Thailand is one of the few places that will always have a special place in my heart. The memories, the people, and the beauty of the country have made it worthwhile spending so much time there.
I decided to go on a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip to Thailand. My friends and I didn’t know much about the country, but decided to go anyway. Once there, I met some new people, made some new friendships, and got a chance to step out of my comfort zone.
Anytime I saw something unique to the country, I had to try it out regardless of costs. I even thought about moving the return flight date further ahead. The air was magical and the cities were breathtaking. I didn’t know it at first, but I ended up exploring so much of the place that I could be someone’s else tour guide.
Let’s begin with Chiang Mai
My friends and I landed at Chiang Mai airport and quickly moved on to the hotel. From there, my friends and didn’t want to spend much money on travelling costs, so we either rented bikes or motor vehicles, then hit the road.
On the way over to the local spots, bars and nightclubs, I had some of the delicious local fish and curry dishes. The nightclubs in Chiang Mai were amazing and I met a lot of friendly locals that took the gang partying after hours.
Exploring Pai
The next stop was Pai, which was about 4-5 hours from Chiang Mai. I had heard a lot about this place, as it was a hippy playground where free-spirited people came to party. I thought this would be perfect! The mainstream hotels and clubs were quite commercially-oriented, and so I decided to venture deeper into the hidden gems.
I got a chance to see the White Buddha, visited Pombok falls, and had a great time meeting the locals. The Tha Pai Hot Springs were another brilliant adventure, and one that was unique to the place. Although a bit far, the Lod Caves were definitely worth the visit.
Ayutthaya and Sukhotai
These two cities were some of the most amazing ones on the trip. I wanted to explore the arts, culture and history of Thailand, and Ayutthaya gave me a peek. This was the peaceful part of the trip, as I just sat there with the monkeys playing around.
The temples, the museums, and the views were stunning. I remember a particular moment when a monkey sat next to me eating my banana. It was an surreal experience and something that doesn’t happen to me every day.
Partying at Koh Samui
My final destination was Koh Samui, the party capital of Thailand. It was a long flight in, but well worth the investment. The island wasn’t overpopulated as I expected, and I didn’t really see too many rough crowds anywhere. I dropped off the bags and headed over to Na Muang to check out the waterfalls.
Renting a bike from there was easy, as I headed on over to Chaweng beach. That’s where I met up with a lot of friendly locals who took me to beach parties that were away from the mainstream action. I spent my final night on the fine sands at Lamai and caught the flight back home the next day.
All in all, it was a great experience. I had a blast and Thailand showed me a different side of myself. I didn’t know that I had this inner adventurer inside of me. I didn’t know that I could say “yes” to things I had never tried before. I found itexhilarating, to say the least.
