OK, I admit that it has been a few years since I have visited Thailand. But it hasn't dampend my enthusiasm, passion and love for this country and its people. On my first trip to Thailand, I was a keen backpacker with a great sense of adventure. This time round, I was travelling as a tired mum looking for a place to rest and relax. My memories of aromas from the street stalls, friendly people, inexpensive massages, the heat and humidity and the beauty of the country hadn't dissipated and I wasn't disappointed.
On this adventure, (I'll call it an adventure as it was a new way to travel for me!), my husband, Peter, and I settled ourselves into a higher priced guest house ($20 per night) in the Khao San area of Bangkok for three nights. From here, we spent our days meandering the Grand Palace to take in the intricacies of the workmanship as well as some other temples. We also spent time together shopping and meandering the area around Khao San road as well as experiencing a Thai massage and time together unwinding.
One of the most attractive things about Thailand, I believe, is her people. They are so warm and friendly, however on that note, we found that the most viable business hadn't changed since the last time we were in Thailand, and that is the tourist "sightseeing" tours. Basically, this entails a local befriending you, or the taxi/tuk tuk driver, and letting you know that the temples are closed at that time but they know some others that you can visit...which is fine, just be prepared that during your tuk tuk ride, you will be taken to a variety of stores to peruse their wares. They might even pull the "I have 3 children to feed, all you have to do is look" line in an effort to get you into the shops. You are not pushed to purchase anything but you'll probably find that, at some time, you feel guilty if you don't. On that note, we did however still really enjoy the tuk tuk ride as it was a great way to break the heat and humidity and only cost us about $2 for the hour!
Our next stop was Chiang Mai and this was our luxury part of the trip. We spent three nights in Chiang Mai staying at the Shangri La resort, which is very close to the Night Bazaar and about a 15 minute walk to the old city. What luxury! We stayed during low season and virtually had the hotel to ourselves (there was many about 12 people in the whole place!) and because of this, we were able to learn a lot of the culture and ways of life through discussions with the staff. We spent our days unwinding beside the pool (see photo), having a mud wrap (that would be me!) at the Spa and exploring the various markets and food stalls in the area.
We also spent one morning visiting the tigers. This is located approximately 15 minutes north of Chiang Mai and is a very inexpensive way to touch and get close up to the magnificent creatures. What a memory! The tigers are held in small enclosures in which you can enter and sit with them and have photos taken. This may not be for everyone so I encourage you to consider if this is right for you or not. Many of the original tigers were brought here due to the shrinking natural habitat in Thailand but the majority of them are now bred within the property in conjunction with the local zoo.
So, this time around was a completely different trip to Thailand for me. Even though I did not spend a great deal of time sightseeing or doing activities, my enthusiasm for this beautiful country has not waned. I now get to look forward to the day that Peter and I explore Thailand with our three boys and get to watch their eyes take in everything.
In a nutshell, Thailand is still one of the more economical countries to visit and it's relatively close to us here in Australia. The people are warm and hospitable and you have an amazing selection of sights and activities to experience: you can relax on one of the many beaches in the South or have an adventure on the river up North! Go enjoy!