Bucketlist Destination|Thailand Adventures

Thailand is a popular Southeastern Asian country in the Indian ocean and a bucketlist destination for many. As a first time traveller to this incredible country which is home to pristine golden sandy beaches and temples. I found myself never wanting to leave but to continue with our Thailand Adventures for a few more weeks.

When we embarked on our Thailand Adventures, we knew that experiencing the Thai culture was a top priority. We’d heard of the gorgeous islands with incredible beaches, the impressive temples with fascinating Buddhas but nothing prepared us for our experience. If you’re ever on the fence of whether to visit Thailand or not, I would highly recommend a visit.

Even though our Thailand Adventures ended over a week or so ago, it is still ingrained in my memory. We had the best of time, explored many places, basked in the glorious sunshine and we ate our hearts out. Our hope is this first timer’s guide to Thailand, will highlight some unmissable experiences and what not to do.

Bucketlist Destination|Thailand Adventures

Our flights to Phuket from London Gatwick were booked four months in advance and had a 14-hour layover in Chengdu China. We had intended to explore Chengdu but absolutely underestimated our tiredness after an 11-hour flight. Whenever I am travelling, I hate wasting time doing nothing but in Chengdu, we had no choice but to rest.

From Chengdu, we took a 5-hour flight to Phuket and then an hour metered taxi to our hotel, EcoLoft Hotel. I mention metered taxi because it’s important to know what type of taxi to take in Thailand. Tourists are easily ripped off by taxi drivers if your accommodation can not airport pick up then use a metered taxi. It is a cheaper and most cost-effective mode of transportation.

5 Experiences Not To Miss in Thailand

Thailand is an exceptional country, almost every tourist to the island ventures to Krabi, Phuket and Phi Phi islands. We were no exception and made sure to explore all the popular destinations and the not so popular or overcrowded. During our Thailand Adventures, we were able to enjoy 5 unique experiences that should not be missed.

Ride a longtail boat

At first sight, the longtail boat leaves your imagination running wild of everything that could go wrong. Once on them, it is an experience like no other, very fast and exhilarating compared to the speedboat.

Snorkelling

Even though I am not a strong swimmer, snorkelling is something we enjoyed big time and recommend. Being able to see the different fish swimming with and around you was an incredible experience.

Ride a Moped

Like most southeastern Asian countries, mopeds are the cheapest, quickest and terrifying modes of transport around. The adrenaline rush alone is enough to wish to ride them everywhere. During my visit to Bali, I was able to ride one and absolutely enjoyed the experience.

Tour the Islands

One of the most popular activities in Krabi and Phuket is touring the islands, Maya Bay and Phi Phi islands are some of the most popular. It is an experience like none other, seeing the chicken island in Krabi was a highlight of our trip.

Get a Thai Massage

If there is one experience not to be missed in Thai is a nice head to toe Thai massage which can cost anything from £5 {฿200}. I love getting massages whenever I travel to Asia and I am never disappointed. Definitely add getting a Thai massage to your Thailand Adventures bucketlist.

There are many other experiences I would have loved to partake in but we were limited on time. On our next visit, I would love to go hiking and venture up north and also visit the elephant sanctuary.

5 Things to Avoid in Thailand

As amazing as Thailand is, there are some tourist taps and things that we need to avoid. When we arrived in Thailand we were focused on protecting our belongings and enjoying the visit. On this Thailand Adventures trip, we learned things to avoid in popular destinations in Thailand.

Don’t Ride Elephants

When I visited Bali a couple years ago, I was excited that our packaged tours included riding elephants and feeding them. But when we did ride them, I noticed the harsh treatment they endured and mother elephants separated from their kids. One ride was enough for me to learn how cruel this was and vowed never again.

In Thailand, I learned they have elephant sanctuaries and I knew this was something I wanted to do but didn’t have the time. Instead of riding an elephant, why not look after it and care for it instead.

Avoid the Tiger Kingdom

Tiger kingdom was something that broke my heart during our Thailand Adventures because it was mis-advertised. We were told we would see the tigers like in a zoo, what they neglected to mention was the tigers are drugged and caged. The cages are not an issue except they have electric fences inside these cages. It was totally heartbreaking to see the majestic animals in such conditions.

Avoid Tuk Tuks

Whilst Tuk Tuks are part of the experience of visiting Thailand, they are also tourist traps. They are overpriced compared to taxis and most are not well maintained for the amount spent on them. Most Tuk Tuk drivers can be quite aggressive and if the price seems to good to be true, it probably is. Do your research and find reputable Tuk Tuk drivers and most are rip-offs.

Don’t Believe the Tour Operator

Some tour operators often say, ‘oh this place you want to go is closed’, this is often a lie and they will take you elsewhere. Somewhere they claim is just as good but more often than not isn’t they always have an agenda. One a few tours that we took that had ‘extras’, we found ourselves taken to shopping malls, farms and factories. This is all in hopes of making us purchase something and when we didn’t most get upset.

Don’t Be Offered with Slow Restaurant Service

One thing we noticed and were told by frequent visitors is that food service in restaurants is very poor. If you ever order different foods from the menu, be prepared to not received everything at once. Not even within 15 minutes of each other, they take up to an hour to get food. Our advice is to order foods that can be shared and eat very slowly to be able to enjoy your meal.

Overall, Thailand is an incredible country to visit and a popular bucketlist destination for many. I am excited for my next return to this incredible country, there is so much to be seen, done and experienced.

Useful Things To Know

• Buy a sim card at the airport, data is very cheap and surprisingly very fast too.
• If you have to withdraw money, do it once and withdraw lots. Every ATM charges a fee on top of what your budget will charge you.
• Currency is Thai Baht, £1 = 40 baht, change foreign currency at the airport.
• Power voltage is: 220 V and they use plugs A & C
• Best time to travel: November – February

Chiang Rai | Phuket Adventures | Krabi Best Beaches.