And so, since there are no safety concerns, I want to offer some tips to future travelers to this area. The biggest tip though, is to do it! Get out of your comfort zone and go to a place unlike our own home country. Go, and be amazed!
Top Ten List:
1. The People - I have told everyone I've spoken to about my travels about the people that I encountered along the way. We made friends with fellow travelers, something I am always grateful for, but it was the people of this region who made the biggest impact on me. The people in particular of Thailand and Cambodia were above and beyond the kindest people I had ever met in the world. An Aussie I met said, "The people here are how people should be," and he was completely right. They are generous, overwhelmingly kind, genuine and welcoming. Meeting the people of this region is worth the long flight!
2. The Gibbon Experience - Ziplining through a jungle and sleeping in a tree house. What more could be said for this unique and memorable experience?
3. Krabi Sunset Tour - I don't typically promote some sort of "tour," but out of my six weeks in Asia, this one day experience tops my list. On this magical day, Jessica and I were surrounded by fun people and a fabulous crew that took us paddle-boarding in remote areas, found fun places for us to swim and jump off the boat, prepared a delicious meal, showed us a gorgeous sunset, and then allowed us to play with glow-in-the-dark plankton. It was truly one of the very best of days!
4. Elephant Nature Park - Getting to be up close and personal with elephants in a place that was doing good things for elephants was truly remarkable.
5. Angkor Wat - The largest religious structure in the world is amazing. The freedom of wandering around this multitude of ancient temples is fascinating and awe-inspiring.
6. Sukhothai - The first real capital city of Thailand is an ancient wonder, mostly in ruins, but Buddha still smiles down on you at every turn. Unlike Angkor Wat, this tiny town gets very few visitors, and so a huge part of the allure is the lack of people. Rent a bike and tour around this flat ancient civilization on your own, enjoying the quiet majesty of it all.
7. Cooking Classes - I loved taking cooking classes in different countries. Not only learning more about the food, but also getting to spend time with locals and fellow travelers was an absolute treat!
8. Boat Tour from Cat Ba/Halong Ba - This area off the coast in Northern Vietnam is stunningly beautiful, but what I think I enjoyed most was seeing a completely different lifestyle. A whole society lives on floating houses amongst the 365 tiny islands, raising fish and separated from the outside world.
9. Food Tours - Sometimes finding the right street food carts and knowing what to order can be intimidating and a bit scary. We enjoyed street food tours in Chiang Mai and Hanoi. Both were led by fun people, we ate incredible food until our stomachs nearly burst, we learned a lot, and it gave us confidence to then order food on our own.
10. Massages - Jessica and I got at least one massage in each country we went to. They were incredibly reasonable, very relaxing and a completely different experience than getting one here in the states. It is something the local culture is very proud of and something we absolutely loved!
Tips and tidbits for fellow/future travelers:
Clothing
Clothing was tricky for several reasons. First off, it was hot. In the summers, here, I wear shorts and tank-tops to keep my body as cool as physically possible. But the people of this region are very conservative, making my typical summer clothing inappropriate. I did not want to offend anyone, nor did I want to stick out any more than I already did. Plus, many sites you visit, you must be covered up, so I was often in long pants and at least a t-shirt. Linen was perfect, but my other suggestion is to buy clothes there, because they know how to make full coverage clothes that are very thin and breathable.
Money
Learning a new monetary system when you travel is always a fun challenge. When the exchange rate is in the thousands, it makes things incredibly confusing. I am also accustomed to using my credit card for a lot as I travel. That was not the case here. Cash was what we almost always paid in, including our hotels. If at all possible, get some cash before you go, then find ATMs when you arrive, but just be prepared to rely on paper rather than plastic. And the most accepted money in Cambodia is the US dollar! ATM machines there spit out dollars!
Language
Unfortunately, my brain does not seem to hold on to other languages. I've tried several language classes in my days, but the most I've ever remembered is from first hand experience (I can order gelato exceptionally well). Of course we were a bit anxious about not being able to speak the language, but it was never a problem. Almost everyone we encountered spoke English, which made me very appreciative, while also making me feel ignorant. There were a few people we met whom we could not speak with, but we always found a way to communicate with. Learn greetings and how to say "thank you," and remember that you are the one who should be at fault, not the person who does not speak YOUR language, and you should be good to go!
Food
Of course there were comments about the food before we traveled. People joked about us eating cats and dogs before we left. The food was fantastic. I took all sorts of stomach pills with me, anxious myself about a new diet for six weeks, but I had practically no problems whatsoever. The food was absolutely amazing! While we saw some odd things for sale like toads, crickets, eel and ant eggs, we never once ate any, nor did we ever really see meat for sale that offended us like cats or dogs.
Traveling About
When in a foreign country, you are completely at the mercy of the transportation they have available. There are planes, trains, buses, boat rides and automobiles for the taking. Plane rides were incredibly inexpensive once you were in the area. Buses and boats were often an adventure, but not one that I ever regretted. And don't expect to ride in many cars as tuk-tuks are the best and most common way to get around. Enjoy the breeze created on these open-air contraptions!
Lodging
Jessica and I typically look for the most reasonably priced hotels, often skipping the cheapest, and booking the one just above that one. On this trip though, we often stayed in luxury. There were options of hostels for $2 a night, but we opted for hotels that were more like $20 a night. We stayed in luxury beach accommodations for $50-$60 a night. Of course, places in the city were sometimes more expensive, but once you pay for the plane fare to the area, you could stay there for an incredibly low price if you choose or treat yourself for only a fraction of the cost that you would treat yourself any where else.
Elephants
In Thailand especially, you'll see elephants. No, we never saw any wild ones, but there are all sorts of possibilities to see elephants. When you search for a place to get up close and personal with the elephants (as you should do), make sure you do your research. Don't support places where the elephants are used for work or trained to perform. And please, don't ride an elephant. The animal activist of Thailand are trying to pass a law that prohibits this. Many tourists can't wait to ride an elephant, thinking that of course these strong animals can support our weight, but it is more than that. In order for an elephant to become "ride-able," it's spirit must be totally broken. Elephants whom are ridden and worked for a lot of their lives begin to have backs and shoulders that are shaped differently. Many tourists ride elephants, never thinking that it could hurt these large majestic creatures, but they do. So please, interact with the elephants on their terms, not yours.
My biggest tip of all? GO! Get out there and experience all of the incredible gifts that this amazingly unique pocket of the world has to offer!
Tips and tidbits for fellow/future travelers:
Clothing
Clothing was tricky for several reasons. First off, it was hot. In the summers, here, I wear shorts and tank-tops to keep my body as cool as physically possible. But the people of this region are very conservative, making my typical summer clothing inappropriate. I did not want to offend anyone, nor did I want to stick out any more than I already did. Plus, many sites you visit, you must be covered up, so I was often in long pants and at least a t-shirt. Linen was perfect, but my other suggestion is to buy clothes there, because they know how to make full coverage clothes that are very thin and breathable.
Money
Learning a new monetary system when you travel is always a fun challenge. When the exchange rate is in the thousands, it makes things incredibly confusing. I am also accustomed to using my credit card for a lot as I travel. That was not the case here. Cash was what we almost always paid in, including our hotels. If at all possible, get some cash before you go, then find ATMs when you arrive, but just be prepared to rely on paper rather than plastic. And the most accepted money in Cambodia is the US dollar! ATM machines there spit out dollars!
Language
Unfortunately, my brain does not seem to hold on to other languages. I've tried several language classes in my days, but the most I've ever remembered is from first hand experience (I can order gelato exceptionally well). Of course we were a bit anxious about not being able to speak the language, but it was never a problem. Almost everyone we encountered spoke English, which made me very appreciative, while also making me feel ignorant. There were a few people we met whom we could not speak with, but we always found a way to communicate with. Learn greetings and how to say "thank you," and remember that you are the one who should be at fault, not the person who does not speak YOUR language, and you should be good to go!
Food
Of course there were comments about the food before we traveled. People joked about us eating cats and dogs before we left. The food was fantastic. I took all sorts of stomach pills with me, anxious myself about a new diet for six weeks, but I had practically no problems whatsoever. The food was absolutely amazing! While we saw some odd things for sale like toads, crickets, eel and ant eggs, we never once ate any, nor did we ever really see meat for sale that offended us like cats or dogs.
Traveling About
When in a foreign country, you are completely at the mercy of the transportation they have available. There are planes, trains, buses, boat rides and automobiles for the taking. Plane rides were incredibly inexpensive once you were in the area. Buses and boats were often an adventure, but not one that I ever regretted. And don't expect to ride in many cars as tuk-tuks are the best and most common way to get around. Enjoy the breeze created on these open-air contraptions!
Lodging
Jessica and I typically look for the most reasonably priced hotels, often skipping the cheapest, and booking the one just above that one. On this trip though, we often stayed in luxury. There were options of hostels for $2 a night, but we opted for hotels that were more like $20 a night. We stayed in luxury beach accommodations for $50-$60 a night. Of course, places in the city were sometimes more expensive, but once you pay for the plane fare to the area, you could stay there for an incredibly low price if you choose or treat yourself for only a fraction of the cost that you would treat yourself any where else.
Elephants
In Thailand especially, you'll see elephants. No, we never saw any wild ones, but there are all sorts of possibilities to see elephants. When you search for a place to get up close and personal with the elephants (as you should do), make sure you do your research. Don't support places where the elephants are used for work or trained to perform. And please, don't ride an elephant. The animal activist of Thailand are trying to pass a law that prohibits this. Many tourists can't wait to ride an elephant, thinking that of course these strong animals can support our weight, but it is more than that. In order for an elephant to become "ride-able," it's spirit must be totally broken. Elephants whom are ridden and worked for a lot of their lives begin to have backs and shoulders that are shaped differently. Many tourists ride elephants, never thinking that it could hurt these large majestic creatures, but they do. So please, interact with the elephants on their terms, not yours.
My biggest tip of all? GO! Get out there and experience all of the incredible gifts that this amazingly unique pocket of the world has to offer!
