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Why I love Thailand (And you should, too!)
Over the past two years I’ve been lucky enough to visit Thailand many times and now I currently live here. As soon as I leave I start to get withdrawal systems and plan my return straight away!
I get a lot of other travels asking me why I love Thailand so much and continue to re-visit, the truth. Thailand feels more like my home than my home country does. When I’m in Thailand, I’m happy. It’s my home from home. Below are 12 reasons why I love Thailand so much and I think you should too!
Thai food
Thai cuisine is very popular all around the world, but nothing compares to eating it in Thailand. If you’ve not been to Thailand, then you’ve never really experienced Thai food! The food in Thailand is normally quite spicy but if its a foreigner buying the food then the cook will normally make it so it’s not too spicy.
All over the streets of Thailand, no matter what province you are in, outdoor stalls serve up the cheapest and by far the tastiest Thai food you can find. And no matter what time of the day it is, there’s always food available somewhere. By far my favourite Thai dish is Pad Thai, this is a very common and delicious stir-fried rice noodle dish either served with chicken, egg or pork.
The people
Thai people are by far some of the nicest, friendliest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, for this reason, you will often hear Thailand referred to as “The Land of Smiles.” The people of Thailand that I’ve spoken to have been warm, friendly, soft-spoken, funny, well-mannered and always smiling! The Thai people who work in the local restaurants and shops always welcome me with a smile and even if I’m driving or walking around on my own I still feel really safe. Safer than I do in many other countries!
Local wildlife
No matter where you go to Thailand from Chang Mai to Krabi you will most certainly come across some very cheeky monkeys on your travels. These guys are super cute and really fun to be around, but you have to be careful that they do not steal your stuff or bite you… after all, they are still wild animals! As well as the cheeky primates you will also see a lot of beautiful birds, water monitors, dogs, butterflies… and depending on where about you venture you might be lucky enough to find elephants, pangolins, Irrawaddy Dolphin and even Asian black bears! The wildlife in Thailand is incredible but visitors to the country should always remember to be respectful of these wonderful creatures and leave them to live peacefully in their natural habitat.
Stunning scenery
Anywhere you go in Thailand, you will be greeted by jaw-dropping scenery that looks like something out of a film set. Whether it be the warm sandy beaches or the thick, dense jungles, Thailand has so many beautiful locations ready to be explored. If you’re into your photography then, Thailand will definitely not disappoint! Everywhere you go, you will find the perfect picture opportunity.
The warm weather
I’m from England where it’s grey, rainy and cold ALL THE TIME! I hate it, I’m not a person who even remotely likes the cold weather, I think this is why I love Thailand so much. The weather is perfect, even during the rainy season it’s still hot! The only time it gets slightly chilly is around January/ February time, at this time of the year the weather can drop to around 20 degrees. Although that might still sound quite warm compared to places like England, when you’re normally used to the weather being in the mid 30’s… 20 degrees is cold!
Beautiful jungles
I personally love to hike, and Thailand by far has some of the best jungles to walk through and explore. Jungles in Thailand are jaw-droppingly beautiful and offer amazing views, dense forests and incredible waterfalls to cool off in. The jungles also house’s many interesting varieties of wildlife including primates, elephants, and much much more!
Picturesque beaches
I’ve never really been the type of person who would lie down on a beach all day and sunbathe but the beaches in Thailand are so incredibly beautiful I find it hard to leave them! I could sit on the sand underneath the warm sun or go for a refreshing dip in the ocean. Unfortunately, a lot of the beaches in Thailand have been heavily developed on for tourist strips but if you go searching you can definitely still find some beautiful spots perfect for relaxing and taking pictures!
Driving a moped
One of my favourite things about being in Thailand is driving my bike! Now I would NEVER drive a moped around back home in England, I would be the hight of all my friends jokes. They’re not really considered “cool”, but in Thailand, everyone drives mopeds! After being here so long I can see why. In my personal opinion I think bikes are easier to drive, cheaper, makes the journey around the cities faster because you can weave in and out of the traffic jams and honestly it’s just nice. Driving through the dirt track roads away from the city, warm wind in your hair and the incredible scenery around you, what’s not to love. Also, some of the most amazing views I’ve found have been in the middle of nowhere and I would never have come across them if I wasn’t driving around on my bike.
It’s cheap!
Thailand is so cheap (compared to England!), you can easily travel around Thailand for a long time without spending too much money. For example, there is one little restaurant I go to every week for Pad Thai, she makes THE BEST pad thai in Thailand. I get the Pad Thai, a bowl of soup and a drink of water all for 30 Baht, this is about 70p! You could maybe buy a packet of crisps for that price back at home! Everything in Thailand is such good value for money, the flights here are probably the most expensive part but once you’re here it’s 100% worth it!
Bamboo Tattoos
I love tattoos, I have quite a few and whenever I come to Thailand I always end up getting a new one but with the Traditional Bamboo Technique. Bamboo tattoos are done with a perfectly balanced piece of bamboo that has been shaped with a grip. The needles are bound together on one fixed pole, they are bound to the bamboo grip with a thick, firm ribbon. The bamboo tattoo process is at the complete control of the artist. They use a mastered technique by hand to make the ink impressions into your skin. It is a serious skill as they must know exactly the right pressure needed to embed the ink deep enough but to not cause injury!
Thailand really is an incredible place and every time I leave, I leave behind part of my heart. It’s captivating and beautiful and I love everything about this crazy country. If you haven’t been to Thailand yet, I hope some of my reasons might sway you and if you have been and are debating visiting again… what are you waiting for!
Train ride from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi is a beautiful town that’s full of history, located 130 km west of Bangkok and it is Thailand´s third largest of 76 provinces. it’s become very popular with tourists over the last few years because of its beautiful waterfalls, friendly locals and important and tragic history. Continue reading “Train ride from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi”
Bed Station Hostel, Bangkok
Although I visit Thailand quite often, I never really spend any time in Bangkok. I normally fly into Suvarnabhumi airport and then drive straight through town, so this time I decided I would spend two nights in Bangkok. After looking around online at a few different hostels I finally found one that I loved the look of, Bed Station Hostel.
Why I travel solo
No matter who I am speaking to, wherever I am in the world… when I tell them that I am a solo traveller I always get looked at like I’m crazy! I also always get the same response “But your so young!”, “Your so brave!”, “Your so crazy!”, “Aren’t you scared walking around on your own”, “That’s not safe!”… these statements really annoy me and to be honest I get most of these from my family whenever I tell them I am going travelling!
All things Cape Town
Everyone who I meet who has ever been to Cape Town always tell me how incredible it is so I felt like It was time for me to check it out for myself. After me and my friend had visited Kruger National Park, we jumped on a plane and headed to Cape Town, I had an amazing time here but instead of me writing about every day spent in Cape Town, here are my Top 6 things- All Cape Town:
Volunteering in South Africa
As the Easter holidays started to creep up on me I began to think about how I wanted to spend my three weeks off university. I hate sitting around not doing anything, so I knew I needed to go away somewhere. Now, sunbathing and beaches have never really appealed to me. I can sunbath for about 10 minutes and then I get bored… and burnt! I love volunteering and giving my free time to help out people and animals that need it so i started looking somewhere interesting to volunteer that would look good on my CV. After crawling through google for hours on end I finally came across a monkey rescue centre in South Africa, Johannesburg called “International Primate Rescue” (IPR for short) and I decided to go here for two weeks. On their website they say “Our volunteer program will give you a fascinating wildlife experience whilst you learn about primate behaviour and animal care”. So as it sounded like a brilliant experience I booked it and before I knew it I arrived.
Wild Carnivore Research Project- Malawi
The first time I visited Africa, it did not go as I expected. If you have read my “volunteering in South Africa” blog post then you will understand why. If not here’s a quick recap: I volunteered at a monkey rehabilitation centre in Pretoria for 2 weeks and the place was horrendous! I had a horrible two weeks but lucky my days off searching for beautiful animals at the Dinokeng safari reserve made up for my terrible time. My bad experience defiantly did not put me off Africa, quite the opposite.
