Materialism~If you know of anyone who has a shoe-fetish, can't resist the mall, or thrives on the newest, hottest fashion of the week, take them on a much needed "De-Materializing" trip to Thailand. Here they worship tiny spirit houses rather than designer sunglasses, and they opt for "shoes-off" instead of "shoe-collections." In the sweltering humidity, the last thing you can even think of doing is adding another layer of powder to your face, or touching up your hair with a curling iron. It's all about simplicity. A bathing suit, sunscreen, flip-flops, and a water bottle are among the top necessities (I almost forgot the most important thing, Mosquito repellant!). For those who cringe at spending top dollars, it might take a little getting used to the currency exchange when $1USD = 32 Baht! A dollar does go a long way here...
Full Moon Party~
Most know of Thailand by the movies that portray it, like The Beach, where full moon parties turn the modern traveler into a moonstruck zombie. On the South-East side of the island of Koh Panghan, some 10 to 20 thousand tourists voyage across the Gulf of
Thailand on a small ferry from Koh Samui with the view of Big Buddha fading in the background and high hopes of letting loose in the moonlight to the sounds of techno, house and trance well into the night and morning hours. What most don't realize is that all the multi-straw bucket drinks and the blue-white pills that everyone around you is consuming can all too often create an environment that most might deem as unsafe. My full moon party experience was cut short when two brothers traveling from Iran decided that the possibility of having two American girls to take home sounded enticing... We bee-lined through the next crowded club and lost them without looking back. (*Tip for girls: if you don't want to offend some guy who buys you a drink, pretend to sip through the straw, comment on how delicious the drink is and then offer a taste to the guy who bought it!)
Elephant Trekking & Kayaking~Ever see a materialistic diva get dirty? Take them elephant trekking through the jungle forrest north of Ao Nang near Krabi. Then sit in the back of an old pick-up bed to the next river for a kayaking excursion where wild monkeys snip at the local Thai tour guide's back and force the group to kayak faster than Team Germany did in the olympics!
(*Tip: Make sure your double Kayak has the diva in the front so you can keep an eye on her rowing!) Take a much needed lunch break in between trekking and kayaking and fill up on the endless supplies of rice and pineapples. If you get sick of eating all the pineapples yourself, there's always plenty of hungry monkeys, elephants and locals to feed them to. How do you get to Krabi from Koh Samui? Well, we took a van with four other travelers, lasting about 3 hours without any air-conditioning, and wondering where the driver was really taking us! Oh, and I almost forgot, the pick-up bed turned out to be the home to many wandering critters, spiders and scorpions were the two most noticeable to me!
Shopping~
Yes, there is shopping, and lot's of it! Back to the urban metropolis of Bangkok, you will find many things to buy with your Baht. Be prepared to bust out your
bargaining skills to get the deals you want for the things you think you need. Everything from electronics to jewelry can be found at the street markets, but the question I always wondered was, "Is that really a Von Dutch?" Getting your hair braided was also a wise investment on these streets, as the humidity doesn't always fair well with your hair, and it's relatively inexpensive! Don't forget to save a little extra Baht for the trip home, as there is an airport fee to get back on the plain that we weren't expecting. Not t
o mention, make sure your back-pack is fully zippered closed, as you may lose some important personal belongings to those walking behind you... (such as your new digital camera you just bought at a great deal!)Food not for the Picky People~
For those of you who have experienced your fare share of materialistic girls, you probably might guess that when it comes to food, one word stands out -picky-. So, when you pass by the McDonald's, (which by the way, I swear there are more McDonald's on this planet than there are trees!) she will demand to stop and eat for fear of having to try some rice concoction on the side of the road in a cart. What you might not expect is that in Thailand, they have some of the most amazing foods. I personally have a love of spicy foods, thus finding the streets of Thailand a haven of mouth-watering, nose-running delights!
Best Time of Year~
So most wonder when is the best time to visit this simple-minded paradise. We went in November, which is considered the end of the rainy season. I'd have to say our choice in dates was rather rewarding. The sites we experienced were one of a kind, from Temples, to bridges, all were exquisite and memorable. Not to mention if we had decided to make our Thailand Trek one month later, we would have been amidst one of the largest natural disasters to date, the Tsunami, which hit the coast of Krabi where we resided for 4 days just three weeks after we left.
+Hertravels+
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