspired search warrants issued to the group when said Nutella went missing. We also report, with success, the creation of our signature cocktail “Destination MAXIM” – an orgasm of lychee, lime, mango and a very, very flexible measurement of vodka. Needless to say, a star was born and is now known as the Kush Bush.
Getting down to business, our days mainly consisted of day-long photo shoots with our magnificent models around the beautiful villa and surrounding areas. We kicked off with hair and make-up by the talented and super-hot Yuni Wilson at 6am with the final clicks of the cameras going off until the last of the golden Koh Samui sunsets, we were spoilt with, were gone. Our photographer Rocky Batchelor and videographer Cameron Brunt were relentless in their pursuit of the perfect shot and worked around the clock to churn out the incredible images you see here.
When we weren’t striking a pose for the cameras our adventures included jet skiing and trekking along waterfalls and private beaches – which resulted in a serious lack of swimwear (or any clothing for that matter) being worn. Our team of models were also treated to a private yacht trip, flower baths and a kickboxing session with a traditional Muay Thai instructor who definitely got more than he expected in the power of the MAXIM kick and punch. Other activities included feasting on superb luxurious floating breakfasts and… general nudity. Suffice to say that the human body is a wonderful thing and it was constantly celebrated during our trip.
The beautiful pools and grounds of the Lime Samui Estate made an incredible back drop to our photo shoots and nothing was too much to ask for from the villa staff who accommodated our every want and need including traditional Thai massages and plush poolside mani-pedis. The villa’s team also took us through some amazing Thai cooking classes in the hope we could try to recreate these memories at home – highly unlikely but definitely worth a try!
As the days went by we discovered that our gorgeous girls were most certainly not just pretty faces, as they swapped stories from the catwalks of New York (Elizabeth), Miami Swim Week (Ashley) and Melbourne Fashion Week (Anja) to alligator hunting by the impressive and entrepreneurial Stormi to the eminent opening of a wellness centre in Sydney by go-getter Ella and cheat eats ebooks with Brianna (aka the Nutella Monster). We were also entertained with some interesting tales of a NYC actress (Arielle) and dance moves of a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (Kalyssa).
Needless to say, the two weeks flew by, and sadly came to an end, but not without some amazing memories, incredible new friendships and rock-star photos breathing fire across Instagram and these pages. A very special mention and huge thank you to the Lime Samui staff for hosting us, the Oceana Samui team for the baller boat, Superpro fitness for the Muay Thai and Extreme Samui Watersports for the amazing Jetski Safari.
We hit Bali in November to do it all again, so stay tuned.
For models interested in joining us on future Destination MAXIM Australia trips, simply dm us on Instagram at @maxim_aus or email us at maxim@maxim.com.au
Photographed by Rocky Batchelor
Styling by Belinda Roelofs
Hair & make-up by Yuni Wilson
Swimwear & lingerie by Mary Holland
Jewellery by the M Jewelers. https://themjewelersny.com
Videography by Cameron Brunt
Shot on location at Lime Samui Villas
For the full article grab the November 2018 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
