So the airline tickets are bought, now what?
Most often people buy vacation packages, not just an airline ticket to a foreign land. We grappled with the idea of whether or not we should just ‘wing it’; show up and follow our nose. As we discussed our options and read some other blogs we didn’t think that was a good idea.
I’m sure there are some people that would say there is no need to plan out the whole trip before going, however, we are not a young, 20 year olds, that don’t mind sleeping in hostels with 6 other people. Also, changing travel plans by one or two days is not ideal when we are required back to work on a specific day.
Before you start making judgements that planning doesn’t allow for flexibility or “things that come up” we are not planning our trip down to the last detail; however, there are some things that we feel are important to plan in advance.
First, we know how many days we will be in each place. Second, we understand the time it requires to move from one place to another (give or take, were talking Thailand not Toronto) and finally we need to maximize our experience while not overcrowding our days. It is a vacation, not an expedition
Planning is our comfort zone: Tim and I have planned all of our trips and have never found our experiences have been diminished (maybe the Hollywood Sign) by maintaining a plan. Besides, arriving to a new city and having to go door to door to find a good deal on hotels during peak season doesn’t appeal to us. Nope, as always we will be traveling with a solid plan.
Thailand is a cornucopia of sights, sounds and delicious food. From beaches to remote tribal villages, Thailand is a destination that has everything for everyone. We want to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, the retirement calm of Hua Hin, the beach tranquility of the Gulf of Thailand, but also the Andaman Coast; and, the cultural importance of the Northern tribal region. Basically, we divided our time equally between the three regions: Bangkok, beaches (Hua Hin, Koh Phangan, Karabi, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket) and the Chiang Mai province.
Next week I will explore the challenges of booking hotels and local travel in a far away land, using the internet...
