Thailand 2014

I sit here at my desk on a surprisingly warm Wednesday September afternoon and it’s clear that after one deadline and two days of being back at work, I’ve slipped seamlessly back into reality.

Before travelling to Thailand I’d heard so many tales, both horror stories and glowing references but after three weeks travelling the country I have nothing but positive things to say about such a culturally diverse and fascinatingly traditional land.

After a gruelling flight we touched down in Bangkok, a city that I expected to conform to the south East Asian capital city stereotype of being chaotic and dirty.

We hopped in a taxi from the airport that delivered us safely to Khao San Road, a legendary backpacker street bristling with life.

On every corner street food merchants sell traditional Thai dishes and you can tuck into a tasty Pad Thai for less than £1.

We were also warned to keep an eye out for shady tuk-tuk drivers, but in our experience we travelled cheaply and quickly without any funny business. Maybe it was the fact we were a travelling trio of burly (me not so much) men, but either way we found the drivers to be punctual and fair, always arriving on time at pre-arranged pick-up points.

Our first stint in Bangkok was dedicated to eating, drinking and sightseeing. We were luckily enough to take in the Grand Palace and a number of Buddhist temples, really impressive structures that have a mystical aura about them.

For our final night in the capital we went to watch some Muay Thai, a form of kickboxing that is Thailand’s national sport. The stadium was packed and the crowd ‘ohh’d and ahh’d’ with every kick and punch. There must have been 15,000 packed into the compact arena and the atmosphere was more akin to a football match.

From Bangkok we flew south to Krabi where we were treated to more great food and beautiful beaches. A lot of the seascape is dotted with huge natural mounds which really make for a dramatic beaching experience.

In Krabi we were luckily enough to stumble upon a beach inhabited by friendly monkeys who happily climbed over us and tried to steal any loose object that we had. We also rode elephants and it isn’t until you’re on top of one that you really comprehend how magnificent and huge the animals really are.

After several days body surfing the warm water at the various beaches on the Andaman Sea, we headed to Ko Phi Phi, a stunning island that provided the setting for the Leonardo Di Caprio film The Beach.

After a frighteningly stormy boat journey we arrived in Ko Phi Phi and found no roads, just dusty tracks winding around the island.

The view from the island’s Viewpoint was stunning, looking out over a mixture of golden sands, green forestry and a packed island centre.

The island has an ambient nightlife with beach parties entertaining party-goers and going on well into the early hours.

We were fortunate enough to hire a water taxi and a knowledgeable driver ferried us to snorkelling spots where we swam with the most spectacular tropical fish and even small sharks.

The sharks didn’t trouble us, but it is worth noting that the monkeys on Phi Phi’s Monkey Beach aren’t as friendly as their Krabi counterparts, a bite on the back of my leg being testament to that.

After a busy few days in Phi Phi we embarked on a somewhat calmer boat trip to neighbouring Phuket.

Phuket was one of the first Thai resorts to gain global prominence and that has played a part in its downfall. Patong is a great place to be at night, people spotting heaven with bars brimming with people, but during the day it leaves a lot to be desired.

Overdeveloped and overpopulated with people trying to make a quick buck, Phuket does however offer excellent shopping opportunities where you can pick up authentic looking goods for knockdown price.

With time running out we jetted north to Chaing Mai, a city for which I had high expectations.

Situated in the mountains, Chaing Mai is a historic city, with regulations in place to limit development in the old town.

We hired bicycles and checked out the old town which features even more impressive Buddhist temples than Bangkok. Well worth an afternoon looking around.

We also checked out Tiger Kingdom and although docile due to being hand reared, being up close to the magnificent creatures really hits home how majestic they are and how sad it is that there numbers are becoming limited.

Chaing Mai also boasts a buzzing nightlife. A splattering of bars and clubs in the old town play host to a crowd comprised of local students and backpackers and DJs spin the right kind of beats to keep you on the dancefloor.

We then shot back to Bangkok for a couple of days present shopping, sorting out loose ends for the trip home and checking out the Nana Plaza, the world’s biggest red light district, but that’s a story for the other day.

Given more time I would have loved to explore south east Asia further and take in the likes of Vietnam and Cambodia, but I had to get home and return to my work at the West Briton newspaper.

I have no regrets from my time in Thailand; we visited so many places, took in so many sights and found the country to be cheap and the people to be most approachable and friendly.

I’m now back at work trying to unearth local news happening on my patch.

In terms of my next adventure, I have to hold tight until the new year when I receive my next entitlement of annual leave.

I have long since regretted not visiting Mexico when I was so close in South California and this week I learned of strong links between Cornwall and Mexico due to the large volume of migrants who made the journey looking for work.

Watch this space…