Isa and I have been in Thailand for over a week now. This is a trip we planned a long time ago, so despite the situation in Ukraine and our doubts “to go or not to go”, we finally decided to fly. Nonetheless, I’m glad we have this opportunity to relax away from Europe.
In total, we planned two weeks in this beautiful country. That is why today I would like to show you some pictures from our trip and also write a few words about the places that made the biggest impression on me. But before I describe the specific locations, I will describe my first impressions of this country.
Thailand: the best answer to a problem is to smile
I do not think I know of any other country where people smile so much. In Thailand, people seem very cheerful, even when things go wrong. Perhaps this is due to the ubiquitous Buddhism, which has a completely different approach to life than the great western religions. After all, every being has had at least a few incarnations before, and the current one is just one of many reincarnations. This makes life in Thailand flow at a rather lazy pace, and insignificant adversities are simply accepted as part of it.
So basically, from the moment we landed at Bangkok airport, we found ourselves in a kind of different time-space. I must admit that such a relaxed approach to life is great, especially during holidays.
Bangkok and Pattaya
And since I have already mentioned the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand, I will now devote a paragraph to it. Bangkok – like many large cities in the Far East – is an amazing amalgam of cultures and civilisations. It is a city where the West blends with the East, and modernity with backwardness. There is no strict centre – rather different parts have their own local centres. The local architecture includes traditional palaces, colonial buildings, modern offices and commercial centres, but also small houses and one-storey tenement houses.
It is also worth mentioning that the Menam River flows through the city, which, together with the adjacent canals, plays an important role in communication.
The second city we spent some time in was Pattaya. It is a relatively small city, which is mainly famous for sex tourism, but not our goal was completely different 😉 We wanted to see the local botanical garden and miniature park.
Phuket and Ko Samui
After visiting the cities, it was time for the islands. First we headed to Phuket Island – this was the second stop on our trip. It is not only Thailand’s largest island, but also one of the most popular tourist destinations. And it doesn’t surprise me at all, as located in the Andaman Sea, the island is beautiful and conducive to relaxing in beautiful natural surroundings.
The next stop on our journey was Ko Samui. This is Thailand’s third largest island and is part of the Ang Thong Marine National Park. The name in Thai means coconut island – supposedly this is where the best coconuts in all of Thailand grow. We decided that the few days we spent here would be a time for absolute relaxation on the beach. And that is exactly what happened.
From Ko Samui to Krabi
Since we were already on an island located in the Krabi province, we also decided to visit the provincial capital, the city of Krabi located in the Andaman Sea. I actually found the mangrove forests and the Wet Kaew temple the most interesting.
Of course, Krabi province is much more than just the capital, and when it comes to top tourist attractions it’s worth mentioning Ao Nang Beach, the Tiger Cave Temple or the Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail.
What do you think?