For some indescribable reason, Asia has always been low on my list of places to visit. The culture and the countries never caught my attention and when we decided that Asia would be our destination for a long trip, I shamefully must admit that it was due to the very affordable prices. However, the more I got to study our upcoming destinations, the more excited I got by every minute. The pictures looked unreal and the places we were going to visit seemed to create a tremendous excitement, that I suddenly evolved an open-mindedness to whatever this journey would bring us. Now, two weeks after our arrival at home, I immediately want to leave again to explore more of Asia. The continent has certainly caught my attention now and more Asian countries and places to visit are already on my list for future travels.
1. Bangkok - Thailand
Bangkok! I had read and heard much about this city where most people travel to during their vacation in Thailand, so I was curious to explore this city and see for myself. I fully enjoyed Bangkok, taking in every bit of the city, both the beautiful and the less beautiful parts of it. Bangkok is one-of-a-kind-city; it is chaotic, yet friendly; it is beautiful, yet authentic. You will find the most outstanding temples, next to high-rise buildings and shabby houses. All of this combined, the beautiful and well-maintained together with dilapidated, is what makes this city so unique and authentic. However, the city is tremendously large, and simply walking around from temple to temple isn’tan option. Most of the time, we would take a cab to get around, or the Skytrain during rush-hour and whenever we were nearby one. All in all, I enjoyed the sprawling city of Bangkok to the fullest with all that came with it, the friendly people, the interesting architecture and a new-to-me-food culture.
2. Koh Tao - Thailand
It took a day or two to acclimatize to a different atmosphere on Koh Tao after leaving Bangkok behind. The pace was suddenly reduced to the lowest of the lows and the energy on Koh Tao was the one of a true vacation where you do nothing but relax and only you set the pace for every kind of activity. In order to get around on this island, we rented a scooter, despite being advised against it from multiple sides. However, with a cautious and attentive driver, we drove around the island on the scooter where freedom has never tasted better than the moments I experienced. On Koh Tao we witnessed the most beautiful sunsets and dived in between corals and colourful fishes, which I had never seen in the wild. I look back at Koh Tao and remembering it with its unique and friendly atmosphere, the best place to dive and a place to explore the real Thailand.
3. Krabi - Thailand
The first thing that comes to my mind when reminiscing about Krabi, was the unique landscape surrounding it. Every time we moved around, be it by boat or car, the nature would astonish me to such an extent that I felt like being transported to an entirely different planet. The rocks, recalling images from the Avatar movie, stood vertically tall climbing towards the sky with its lush green blanket of trees clinging to it. The scenery is indescribable, and even pictures don’t do the real setting justice. Krabi is a large region with countless beautiful places. We settled at Ao Nang, which is located in the centre of the region, caught between the Phan Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea – the best of both worlds. This was a great base to explore the nearby landmarks such as a day trip to Hong Island or the nearby beaches, Railay and Phra Nang.
4. Phuket - Thailand
The last destination in Thailand was Phuket. I had heard much about it, especially the part of it being touristy and nothing like Phuket once might have been. This part I found unfortunately to be true. Despite having beautiful corners here and there, the island has surrendered itself to tourism. Surely it depends on what kind of vacation you are seeking when traveling. I prefer a vacation where I can experience the local culture with its food, the people and the atmosphere getting as close to something authentic as possible without losing the daily comfort. Therefore, Phuket just wasn’t my cup of tea with the typical English Pub’s and all-you-can-eat American Buffets. I’m glad having gone there and experienced nevertheless the way it is now. We saw a formidable show with so many dresses and costumes that I didn’t know where to keep my attention. We visited an Elephant Sanctuary and got wiser on the heartbreaking stories these elephants have endured through their life while being exploited and tortured to entertain tourists. I would support this act of kindness over and over again which simultaneously was the peak of our trip to Phuket.
5. Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
My understanding of Kuala Lumpur is, that many people use it as a short one-day pitstop in between two destinations. Since Singapore was our last destination, it made perfectly sense to explore this city for some days since it geographically was on the way to Singapore. We had three entire days to spend in Kuala Lumpur but were unfortunately interrupted with one day of sickness that we spent exclusively in the hotel room. We will therefore have to return to Kuala Lumpur someday, for two days weren’t merely enough to devote to this interesting city. Kuala Lumpur is a city under development of becoming a very modern city with skyscrapers as far as the eye reaches and is on some way comparable to Singapore, though in a much lower degree. I will look forward to visit Kuala Lumpur again someday and hopefully even have the chance to explore the surroundings.
6. Singapore
Singapore! My 3rd favorite city in the world, right after New York and Paris. I had visited Singapore 13 years ago as part of my around-the-world trip, but my boyfriend, Emil, had never been. I was eager to see how the city had changed since my last visit. We enjoyed our time in Singapore greatly, and despite having spent six entire days, we could have spent even another week exploring more, since it felt as if we just had touched the surface of it. Many of our days revolved around the Marina Bay and the Gardens by the Bay area where many of Singapore's futurstic attractions are located. Especially the Gardens by the Bay area I was curious to visit which opened a year after my first time visit to Singapore; back then, it was only a large construction site. But oh my, it was stunning and definitely exceeded my expectations! With Singapore as our last stop in Asia, we certainly concluded our trip at the peak.
Tips:
1. Both national and international flights are very affordable in Asia which makes traveling from one country to another a cheap way to see much during one trip to Asia.
2. Bangkok isn’t exactly a tourist-friendly city where you are able to walk from one temple to another. The city is huge; huge within a scale that I haven’t seen until my visit to Bangkok. In order to get around the city you will need to either take public transport (the Skytrain is the best and most reliable public transport system), a cab or a tuktuk.
3. If you are planning on renting a scooter, which definitely is the most convenient way to get around many places in Thailand, make sure to have an internationally recognized driver’s license. The police patrol the streets regularly to catch only the tourists who are either unaware or ignorant regarding the rules in Thailand.
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