Independant travel virgins in need of help! please help answer questions/give advice.
Next year I plan to travel without family for the first time and I have no idea where to start! I want to travel for 2-3 months, experiencing the culture of Bangkok as well as a beautiful island.
my aim is to travel to an island which isn't too commercial, but still reasonably safe. I woulds like to stay in a beach hut and I'll be on a low budget. any help? I need advice!
Reply to this Hello Polly 😊
I moved this to the New to Independent Travel Forum, which was created for first time travellers such as you are. 😊
For a non commercial island you could try Ko Tarutao National Park. Not many beach huts to be found there though, because it really is non commercial. You might enjoy Koh Pha Ngan where it is possible to find beach huts for a few Euros per night. It is more commerical than Tarutao but I still enjoyed it.
Mel
Reply to this Hi Mell,
Thankyou for the tips, Ko Tarutao looks amazing! could you give me any suggestions on cheap accomodation?
Oh and thanks for the forum move - I wasn't aware there were more than one!
Polly 😊
Reply to this oh and also, would language be a problem in Ko Tarutao? I plan to learn as much of the language as I can but will be far from fluent. Thankyou!!
Reply to this On Ko Tarutao you can camp on the beach as far as I know or stay in a longhouse. I dont know if the camping on the beach is still free or not. Longhouses: I am not sure how much they cost on Ko Tarutao. Maybe you could put a post on the Asia forum specifically asking. Hopefully somebody knows. I have not been to Ko Tarutao yet.
I dont know about Ko Tarutao, but in places where foreigeners go in Thailand there are generally a lot of people who speak at least some English. A phrasebook can be a useful item in Thailand too. Even if you learn some Thai, a foreign accent may be difficult for them to understand.
Reply to this ok, thankyou very much.
I have decided to travel to various places within thailand, tarutao being one of them!
cheers for the help x
Reply to this Please consider spending some time in Northern Thailand! Chiangmai/Chiangrai and the areas that border Myanmar have much to offer and will give you an insight into how most Thais live rather than just those who depend on tourism for their income.
Reply to this I live in Bangkok (well, I am Thai) and have a good friend who lives in Chiangmai. Once you get here, you may contact me for any advice. I used to travel around and got the same feelings. Here's my email
. nip Reply to this Yes i would like to travel all over thailand, my bangkok and one island thing was the initial idea but now i want to see it all! Chiangmai deffinately appeals to me and yes i would like to visit the less touristy areas!
And thank you Jackie, i think it would be a great help to be able to talk to someone who actually lives in thailand. they removed your email but no worries, if i have any questions I will contact you through your profile! thanks a lot x
Reply to this I have a question about transport. as i've mentioned I want to experience every aspect of Thailand and therefore travel from North to south. How difficult is it to organise transport around Thailand? Would language act as a barrier when booking trains/busses etc? This is the part I am most worried about as I am prone to getting lost! Also how expensive would it be?? Any help appreciated!
Reply to this How difficult is it to organise transport around Thailand?
It is very easy. Just go to the bus or train station and buy a ticket. The busses generally go to destinations more frequently than the trains. The ticket sellers are used to foreigners so can usually speak enough English to be able to tell you prices and which platform the bus or train goes from etc.
I would generally/always go to the bus or train stations to buy the tickets and use the official Thai transport rather than the private bus services. There is less chance of being scammed if you do this.
This is the part I am most worried about as I am prone to getting lost!
Taxis are very inexpensive as long as you ask them to switch on the meter, so if you are prone to getting lost, then just take taxis to where you want to go in Bangkok.
Also how expensive would it be??
A 10 hour journey in the first class bus would cost less than 15 Euros. From Bangkok to Chaing Mai in the first class sleeper train would cost less than 25 Euros.
Reply to this wow thank you, I'm glad it's not too expensive! And I love how easily some tourists get ripped off, your comment about asking them to switch on the meter made me laugh! thanks for the help =)
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