My Dream Vacation

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Places we NEED to go: teach me some history

As I mentioned in a previous post (refer to: Why Thailand), part of the appeal to Thailand is that it has a colorful history that has been preserved through historical sites. As a history major, I am a bit of a geek when it comes to this kind of stuff. So keeping that in mind, another place that I definitely want to visit on this trip is the Phanom Rung historical park.

This park is considered to be one of Thailand's most beautiful and important historic sites. It is a religious sanctuary dedicated to the most important Hindu god, Shiva. It was later taken over as a Buddhist site. The site was built in the 12th century, making it one thousand years old. The sanctuary sits at the edge of an extinct volcano, over a thousand feet above sea level.

Here are some photos... The architecture alone should tell you why it's a must see.

Places we NEED to go: bringing a little familiarity with me

Two years ago, I became a certified scuba diver. Since then, I've been scuba diving in Mexico and Panama, both of which were phenomenal experiences. I titled this blog post "bringing a little familiarity with me" because although I have never been diving in Thailand, diving is a passion of mine. Regardless of where I'm doing it, there are few places where I feel more at home than under meters upon meters of water, so by scuba diving I can kind of be at home while being away from home.

I am super excited about the prospect of diving in Thailand because I have heard nothing but amazing testimonies to how great the diving is. One thing about getting into diving is that you become part of the community of fellow divers who all love to share their experiences with one another. Richelieu Rock has come up numerous times as a favorite site, so I have added it as one of my must-sees while I'm in Thailand.

One of the most exciting parts about diving is the high likelihood of spotting a whale shark, which is the largest fish in the ocean. I have never seen one before, so I'm really hoping I will in Thailand. There are literally plenty of fish in the sea at this site. With so many different kinds of underwater life surrounding you, there's never a dull moment. There is also tons of coral reef to explore while you're down there.

Although this is an adventure that I have already experienced in some ways, no two diving experiences will ever be the same. I can't what kind of adventure this world renowned site can offer me.

Places we NEED to go: which way to the beach?

Although I have traveled to many resorts which all claim to have white sandy beaches with beautiful blue water, I have yet to find a beach that has really blown me away. Every time we go somewhere new, the beach is one of the things that I look forward to the most. Thailand claims to boast some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, which is one of the many reasons I want to go there.

I have a cousin who visited Thailand a few years ago, and when she came back she told me about an amazing island in the Gulf of Thailand called Koh Larn. She said that it was one of the highlights of her trip, and after enviously going through her pictures, I decided that I had to visit this island if I ever set foot in Thailand.

Some might say... a beach is a beach is a beach. 99% of the time, I would agree with this statement, but the beaches on Koh Larn (all 6 of them) appear to be stunning and uniquely beautiful. For one, they're all coral beaches. You can see a lot of great things while snorkeling on the island. Inland on the island is a lush mountainous jungle where you can see wild life, and of course its also just pretty to stare at. The water really does seem blue in the pictures, and the beaches really do seem white. I can't confirm this yet, but if the testimonials I have found online are worth anything, then I don't think I'll be let down. Banana boating and parasailing are also offered at this beach, which pretty much put this beach over the top.

There's also just something about the idea of travelling to a "remote" (ok, maybe not so remote) island. It brings the picture of being a castaway to my mind, and is there really a bigger adventure than that?

Making the shift from an individual mass tourist to an explorer

As I've mentioned, I've never really gone on a trip without the comfort of being on a resort or with some sort of organized group. I have gone off and done side trips such as ATVing, ziplining, at other little mini adventures, but at the end of the day I always wound up back in my big comfy double bed with a belly full of buffet food.

I am nervous about venturing off into the realm of the explorer. There are things I've never needed to worry about before, such as organizing my own meals, carrying all my belongings on my back, and figuring out my own transportation. I will need to figure out all of these things as our trip unfolds. I'll also be working with disadvantages that have never really been issues before, such as not speaking the native language, and being a female in an unknown place. However, I am excited about these challenges and hoping I can conquer them.

I have always looked back on my trips as adventures, and I still see them that way. However, I am at a time in my life where I feel like everything is changing. I'm on my way out of my undergrad, I'm off to a new school next year, and leaving behind everything that has been normal to me for four years. I'm also entering what will probably be the hardest few years of schooling I'll ever have to go through, and all of these factors have come together in a way that has made me want to simultaneously hold onto the past while also creating a whole new adventure different from any I have had in the past. I guess that I want to experience something with my friends that will tie us together forever. I think that this is the reason I'm so set on moving away from mass tourism and exploring. I started off this blog thinking that this trip was just an adventure I was interested in going on. I was wrong. The more I've reflected on it, the more I've realized that this is something that my friends and I are doing for a reason. The destination may not be as significant as the timing and the company, but it will be the place where we create these new memories.