Hi!
Asia – what a continent full of places to discover. The month of December 2023 brought me a lot of emotions, experiences, reflections, stress, love, joy, and above all, gratitude for each day and much more – I could list them, but I think it will be better to describe them below in order and share my feelings and valuable information so that you are better prepared for such a truly fantastic journey. At the end of each entry, I will leave you with the places we visited, accommodations, and what to bring with you in each place for sure.
We began planning the entire trip over the course of the year, slowly step by step. First, we carefully considered where we wanted to stay, what we wanted to do, how to spend the day, and what we expected from each place. Ultimately, a month after deciding to go to Asia, we chose the destination locations: Thailand, Bangkok, Bali, Sri Lanka, Dubai. I must admit that Dubai inspired us the most, how this world looks.
I will divide the whole journey into individual target destinations so that you can have information and reference from my point of view and my eyes. I will try to convey as much information and joy from each place to you.
Our journey began in Thailand (here you will find videos reports from Beautiful Thailand) The flight lasted 17 hours, but before we reached there, we had a layover in Dubai, and then to Krabi. We had the first flight with Emirates, and then Air Asia. For a long-haul flight, everything was great, comfortable, it was truly top-notch airline service. We had the flight at 8 pm English time and it lasted 7 hours. Onboard, the crew welcomed passengers with a glass of prosecco (I don’t drink alcohol). Each passenger had a mini pillow, blanket, headphones for listening to music or watching movies. Meals were served in both meat and vegetarian options, included in the price of the ticket for long-haul flights. We arrived in Dubai at 7 am Dubai time, where we waited 3 hours for the next flight. It was okay because we slept through the night.
The next flight to Krabi lasted 6 hours and 55 minutes. Onboard, we had TVs and a vegetarian or meat meal option. The meat option didn’t suit me much because we typically base our meals on rice, so I only ate the meat and broccoli. We reached our accommodation around 10 pm. We had a beautiful mini cottage in a truly picturesque location in Krabi. We took an evening stroll (our daily evening routine).
The next day, we woke up around 7 am. The coffee named „Sunshine in a Cup” tastes really delicious. You have to believe me, but this greenery cannot be described, it’s impossible to capture it in a photo 100%. One thing is certain, what they say online and what they show online is really true. It’s paradise here, wonderful.
Returning to the days in beautiful Thailand – forgive me, but I am still amazed by it. 40 minutes of exercise in conditions where there is no gym, shower, or pool. On the first day, we took a very calm, local walk, sunbathed, worked, and planned the next few days. Since every facility offers some excursions and attractions, we always look through them on the first day.
We planned our days to be active, but we also had to consider that we still had a few days of remote work. We opted for kayaking down a heavenly river, a meeting at the elephant center where we had the opportunity to feed them, and we were also guided around a pineapple plantation.
Kayaking is a very cool option for an activity; you float down a calm heavenly river and enter an incredible jungle where everything looks incredibly green, the sun’s rays pierce through the trees, providing a truly heavenly and phenomenal view. The river leads to a place where you can observe fish up close, drink a coconut prepared on-site, and time is unlimited, so you can swim and enjoy the peace and beautiful green scenery. You can float on the river for as long as you want. Then you move on to the pineapple farm – well, nothing special, just a field where small pineapples grow. Meeting a baby elephant is certainly an interesting experience, especially in a place where elephants are rescued from captivity and can enjoy better treatment. These animals are really very intelligent and friendly to people.
Raylai Beach is an incredibly picturesque place where everything looks like it’s straight out of a postcard. The blue water, warm, soft sand, surrounding rocky landscapes, and green gorges – it’s truly beautiful.
It’s funny that Raylai Beach was supposed to be our original accommodation spot, but we changed plans due to a hotel booking error. After some thought, this change turned out to be beneficial, especially in terms of transportation to the beach. I can’t imagine taking a boat with suitcases, especially since tickets are only valid until 6:00 pm, meaning the last boat from the beach leaves at that time. Of course, boats still operate, but the ticket price after 6:00 pm is high.
For active people who like flexibility in their plans, this beach might be a challenge, but for those who value a peaceful place to relax, it will be perfect. Raylai Beach offers many hotels, restaurants, bars, and the island can be explored on foot or by boat, with trekking trails leading to paradise spots like waterfalls and lagoons.
Wat Tham Seua Khao Kaeo is home to the statue of the Great Buddha. To reach the summit, one must conquer 1237 steps, with an elevation of 280 meters n.p.m. . Admission is free, but visitors can make a symbolic offering. Upon arrival, providing contact information for safety is required. Women must have their shoulders and legs covered, but there are shops near the entrance where suitable attire can be purchased inexpensively. The ascent is challenging, with stairs of varying sizes and steepness, so caution is advised. The view from the top is breathtaking, and the statue itself is impressive. At the summit, one can take beautiful photos, hydrate, and descend using the showers at the bottom.
The nightly market is another attraction where visitors can sample a variety of dishes, from fruity smoothies to meat. With numerous stalls and live music, it creates a pleasant atmosphere.
Massages are also popular, available at many locations, leaving visitors feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Regarding food, restaurants serve rice and noodle-based dishes with various flavors, so it’s worth asking and paying attention to body language if communication is challenging. I recommend using translation apps to facilitate communication with locals.
Practical information about Thailand / Bangkok:
- Charcoal tablets – worth having in case your stomach doesn’t feel well.
- Water in Thailand is not really tasty – if you’re very sensitive to the taste of chlorine or strange flavors, it might be worth getting a travel filter, which will further purify the water, or simply buy Ervine water.
- Laundries are very cheap and it’s really not worth taking large suitcases with lots of clothes, as when you give clothes to the laundry, you get them back the next morning, or even the same day, for literally a few coins.
- When it comes to food, be careful as you can get food poisoning. Thailand is very hot, so dishes like sushi or steaks – I advise against them.
The best solution for getting around is scooters, which you can rent almost anywhere for really little money. You just need a driver’s license. No filling out paperwork, you just walk up, say what you want, and take it. In hotels, you often pay at the end of your stay, and at special points, unfortunately, I don’t know. It’s really a great transportation option; you can park anywhere, and scooter parking is free.
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It’s time to sum up Thailand. I’m completely in love with it, and it’s definitely on my list of the most wonderful and beautiful places in the world that I want to revisit. Thailand is simple. It’s not overcrowded, people are real angels, the weather is heavenly, the views are indescribable, the food, especially the fruits, are paradise – I was in heaven. It’s also inexpensive. Of course, the flight is costly and long, but you don’t fly to Thailand for 3 days, so it’s already a trip worth planning, maybe for a longer stay.
Which month should you go to Thailand? It all depends individually on each of us. It all depends on whether we want to sightsee and relax on beautiful sands, just sightsee, or just lie down, indulge in delicacies, and sip drinks with a palm tree. I went to Thailand in December, when there’s no sun in the UK and the weather isn’t warm. Thailand, despite being December, not the summer season, was hot. However, it’s worth noting that we don’t live in such a tropical climate every day, so our bodies respond differently to such temperatures. Because while a tourist is dressed very thinly, a Thai person is dressed in long sleeves because it’s a cooler time of year for them. Therefore, it’s worth considering what we want to do in such a hot country and possibly plan each day, do thorough research, and choose the right month for us. For me, December was a good month, but the return surprised me a bit in terms of temperature change. Nevertheless, if you decide on this paradise, have a great time.
See you!
