Top 5 new experiences from Thailand

Spending two months in a new continent came with many new and wonderful experiences. Of all the things I tried during my time in South-East Asia, these are five of my favourites.

Snorkelling

I went snorkelling as part of a day excursion to Ang Thong Marine National Park in the Gulf of Thailand and it was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. Starting from Koh Samui early in the morning, we took a speed boat out to the islands in the national park. The water was the most beautiful turquoise colour and crystal clear. We parked up in the middle of a bay just off the coast of one of the islands and were all given snorkels so that we could jump out of the boat and swim around looking at the coral reef and all the colourful fish below. It was magical to be able to see everything so clearly and to see such a beautiful underwater scene for myself. We went on to explore other islands in the park, climb to spectacular viewpoints and kayak along the coastline. Overall, one of my favourite days of the whole trip.

Riding in the open back of a pick-up truck

During my month of volunteering in Thailand, the main form of transport for the volunteers was piling into the back of a local pickup truck to be taken to the nearest city. The feeling of driving along an open country road with the wind in your face, next to a group of people from all over the world, looking at the most stunning scenery of mountains, rivers and forest, watching the sun setting and singing along to whatever music was playing on the speakers is just something I’ll never forget from my travels. In fact open-air transport is one of the most common ways to get around in Thailand but the novelty never wore off.

Learning about elephants

Living and working in an elephant sanctuary for a month gave me a better understanding of elephants than I could possibly have got otherwise. Seeing the elephants go about their daily lives, getting to know their personalities and working with them up close on a daily basis is an experience I am so grateful to be able to have had. I developed a new level of respect and appreciation for these creatures through talking to the people who know elephants the best - the mahouts and those who have worked with elephants for decades. I learnt enough about elephants to be able to give guided tours of the sanctuary to visitors and to be able to answer most of the questions people have about elephants. I could explain the life stories of the elephants at the sanctuary, discuss the role of elephants in the ecosystem and tell people about the different industries elephants have been used for throughout history. I learnt about the emotional intelligence of elephants, the ways they are exploited around the world and how we can help them. It was an incredible experience to gain so much knowledge on such a specific and important subject.

Riding a scooter

Though a scooter is one of the most popular and convenient ways to get around in South-East Asia, I was a bit scared to drive one, having never done it before. However, after avoiding it for most of my trip, I finally caved when I arrived in Pai, a small town in the Northern mountains of Thailand where the roads are very quiet and it is really difficult to get around otherwise. I rented their basic bike for two days and had an amazing time exploring the Thai countryside. The mountainscapes are stunning and driving along the back roads, off the beaten path, is the best way to fully appreciate the surroundings. I found it was actually very easy to drive the scooter after a few minutes of getting used to the feel. I was able to reach some spectacular viewpoints, go to cute little cafés and visit waterfalls, hot springs and canyons all in the same day which just wouldn’t have been possible without the scooter.

Visiting a monastery at sunrise

In Chiang Mai I was travelling with a friend and we had heard about the “monk’s trail”, a hiking route through the forest up to a hidden temple and working monastery which then continued up to a second temple at the top of the mountain. We planned to reach the first monastery by sunrise so we set off at 5am along a small path through the forest in total darkness. Though it was a bit scary to be in the forest at night on an unknown trail, the experience was so worth it. We were the first ones up there and we got to see the monastery waking up and the monks going about their morning rituals. We listened to their chanting and prayers, watched Chiang Mai light up down below as the sun came up and meditated surrounded by nature. The sounds of the forest were absolutely incredible with a cacophony of birds and insects which was so loud it sounded almost mechanical. We were convinced there was somebody using a chainsaw before spotting a tiny insect which was making all that noise. It really was an experience like no other and the monastery felt so much more authentic and spiritual than the other temples I saw in South-East Asia which usually are flamboyantly adorned with bright colours, gold and tourist props. After watching the sunrise and spending some time at the hidden temple, we continued on up the mountain to the second temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Thailand. This temple, completely different from the first, was also impressive. Its immense size, stunning location and lavish gold decor makes it well worth the visit