Highlight Reel: Thailand, Part 1

What a whirlwind Thailand has been! I’ll be honest and admit that I didn’t know much about this beautiful country before I arrived. I chose Thailand because I heard good things about the culture, the safety for solo female travelers, and the price (very cheap!). In total, I spent a month in Thailand, so I’m going to divide this post into two. Let’s talk Bangkok and Koh Chang in this one!

BANGKOK

Getting off the 10-hour plane ride after more than a month in Europe really exacerbated the culture shock that was to follow. My first impression of Bangkok was...HOLY HEAT. The type of hot that doesn’t move, because there’s no breeze and plenty of traffic to add a few degrees to the thick air that wraps around you as you walk.

I only had a short window of time in the city before I made my way to Koh Chang. At the suggestion of a friend, I hired a local tour guide to take me to a Bangkok market for a crash course in Thai food. I hopped in a tuk tuk from my hotel (yes, splurged for a couple nights, craving my own bed and shower) and headed to meet Piyaporn at the local market. She took me around for a couple hours and showed me fruits that looked like something out of Alice in Wonderland, and explained the local cuisines including the peppers. We tried so many dishes - Som Tam (Spicy Green Papaya Salad), Pad Krapow (Fried Basil), Panang (Thai Curry), Gaeng Keow Wan (Green Curry), Kao Niew Ma Muang (Mango and Sticky Rice) and more. Between the spice of the dishes and the lack of air conditioning, I was a sweaty mess by the end of it but it was hands down one of my favorite experiences! It was helpful to get this knowledge in the beginning of the trip so I was ready for the month ahead (travelers note: always ask for “not spicy” because there will ALWAYS be heat in a dish and Thais have a different idea of what constitutes spice!). 

While I was in Bangkok, I also visited local sites including the Grand Palace which was awe-inspiring (and crowded)! When I met fellow travelers in Berlin, they recommended getting there first thing in the morning before the heat truly sets in and the crowds of people start arriving. GREAT advice. Also, there are strict dress codes when visiting temples so no leggings or bare shoulders, ladies! 

After the chaos of the city, I was looking forward to the beach of Koh Chang!

KOH CHANG

The opposite of chaos of Bangkok = the peacefulness of Koh Chang. There are a lot of islands to choose from in Thailand, but I had read that this one was very low key which was more my style. 

To get to Koh Chang, I took a flight from Bangkok to Trat airport, then a minibus from there to a ferry where we crossed over to the island. The minibus continued another two hours south (just to give you an idea of how remote this place actually was). My “resort” was at the tip of the southern part of the island. By the time the minibus arrived, we had dropped a few couples off at other interesting looking places on the mountains along the way. To get to mine, you had to continue down on an unpaved road (thoughts crossed my mind including, what am I getting myself into? Is this going to be it for me?). 

We arrived at Bangbao Beach Resort and I was shown to my hut which overlooked the water. It was a simple hut that included a comfy bed, a mosquito net, an air conditioner and a small bathroom. Truly just the essentials and it was perfect. I was really one with nature, as evidenced by the wildlife thy surrounded me - literally (I heard an interesting noise each night which I later found out was a giant lizard). 

I welcomed the white sands beach for a week, eating delicious local foods and reading as many books as my brain could consume. I visited the local pier that had small stores built into it, and took taxis that were actually trucks with open air seats in the back of the beds. At night it was so pitch black that it was disorienting, but there were the most beautiful lightening storms in the distance.

It was a restful week, which I appreciated! Stay tuned for part two of Thailand coverage...