thailand in review

After every country we visit, Vikram writes about our overall experiences and highlights. Here’s his take on Thailand!

Thailand is not a secret. A linchpin of the Southeast Asia backpacking circuit, its picturesque beaches, phenomenal food, and friendly people have lured travelers for decades. For us, Thailand largely lived up to the hype. (Over?)development notwithstanding, the islands look like postcards, and the mountain scenery of Chiang Mai and Pai was beautiful too. Quality Thai food isn’t hard to come by in America, but it was somehow even better in Thailand. Bangkok was a stereotypically crazy Asian city, which is not for everyone, but we loved the energetic atmosphere and hustle and bustle.

Potential travelers to Thailand may be hesitant to visit based on the recent bombings, which targeted tourist destinations. Official statements from the Thai government appear primarily aimed at reassuring tourists, despite minimal evidence and no claims of responsibility. I wouldn’t blame anyone for staying away for a little while, but it’s important to keep in mind that similar attacks can and do happen in America and the rest of the developed world, and that you’re far more likely to die on Thailand’s dangerous roads, especially if you rent a scooter and ride it without a helmet, like many tourists we saw. With that said, this may not be a bad time to check out some other destinations in Southeast Asia, like Cambodia and Vietnam, which have much of what Thailand offers at a lower cost.

Basics

Number of days: 24

Cities: 6 (Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta, Chiang Mai, Pai)

Number of plane rides: 1

Number of boat rides: 2

Number of bus rides: 1

Number of train rides: 2

Finances

Average daily cost per person: $44.36

Exchange rate: $1 USD = 35 Thai baht

Attractions

Favorite things we did:

Eating everything
Hanging out with elephants at Elephant Nature Park
Relaxing on the beach
Watching kickboxing with local gamblers in Bangkok

Better than expected: The temples and Grand Palace in Bangkok seem like exactly the kind of touristy things that will end up boring and underwhelming, but they were very impressive.

Worse than expected: Snorkeling in Ko Lanta was underwhelming, but this was probably because the best spots were closed during low season.

Things you have to eat:

Pad Thai and any fried noodles in general
Papaya salad
Massaman curry
Tom yum soup with prawns or squid
Chicken with cashews
Mango sticky rice
Any random street food that looks good

Biggest challenges we faced: Rainy season generally didn’t affect our trip, but it made planning, particularly in the islands, a little difficult, since we would have to book things (such as our snorkeling trip) without knowing if rain would ruin our day.

What we would have done differently: Next time, we’ll spring for a scuba certification course, which is way cheaper in Thailand than in the US.