The end of the first leg of this trip almost over - I leave for Vietnam on Tuesday - so I thought I'd share a few things I've learned which will help you survive and enjoy Thailand.
Drink - enough water and more than enough Chang. I've started a ritual of buying two 950ml bottles of water from the 7/11 down the street no matter how long I'm going out for. I keep them in my bag which also keeps them cool for longer and for 7 baht each ($0.30NZD) you can't really go wrong. The weight is negligible, but you can buy water along almost every street if you want. If you buy smaller bottles of water for 10B, it really adds up. Keep your water in your backpack - it gets real warm real quick if you carry it with you.
Eat - forget what you like and don't like - try all of the things. It doesn't matter if its bugs, fish or spicy food - just eat it - it wouldn't be for sale if it was bad for you. Maybe don't forget your allergies.
Bring sunscreen. I forgot mine, but obviously easy to get if you're like me and forget it too.
Bring a small towel/ face cloth - wipe that sweat from your brow. And everywhere else while you're out.
Appreciate a good breeze - its like nature's air conditioning. Its uplifting and takes away the heat of the day for a fleeting moment. It goes as quickly as it comes and are sometimes few and far between so stop and take it all in.
Keep to the shade as much as possible.
Have no expectations - if you build something up and it doesn't meet what you envisaged you'll be disappointed. Better to expect nothing and then be wowed.
Take off your pants - why are you even wearing those anyway? Its too hot. The dress code here is pared down a lot and you can get into most places with just jandals, shorts and a tshirt. If you're a woman some temples will require you to wear a long-sleeve top and longish shorts or skirt. If you don't bring any most temples which have a dress code will have sarongs etc that you can hire when you get there. For guys they have pants for hire too, but the only place I've come across the need for this is the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Forget your jackets too. Whether its 1pm or 1am you won't need more than one layer of clothing around here. Unless you're driving a motorbike or scooter - then cover up to be safe.
Stay - at Bodega backpackers in Phuket. The guys there are great and its a good environment to meet other travellers. Its no real surprise its one of the best rated hostels. I was not paid to write this - seriously.
With Vietnam on the horizon I'm starting to get excited. I leave on Tuesday morning and will be there for three weeks before flying back to Bangkok. I am probably more excited about Vietnam than I was about going to Thailand (sorry Thailand) I think mostly because I know a bit more about the Vietnam war and Vietnamese history and know little about the food there. I think its also because I'll have a travel buddy for a lot of that time and will also possibly meet up with a uni friend who happens to be travelling the same region but sort of going the opposite way in terms of countries.
May 13, 2012
Lessons from Thailand
0 comments:
Post a Comment