Hi Steemit community! I have to apologize for my long absence. I’ve had computer problems, apartment problems, and even boyfriend problems over the past year. I guess you could consider the issues a “general loss of life control.” Fortunately, I have a lot of things to share, and I’m hoping you guys will find these posts a little more exciting than my quick pickling recipe lol. I’m still alive, still cooking, and of course still eating my way through Vegas! I’m just hoping to redeem myself with my exciting new food and travel experiences.
So I went to Thailand in February, and it had to be the single most incredible trip I’ve ever taken. It was one of those trips where you decide to go, book it, and don’t really believe it’s actually happening until you’re on the 20 hour flight from hell. None of that hesitation mattered once I arrived, and I realized how incredible and captivating South East Asia really is. I had the chance to stay in Bangkok, and tour Kanchanaburi, along with the famous landmark “the bridge over the River Kwai.” I hopped a flight to Phuket, on the Andaman Sea, and spent a few nights in Koh Phi Phi which is without a doubt the most beautiful place I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’ve decided to divide the trip into a few different posts because I visited so many different spots, and had the privilege to see so many things, I couldn’t possibly share it all at once. I figured I would start at the beginning, and go from there (and try not to go overboard with every detail). Hopefully any of you potential Thailand travelers will find my posts helpful, and I can reassure you to go ahead and book your trip!
My friend and I got our tickets cheap. Around $550 per person to fly into Bangkok in the middle of Feb. We stayed for almost 2 weeks. We figured if we were gonna fly all the way to the other side of the world we better make the most of it. We booked with “Air China” cuz it was the cheapest rate. It wasn’t pure luxury, but there was nothing wrong with it worth complaining about. Basic seats, and shitty food, but nice staff. On the return flight we discovered the alcoholic beverages were unlimited, and FREE. Air China went up about 4 points. We flew into Bangkok, and decided to explore the city for 5 days, and then travel to the more “tropical” beach destinations. We stayed at a small hotel called “Swana”, and visited the touristy Khao San Road, the floating markets, and the religious temples (which were beautiful).
The food we had was a little mixed up in Bangkok. We loved some of the restaurants, and we weren’t impressed with others. One of the first places we went for lunch served us a “heart shaped rice patty” and charged us quite a bit for it if I remember. I would have to say that the Khao San Road restaurants were the worst tasting, least authentic, and priciest. I had to literally run back to our hotel after a dinner at a popular spot on that street. The best food we had in Bangkok we found at a little hole in the wall type of breakfast/ lunch place in one of the alleys near our hotel. It was a small storefront with a few picnic tables out front, and one billboard style menu just to let people know they were serving meals. It almost looked like the staff lived onsite. A grandmother-ish aged lady came out from behind the scenes numerous times to reassure I REALLY wanted the full Thai spice in my order. It was definitely for a good reason. The soup had me sweating bullets, but equally addicted to the flavor. No one should be afraid to explore the alleys of Bangkok during the daytime. They’re filled with shops, culture, and countless tourists! The vendors off the beaten path may not speak English as fluently as the locals on the “signature streets”, but they are more than welcoming to foreigners and patrons of any kind. Avoiding the alleys of Bangkok would be more than a misstep.
We took a tuk tuk (another word for taxi, which is basically a high powered golf cart that is allowed on the street) and ventured to see all of the Thai Buddhist shrines. Our driver waited for us outside at every stop eager to bring us to the next place. The cost of the trip was $1.40 in American money. I could barely believe it. “Baht” is the currency used in Thailand. All the ATMs convert dollars to Baht, and most banks have money conversion stations people can use for a fee. It’s difficult to compare it to the US dollar because their smaller coins would be worth less than an American penny. You don’t need much US money to have a good time anywhere in Thailand. An upscale dinner in tourist town won’t be more than $10-20 bucks for 2 people. Khao San Road is a cool spot, but it’s the essential tourist trap. You’ll have vendors approaching you NON STOP. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating at a restaurant, they will sneak in, and try to sell you a black scorpion on a stick as an appetizer!
That being said, I felt very safe there. It’s easy to understand why Bangkok locals would hope to earn some extra money from the tourism their city supports. Every Thai individual I met was humble, and gracious. At night the streets of Bangkok turn into a sort of “alley way BBQ”. The majority of the shop owners set up a grill/food cart in front of their stores right on the sidewalk and sell food that is easy to eat on the go. The streets are alive with locals and tourists alike, well until dawn. You’ll never be alone if you choose to walk vs. paying for a ride. I was never once approached by a Thai person in any way that was less than respectful and/or helpful. It almost felt nice to have everyone sitting outside late at night, socializing, and cooking. I’m a 100% night owl so Bangkok might have been made for me;)
The one thing that is more plentiful in Bangkok than food is beer. It’s everywhere. Every place that wants to make money always offers alcohol (aside from the religious temples). You can drink walking down the street, riding in a tuk tuk, or car, even checking into a hotel. Doesn’t matter. Our tuk tuk driver who gave us the tour of the temples asked us to visit a suit making store as our last stop of the day. The factory that makes these suits was the same place that produces suits for Armani. We understood it was National Buddha day, and the Thai people were trying to promote tourist spending so we were happy to oblige. Of course my boyfriend at the time ordered a custom fitted suit. They obviously had endless free beer in the suit store too lol!
After the tailor shop we stopped at a travel agency that had a package deal to visit Kanchanaburi floating markets (shops you visit via waterway canals, selling everything and anything) along with the bridge over the River Kwai, and the World War 2 history museum. It also gave us a chance to bathe an elephant in the river! Who could say no to that? Our elephant liked to pick us up and body slam us in the water, just as much as he liked to lie down and be scrubbed with a brush. I don’t know if I’ve ever had such an amazing day. We were on our way to Phuket airport to visit Koh Phi Phi Island early the next morning. I’m not sure if I really had a chance to take it all in before I was headed somewhere new…
