So, here we go, a new year and my new blog, I didn't want to start with all the boring getting to know me talk as I am hoping you will get to learn who I am and what I am about throughout all my posts.
Over Christmas along with seven others I got the opportunity to travel THAILAND!! As this was a three week trip and go so much done I am going to cover everything over three posts - the three weeks and hopefully if anyone else is travelling Thailand I can give you some inspiration.
(All pictures taken by me or someone else in my group unless stated otherwise, quality of pictures varies dues to devices used.)
BANGKOK
After a long 16 hour flight with Qatar Airlines (who I highly recommend) Ryan and I arrived in Thailand. Luckily the first place to stay had been left for the others (Aaron, Toni, Becca and Blane) to sort out- as they had arrived earlier. Firstly we went about flagging down a taxi and directed them to Koh San Road (pictured above) and for the next hour started to take in our new surroundings, Bangkok is not like any where I have been before, such a large city with exquisitely decorated temples and a over cloud of pollution, and somewhere I knew we could do a lot of exploring. We had arrived at perfect timing, 12pm, ready for the day ahead, we met the others and proceeded to dump our backpacks in our hostel... which was an interesting place to stay!! An old building set back from the main strip, full of lots of little double rooms, a plastic mattress, sheet and two pillows that looked like they hadn't been washed for years!- but then I don't know what we expected for 700 Thai baht a night (the equivalent of £6)
Because we were only staying here for two days we tried to fit everything in as possible, first we took a Tok Tok (apparently the fastest and probably most dangerous excluding the mopeds mode of transport around) to the Temples, to visit the giant gold Buddha, a Buddhist school, and the lucky Buddha. At the Buddhist school we got to take some time to mediate and talk to some of the staff who went on to recommend places to go and food to try, so we could use our time more wisely. The temples were beautiful, decorated with gold and glass mosaics which glistened in the sun, you could really tell the monks took pride.
Night time in Bangkok seemed too be the locals main trade time, The markets are amazing- Dupes of Chanel, Mulberry, Michael Kors, snake skin purses- you name it they sell it, and the street food dotted around looked so delicious, being gluten free meant I couldn't eat much off the street but the others said it was delicious, I mean a large beer and pad Thai or cocktails for £3 you can't really go wrong!!
PHUKET-PATONG
(Me at the back middle, wearing Primark Bikini)
Spending my first Christmas away from my family was odd, but the others definitely made it the best Christmas ever, we arrived in Phuket Christmas eve and spent the rest of the afternoon finding the beach (where best to start!) and exploring the rest of Patong, finding places to eat and things to do so when Jess and Josh arrived Christmas day we didn't have to spend hours fannying around!!
Christmas day a few of us surprised the others by getting fruit, pastries and "champagne" while we waited at the guesthouse for Jess and Josh to arrive, we opened our presents that we had got from our parents and finally when the other two arrived opened our secret Santa's from each other! We all decided before we left to buy another person something they had to wear for Christmas - I am now a proud owner of a Santa's beard and wig and camel hat!!
We spent most of our time in Phuket on the beach-making the most of it while we could, however the weather wasn't fantastic here, and we got to experience a tropical storm - torrential rain and lightning, however unlike England the rain was refreshing and warm! Patong seemed to be the party "town" of Phuket which is one of the reasons we chose it, so unlike the islands coming up and Bangkok there wasn't a lot to see, so we spent most of the time sunbathing or getting a pampered while the boys went on jet skis, as it was Christmas why shouldn't we relax!
The bars and clubs here however were far from relaxing! Probably the craziest night out I've had! Cocktails for £3 and games at every bar for you too win drinks you were lucky to wake up with a hangover!!
PHI PHI
After a long mornings travelling (and nursing a hangover) we arrived in Koh Phi Phi, the home of the film "The Beach". You can, see as approaching the Island on the ferry that it is gong to be beautiful and our expectations certainly were exceeded.
We had already booked a place to stay here as we had heard from home that Phi Phi because of the film was extremely popular and we didn't want to miss out, we stayed in tree house's (Phi Phi Ingphu Viewpoint) which was four too a room, and looked over a huge reservoir which in the wet season would be full. Being in Phi Phi for only a day and a half we went straight out and went exploring the island, and ended up at the beach, which was so beautiful, After a quick food and drink stop at one of the beach bars (the best Thai green curry I have ever had) we carried on wandering around the island.
The atmosphere on this island was so relaxed and everyone was so happy, we met people who had come to this for a three week break and still hadn't left after three years! Along the beach at night turned into a fluorescent jungle with fire dancers and neon flowers in all of the bars, and the town behind came alive with pop up cocktail bars and Thai boxing competitions on every corner, we ended up in a slightly beaten up looking bar which was playing live music and never to far from home with Bath playing on the tiny screen in the corner!!
(Bikini: ASOS and only £7 in the sale!)
Our second day we got up early in order not to miss anything and after breakfast went straight down to the beach to swim away our hangovers, the water was so warm, clean and fresh you could swim so far out and still see the bottom. Before lunch we rented out kayaks for two hours, and kayaked across to monkey beach, The beach as you can probably tell from the name was full of little monkeys, which looked cute at first glance but were cheeky little things, they had learnt to steal things from boats and break open coke cans and water bottles to drink and god help you if you were going to try and fight back!!
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