Travel is like a book..open,read and find you.

by Tatum Kelly (South Africa)

I didn't expect to find Thailand

When we planned our trip to Thailand i already had a preconceived notion of how it would be. I knew there would be temples,alot of seafood as well as rice as it is their staple diet, but landing there i was blown away at the diversity of the country itself. For example..the almost countless islands,crystal blue waters and the vast amount of mountains. I sometimes felt like i was in a Carribean island or Bora Bora. Other times it was like in a small rural village. Tourism is also big and the amount of Europeans and Americans there was a sight to see, i saw more tourists than locals. Leaving the island life and hopping off to Bangkok introduced more of culture shock, a very concrete and corporate city life,far from my initial experience in Phuket, the one thing both cities have in common is the amount of scooters,i have never seen so many in my life at once. Phuket did not have robots at some places but the traffic was still so controlled. It is safe to say that you never really know a place until you actually experience it. People think Asia countries are the same but the cultures differ,even the cultures within a country. The locals from Phuket are much more relaxed and certainly have a coastal aura,while in Bangkok it is more business and English is more widely used. All my research beforehand did not prepare me for what i found and Thailand is more than just temples, it is culture rich in diversity,The Asian community are the most respectful and well mannered people i have met. English is not their mother tongue and some struggled to communicate but always had a smile. With different types of scenery,whether you want a relaxed island feel,tour around,see animals or tall sky scrapers..you can be sure to find all that and more that you did not expect.