In the Summer of 2015, I was blessed with the opportunity to travel across Asia for my 19th birthday. Out of the three Asian countries, Thailand easily became my favorite. Why? The food is cheap, the culture is rich, and the spontaneous adventures were everlasting.
Here's my experience:
Although I have never been to Thailand prior, I had some assumptions about it considering my experience in its neighboring countries. (I am Vietnamese, after all.)
• It will be crowded.
• It will smell.
• Tuk tuks.
The area that I visited was Krabi, or Ao Nang. It is a coastal province far from the usual Bangkok and Phuket. The one thing I noticed when I arrived was that the landscape is absolutely breathtaking. You'll be surrounded by mountains, trees, and water. Krabi isn't necessarily crowded, what I initially envisioned was a busy street such as in Bangkok, but this isn't Bangkok. As for tuk tuks, there are plenty. These funny looking small automobiles swarm the streets of Thailand, but they are definitely fun to ride in, as they can fit eight people in the back, with an open door in the back exposing the outside.
Krabi smells. In a good way. When you're walking down the streets, there are a ton of night markets and street food teeming with all sorts of smells. Good smells — Lad na, pad thai, gaeng mussaman, pla rad prik, and everything that Thailand cuisine has to offer. But, Thai food isn't the only thing available. If your palate isn't advanced, there are many, many, restaurants offering Italian, American, and Indian cuisine.
That's another thing: Food is so cheap. The best part about traveling anywhere is to experience and widen your palate. You can probably feed a family of four with just ten dollars!
Oh, and let's not forget a fan favorite: Thai tea. You will never drink Thai tea from where you live once you had an authentic one in Thailand. The taste is completely different. Don't fight me on this. Trust me, it's so darn good.
And last but not least, my favorite thing about my whole Thailand trip: the adventures. I was only in Thailand for four days so I had to make the most out of it. On the second day, we decided to go island hopping to six different islands. Modes of transportation? This guy.
We headed to Railay being our first, we sunbathed on its sandy beach and we played frisbee in the water.
This is also a very fond moment that I will cherish because it was also the day I got stung by a jellyfish swimming in Railay Beach. Let me tell you, it hurts immensely. The islands are full of incredible rocks and land, and photos will never do it justice.
Onwards to our second island, we decided to rock climb a certain spot. Krabi is filled with crazy outdoor activities, and this is not one you want to miss.
On the fourth day, we ended our Thailand trip with the most spontaneous idea. Three hours before we had to go to the airport, we decided to do one last big thing: hike the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi. A 1,237 steps hike to the top. A hike that is manifested with monkeys that will harass and scare you to death. At this time in my life, I wasn't the fittest, so doing a lot of cardiovascular activity was my worst nightmare. What's even worse? It took us an hour and half to get to the top, and by the time we were about to head down, it got dark. And when it gets dark, the monkeys come out. I am not kidding when I say that every step was filled with at least three to four monkeys, and considering there's 1,237 steps, you do the math. The worst thing that happened? One baby monkey touched my leg and I jumped ten feet high.
All in all, it was a terrific trip. One I won't ever forget, and I encourage all you nature dwellers to experience this part of Thailand if the opportunity ever presents itself.
If these pictures don't convince you enough, I documented my whole trip:
