Researching Thailand

Wow, we've been overwhelmed with all of the amazing advice we're received since posting about planning Bali. Thank you thank you thank you. If anyone is looking for a good story, ask my mom's dear friend Deb about flamethrowers at funerals or cat-munchin' pythons, you're in for a treat.

So! The next itinerary that needs planning is Thailand. As with Bali, it was cool to find out how many people have spent time in Thailand once we started asking around. From Derek, who was there for three weeks, to Amanda, who spend much of her childhood there, to Gloria, who had some unique experiences in Northern Thailand, there is a wealth of knowledge to tap.  Here's how the plan is shaping up so far.

 In general, Sarah and I are not huge beach vacationors. Nothing against white sand and mai-tais, but between Sarah's tan-resistant (and very subburnable) skin and my short attention span a day at the beach usually turns into Sarah repeatedly applying SPF 50 and my asking after two hours if it's time to go ride bikes.

That said though, I hear the saying for Thailand is - when in Thailand, do as Leo DiCaprio does. Which is go to Ko Phi Phi because you will never see a more beautiful beach. And we figure on a five month trip, one leg that is mainly beachy will be fun. Ko Phi Phi here we come.

Before we get to that tiny island oasis though, we'll spend a few days in Bangkok. We're staying close to the Old City, where Rattanakosin's temples, palaces and pavilions will be a definite stop off. We've also hear of an enormous market that happens on the northern outskirts of town. On one of those days we'll head up the river to Kanchanaburi, where we've heard you can do some touristy but unmissable things like ride elephants, check out a provincial marketplace on the water, visit some historical shrines, etc.

Then, it's time to hop a flight to Krabi (RT 100 per person), then a quick longboat out to Railay, which is a town with no roads that is only accessible by boat. Cool. Thanks for the recommendation Derek. Lots of walking in this area, checking out the Princess Shrine and Cave, hiking out to beautiful beaches, and hopefully renting some kayaks to explore the caves in the limestone karsts. Excellent.

Finally, another somewhat longer longboat ride out to Ko Phi Phi, the proclaimed gem of the Andaman Coast islands. It's hardly an undiscovered place, and apparently has quite the party scene, which we aren't particularly interested in, however there are lots of ways to get away from the party circuit and just enjoy the naturally stunning beauty of this little island. Snorkeling, hiking, and yes, beaching it will be the main items on the agenda for the days we end up exploring Ko Phi Phi.

So that's what we've got! Please let us know if you have favs in any of these places that we should check out - restaurants, beaches, shrines, cultural activities, whatever. We've loved hearing everyone's stories, so let's keep it going.

Next on the planning agenda - India. We've identified Southern India as the general destination, but other than that, there's some thinking, reading, listening to stories to do.

55 days til takeoff.