Spontaneous Travel in Thailand

A few years ago, I found myself with a free plane ticket anywhere in the world from volunteering to give up my seat on an oversold international flight and no one to travel with. So I booked a last minute vacation to Thailand, bought myself a Lonely Planet book and took off with little clue about what I would do when I got there. I arrived on Khao San Road, the major tourist street in Bangkok, booked myself into one of the recommended hostels and began walking around, taking in the sights and the smells.

I spent my first day in Bangkok. I found a few other Americans to spend the day with, visiting a few of the major temples and palaces in the city. I found the large city overwhelming, so I walked into a tourist office and bought a train ticket for an a last minute trip to Chiang Mai. On arrival to the city, I went to a guest house without reservations and found it to be the respite it was looking for. The open courtyard of the guest house was a place where many travelers gathered from all over the world. I booked a trek for three days, the main reason to come to Chiang Mai. The trek was another great opportunity to meet other travelers and learn tips about where I should travel to next.

I finished my visit to Thailand with a short trip to Ko Samet, one of the closer Islands to Bangkok. The island was much lonelier for a single traveler than an organized trek or the hustle and bustle of the cities, so after one night I returned to Bangkok. The best part of last minute travel is that you can make decisions based on where you want to be instead of by your pre-set image of what a place would be like. This time, I stayed at the guest house that was personally recommended to me by another traveler and navigated around the city with more confidence, even on the public bus system.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend spontaneous travel. It requires a good tour book, an open mind, flexibility, and the desire to talk with other travelers. What you will get in return is a true sense of freedom and experience you will never forget.