A little bit of cheating

To start my travel-esque blog I am going to have to start with a bit of cheating, and recap my travels from 2013 so far. Unfortunately, being a student = being skint so unlike some of you lucky creatures, I can't be a little globe trotter 24/7. This means I am going to talk to you about the two travelling experiences that I was lucky enough to have (with the help of my travel journals, thanks to my goldfish brain). 

OK so, in March my lifelong pal Rosie embarked on her gap year travels. First stop Thailand. Thankfully she just couldn't bear to go alone, so I hopped on a plane and met her and another good friend, Chloe, in Bangkok. Traveller tip #1 when flying to a foreign country alone, have a plan. My flight arrived several hours before my friends and as I didn't have the check in details to the hotel I had to wait for 6 hours  in BKK airport after the most uncomfortable long distance flight I had experienced (so far) sleep deprived with a heavy rucksack and swollen ankles (yepp, travelling isn't all glamorous) in a bustling airport.

Much to my relief, the journey soon picked up and when my friends eventually arrived, we were whisked off to Khao San Road, Traveller Central.

Bangkok

There was so much to see and do, so here is a list of top things I witnessed/experienced in Bangkok:

• Cheap tuk tuk journeys around the town (but beware, some drivers are a bit manic) Seriously though, you can barter the price down to virtually nothing to stay within your travelling budget* -one day, the three of us paid a driver roughly 60p for two hours of driving us around and waiting outside sites for us.

*Traveller tip #2 ALWAYS have a budget, it is too easy to get overexcited and spend, spend, spend so make sure you set out with a realistic budget for each day and try not to go too far over it.

• Amazing temples and architecture with real gold statues- far too many to mention but highlights for me were the Grand Palace (quite £££), Wat Pho ( the reclining Buddha is amazing!) and the standing Buddha.

• Travelling by water taxi- excellent way to see the city and much cheaper than a river cruise. Be prepared to jump off at your station though as the boat barely stops!

• The amazing food! Eat traditional Thai- it is reallllllllly tasty! Also the streetfood is delicious, but just be careful some meat is often kept out in the sun and you don't want to get a dodgy stomach so eat from the popular carts. I recommend street Pad Thai with egg for nervous travellers and the more adventurous can sample scorpions, crickets, maggots.. insects galore!
• Bargains. Market stalls and shops, there is so much to look at and buy- but watch your purse/wallet as Bangkok is known for pickpockets.

Traveller tip #3 use a bumbag. Definitely worth looking a bit old skool to keep your valuables safe.

• Nice hostels- Lamphu House is a personal favourite
• Trek to the Banyan Tree hotel and when you manage to find the entrance, sneak up to the top floor bar/restaurant, if you look a bit scruffy and aren't following the dress code (like me and my friends) to see the amazing view of Bangkok city at sunset/night, before calmly power-walking off before making a purchase. Equally, you could dress up a bit and actually eat in the restaurant if you can afford.

Slightly blurry view from the Banyan Tree Hotel

Next chapter coming soon: Chiang Mai, Thailand