A Place to Visit AGAIN!

After my trip to China for my International Business Trip, I thought while on the other side of the world, it would only make sense to visit another country. My immediate group and I discussed a few options and decided to take our travels to Thailand....we thought "Bangkok and Phuket, here we come!" We decided on these two destinations based on the features of each city. We wanted to see the "big city life" and essentially the "island life." And of course, we wanted some relaxation time after being in China for 10 days. Phuket was stunning! From our villa we had a beautiful view of the Andaman Sea with the other islands in the background, as well as, a fishing boat marina. After spending a few days on the island, we traveled to Bangkok to conclude our trip of Asia. Bangkok, very similar to other large Asian cities, was full of life, businesses and people! The streets were crowded with vendors, markets, street food and much more. Tuk tuk's were a great mode of transportation, however, the air quality is not that great, so if you have a hard time breathing, take a taxi. The only thing that I found to be distasteful about Bangkok was the transportation. It seemed as if each driver had their own agenda and even though we specifically told him where we wanted to go, we always ended up in another area. It typically took 3 or 4 stops before we even came close to our aspired destination.

View from our villa- Andaman Sea

If you are thinking about visiting Thailand and are not sure where to go and what to do, these are my suggestions: spend 4 or 5 days on an island in Phuket...do not stay in Patong unless you want the hustle and bustle of extreme city life. Take a trip down to Phi Phi Island, either by speed boat (if you want to do a day trip) or spend a night on the island and take in the serenity! If you want to do some shopping, go to Patong or Phuket Town. If you are interested in cooking, definitely take in a Thai Cooking Class! It will be a memorable experience in which you can replicate the recipes in the comfort of your own home and not to mention, the food is amazing! Definitely go and get a traditional Thai massage, where they walk on your walk.....more for guys versus girls. But, be careful...when the sun goes down, you never know what could happen or be offered.

Phi Phi Island

As for Bangkok, 3 or 4 days would be plenty. The Centara Hotel in the Financial district was fabulous. It is conveniently located in the heart of the city, attached to a great mall and within walking distance to MBK (a great knock-off shopping market). If you are uneasy about eating street food (which I was), there are a plethora of hotels and great restaurants in the area where you can get a variety of delicious food. Kosom Road is great if you are looking for a tailor and shopping for souvenirs. Also, due to the hot temperatures...I recommend doing any sightseeing activities during the day and shopping at night. Night markets are very popular in Bangkok. If you are looking to add some culture into your visit, take the time to go and see the floating market and elephant village.

Rooftop pool from Centara Hotel: Bangkok

The trip of a lifetime

What do you think about when you hear the word "China?" Probably the same thing I did when I found out we were going to be traveling there for our MBA International Trip. I had originally always wanted to travel there due to the booming economy, monumental features and to see the different lifestyle. However, after hearing about the vast amount of pollution, dead pig carcasses in the river and much more, my perception of China quickly changed. I thought China would be dirty, I wouldn't be able to breathe, traffic would be horrendous due to the 1.3B population and the food.....food is always an issue! I am happy to say that within the first 20 minutes of being in China, I knew I could throw away my preconceived notions of China...it was nothing as I expected it to be! The air quality was not bad at all (we came at a good time with exceptionally nice weather), the streets were clean and the hotel was great. Let's just say I know my classmates and I were happy! We saw many of the monumental features of China, including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and my favorite, The Great Wall of China. All of the monuments were full of history, culture and traditions which I greatly admired. I would have to say that climbing the Great Wall of China and reaching such a high altitude with my classmates is something I will never forget! If you are thinking about visiting China and have preconceived notions such as I did, DON'T! China is a remarkable country to visit, explore and learn about! Not to mention, the shopping is great :)