Time Out in Thailand
After many years living in Europe, I have heard many stories from people escaping to Thailand for rest and relaxation. I have seen with a tinge of envy the freshly-baked ‘Thailand Tans’ burnished on the faces of the well-to-do wandering around West London in the middle of February. The movie The Beach premiered, and yet I stayed home, proclaiming one day I will go–just not now. There was always some excuse not to go. Maybe I was just content to let that mysterious paradise live quietly in the back of my head.
Until that day finally arrived! I decided to get up and go(!). In Asia, I had only travelled to Tokyo before that so I was very excited! I flew SAS from my home in Stockholm to Singapore first (see my Singapore post) which was a whopping 13 hours in the sky. The great thing about it was it was the red eye, so many hours were spent with my eyes shut! After a few days layover in Singapore, I embarked on Air Asia for a much shorter flight of just over an hour to Phuket. Once there, a driver from our hotel was waiting at the airport to collect me and drove me to my hotel in Khao Lak 90 minutes away.
The first week consisted of island exploring. I started by embarking on a boating tour. A bus collected me from the hotel and drove me to a dock where I took a traditional long-tail Thai motor boat, called Rua hang yao, to a large white anchored ferry where you would collect your dingy or kayak and your personal guide:
Recommended Wardrobe and Accessories for a Boating Tour:
Next was an excursion to James Bond Island. The island, pictured in the centre, is famous for being featured in the 1974 James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun. It’s original names are Khao Phing Kan or Ko Ta Pu, but are rarely used by the locals.
After exploring the local islands, it was great to get back to the hotel and go for a refreshing swim. I stayed at the uber luxurious JW Marriott Khao Lak hotel. This glorious resort can only be described as pure paradise! The hotel boasts of amenities such as a stunning lagoon-style pool complex, nine on-site restaurants and bars and a full-service spa. I was spoiled rotten!
Shop My Look:
A Thai trip is not complete without seeing the temples (known as wats). Over 90% of Thailand’s population is Buddhist. My tour bus drove me to an expansive misty cave where the drop in temperature and the change of humidity was a nice surprise. There were many golden Buddha statues spaced about, but the largest golden Buddha looked as though he was welcoming me; gracefully reclining in a tranquil, serene space.
When entering a temple in Thailand, just like entering any other sacred place, there are etiquette rules, such as turning off your mobile; no selfies; lowering your voice, removing any headphones, etc. One of the most important guidelines is to dress modestly.
Recommended Attire Examples:
My hotel offered short bike tours which I decided on which wheeled me around the neighbourhood surrounding my hotel in the evening. The streets were calm and the only noises were birds lightly calling out, the odd motorbike speeding through and some Buddhist monks strolling in front of me carrying supplies. I am guessing they were probably headed to the small temple at the end of the palm tree lined road:
Khao Lak Thailand Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Beautiful warm, sunny weather outside of the rainy season (July-October). I went at the beginning of November and it was blue skies ahead!
- Friendly, easy-going locals that are happy to help you in any situation.
- Endless tropical, lush scenery and pristine white beaches. I saw no litter at all in my area!
- Safe–at least where I was. I never felt uncomfortable during my excursions or around our compound.
- Fresh local ingredients–perfect for those Thai curries, mmm!
Cons:
- There are very little negative points I can think of. My resort was a little farther away from Phuket, so if you want to enjoy a day or two in the city, you may want to book a couple of nights in Phuket or Bangkok.
- Tsunami: The government works with the help of The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to monitor for tsunamis. I was told the last big one was very rare (it was the biggest one in 700 years). My hotel had been completely destroyed by it and was rebuilt from the ground up. Inside is a plaque commemorating it.
Conclusion: Thailand is a definite must! Beautiful, relaxing safe and exotic. I now know what all the fuss was about!
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