Trouble-free travel, Thai style

Published Sep 12, 2014

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Bangkok - Two weeks after I return from Thailand, I am sitting at my desk struggling to decide what I should write and what I should leave out from the trip.

There was such a wide range of things to do that it is near impossible to do justice in one article.

When you think about a trip to Thailand a few things come to mind; white sands and blue seas with not much more to do than sunbathe, sip cocktails or coconut juice and getting Thai massages.

One of my colleagues had urged me several times to venture into Bangkok’s red light district and explore the infamous ping pong shows of scantily clad dancing girls. My family warned me to watch out for my luggage at the airport because drug traffickers were apparently on the prowl looking for drug mules to Thailand.

But after spending about eight days traversing Thailand from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and Hua Hin, I saw a different world of magnificent landscapes; a group of kind, gentle people full of smiles.

I also saw a place that is rewarding for travellers who will find treasures steeped in its history and tradition.

Add to this the safety on the streets, no Visa required for South Africans, no compulsory vaccinations and you have a recipe for revitalising trouble-free travel.

So where to start?

Thailand and in particular Bangkok, has been making headlines lately for all the wrong reasons. Its military coup and a curfew that remained in place until recently raised safety concerns, particularly for tourists.

With this in mind perhaps, the Tourism Authority of Thailand placed a great deal of emphasis on the reasons millions of tourists keep flocking to the country.

As the air shimmered with heat and humidity, throngs of tourists stared in awe at spectacular land-mark architecture that served for more than a century as the home of the Thai king.

The Grand Palace is one of Bangkok’s most famous sites built in 1782. You could easily get lost in this impressive 218 000m2 of buildings, built after King Rama I ascended to the throne. It remains Thailand’s most sacred site with temples, including the renowned temple of Emerald Buddha.

Thailand’s monarch is largely credited with holding the nation together even during political turbulence. And according to our guide Lek, the blue colour in the middle of country’s flag represents that role.

To explore the streets of Bangkok where traffic is perpetually choked, we took part in an Amazing Race-style treasure hunt photo challenge around the city in groups.

A day earlier I had watched in disbelief as our bus was caught in a gridlock during rush hour. Tuk-tuks nosed forward, motorbikes moved and buses shared lanes while we waited. In fact on the first night when we headed for dinner it took us 90 minutes to travel just 4km in Bangkok rush hour.

But the “Bangkok is Back” adventure, which took us around the sprawling metropolis with its high rise modernity alongside poverty and colonial architecture, got me to gradually embrace the chaos.

Throughout the excursion, I saw proud faces of people everywhere who greet with a Wai – pressing of the palms together at the chest – as though in prayer. It hardly felt like I was in foreign country.

We took a sky train, changed lines in a mad rush, jumped on to a bouncy long-tail boat, stopped on the canal to feed hundreds of fish and visited the biggest retail fresh flower market.

The air was heavy and damp but the Thailand Happiness Street festival – an explosive parade of cultural activities, song and dance – eased humidity with a special kind of charm.

We snapped the cheering crowds of locals with wide smiles in clear sky and later in full moon. I have never seen so much hysteria in the streets when a beauty queen was paraded in front of locals.

When night falls each evening, the bars, restaurants, hotel clubs and pubs open their doors to the multitudes of tourists retreating from day city tours.

And there was no better place to get a first taste of Bangkok’s night life than at the Q-Bar night club, where local groups entertained us with their own rendition of Caribbean music.

 

Perhaps part of the excitement here for me was the breathtaking views of the city from the Sofitel Hotel. I marvelled at the endless colours and textures of the Bangkok skyline from a tower of the plus-20-storey building.

Along the route to Kanchanaburi there are sections and memorials dedicated to the construction of the railway track – The Death Railway – with the most horrific stories of human suffering. It is estimated that at least 100 000 people died working on the railway.

It was built to move supplies after the capture of Thailand by the Japanese army during World War II. Thousands of prisoners of war (POWs) – mostly British, Dutch and Australian – perished here while being kept under harsh conditions by the Japanese army.

Museums around the area tell the story of how in 1942 the POWs workforce was subject to battles not only against brutality of their captors but appalling living conditions, threat of death and disease.

Floating rafts

And there were other drawbacks to Kanchanaburi – such as the River Kwai Jungle, where visitors are now served lunch on floating rafts and adventure junkies are catered for.

If you can’t survive a 30 minute ride both ways in a long-tail boat into the jungle where there is no electricity and wi-fi, then The River Kwai isn’t for you.

It was almost dark by the time we left the rafts and our boat, which had no lights and no lifejackets.

I worried that we would be rammed by a passing boat that couldn’t see us. I imagined being swept away into the river unseen.

Upon our return to the hotel, I took ill with a stomach bug. I couldn’t sleep so missed the next day’s adventure to the Elephant World.

Later that night however, we ventured into the small town in search of nightlife. In the few open bars, karaoke-like bands played music almost motionless.

One sold the cheapest alcohol I had ever come across, calling for patrons to “Get drunk for 10Bhat” – approximately R4.

From Kanchanaburi our journey took in another 200km bus ride to the coastal resort of Hua Hin.

I was exhausted and sick of being in the bus but upon arrival in Hua Hin saw leaning palms and clear waters better than any postcard.

The extraordinary scenery lifted me and I listened intently as the waves came crashing not far from the Chom Talay, where we enjoyed a scrumptious seafood lunch.

Hua Hin is the kind of a holiday destination where tourists go looking for a suntan in the middle of winter.

Only two hours from Bangkok, we were told it’s so popular – even among locals – that on weekends its hotels and resorts that cater for every kind of holidaymaker are always fully booked.

With its coastline and water at a year-round comfortable swimming temperature, every traveller will find their heart stolen by this South East Asian land. It may well be true that Thailand, after all, offers everything for everyone.

Apart from the beautiful scenery of Hua Hin Hills vineyard, where you can have the finest wine with matching food and watch the sun set, there are night markets to explore. And you will also pass through a sleepy fishing village with dozens of colourfully painted wooden fishing boats that sail out to the fishing grounds every evening.

There are few breathtaking rocky jigsaw-puzzled landscapes to match that of the Sam Roi Yot National Park. From private shrimp farms, to sandy beaches and towering limestone outcrops, the extraordinary scenery will leave even the outdoor enthusiasts gasping.

You have to be really fit to trek 450m up the twisted rocks to the Phrayanakon cave while the heat and humidity hits you like a hot blast from a sauna. The path climbs steeply and it takes up to half and hour to walk up to the fascinating Thai pavilion built by King Rama V inside the biggest open roofed cavern.

What could be more exotic than adventure in the midst of sea breeze? The food was second-to-none and the hotels, I would argue, are some of the best in the world.

When we returned to Bangkok for a last stop at Asiatique night market – where you can buy everything at bargain prices – I was left with not much energy to run on, but I held my breath and jumped into the shuttle-boat from the incredible Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok.

I may have left Thailand a while back now but I can still feel the residual warmth of the places I went to and the people.

 

If You Go...

Our travel to Thailand was courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways

*Thompsons Holidays arrange package tours to Thailand.

Call: 011 770 7700, e-mail [email protected]; www.thompsons.co.za.

Saturday Star

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