{ rachtravel }: 5 - 10 Nov | Blitz through Thailand

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about my holidays. I seem to give everyone the impression that I go on a lot of holidays. Untrue! I think it is due to the timing of my Facebook photo uploads, where I usually upload a whole album (or 2 or 3) of photos from my last trip just before I take off on my next destination. Understandably, people get confused. But the truth is, I take 20 days of annual leave per year like any other Australian worker. In 2009, I took a career break, where I was 'studying' which hardly counts as travel! (Sure some travel happened at the end of my studies, but ask my classmates, I was like the most nerdy tryhard student in the class!) Some people choose to go on domestic trips, I just choose to go on international trips, as domestic trips always ends up being so expensive. So again thanks to Jetstars annual birthday sale of 'Take a friend for free' (is this not evidence I'm a great bargain hunter too? Holidays don't have to be expensive...good thing I've got friends...Thanks Wendy!), I found myself a new destination - Thailand!

Bangkok Skyline from Hotel room @ Lebua State Tower. Have to say Bangkok is gorgeous by night!
One FINE hotel, I highly recommend it!

Even though I've visited Thailand's southern neighbours Singapore & Malaysia so many times in my life, this was my first trip to Thailand, yes I know, I shocked many of my friends. In 3 shorts words - I loved it! It was a short visit, only five nights - 2 in Phuket and 3 in Bangkok, in which I sat on the plane way too many times for such a short break. (Discovered new budget airlines such as Bangkok Airways and Nok Air, both decent airlines for short trips) I would like to say it was a much deserved getaway where I worked so hard prior to this trip, but no, truth is this holiday was not too long after my last. (Hmm...perhaps my friends have a point) However, who says you have to wait a full 6-12 months before one can take off again?

Although I wasn't in Thailand long enough to experience the country in its entirety, I really really enjoyed the small sample I got to taste :) The hospitality, the food, the people, the scenery, the beaches, the traffic, the shopping, the list just goes on! Bangkok was probably the highlight for me, there's a certain buzz in that city that makes it exciting. It is by no means a beautiful or gorgeous city, it is polluted, congested, noisy, yet it finds a way to charm you! The experience was also made better by the fact that I had my gorgeous friend Lily taking us around, she was a brilliant tour guide even though our time spent together was so short! (Next time I will make my trip longer Lily!)

Bangkok Day 1-3:
This consisted of shopping, eating great food, shopping, temple visits, shopping, Jim Thompson House Museum, eating by the Chao Praya river side, foot massages, boat rides, catching the skytrain (seriously even Bangkok can manage a metro system...Sydney needs to lift the game), walking around the magnificent Grand Palace, drinking cocktails high up in the sky :)

Around MBK shopping centre.
You know you're in Asia when you see the masses

The Magnificent Grand Palace. I loved walking around this place. I thought the architecture and detail was just stunning.

Amazing detail everywhere you look around the Grand Palace

Jim Thompson House - an excellent museum/house/garden to visit

Wat Arun, built in the Khmer Style

Wendy & me at a local joint eating great food!

The delightful Lily playing tour guide to us!

Cruising on the Chao Praya

Dome Bar @ Lebua...a FAB place to be...only 5 floors up from our hotel room :)

Phuket Day 4-5:

The interesting thing about Phuket is that, I never realised it's an Island larger than Singapore! That just goes to show how tiny Singapore actually is! People come to Phuket for watersports, elephant rides, Island hopping tours but we did none of that. We DID sit by the beach and enjoyed our overcast weather, the soft calm waters, the hotel pool, sleep ins, late breakfasts (Lebua in Bangkok still had the better breakfast, but seriously can't complain!), hour long Thai massages, great seafood at both the high end and cheap and a cabaret show. (We were in Thailand) All in all, a great 2 days to unwind from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Although next time I come to Phuket, I'll be avoiding Patong and staying in a much quieter area, and will definitely try to pack in some Island tours - this trip was just too short to be doing so much...there's always next time.