It's been two weeks already when I had my unforgettable experience in Bangkok but the memories are still fresh. I always find myself staring at the photos from my phone, reminiscing every single day of my stay in Thailand. I still can't believe that it all happened, now it's all done and I'm longing and wanting to go back again as soon as possible. Everything that happened was unplanned, unexpected and unforgettable. And that what made me fell in love with Bangkok.
I booked my two-way ticket to Bangkok five months before my tour so I have more time to save money for the trip. Then, a month before my tour, I filed a vacation leave from my employer and I'm really grateful that they approved it but they will only pay the five days of my vacation leave because that's the only leave that I earned. So, since it's a two-week vacation, I have five unpaid leaves. From my understanding, I can use all my vacation leave to cover the entire trip. The five days of unpaid leave was a huge amount for me so I decided not to go.
A week before my tour, a part of me was telling to go and continue with the plan. Undecided yet motivated to continue, an idea came to me to just do it for just one whole week instead of two weeks. But the amount that I'm going to pay for the re-booking of my return ticket was a little bit pricey which costs around Php5,000.00 ($99.50) so I made my final decision of not going.
Three days before my tour, one webmaster emailed me and told me that he wanted to post an article on my travel blog and he will pay me $100 (PHP5,028.50). It was unexpected but came on a perfect time. I used the money to book my return ticket.
Now, here are the reasons why I fell in love with Bangkok:
Perfect Place for Solo Traveler
I chose Bangkok to do my first ever solo travel outside my country and it was the best decision I've ever made. I went to different destinations in Bangkok like visiting temples, tried different pad thai and sticky rice in different restaurants and food streets and went to different bars and hotels. The transportation is very efficient, you'll love the food and locals are very welcoming.
Khao San Road is Crazy
I wrote an article about why Khaosan Road is a perfect place for solo travelers where you can find out what are best things to do in Khaosan Road. The reason why I described Khaosan Road as crazy was because you'll see every good thing and a not-so-good thing about Khaosan Road. It's up to you find it out. But as for me, I enjoyed the long hours of night parties, the food and happy vibe of Khaosan Road.
Meeting New Friends
When traveling solo, you have no option but to talk to other people, some of them will be your friends during the tour and there are some that you'll keep the friendships even if the tour ends. When I was in Bangkok, I made a lot of new friends. From the receptionist of the hostel where I stayed, vendor of pad thai, a tourist from Brazil whom I just asked for the direction to train station where he took me there and bought me a ticket, the French family that I've met on the long train ride going to Ayutthaya and a group of tourists that I've met while dancing in Khaosan Road - these are just some of the people that I've met during my stay in Bangkok. Until now, I'm still connected with them on facebook and constantly updating each other about our next travel destinations. One of best friends that I made was Seung Min from South Korea. Until now, we're always updating each other, teaching each other their own language and culture. I'm really excited that I'll be hosting him on his visit here in Manila this December then on 2018, I'll be visiting him to South Korea. I found my new travel buddy.
Food is Heaven
One of the best things about Thailand is their food. It appears to be a natural right of every Thai citizen to eat delicious and nutritious food. Flavorful Thai meals can be bought for as low as 25 baht. There's nothing better than sitting at a roadside stall eating a freshly-cooked meal. Who cares if the restaurant is next to a dumpster in a polluted area? It tastes good, and that's all that matters.
Interesting History
A day in Ayutthaya will give you the glimpse of their colorful history. With over 35,000 temples in Thailand, truly they are the land of temples. Bangkok used to be known as "Venice of the East" due to the number of buildings that were built on stilts above the river. Gradually, most of the canals were filled in and became the streets you see today. But its natural beauty never fades.
There you go! These are some of the countless reasons how I fell in love with Bangkok. If there's a chance to live there, I will definitely grab the opportunity to stay there for a long time to study more of their culture.
