A Whole New World: The Best Places in Thailand
Do you have the travel bug? Lusting for warm weather and surreal landscapes? Or just need a break from your responsibilities? Thailand is your answer. It is beautiful and crazy cheap. You can stay in bougie places for 30$ a night. There are so many places around Thailand that are miraculous, you really can’t go wrong. It is a place like no other, and you will want to keep going back. I went to Thailand in 2015 with a volunteer group called Blue Star of Hope: Power of One. I was there for a little over two weeks and it was one of the most impactful two weeks of my life. Immersing yourself in a new culture, meeting new people, getting up close with elephants is life-changing. There is so much to see! These destinations in Thailand are a must-see.
Elephant Nature Park
The Elephant Nature Park is one of the most magical places I have ever been to. The views are so surreal, you feel like you are in a Jurassic Park movie, but instead of deadly dinosaurs, it is filled with magnificent elephants, dogs, and cats. The Nature Park also takes in homeless dogs and cats which Thailand has a huge number of. While you are here you are volunteering, you will feed elephants, bathe them in the river, clean their food, and clean where they sleep. You also get a chance to tour the park and get up close and personal with the elephants and learn about each of them. You sleep and eat right in the park. The food is a huge buffet and it is DELICIOUS. If you ever get the chance to go to Thailand, this is an experience you will never forget. I sure have not.
Temples
You have probably seen a lot of pictures of temples. But nothing does it justice until you see it in person. While on my trip I saw quite a few temples throughout Thailand and everyone was breathtaking, especially the one pictured which is Wat Tang Sai Temple. Gold shining off the sunlight lit up the whole place and truly looked like a palace. Walking into extravagant entrances, praying with monks, seeing the gargantuan shining statues, and looking at the view from the top was something I have never seen before. It really is a whole new world and a great way to immerse yourself into the culture.
Bat Cave
Khao Yai National Park has a bat cave! Unfortunately, you won’t find Batman in there, but it is a cool experience. It is dark and a little creepy but it’s perfect if you like a little excitement. You get to hear all the bats and see them flying around.
New Years Lanterns
Have you ever seen a flickering light in the sky one night and found out it was a lantern? Imagine seeing hundreds of them lighting up the sky all at once. It feels like you are in a Disney movie. It is a tradition in Thailand every new year. When I was there our group went on top of a hotel building where they had dancing and singing performances and everyone got to light a lantern and let it drift into the sky.
Chiang Mai Night Markets
While I was in Chiang Mai, which is in northern Thailand, I and my volunteer group got to go to the night market! They have a few throughout but the one we went to and the most popular one is the Night Bazaar. It is MASSIVE! I got all my gifts to bring home to everyone there. They have clothes, food, jewelry, nick-nacks, home decor, and so much more. It is lit up by all these pretty lights. A tip: BARGAIN! I remember our program leaders telling us that before we went and it works. You really have to stick with it though, the lenders are stubborn. But everything there is so cheap anyway so if you’re not good at negotiating your still getting a deal.
Ban Grood Beach
Ban Grood Beach is In Ban Krut in southern Thailand. I spent my birthday while I was in Thailand and it happened that my birthday fell on the day we went to this beach. We stayed in these bungalows not far from it. I’m from Seattle so jumping into the ocean is not really a good idea unless you love freezing cold water. But the water at this beach was so warm! The sand was soft and the sun was shining! Me and a few volunteers swam through the waves and I was not expecting how amazing it would be. I truly felt that I was in a whole other world. I came across a massage shop not too far from where we were staying and got a Thai massage. It was probably the best birthday I’ll ever have. I may be biased by how amazing it was since it was my birthday, but you will be shocked by the water and you can’t pass up a Thai massage.
Umbrella Making Centre
This place makes and paints umbrellas! When you walk through you will see stations set up with artist painting. They don’t just do umbrellas, they can do canvases, shirts, or whatever you want! I brought my film camera and had them paint an elephant on the back. I also got elephants painted in my backpack which I still use. I’m always reminded of the trip whenever I look at it. It was really cool to see the artist’s work and see how they make their umbrellas.
Mae Ping River Cruise
The river cruise takes place on a really longboat. It’s very open so the only cover is on the top and you are pretty close to the water. My volunteer group and I went on the dinner cruise. We all sat at tables on the boat and ate dinner, floated on the river and watched the sunset.
Thailand is a place that is magical, warm, beautiful and abundant. You will find so many things to see and do while you visit. It was fun to learn about another culture and get out of my comfort zone. The elephants were the best part when I visited. Elephants are my favorite animal so when I got to go up and touch them, I couldn’t believe it. And then you get to bathe them and feed them and really help these animals. The Thai people were so nice and amazing. They were very welcoming and taught us a lot about their culture. So if you ever want to travel and are thinking of where to go, choose Thailand! You won’t regret it.