My Trip to Thailand
In March of 2018, I went to Asia for the first time, visiting Thailand for 10 days with a playover in Singapore. All my traveling life, I’d been thinking I wouldn't like Asia. It’s too hot, too loud, too smelly, too different. I don’t know what I was afraid of, I loved it! Thailand is one of the easiest countries to travel to and in and was a great country to check off of my 55 by 55 Travel Quest List. Bangkok is the most visited city in the world, followed by London and Paris. The Thai people are so friendly and helpful. Thai people don’t like conflict which makes shopping at the street markets so much more fun than usual. They don’t press you to buy and negotiating price is very easy and friendly. It’s cheap, you can easily travel for $10-20 per day, and for $50 you can live it up! The Thai cater to tourists of all walks and it’s a great hub to start your Asia explorations. I’m going back to Asia this fall to visit more countries and work my way up to a visit in India - more on that later.
During my trip, I met my girlfriend from Germany in Bangkok where we spent 2 nights before heading to the beautiful and relaxing island of Koh Lanta. We stayed in a mid range hotel on Khaosan Road, the backpacker central and party street of Bangkok. We had a roof top pool with bar, which made for a great place to take a break between the exploring the city. On Koh Lanta, we stayed at a beach front resort and took advantage of the $12 Thai beach massages. What a treat! We took a fantastic cooking class on Koh Lanta, Time for Lime. They raise funds for an animal rescue and the cooking class is a fun evening. I love Asian food, but had to work my way up to enjoy the spicy food.
Back in Bangkok, we braved the crowds to check out the Temples and Monasteries. While super interesting, I have to admit that it’s hot, sticky and crowded. There’s only so much of that I can take. 55 by 55 Travel Tip: I found the Thai don’t believe in walking or running in the heat. They only walk if they can’t afford to pay for transport (and it’s cheap). They think it’s very rude to walk and not pay for the TucTuc or taxi. They shake their heads at all the walking tourists. Once we embraced the TucTuc - and they are waiting in front of every tourist attraction - being a tourist became so much more enjoyable. I recommend it.
The street food in Bangkok was great. We had the best meals on the side of the road in weird stalls. We also went to the big weekend Chatuchak market. It’s a pleasant market experience. I bought another suitcase to bring back souvenirs.
I can’t wait to go back to Thailand, but there’s more of Asia to explore first. Stay tuned for more, and subscribe to my blog below.
Love Claudia
