Thailand Trip 2016
I first wanted to visit Thailand when I started training Muay Thai Kickboxing when I was in Highschool. I got decently into it at the time and it was a very good disciplined hobby. In Thailand one can live there and train at a Muay Thai gym and train two times a day for 6 days a week for 3 hour session each. I had this idea in the back of my mind for the trip to Thailand.
In reality I planned the trip fairly spontaneously with a friend in the city I was living at the time. He had been there before so knew a bit about how to plan the trip out. So he had a basic idea of what we could plan to do. So that always helps out the planning process. And we definitely didn’t do any kickboxing classes.
I had just finished my bachelor’s degree and was excited to have a graduation trip. I hadn’t travelled too much before then. It was exciting to go travelling with not much less planned other than our flights there and back. We didn’t even have our first few nights booked for when we arrived in Bangkok. But my buddy new it wouldn’t be hard to find a decent hostel. Just go to Khaosan Road and pick one that looks decent. A friend who was travelling in South East Asia a few months prior suggested a hostel called Pillow Hostel. So when we arrived we found that hostel and it was a decent place. Now when I travel somewhere I usually book 2 or 3 nights so I know I have a place to stay when I arrive. I think this is definitely a smart tradition to keep up. I am all for spontaneous and unplanned travel. But the first few nights booked is always a good idea.
We arrived in Bangkok and we took the most expensive cab to Khaosan Road. The drivers were offering a carb fare so we said ‘Yup were going to Koh San Road, who can get us there for the most expensive.’ When we arrived and after checking into the hostel, it felt amazing. Okay straight to the nearest bar, restaurant. Get some Chang Beer and Pad Thai noodles. And bingo bango were in Thailand boys. I find it’s best to just hit the ground running. Don’t take a day to recover from the flying and rest to beat the jet leg. One must keeper going, the more beer the better really. And boy did we keep it going. We met a guy from the Netherlands pretty early at this first restaurant. We also met a couple of girls from Vancouver so that was interesting meeting someone from Canada so soon into the trip. But ultimately Canadians seem to be a common nationality of people to meet when travelling. I find anyways, but maybe I just attract other Canadians.
Beers, massages then more beers, that’s how they say to do it right? Well maybe mix in a water there somewhere. Oh and maybe a street apple too, can’t hurt right?
We didn’t stay in Bangkok for very long, only one night. Then we ripped over to Phuket with a affordable package of flight, hotel and ferry to Koh Phi Phi island. Our main goal of the trip was to island hop and party. We didn’t see a single Temple, waterfall, or look out point. Just beer, cocktails, babes, pools, ah some ocean, no smokes or drugs, thankfully. Oh and food of course.
We did do a Booze Cruise one day so it was a boat tour to see Monkey Island and a few other location spots, with some pints along the way of course. Can’t really not do one of these at least.
We again didn’t book any accommodation for the island. We ended up staying in a hostel but with 3 beds in it so it was just our travel group so that was nice. We typically tried to do that sleeping arrangement. It was affordable enough since we were in a group. Whereas a hostel wouldn’t be much cheaper anyways. Then more privacy of course.
Stayed there for 5 nights. It was pretty fun, but after a few nights we were tired of the heavy electronic music that they played on the beaches. It felt like the same song every night.
We went back to Phuket and started to figure out a plan for what to do after that. We booked a bus transport to the other side of the country to the other sea. To go to Koh Phangan. There was a half moon party we were going to. We didn’t plan our flights to well around the full moon party so we couldn’t make it to one of them.
Koh Phangan wasn’t that great, the half moon party was okay too. We went to another one of the islands Koh Tao and that was my favorite spot we visited. Pretty chill island. They teach scuba diving courses there, it is pretty popular to get certified there for the scuba diving activity. Koh Tao had a pretty good feel though. Touristy still of course but more chill and more comfortable. Koh Phi Phi is too party too touristy. Koh Phangan wasn’t much going on outside of the big parties. I heard Koh Samui is good so next time I’ll check that out.
After Koh Tao we took a night train to Bangkok. It took awhile probably around 10 hours but we arrived the next day, so not so bad really. Then one more night in Bangkok then we flew back to Vancouver. After arriving in Vancouver I had to drive another 4 hours to where I was living at the time named Kelowna. Thankfully I was able to get enough sleep on the plane. Then back in Kelowna we partied again that night. Keeper going I guess, that’s what I always say.
