What makes Thailand unique?
We just love Thailand, it is so different to things back home in Gibraltar and what we are used to. We spent about 5 weeks travelling from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to the islands on the West and ending in Koh Phi Phi on the East. Here is our favourite A to Z list of all things Thai!
A - Alcohol Buckets
Thai are just crazy and to every beach party we went to Alcohol Buckets were on the menu! In some places, buy one get one free offers mean't that's all we drank! Please do, however, drink responsibly.
B - Beaches
We spent about 5 weeks in Thailand and looking back, it wasn't enough time. It is hard to pick a favourite beach in Thailand as they were all magnificent in their own way. We absolutely loved Koh Phi Phi, the island is so small there is only one main beach on the island which has a great balance of relaxation by day and social vibrance by night.
C - Chicken Sandwich
So what do we mean by Chicken sandwich, well on most western islands in Thailand, getting from one to the other is normally done by boat, each island has its own pier, and each pier has its own gathering of people selling all sorts of things. In most cases, food and the easiest food to make (apart from the pad thai) were sandwiches. We initially learnt about these whilst in Koh Tao, these sandwich places are prominent throughout this town as its smaller, and they are absolutely incredible! We would get them to take away and have them on the boat whilst island hopping.
D - Diving
Diving in places like Koh Tao is incredible as its relatively cheap compared to other places around the world such as Australia and the marine life in these places is absolutely jaw dropping. Get your PADI in Koh Tao and then use that qualification to dive anywhere around the world.
E - Elephant ride
I am a massive fan of experiences, I believe these make up the memories you bring with you, the stories you tell later on in life. Having ridden an elephant is one of my stories. We went to an elephant camp organised by the group we were going with and had the most majestic time with these gigantic beautiful mammals. We had the chance to be with them for over and hour and got to bathe with them and feed them. It is an experience I will cherish forever and be able to share with family and friends. Dylan's experience with the elephants wasn't as good as mine, but we did go to Chiang Mai's Tiger Kingdom too which reflected my experience. Either way, do something that will keep you in awe, keep experiencing!
F - Full moon
There is no one I spoke to that didn't mention the Full Moon Party to me when I told them we would be travelling to Thailand and it's certainly an experience not to miss out on. We had the opportunity to experience the March and April parties and both turned out so different. On the first one, we went slightly later to the event and the beach was already full of people chilling out, having their alcohol buckets and socialising. When Dylan and I got there, we were expecting the beach to be slightly bigger with a lot more room to move about, when we went back in April, because we knew the size of the beach and what the party would be like, it was incredible! Bar hopping from one to another enjoying chatting to people and getting to know the local culture was such a good experience! Note to people travelling to the Full Moon, toilets on the south end of the beach are not very good, head to the ones at the north end (near Tommy Resort!) for a better experience (it's alright for boys as many of them would just end up peeing in the sea (Eww!)).
G - Ghecko
Ghecko's will become your best friend. At the beginning, I would make Dylan try and shoo them from the hotel rooms, restaurants, shops we were visiting and as time went by you slowly just started getting used to them being part of the group. One specific hotel in Koh Phangnan had a sign on their door telling clients ghecko's were around for good luck, don't know how often it soothed clients but since having read that, I see ghecko's in a totally different light!
H - Hostels vs Hotels
Because Dylan and I travelled as a couple, our hostel costs were obviously double. Always check booking.com before booking a hostel for two of you as we found for the price of the hostel for two, an en-suite 2 / 3 star hotel room for the both of us.
I - Insect Lunches
Want to try some new cuisine? You have come to the right place! Tarantulas, silk worms, snakes, grasshoppers galore! The busy Bangkok street called Khaosan road is home to many of these delights, try them out. Find a hotel in Bangkok that suits your budget here.
J - Jeep
If possible, invest in hiring some wheels! It is the easiest way to get around the majority of the islands and a super fun and cheap (don't have to go on touristy trap tours) way of sightseeing! In Koh Phagnan, we hired a bike, in Koh Samui we hired a jeep and in Koh Tao we hired a quad bike! You do not need to show them your license (though we took it with us just in case) but you do have to give them your passport as a deposit. I was super worried about this when we first got told (this also happens in the majority of hotels), but they keep these safe along with your small cash deposit, both returned once your hire time is up.
K - Khaosan Road
Khaosan Road is in the heart of Bangkok and is a backpackers paradise! Everything on one street, from hostels to food to shops to massage parlours, the lot... perfect for a any backpacker landing in BGK and not knowing where to head to first. Read more about our experience here.
L - Languages
Land of the Smiles as many people told me Thailand was and they weren't lying! No matter where in the world you are from or what language you speak, you will always understand the locals!
M - Motorbikes
Hiring a motorbike is incredibly easy, no fuss and is a wonderful way to get around places in Thailand. In most countries in South East Asia (especially in Vietnam), most people get around on bike, so please be careful when riding one as there can be hundreds of bikes on the same road at the same time and in most cases, no road lines to guide you!
N - Negotiating
We had a blast trying to negotiate for prices when going shopping, enjoy the experience and is a fun way of getting to know the locals and meet new people!
O - Ocean
If there is one thing Dylan and I miss since leaving Thailand was watching the sea at sunset. Make time for that, its amazing.
P - Pad Thai
Pad Thai is probably the best, cheapest and most common dish you will find as you travel through Thailand. You can choose if you'd like it with chicken or beef and it won't cost you too much!
Q - Quad Bike
In Koh Tao we hired a Quad Bike and this was such a good laugh as it was so much fun to use and it also was a great way of seeing the island at our own pace. We pretty much went everywhere! Check out this blog post to find out what we did!
R - Red Bull
There are about 10 different versions of this drink on the islands and they are all super cheap!
S - Seven Eleven
Your new best friend while travelling Thailand! They are open most (if not all) the time and they stock everything from toiletries to munchies to breakfast options to DVDs you name it. The thing we never left without though was this amazing cheese and ham toastie! You just grab it off the shelves and then ask them to warm it up for you... heaven!!
T - Temples
Temples were something I did not want to miss out on seeing as they are absolutely beautiful. I couldn't get enough of them! Wonderful stories behind them and they all made you feel at peace and felt like it brought out the best in you. One temple which I will never forget is the White Temple just by Chiang Mai, check it out here.
U - Umbrellas in the Sun
Back home we would take out the umbrellas to protect us from the rain, the locals here take them out to protect them from the sun!
V - Vest Tops
So you are in Thailand for a couple of days now and start seeing everyone so relaxed and chilled out with really comfy, funky patterned bottoms and funny quoted tops everywhere. Buy some! They are great for travelling about in.... but please note, you go home thinking you'll definitely be using these and.... I haven't used them once!
W - Water
Make sure you are always carrying a bottle of water with you to keep hydrated! It can get super boiling at certain times of the year!
X - Xtra Cash
Make sure to always carry some cash stashed in your bag (somewhere other than your money belt) just in case you don't get to an ATM in time. Although there are more ATM's about than I had imagined, you never know! We also made sure we took out enough cash to last us a couple of days so that we wouldn't get charged an overseas fee.
Y - Enjoy Yourself
Make sure you go and do all those things you had planned to do! Budget for them properly and do them! We missed out on a couple of things and are now planning another trip to Thailand just to tick them off! Plan, Budget, GO!
Z - Zoo
A - Alcohol Buckets
Thai are just crazy and to every beach party we went to Alcohol Buckets were on the menu! In some places, buy one get one free offers mean't that's all we drank! Please do, however, drink responsibly.
B - Beaches
We spent about 5 weeks in Thailand and looking back, it wasn't enough time. It is hard to pick a favourite beach in Thailand as they were all magnificent in their own way. We absolutely loved Koh Phi Phi, the island is so small there is only one main beach on the island which has a great balance of relaxation by day and social vibrance by night.
C - Chicken Sandwich
So what do we mean by Chicken sandwich, well on most western islands in Thailand, getting from one to the other is normally done by boat, each island has its own pier, and each pier has its own gathering of people selling all sorts of things. In most cases, food and the easiest food to make (apart from the pad thai) were sandwiches. We initially learnt about these whilst in Koh Tao, these sandwich places are prominent throughout this town as its smaller, and they are absolutely incredible! We would get them to take away and have them on the boat whilst island hopping.
D - Diving
Diving in places like Koh Tao is incredible as its relatively cheap compared to other places around the world such as Australia and the marine life in these places is absolutely jaw dropping. Get your PADI in Koh Tao and then use that qualification to dive anywhere around the world.
E - Elephant ride
I am a massive fan of experiences, I believe these make up the memories you bring with you, the stories you tell later on in life. Having ridden an elephant is one of my stories. We went to an elephant camp organised by the group we were going with and had the most majestic time with these gigantic beautiful mammals. We had the chance to be with them for over and hour and got to bathe with them and feed them. It is an experience I will cherish forever and be able to share with family and friends. Dylan's experience with the elephants wasn't as good as mine, but we did go to Chiang Mai's Tiger Kingdom too which reflected my experience. Either way, do something that will keep you in awe, keep experiencing!
F - Full moon
There is no one I spoke to that didn't mention the Full Moon Party to me when I told them we would be travelling to Thailand and it's certainly an experience not to miss out on. We had the opportunity to experience the March and April parties and both turned out so different. On the first one, we went slightly later to the event and the beach was already full of people chilling out, having their alcohol buckets and socialising. When Dylan and I got there, we were expecting the beach to be slightly bigger with a lot more room to move about, when we went back in April, because we knew the size of the beach and what the party would be like, it was incredible! Bar hopping from one to another enjoying chatting to people and getting to know the local culture was such a good experience! Note to people travelling to the Full Moon, toilets on the south end of the beach are not very good, head to the ones at the north end (near Tommy Resort!) for a better experience (it's alright for boys as many of them would just end up peeing in the sea (Eww!)).
G - Ghecko
Ghecko's will become your best friend. At the beginning, I would make Dylan try and shoo them from the hotel rooms, restaurants, shops we were visiting and as time went by you slowly just started getting used to them being part of the group. One specific hotel in Koh Phangnan had a sign on their door telling clients ghecko's were around for good luck, don't know how often it soothed clients but since having read that, I see ghecko's in a totally different light!
H - Hostels vs Hotels
Because Dylan and I travelled as a couple, our hostel costs were obviously double. Always check booking.com before booking a hostel for two of you as we found for the price of the hostel for two, an en-suite 2 / 3 star hotel room for the both of us.
I - Insect Lunches
Want to try some new cuisine? You have come to the right place! Tarantulas, silk worms, snakes, grasshoppers galore! The busy Bangkok street called Khaosan road is home to many of these delights, try them out. Find a hotel in Bangkok that suits your budget here.
J - Jeep
If possible, invest in hiring some wheels! It is the easiest way to get around the majority of the islands and a super fun and cheap (don't have to go on touristy trap tours) way of sightseeing! In Koh Phagnan, we hired a bike, in Koh Samui we hired a jeep and in Koh Tao we hired a quad bike! You do not need to show them your license (though we took it with us just in case) but you do have to give them your passport as a deposit. I was super worried about this when we first got told (this also happens in the majority of hotels), but they keep these safe along with your small cash deposit, both returned once your hire time is up.
K - Khaosan Road
Khaosan Road is in the heart of Bangkok and is a backpackers paradise! Everything on one street, from hostels to food to shops to massage parlours, the lot... perfect for a any backpacker landing in BGK and not knowing where to head to first. Read more about our experience here.
L - Languages
Land of the Smiles as many people told me Thailand was and they weren't lying! No matter where in the world you are from or what language you speak, you will always understand the locals!
M - Motorbikes
Hiring a motorbike is incredibly easy, no fuss and is a wonderful way to get around places in Thailand. In most countries in South East Asia (especially in Vietnam), most people get around on bike, so please be careful when riding one as there can be hundreds of bikes on the same road at the same time and in most cases, no road lines to guide you!
N - Negotiating
We had a blast trying to negotiate for prices when going shopping, enjoy the experience and is a fun way of getting to know the locals and meet new people!
O - Ocean
If there is one thing Dylan and I miss since leaving Thailand was watching the sea at sunset. Make time for that, its amazing.
P - Pad Thai
Pad Thai is probably the best, cheapest and most common dish you will find as you travel through Thailand. You can choose if you'd like it with chicken or beef and it won't cost you too much!
Q - Quad Bike
In Koh Tao we hired a Quad Bike and this was such a good laugh as it was so much fun to use and it also was a great way of seeing the island at our own pace. We pretty much went everywhere! Check out this blog post to find out what we did!
R - Red Bull
There are about 10 different versions of this drink on the islands and they are all super cheap!
S - Seven Eleven
Your new best friend while travelling Thailand! They are open most (if not all) the time and they stock everything from toiletries to munchies to breakfast options to DVDs you name it. The thing we never left without though was this amazing cheese and ham toastie! You just grab it off the shelves and then ask them to warm it up for you... heaven!!
T - Temples
Temples were something I did not want to miss out on seeing as they are absolutely beautiful. I couldn't get enough of them! Wonderful stories behind them and they all made you feel at peace and felt like it brought out the best in you. One temple which I will never forget is the White Temple just by Chiang Mai, check it out here.
U - Umbrellas in the Sun
Back home we would take out the umbrellas to protect us from the rain, the locals here take them out to protect them from the sun!
V - Vest Tops
So you are in Thailand for a couple of days now and start seeing everyone so relaxed and chilled out with really comfy, funky patterned bottoms and funny quoted tops everywhere. Buy some! They are great for travelling about in.... but please note, you go home thinking you'll definitely be using these and.... I haven't used them once!
W - Water
Make sure you are always carrying a bottle of water with you to keep hydrated! It can get super boiling at certain times of the year!
X - Xtra Cash
Make sure to always carry some cash stashed in your bag (somewhere other than your money belt) just in case you don't get to an ATM in time. Although there are more ATM's about than I had imagined, you never know! We also made sure we took out enough cash to last us a couple of days so that we wouldn't get charged an overseas fee.
Y - Enjoy Yourself
Make sure you go and do all those things you had planned to do! Budget for them properly and do them! We missed out on a couple of things and are now planning another trip to Thailand just to tick them off! Plan, Budget, GO!
Z - Zoo
If you can go to any Asia zoo, GO! It's so much fun and something different to do. Enjoy taking pics with all the animals and wander the parks feeling like a kid again.
Planning your trip to Thailand?
We found this guide incredibly useful when planning our trip abroad as it has accommodation suggestions, food places not to miss out on and attractions worth visiting - Lonely Planet Thailand (Travel Guide)
If you liked our blog, please follow us on Twitter or on Facebook or subscribe to our Newsletter!
We could not have survived our trip without having this to guide us through. It is a fantastic collection of trip itineraries, attractions to see, restaurants to visit and places to sleep! Well worth the money and not as heavy as I thought it would be carrying it. Enjoy your South East Adventure!
0 comments :
Post a Comment