Temples, Trunks and Tourists in Thailand

Oh Thailand! I have mixed feelings about Thailand, some parts I loved, others…. Not so much!

One thing you should know about me before reading this blog, and any of my blogs to be honest is that I love to actually discover the countries I visit, meet the locals, try traditional food and learn about the country i'm in! Give me a ticket to spend a month in a little Asian village or a month on the gold coast of Australia, I would pick village life every time. I'm not against but also not a fan of exploring westernised countries. I’d much rather immerse myself into local life in a 3rd world country and experience the culture than stay in a 5* hotel on a beach full of tourists. And that's one thing I struggle with in the beginning in Thailand, for me it's was too touristy. When I say, it's full of tourists, I don't mean people on holiday enjoying a different part of the world, I mean the urban dictionary description of ‘tourist’ - Any individual who displays no regard or knowledge for the unwritten rules of a location or city. The people that are just there doing what they could be doing in their own country, showing no respect for the country they are in, eating in Mcdonalds every nigh with no shirt on (unless your on a beach or by a pool just put a shirt on, its disrespectful otherwise). Well this is my view of Bangkok!

The city itself is a nice city to visit, if you get out and about! It's clean, there's plenty of interesting places to visit and the Thai people are lovely but you're also faced with a lot of tourists, more than in other cities I've visited!

The first time I went to Thailand I went on a group tour. Pro’s, you have a guide that shows you places you may otherwise miss. Con’s, you can be in a group full of ‘tourists’ which unfortunately I was. Don’t get me wrong the majority were nice but it only takes 1 or 2 to ruin your experience and people who are too drunk to turn up volunteering when that's what you've signed up for aren't my cup of tea!

However, enough about them, let's concentrate on the nice people and the highlights of Thailand! My tour was just 3 weeks long but I’ve lost count of the amount of times I've been to Thailand since and every experience since the first has been a good one… near enough!

So let’s flash back to the first time I stepped foot onto Thai soil. I was coming from India so straight away you get a whole different experience, the roads are quieter, it's a lot more modern and 100x cleaner. I met my baby brother and a friend at the airport, straight away having someone close to you joining you on your travels makes it even more special. We headed straight to Khao San Road, cos that's the place you hear about all the time (and the hotel was just a few steps away) First stop, thai massage…… one word…… painful, she actually laughed while I cried (bad choice in parlours)! Next stop for dinner and drinks, If you get the chance to visit Bangkok, Khao San Road is known for it’s bars and clubs. Personally I preferred the adjacent street, Rambuttri Alley, it's full of live music bars and restaurants, still with a good vibe but a little calmer than Khao San, maybe I'm showing my age!

After a few days exploring the capital, taking a ride on a long tailed river boat, appreciating temples and visiting the Grand Palace we headed out of the city where we got to see more of ‘the real Thailand’, some of it anyway.

First stop, Sangkhlaburi. The journey here was more to my liking, driving through the countryside and along rivers with traditional houses on stilts, remember from my first blog, I’m a country girl! Sangkhlaburi is a small town near the border of Burma, it was much more relaxing here, we spent time down by the river, mooching around the market and exploring the quaint town before heading into the jungle for a few days of trekking and camping! Tip, even if you are claustrophobic try going into the caves, once you get past the narrow entrances the inside is incredible! We walked the Mon’s bridge, the second longest wooden bridge in the world and tried our hand at bamboo rafting! Slowly Thailand was beginning to impress!

One of my favourite parts of traveling is being able to give back to the local community, when you see what taking a few hours out of your day can mean to the families you are helping, it makes it all worthwhile. In Thailand we volunteered at a daycare center for a couple of days. (Not the best volunteering option but you do what you can) We basically had to entertain 20 children aged 3 - 8 that didn't know any English. Not such a hard task if you have a football, colouring books and snapchat. They were adorable and even more so at nap time with their little pillows and blankets to snuggle up with!

Next stop, Kanchanaburi. On the way we stopped by the Hellfire pass, the WW2 museum where you can walk part of the railway that used to run from Thailand to Burma. It was built by British, Australian and Dutch POW’s when captured by the Japanese. Very moving!

Kanchanaburi is home to the Erawan National Park, WOW just WOW! I don't know how else to describe this place. It’s an incredible day out where you can immerse yourself into the natural surroundings, trekking the evergreen forest whilst stopping for cool off dips in all 7 tiers of the waterfall. Not only was this a fun day out but it was also my baby bro’s birthday so party time too!

After a few more days exploring the area, visiting more temples, practicing meditation with a monk, it's harder than it looks, and taking some Thai cooking classes it was onto the island we went for some beach time!

Koh Phangan, the fifth biggest Thai island, renowned for its monthly Full Moon Party definitely lived up to expectations……. Beautiful white sandy beaches, clear blue seas and one big party!!! We took a boat island hopping, visited Koh Nang Yuan, went snorkeling and ate lunch overlooking the ocean but man was I home sick during this time, it happens occasionally but don't let it stop you going. Obviously I didn’t really want to be at home working everyday in freezing cold England (it was Feb at this time) but I wouldn't have minded nipping home for just a few days to see the family. Like I say a lot in my blogs, all the good times come with some lows.

We went to a jungle party…… again not my scene, cool location but I think they played the same song for the entire evening! I may really be old, but underground techno music, I just don't understand the appeal! But the full moon party, OH MY GOD what an experience, it was absolutely mental, but what a night. Dancing on a beach with 30,000 people all dressed up in neon outfits until sunrise, it's definitely something I'll never forget.

Two days before the end of the tour we had some really bad news from home which hit us hard so my brother, a friend and I separated from the rest of the group hired a jeep and toured the island. Although we didn’t know where to go we just wanted to escape reality for the day and we found some right gems. Secret waterfalls, tree house bars with hammocks with panoramic views and a beautiful beach that we pretty much had to ourselves for sunset. It ended up being one of the best days of the trip. Remember when you do travel don't just go to the places you've seen online, you need to really get out and explore to get the most out of it.

Leaving Thailand (this time) I never imagined going back again but I am glad I did!

During my time living and working in Cambodia I was lucky enough to spend a lot more time in Thailand, visiting different places, meeting new people and enjoying different experiences. I did have to go to Bangkok quite a bit but it's a lot nicer when you're there with friends who know the area that can show you all its hidden secrets, like the hole in the wall that serves the best pad Thai around and the massage parlours that don’t feel like they're breaking your back. Bangkok began to grow on me.

One town that quickly became a favourite of mine was Surin, a village that we worked in near the border of Cambodia. The company that I worked for supported the elephant village here, we promoted ‘walk with, don't ride elephants’ and volunteers would spend a week here taking care of the elephants and helping in the local community. Staying in a traditional Thai home, with a local family, eating home cooked food with an elephant in your back garden is an experience that not many get to have and I was lucky to do this as a typical day at work. These gentle giants are seen as part of the family here and have been for generations. Waking up in the morning, heading outside and sitting in the hammock with a cup of tea whilst the ellies are enjoying their breakfast in front of you is surreal! I was actually lucky enough to be able to take my mum and nana to visit when they came for a holiday as well, seeing my 82 year old nana’s face light up whilst she chatting away to a giant elephant is a moment I'll remember forever as well as trying to teach them how to eat at a traditional Thai BBQ dinner.

When working as a tour guide I was sent to different countries to lead tours. I led our Thailand & Cambodia tour often where we volunteered in the elephant village and worked in schools or built houses but one tour that showed me even more of Thailand was our Thailand tour. With hardly any Thai knowledge I was there mainly to train the new Thai guide how to lead a tour whilst she taught the group, and me, all about Thailand and why it is an amazing place to visit!

During this tour we visited a lot more of Thailand that I had written off beforehand. We cycled around Ayutthaya, the old capital, which is extremely interesting. Spent a few days in Chiang Rai living with a hill tribe learning about their culture, enjoying the ‘simple life’ and helping in the community. Visited the White Temple which is spectacular and volunteered with more elephants in Chiang Mai, still no riding involved. I say it all the time but I was truly the luckiest girl around and my views on Thailand changed for the better!

One thing Thailand taught me and the moral of this blog, never judge a book by it’s cover. If I had, I wouldn't have seen the wonderful places I've seen, met the lovely people I have or made the friends that I would have been lost without.

Take care Thailand and I hope to see you again sometime.