So we had an amazing and full of fun weekend in Phuket with our friends, eating, drinking, partying and just generally catching up. Sadly Mari had to go home but she promised to send us a guest post to sum up her fabulous holiday in Thailand, so here it is! 
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A holiday is never long enough. Especially when you’re constantly comparing your measly two weeks with a whole six months! But sitting at home reading blog post after blog post about someone else’s amazing adventures is more than enough encouragement to set about having your own (or in my case joining in!).
I got a head start in my experience of Thai language, and Thai English, when I boarded my Thai Airways flight in Johannesburg. A vibrantly coloured cabin and a friendly ‘Sawadeekaaah’ was a hint of what awaited me. T and D came to the airport especially to meet me and inaugurated an immediate love affair with fruit smoothies (mango, you’ll always be my favourite!) and putting aside my overall rather stale appearance and loving the fact that I had only a small hand luggage backpack to carry, we set out to conquer –to some extent- Bangkok!
The public transport system puts South Africa’s to shame (not exactly a difficult task I know), where you can chose from a multitude of trains, the subway, metro, the sky train, river ferries and buses; most of which have air-con to help you escape the inevitable perspiration, even if just for 5 minutes. Heaven! And when that fails there’s always one of the now 6000 7-Elevens (ahem Jade clearly our LP’s were actually out of date!) that you can pretend to be browsing in hehe
Before I left I bought and began reading the most recent Lonely Planet Thailand. One way to spot a tourist in Thailand apart from the obvious J is the abundant number of these books everywhere. So it was safe to say I had a couple of ideas for activities. It didn’t take long for it to become a running joke that when ever someone asked about anything Thailand related I would respond with an …’According to the guide book,’ or …‘Apparently blah blah.’ Regular tour guide I reckon hey guys? 
The first thought that struck me whilst we were gallivanting around was ‘Uh… Do I have something on my face? Because everyone is smiling at me… like, a lot!’ Safe to say, there was nothing on my face, except perhaps a look of incredulousness at the genuine happiness the Thai people expound when meeting and engaging with foreigners. This must be the ‘Thai smile’ that I’d read about!
Our interaction with both religious and tourist hubs in Bangkok was exactly the kind of exposure we needed in order to negotiate similar places in different areas such as Chiang Mai and Koh Phangan, Phuket and Koh Phi Phi respectively. It certainly helped us to find the cheapest places to eat! i.e. NOT in the tourist zones but where the locals were guzzling traditional favourites!
Night bazaars and weekend ‘walking street’ markets are undoubtedly the ultimate best places to find anything and everything, from ridiculously cheap (and amazing) food to bargain shopping and a mix of quintessential Thai experiences. Massaaaaaage! (< high pitched thai voice necessary here) And wow, if I had had a bigger budget I may have just bought everything!!
I feel like I could spend forever detailing the phenomenal journey that I had, but since most of the stories have already been covered, I’ll just share some of my personal highlights.
- Wats (or Temples)
Looking through my photos I think I have more photos of wats than anything else (okay except maybe sunsets). This could be directly related to our having visited Chiang Mai, where – and I quote my LP – ‘it is easier to save your mortal soul than to accomplish more earthly errands like buying toiletries.’ But in all seriousness the utter intricacy and magnificence of every gold leaf covered Thai temple each with their cornucopia of gilded statues and shrines continued to get a reaction out of me.
- Markets
Yes I love eating and yes, I love shopping.
- Elephants
It would certainly have been a different trip without our visit to the Elephant Sanctuary just outside of Chiang Mai. It was such a magical experience that I will never forget and always be grateful for (thank yooou John and Merle!). Our host Woody was really fantastic and extremely enthusiastic. It was so interesting talking to him about himself and his outlook on life in Thailand, which brings me to my next point…
- The People
The impact and influence of tourism in Thailand is overtly evident, but there’s always someone who wants to teach you about their customs, tell you the best places to go, bargain with you or just laugh at you when you pronounce things wrong. Sure there are some tricksters around, but I think we South Africans have got the ‘street-wise’ thing down to a tee.
- Island Life
Next time I go to Thailand (and I promise there will be a next time) I am definitely going to do some more island hopping! From the (mostly) pristine beaches, crystal clear water, snorkeling, hiking, waterfalls, zooming around on rented scooters, sunsets, bucket-consuming beach parties, to all the other possible activities: it’s the island life for me!
But why’s the rum gone? Ahh let’s get another bucket!
Mari x
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Tonight we’re in Ao Nang in Krabi enjoying a nice little air con’d room by the sea. We’re hoping to fit in a walk on the beautiful beach before we head to Hat Yai and then on to Kuala Lumpur on the train tomorrow evening. By Wednesday afternoon we should be in Singapore with Karen and Ronan. Long trip, but worth it!
D x
