thailand

Thailand has always been a pilgrimage to us Australians. I’m ashamed to say I’ve done nowhere near enough of it. What I have seen, though, has been a juxtaposition of traditional, respectful and unassuming culture and wild beach side parties.

I first found myself in Bangkok in 2011 as the final stop of a tour I was on through Cambodia. I’d departed from Battambang in the morning and crossed the Thai border. I had just one night in Bangkok before heading back to The Philippines for work.

One night just wasn’t enough time to truly see the city, but with a Thai cooking class under my belt and a few Singha beers, I certainly made the most of the time I had.

I returned to Bangkok in December of 2013 as a two day pre-cursor to a longer holiday in Ko Samui. This was probably the worst timing in the world. As I arrived as most of Bangkok was shut down due to civil unrest, so I was limited in where I could go and what I could do.

Most of the night markets were shut down or in areas that were not open to tourists. At some points, I could hear gunshots from the infinity edge rooftop pool at the Siam Siam hotel.

Ko Samui on the other hand is as peaceful as can be. An island paradise along a seemingly never ending beach, the jungle truly meets the sea. It’s truly a holiday of relaxation by day, silliness by night. There’s heaps more to see in Thailand – I’m gunning to head up north and visit Chiang Mai next.