As I pulled away from the airport in Bangkok, I sat in the taxi gazing out of the window, waiting for it to hit me... But it didn't. It made me a bit sad, so I told myself to snap out of it. And then it dawned on me, I was excited, I just had no one to share it with so I couldn't outwardly express my emotion.
I wanted to hit the city the next day, and this is where I kick myself. You see, the hotel staff were amazing. They assisted me in showing me maps of the area and where to walk to, they even helped me arrange a tuk-tuk to pedal me through the streets so I could catch all the photo opportunities. But, still, having no one there to share this experience with was a little weird, and this is why I normally stay in hostels. They are full of solo travellers looking for new people to hang out with and share some memories... I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice to stay in a hotel for a change with a king bed and your own bathroom... It just lacks the drive.
This city has so much to offer - and I would prefer to be able to recant the memories later with an old or new friend. So my advice, if you're a solo traveller and you like hotels but want the vibe of a hostel either...
1. Find an up market hostel with a private room
2. Mix it up stay a few nights in a hotel and a few nights in a hostel! You'll meet great people and have a ball!
I found Bangkok to be completely safe to travel as a solo female vagabond.The Thai people are extremely friendly and don't hassle you, like many other SEA countries. Its actually nice to walk through a market or down the street and not have someone try to shove some cheap tourist souvenirs in your face.
Those who say 2-3 days in Bangkok is enough - I say... No way! I could easily spend 2 weeks in the city and the outer skirts exploring and really getting to know the old and new 'capital cities' of Thailand, yes - Bangkok is the 4th capital of Thailand! The older areas are full of beautiful architecture and culture that you wont find if you hover too long and too close to Khao San Road.
People say, stay away from the tuk-tuk's, but I say - go for it. Negotiate a payment first. I paid a guy 400B (that's about $12 AUD) to take me to all the sites and drive me around for about 6 hours! Now I would normally walk - but it takes a few days to get use to the heat in Thailand - So $12 to acclimatise and see the sights sounds pretty good to me!
Bangkok is full of this to entertain you - the 'weird', the 'weirder' and the 'really out of this world weird', awaits for your exploration.
One thing I have to mention - Anyone who has been anywhere in SEA will probably agree with me. I love the idea of their 'kip'. It seems, whenever anyone feels like they need a nap, they just lay down and take it - no matter where they are. I mean I have seen people sleeping on bamboo scaffolding, Car hoods, portable hammocks, a chair placed randomly in the street... Kudos to SEA napping!
