BANGKOK, CHIANG MAI & PHUKET

Sawadee kha 

Oh  Thailand where do I begin,

Pre-Plan, Flights & Accomodations

This trip that went from being a myth, an item on a bucket list to an actual reality. I knew I needed a break, if you work in the healthcare industry you would agree with me, it can get overwhelming and for me one of the key things is always knowing when i need an exhale, life had been dealing me severe cards (those who know know) and I just needed a breather honestly, Especially having to work in an area where empathy is key and I slowly felt it slip away that’s how I knew I needed this. I had my heart set on Europe but there was so much on the line and I wanted to be more realistic so I pushed that to next time. With that out of the way my next best bet was Asia, I needed warm weather, beautiful beaches, deep culture and great food. Me and one of my girls, Lauren, have alot in common like being born a few days apart and sharing wild travel imagination, safe to say, while mine is still mostly imaginary hers is legit and I love that for her. Being yappers, we yap a lot about where we both would love to go next and more, and one day at work like always we did and I told her of my gazillion plans and just like that a seed was planted. If you know me you know i have a million seeds at once, in this case, I was thinking Colombia, Mexico, Bali, Jamaica and Belize, I looked these places up and somehow I was torn between some of them being way too far in comparison to what I intended to do when I got there and so they came out lacking. It was either beautiful beaches and that’s it or good food nice markets and scenery but that’s it and in the end I realized I wanted a balance like everything about me, I wanted a mix, a little bit of this and that. I decided a mix of a big city life, the beach and island hopping and the country side and THAILAND would give me that combination so the dream was one step closer and just like that once my mind is made up it is, the rest was just finalizing bookings, logistics and definitely throwing caution to the wind because tell me why I had booked a flight and some accommodation before my E-visa was approved like I was clenching and counting to a million heart palpitations but if this should teach you anything it would be that when you need a break you need a break so risk it if necessary..

Now figuring out where to stay was one of the things i enjoyed the most, i paired most of my flights with hotels by booking them via booking.com and/or Expedia. I was not prepared for the long flight and transit until i got there, i made the most of my longest transit in Ottawa by touring the city and that was an adventure in itself, a way to start my vacation, but that 16hr flight almost took me out, as someone that can never seat still long enough i struggled and for the first time in my entire life i was glad i had hallway seats because i could stand whenever i needed to stretch and that is tip one to surviving long flights, but even though I used google maps to gauge the distance between places i knew i wanted to visit and the hotel nothing prepared me for the traffic jam that would stretch the time slot though and also how some places seemed closer on the map but the cities are stretched out, i suppose living in Moncton has made me forget the chaos of bigger cities.

BANGKOK

Having intentionally landed in Bangkok i wanted to experience abit of the buzz before i saw the rest of the cities and still go back to it before i left so this for me was perfect. I loved Bangkok it came alive and stayed alive all through the day from the buzzing city excitements , everyone rushing, to the food markets and roadside vendors, the buzzing effect not reflecting on the nature of its occupants ever warm and welcoming kind and patient, i would go back in a heartbeat. Here is some of my itinerary

This was on my first things to do list when i thought of visiting Thailand, their culture is rich and well preserved and one way to be part of it is to visit their many temples and i opted for these two paired with the great palace tour and seeing the sleeping Buddha that was just the icing. I got to learn a bit more about the monkeys and more significant animals to their beliefs, their monarch and ruling system and so much more.

Being the highest 360 degree observation point standing at 314 meters above ground, this was one of many places i intended to visit, one for the beauty of sky scrappers but also as a way to get over my height phobia i have made it a point to do these more often and while it was scary it was still a beautiful experience.

This is a known martial art form famous in Thailand, also known the art of eight limbs and after watching it i understand why they call it that. Now we all know i am not the most athletic person however i have love for other peoples culture and one of the best ways is by experiencing their unique ones and so when in Thailand a Muay match should definitely be in your to do. I cant promise you wont squirm and seat at the edge of your seat however it still also has a thrill to it that many don’t and thats an experience.

For the love of everything designer and history this museum is a cute combination for both, with details of the journey that is now one of the most expensive and famous brands in the world, i mean if anything sometimes we need to be around such journeys as a reminder we can all make something out of nothing with grace, and yes i ogled at the over prices pieces and won some prizes i took back as souvenirs.

One of the best ways to experience a city for me is always booking a dinner cruise or just a cruise that includes showing you around the area because frankly as much as i am such a planner there always places you either never know of or can not visit due to time being limited. Booking the Bangkok chao phraya cruise was just the best way to end my trip, i enjoyed a three course meal and drinks on board when learning little bits about Thailand’s history and seeing some of their monumental landmarks from a beautiful top deck of a massive boat, watching some traditional plays, line dancing and just fully appreciating it all. I would highly recommend even if you aren’t staying too long this way you still get to experience them from a far.

CHIANGMAI

Elephants are known as the national animal in Thailand and said to symbolize strength, loyalty and longevity. So they have those that were used to transport the King and there are some wild living and a few sanctuaries that allow being a part of the Elephants day to day, being well aware of animal cruelty going on in the world, you need to be mindful and do a research on the sanctuary you then choose. I got to experience this with an ethical sanctuary, enjoyed feeding and bathing them on this hot day and paired with bamboo rafting which was nerve wrecking as well as taking a pad thai cooking class which was absolutely amazing of an experience i would recommend.

One of the best things about Thailand, because it is water locked and has numerous bodies of water a lot of them have been utilized to serve their interest and therefore there are a lot of cafes that would be centered around nature , forestry or water and i found that to be such a good idea. Carp cafe was one of my favorite ones as well as the Mars restaurant just being in such a creatively built cafe was wow.

Imagine an area secluded enough yet easily accessible, when they called it land of angels they made no mistake because the stretch of waterfalls, caves , trees just make that more of an angels corner, walking there i did have expectations thanks to the million tik tok videos watched however nothing prepared me for the feeling in person, walked through each section wowed than the other, the caves were absolutely a water splash i left wet and happy, i also enjoyed some Thailand cuisine and anywhere with food is an easy 10/10 form me, yes the foodie in me, good food might i add. the

Markets and Massages

For the love of everything shopping and relaxing, i think Thailand should get the award for not only the most beautiful scenery but even more so for affordable shopping experiences and even more so affordable massage therapy. One of my main goals in Thailand was to enjoy the massages in every city and i can easily say i ticked that off, every two corners had a massage parlor and markets for you to choose from and being a healthcare worker we all know this is heaven. I had multiple full body massages, head massages, feet massages oh i can go on and on, if anything, the takeaway from tis blog should be “pack your bags and go to Thailand for massages and shopping”

PHUKET

First thing i did landing in Phuket was go to a prebooked cabaret show, i was cutting it close due to flight changes however i absolutely enjoyed it. While this is an area of entertainment explored by most in Thailand hearing of it and seeing is are two different experiences and i absolutely loved the theatrical nature of it.

One of the few world luxury floating beach club, it was an absolute joy to experience, you had to be there, the music the food the dancer performers and oh the drinks, they had a great dj play and listening to Afro beats in the middle of the ocean felt like the most rightful thing to do and just where i needed to be. Time flew so fast, enjoying the pools and the people i almost forgot that i was traveling solo.

The highlight of my trip,if i had to pick one, would be this. There is something about being around a beach or water that just does something to my soul, i am not sure if this is because i grew up mostly in a landlocked area that i learned to appreciate this more or getting over fears of heights and depths, whichever it is i thank the universe because this experience was phenomenal. There were tones of tours to pick from and my eyes landed on this and getting to do a little bit of everything was just beautiful. Starting off from the boat ride to the beautiful island of koh phiphi, the extremely blue waters that reminded me of Zanzibar, the cliffs and caves along the way to Monkey island and oh the ever beautiful Maya bay. You would think that was it i mean how could it get better, oh but it did, i got to snorkel for the first time Argh i am screaming in joy just writing this and reminiscing. I was scared shitless but shout out to the tour guide that made me feel safe enough to try and i am hooked, add that to every to do list in the future with me in water because why not.

Knowing me is knowing i love me a great night out, so first thing i looked up was some of the best afro night clubs in the area and i was not dissapointed. Yes going out at a club in a new city or country solo as a girl is not only frawned upon but also noit the safest out here, but a few tips is to follow your gut always, never leave a drink unfinished then go back to it, i personally have fun but still be aware of my environment even twice as much, but if ever your worry is if you wont have fun then dont worry, having fun alone is the best way to show yourself you love yourself and you won company, but also there always others on solo trips so you might always find them, one of the clubs i went the host sat the solo travelers together and that was such a vibe and i have met some great solo girlies traveling too and made a friend or two. Another must do is the beach fire shows, so many places offer them i went to the one a friend i’d met on the cruise was going to, NOMAD and it was her birthday so this was great, it was absolutely beautiful.

Like every old town, Old Phuket was such a lovely place to visit. There is usually so much history that is tied to old towns that nothing modern can beat and here the buildings felt so alive like they had stories to tell, so much shopping spaces and food stalls, i absolutely loved it. This coupled up with the best host and visiting the Big Buddha was a great day ending my Phuket trip.

If you ask me “What i would miss the most” i would say everything, from the time i landed to when i left i was filled with so much joy, gratitude to even be able to experience it, the number of times i smiled back at a stranger in Thailand made me feel so warm and welcomed, the ammount of visits to 7elevena nd the coconut water drank fresh from the coconut, oh every bit was magic, the massages, the street food, the warm weather and the beautiful blue waters. A “Few things i would look out for prior to arrival”would be to download grab before arrival, get E-sim, book your hotels prior to arriving and if you can book them with flights that makes it even more affordable, book your activities prior to arrival as much as possible, I use “Getyourguide” and i would recommend it, it saves on time and long waiting ques on entry but also makes it affordable and if you can do your exchanges on arrival and not at the airport, rates are cheaper in town.

I have yapped about this entire trip to anyone that could listen and if I had to do it again I would do it the same way honestly, two weeks was perfect timing I had done all I needed to and whatever I didn’t was something I could live without, it was withing budget to the best of my ability especially being that i traveled solo hence had to sort it all myself, I balanced my shenanigans and still got to rest and exhale the best I could. If I was to make a change maybe I would leave from Phuket instead of the trip back to Bangkok since i had already explored Bangkok however it still worked out just great.