Bangkok, Thailand
This is one of the most fascinating locations I’ve traveled to. Thick jungles surround enormous, immensely crowded cities, so busy the main drag is usually ten lanes wide.
Nonetheless, it’s fairly safe to walk the streets in the dead of night. In fact, many of my favorite memories are of the nightlife. Nightclubs are hopping all night. Until I partied with a club full of professional Frisbee athletes, I didn’t know there was such a thing.
A stewardess on my flight told my traveling companion one can get anything you want in Thailand. Want a bride? They advertise for them in magazine ads.
From delectable treats to meals from around the world served in every type restaurant conceivable, you won’t go hungry. Every cuisine possible can be easily found with Thailand’s multi-cultural foodie experience. The best Greek food I’ve ever ate was in Bangkok. Incredible Thai food will make your hair stand on end, but it’s delightful. Seafood is at its best in this fabulous country.
Be sure to visit the water market. Try the local fruits and food cooked right in front of you in a wok on the waterway. Take a ride on a boat in the canal. Watch kids swim off their back doors in the canal, while their moms wash clothes in the murky waterway. Buy bread from monks and feed the huge golden catfish vying for a meal. They jump up to beg for pieces.
Walking the streets with friends in the middle of the night, after a night of dining and clubbing, we headed to get foot massages. I had no idea there was such a place. Let me tell you. A foot massage after a day on your feet and an evening partying is the best treat in the universe. I fell in love with the lovely ladies in the foot massage parlor across from my four star hotel.
Were else can you be taking a cab to your hotel from a night of dancing and dining, driving down a ten-lane highway, and see a monk leading an elephant along a sidewalk with a leash? Yes, elephants are sacred. So are monks. Don’t attempt to touch either of them.
If you go, don’t miss my favorite attractions. The castle where the royal family had lived is a fantastic trip. Don’t be surprised to see the locals all carrying umbrellas to protect their skin from the hot sun. I stood out like the foreigner I was, the only person in sight not carrying one.
This incredible local is where The King And I was filmed and it’s been in many other movies, because of the beautiful, colorful temples. If you enter a temple, and I advise you do, be sure to leave your shoes at the door. It’s so warming to the soul to sit inside, say a prayer, meditate or simply enjoy the quiet for a few moments.
Visit the flea market, but make sure you’re with someone who knows their way around. It’s enormous and a maze you may never find your way out of without a guide. The food is good and the prices are low. You can find any kind of souvenir you can imagine.
The experience is truly life changing. Women are the most beautiful in the world, tiny, almost fragile looking. People are warm, kind and welcoming.
Crime is low. Thailand’s law enforcement system doesn’t stand for breaking the law. Punishment is severe, and it must be working, because it felt extremely safe being there.
Whether you like sight seeing, night life, cultural experiences, are a determined foodie, explorer, adventurer or simply want to relax on pristine beaches, Thailand has something for you.
