3 posts tagged “thailand”
Near the end of two and half weeks of travel through South East Asia, D and I found ourselves with a choice to make. We had gotten ourselves to Luang Prabang, but we weren't sure which direction to go next. We needed to end up in Bangkok about 4 days later, so we could either fly to Cambodia and spend too little time there, or we could head back into Thailand by plane or bus and see the well known northern city of Chiang Mai. We decided to fly to Chiang Mai, mostly because a 17 hour bus ride was at the end of the list of things I was interested in doing right then. We forked over 100 USD to the infamous Lao Airlines and spent only 1 hour in the air.
I had heard very good things about Chiang Mai before arriving. I was told that it was much smaller and less modern than Bangkok, and that it therefore felt much closer to traditional Thai culture. If you want to study the Thai language, Thai cooking or any other Thai art or sport, Chiang Mai is likely where you'll end up. Many small schools have opened there in the last 20 years to fill the tourists demand for studying authentic Thai culture.
The first thing I noticed off the plane was the slow pace of the city. In the few days we spent there, we only came across one major busy road. Though it is indeed a full-fledged city, Chiang Mai felt much more like a small town. The streets are not crowded, and people are friendly (There are friendly people in Bangkok too, but they are likely trying to sell you something). We were surprised at how laid back the Chiang Mai markets and restaurants really were.
Another thing the Chiang Mai area is known for is the tour package. Whether you want to go rafting, elephant riding or hiking among northern Thai villages, there is something for everyone. We opted to go on a one day tour that allowed us to do all three of those things. We started at an elephant park, where our group took a ride through the forest on elephant back. Then we went down a river on bamboo rafts. I nearly fell off about 8,000 times, but it was a great way to see what the bush looks like. We hiked through the forest to a waterfall, and later we toured around a village, where a native tribe has lived for hundreds of years. It was a day well spent and a great end to our vacation. Our pictures are here.
Last month we traveled around South East Asia for about two and a half weeks. We went to Hong Kong, Thailand (Bangkok and Chiang Mai) and Laos (Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang). It was a wonderful trip, with a nice mix of food, adventure, culture and summer weather! I'll write about each place individually soon, but first I need to tell you about a discovery I've made. I've found the most fantastic travel shoes. They aren't necessarily meant for travel, but when I found them I thought they had all the makings of a good travel shoe, and I was right.
The company that makes these shoes is called TOMS. It was started by a participant of one of my favourite shows, The Amazing Race. While traveling through several developing regions Blake Mycoskie noticed many children were living without proper shoes. He had an idea and sought to help remedy the problem. He started TOMS shoes on the 'one for one' principal that for every pair of shoes he sold, he would donate another pair to a child in a country like Argentina or South Africa. Since he started the company in 2006, TOMS shoes has given shoes to upwards of 200,000 children around the world.
As soon as I heard about this company, I went to the website and decided I wanted to buy a pair of TOMS myself. I looked through the styles offered and settled on these. I loved the neutral colour and the wild animals print inside. Little did I know then that I would end up wearing them while riding an elephant! The next step, of actually purchasing said shoes, proved quite difficult since I live in South Korea. Unfortunately, TOMS doesn't currently send online orders to Asia, so I had to track down one of the 5 or so stores in Seoul that carry TOMS. I went to one in MyungDong, called 'ALand'. I was happy to find they stocked the style I wanted (and also that they have a second hand store on their 3rd floor!), and I happily forked over my $42 USD. I am proof that when you offer a customer something extra (especially something worthwhile) with their purchase, that customer is willing to pay a lot more than normal for your product.
I walked around in my TOMS before our trip, wanting to make sure they 'wore in' before we left. I was pleasently surprised to find they didn't need it. They were comfortable from the minute I put them on and they haven't stopped being comfortable since. I was also happy to feel how lightweight they are, which is the second most important traveling requirement. Comfortable? Check. Lightweight? Check. Two for two. The other benefits of making these my 'travel shoes' revealed themselves once we were on the road. In the past I traveled through warm climates primarily doning flip flops or other sandals. While I adore my flip flops, they do not keep my feet warm on night buses, and they do not protect my feet from mosqitos (who are potentially carrying malaria) or random things on the street I don't want to get on my feet. I was concered that they would feel too hot while I was walking around in the tropics, but I felt really comfortable in them. It was a bonus that my shoes seemed to go with almost everything I wanted to wear.
After two and a half weeks of wear through dirty cities and rough countryside, my TOMS held up very well. The quality of these shoes is very high, and I would trust them to stand up to a much longer trip as well. Obviously, I would recommend other travelers get a pair of TOMS. Not only do they make a great travel shoe, but they also give us an opportunity to improve the quality of life of people we often meet while traveling. Now I need to find a reason to justify the purchase of these lovely TOMS wrap boots.
There was a week between Christmas and my trip to Canada when all I wanted to do was get away. Luckily for me, I had a week off and a ticket to Bangkok. D and I spent a blissful week touring Bangkok, Phuket and Phi Phi Don. I've been thinking about going to Thailand since I first discovered thai food back in my sheltered small town high school days. My passion for thai food only flourished when I moved to a city with a dozen great thai restaurants. When I decided to move to Korea, one of my main reasons was "It's closer to Thailand than I've ever been!" So, the decision to go there was an easy one for me.
It lived up to my expectations in every way. Not every country does, so I've given Thailand a coveted spot in my list of favorite places. The people were friendly (although bargaining with them was difficult at times), the streets were vibrant, the beaches were spectacular, and the food. The FOOD. It was delicious. Every single time. Pad Thai tastes so much better when you see it made just for you on the street and it only costs 80 cents. I can't say there were highlights, because every day was pretty great in its own way, but some of the things we saw or did include: celebrating New Years Eve on Khao San Rd., eating dinner atop a hotel of 60 floors with a wonderful view of Bangkok, buying a lot of cheap stuff (including a new camera lens from a 5 floor mall full of technology related merchandise), staying on a tiny beach in a bungalow on stilts, swimming in the ridiculously warm ocean (D's first time!), climbing over a mountain with all our luggage (that one goes in the 'stupid' category) and centering most of the trip on eating as much delicious thai food as possible. Mission accomplished.
Also, Big Kudos to D for helping me fulfill one of the silly things I wrote in the 'Future goals" section of my high school year book. To dance on Phi Phi island. It was a vacation I really needed and trip I'll always remember. Mostly because of all the pictures I took.
