It was a new sense of freedom. After graduating from high school, I decided it was time to have my first overseas experience!
My family had never been on an overseas trip when we were growing up and I was the most curious of my siblings, so I decided to travel to Thailand for my first overseas experience. Everyone in my grade had spent all their savings on "Schoolies" celebrations (If you don't know what that is, you are not missing out on much. Basically it is a bunch of excited, hormonal, quite often drunk high school graduates partying on the beach in Surfers Paradise and sometimes trashing hotel rooms...).
Being a bit of a different breed, I decided the money would be better spent on a more cultural experience.
I was lucky to have a friend working in Phuket writing for a travel magazine, and my father was also there on business so I was not completely contactless in the country.
This is an important tip #make sure you try and have a contact every place you go. Even if it is someone you do not know; a friend of a friends is better than having no contacts at all.
I flew on my own, arrived in Bangkok on my own, reached my accommodation on my own without any problems because I was 100% organized before I left and I knew where to go, what to look for, just not HOW to do it. That was the improvised part ;-)
After wandering around Bangkok, I went on to Phuket to meet with my friend and stay in her little Thai bungalow. She was busy working so my days were mainly filled walking around the island, hitting the beach, meeting some locals at an awesome reggae bar and of course, eating and shopping.
My friends brother arrived during my last couple of days and he took me around on a motorbike to see more of the Island landscape and a quiet, private beach. So, again, having connections in a place can really pay off! Especially when you do not have your license and you cant ride a motorbike ;-)
My first overseas experience was positive, ran smoothly (everything except heatstroke and being sick from the smell of the fish market!) and gave me confidence in being able to travel alone as a female in another country. For the 2 weeks of my trip, the people in Thailand were warm, kind and helpful. I was not use to the attention they gave me, being a young blonde girl with fair skin, but I never felt disrespected. Just famous!
It was the start of a good background in solo traveling!
whats your story?
My family had never been on an overseas trip when we were growing up and I was the most curious of my siblings, so I decided to travel to Thailand for my first overseas experience. Everyone in my grade had spent all their savings on "Schoolies" celebrations (If you don't know what that is, you are not missing out on much. Basically it is a bunch of excited, hormonal, quite often drunk high school graduates partying on the beach in Surfers Paradise and sometimes trashing hotel rooms...).
Being a bit of a different breed, I decided the money would be better spent on a more cultural experience.
I was lucky to have a friend working in Phuket writing for a travel magazine, and my father was also there on business so I was not completely contactless in the country.
This is an important tip #make sure you try and have a contact every place you go. Even if it is someone you do not know; a friend of a friends is better than having no contacts at all.
I flew on my own, arrived in Bangkok on my own, reached my accommodation on my own without any problems because I was 100% organized before I left and I knew where to go, what to look for, just not HOW to do it. That was the improvised part ;-)
After wandering around Bangkok, I went on to Phuket to meet with my friend and stay in her little Thai bungalow. She was busy working so my days were mainly filled walking around the island, hitting the beach, meeting some locals at an awesome reggae bar and of course, eating and shopping.
My friends brother arrived during my last couple of days and he took me around on a motorbike to see more of the Island landscape and a quiet, private beach. So, again, having connections in a place can really pay off! Especially when you do not have your license and you cant ride a motorbike ;-)
Sunset on the beach
My first overseas experience was positive, ran smoothly (everything except heatstroke and being sick from the smell of the fish market!) and gave me confidence in being able to travel alone as a female in another country. For the 2 weeks of my trip, the people in Thailand were warm, kind and helpful. I was not use to the attention they gave me, being a young blonde girl with fair skin, but I never felt disrespected. Just famous!
It was the start of a good background in solo traveling!
Where I spent my beach days, next to the Reggae Bar!
whats your story?
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