And so my time in Thailand has come to a close. It's hard to believe I've been here nearly a month. We covered quite a lot of country in that time!:
Bangkok
Koh Tao
Koh Nang Yuan
Koh Phangan
Bangkok, again
Chiang Mai
Pai
Soppong
and
Chiang Mai, again
Plus all the country/water in between!
For me, the highlights include:
The Jungle Guest House in Soppong - such a lovely place that really felt like home for a few days. The village is friendly and welcoming and the country around it is beautiful.
Freedom Beach on Koh Tao - such a relaxing day in a gorgeous place!
Waterfalls!!! - we found any excuse to jump in the cool, fresh water whenever we could. Soooo fantastic!
Hitchhiking from Soppong to Chiang Mai - don't tell my mom about this one please ;)
Motorbiking - we rented bikes twice and both days were such a great time. It's a perfect way to see the countryside at your own pace (read: fast! lol) and to see what you want to see.
Thai food - incredible! So fresh, so healthy, so cheap!!! I will miss my fresh fruit juices every morning!
Trekking - the hike into the mountains was properly heart pumping and the views (while sadly impeded by smoke) were great. The night in the village was very fun. Reading a book at sunrise then hanging out with one of the local kids while everyone else slept was even more fun. :)
Massages - an experience for sure. Some were amazing, some were ok but the fact that an hour massage is about £3 means you can afford to try out lots of places. A quite enjoyable way to recover after a trek!
In summary, Thailand is really wonderful. We came at the wrong time to see the views of lush, green mountains which was frustrating but I am certain that in the right season it is absolutely gorgeous. It is definitely on my list to come back and see more of the north (as well as venture into some new regions, of course!).
So kop khun kha Thailand! Until next time!
