… with Thailand.

After spending two weeks in the country in September, I realised that it was just absolute paradise and I seemed to just fit in perfectly. I am going to blog about a few things including places to go in Phuket and Koh Samui in the rain and the famous Maya Bay.

To start I just wanted to ramble on about how amazing the country is in general, I know it’s a huge country but the areas that I covered are so beautiful, and the culture is wonderful, so here are my 5 favourite things;

Culture: The Bhuddist culture in Thailand is amazing. Around 95% of Thais are Buddhist, and their beliefs and values are a huge influence in every day Thai life. Throughout Thailand, the local people are respectful, they are positive with self-control and a non-confrontational attitude which is something I feel we should all adopt rather than jumping to negativity and conclusions. Something British people are very succumbed to. I am a naturally happy person and therefore Thailand was an enlightening country to be in, I keep encouraging everyone to go!

People: Because of this culture, the people are so friendly, kind and positive and will go above and beyond to help you out. They are happy, genuinely nice and enthusiastic to learn about the country you are from – they are just lovely.

Scenery: The islands, the islands! They are so beautiful with the vibrant and luscious greenery, turquoise blue water with emerald green flecks, unique cliff faces, soft sandy beaches and colourful longboats. They are a must see, and if you are staying on the mainland or in a city, make time to go to the beach and take a boat out to the islands – I visited the Koh Phi Phi islands and stayed on Koh Samui. They are simply stunning.

Food: The seafood in Thailand was my ultimate favourite, as it’s fresh and cooked to perfection. From fresh mussels to seafood paella, the options for seafood restaurants are endless! The street food is amazing and the smells that travel down the street are phenomenal but be careful where you eat, not down side streets only on the main roads where they cook it fresh in front of you – and avoid salads! As much as I loved the food, I ended up with poisoning and I will tell you how I overcame that abroad in another post.

Activities: From lying relaxing by the beach to full-on scuba diving and snorkelling, the range of activities is endless on the land, on the sea and in the air. Make sure you do your research before you go, but I wouldn’t advise booking online, I would advise booking through excursions at hotels or with reps, or at tourist information shacks – although make sure you don’t get conned. 1000 baht is roughly £20, so you can work out from there what is ripping you off and you can haggle, but don’t take a trip on random longboats – always make sure it’s a safe and secure organised trip. My favourite activity was swimming in waterfalls and rafting on bamboo with a local Thai boy who traveled down the river that way daily. It was unbelievable to see the river flowing past me and snakes and shacks and greenery on either bank.

Thailand is a country you have to visit!

Keep smiling 🙂

Amber x