I Went to Thailand! And What Did I learn?
Less than two months ago, I sat Facetiming my boyfriend Kris (who’s currently working in the Maldives) staring at multiple tabs on my computer dedicated to flights, hotels, and… my bank account. After too many months apart (me in Portugal and Kris confined to an island in the Maldives) we were trying to figure out a way to see each other. What place kept coming up in terms of location and cost-effectiveness?
Thailand.
In all honesty, Kris and I just had an awe-inspiring month in Indonesia this summer, so I wasn’t prepared to plan an extravagant holiday in Southeast Asia again, let alone pay for it. But when the internet connection cuts out for the third time during your twenty-minute video chat, your Google chrome tabs are full of palm trees and empty beaches, and it’s cold and drafty in your unheated Portuguese flat, you say “screw it” and enter your card information for an Emirates airline flight to Phuket.
And then Christmas happened, New Year’s Eve happened, and suddenly I was leaving for Thailand in six days.
No plans. No checklist. No sunscreen.
Nada.
(Ok, I went out and bought sunscreen the day before I left.)
If you know me by now, you know that I’m a planner. I like to nail down dates, times, and schedules, and I start to twitch when things are disorganized. (I’m working on it, ok?) Before departing for Indonesia this summer, I’d mapped out five days of surf lessons in Bali and unlimited yoga for one week in Lombok, followed by one week of an in-depth travel blogging stay in the Mentawai Islands. Everything planned (with a little help from Kris). Every day was accounted for, with some wiggle room for extra activities, but bottom line, there was a plan.
So to suddenly depart for Thailand without much more than a (very large) suitcase and a bottle of SPF 50 was completely out of character for yours truly. Granted, I have to admit the biggest piece of the puzzle was booked, as we squared away our accommodation in Khao Lak and Bangkok a few weeks ahead of time. But I couldn’t even tell you where Khao Lak is on a map, let alone what we’d be doing there.
-“Do you need any shots for Thailand?” Don’t know, but I surely hope not!
-“What’s the currency?” No idea, but I hope I can take out some cash in whatever it is.
-“What’s the weather like in Thailand?” Instagram forecast says sunny, but I threw in an umbrella just in case the rainy season isn’t displayed in instagram algorithms.
-“Wait a minute, do people speak English in Thailand?” Honestly, this question has never been at the forefront of my mind, because every single country I’ve explored has a population that speaks twice as many languages as my native land…
For the first time on my travels, I pushed the questions to the back, and let the spontaneity take over, because ultimately this trip was to see one of my favorite people in the world. We could trek in the jungle. We could hit the bars in Bangkok. Or we could honestly just sit next to each other, reading our very different literary choices, sipping coffee, and I’d be happy as a slimy, little clam.
So what did I discover after 10 days in Thailand?
You don’t always need a plan.
For starters, Thailand is the most accommodating country I’ve been to in Southeast Asia. Everyone speaks English. Western-style toilets abound (hallelujah!). And there is no shortage of bucket list items everywhere you look. In the beginning of our stay, we were lucky enough to explore the Robinson Club in Khao Lak. Robsinson is a resort chain geared mainly towards German tourists, but becoming much more international in certain locations. And it just so happens that Kris is currently working for Robinson, so I was thrilled to be able to see what it’s all about. And man-oh-man, it’s all about action, hospitality, and quality! We packed our days at Robinson full of beach walks, fresh mangoes, and more fitness classes than I can count (TRX training really wiped me out) and spent our evenings on our rented scooter, checking out the local bars in Khao Lak. In Thailand, you can have the best of both worlds. Not sold on hostel life? No worries, mate. Check out the plentiful seaside resorts like Robinson, giving you a pampered sampling of Thailand, and scoot off to the local towns at night to get a taste of the real deal.
Feeling giddy with our six days at Robinson, Kris and I jetted off to Bangkok from Phuket (about a 50 EUR flight, depending on when you book). Talk about a change of pace. We went from casually sitting by the ocean for our all-inclusive breakfast, to sweating our way through stinky streets and searching for hidden cafes with top-notch thai food. And don’t take my word choice of “stinky” the wrong way. Bangkok is a hot city with a ton of people, so there will be smells, just like there are gross NYC subway smells in August. Different continent. Different smells.
In Bangkok, we bargained a super duper price for a boat tour of the canals, checked out the absolutely hectic MBK shopping center, and dined under the twinkling fairy lights hanging from the abundant trees near every corner restaurant. With limited time together in Bangkok, I didn’t even attempt to craft a to-do list, as I know it would’ve added stress to our coveted time together. It was surprisingly freeing and completely un-scary (is this even a word?). And it made me realize how wrong I’d always been about traveling with detailed bucket list items and “must sees” (thanks to my addiction to instagram travel accounts.)
We spent ten very active days in Thailand on beaches, in jungles, and exploring the streets of Bangkok. We lost ourselves in the sweaty hustle and bustle and filled our hours to the brim with new sights and bites. But most of all, we explored the diverse scenery of this magical country together.
So while I can’t guarantee you I’ll adopt a completely unplanned attitude in the future, I have certainly learned to jump on the chance to explore something new, whenever and however it may come into my life. Find a Travelzoo Top 20 deal for a destination you’ve been dreaming of? Go for it. Have a friend working in a dreamy place with some great friends and family perks? You’d better start packing. Because, honestly, the only thing I do when I have more time to plan is find more things to pack. And my chunky suitcase is already maxed out. So cheers to embracing and chasing adventure, especially when it’s with people who make spontaneity seem easy.
No plan. No checklist.
No problem.
