THE SOLO WOMAN’S TRAVEL GUIDE TO THAILAND

THE IDEA OF TRAVELING ALONE as a girl can be Terrifying. But we could't let that quit us — And fortunately, we haven't: Solo woman travel is probably the swiftest expanding demographics in the market. And however impartial Girls adventurers are heading almost everywhere, several sites have seen this boom in excess of Thailand. Further than being Harmless and welcoming, it's spending budget-welcoming, commonly obtainable, and however still completely envy-inducing. It's a triple danger.

Thailand is house to different locations, Just about every with its own Delicacies and lifestyle. To acquire a grasp from the region, you'll must see them all. From your roots from the Lanna Kingdom in Chiang Mai along with the Hill tribes in the north, to your Babas over the island of Phuket during the south (and, not surprisingly, the behemoth that may be Bangkok), we'll stroll you in the Fundamentals.

Get around the capital, solo

 

 

Thailand travel

Bangkok (recognized to locals as Krungthep) has improved drastically over the past few decades. The sheer amount of matters to do — museums, dining places, retailers, and markets — can make it probably the greatest towns on the planet to visit or reside in, and it's pretty safe for solo feminine tourists, Specially mainly because it's easy to get around.

The BTS (Bangkok Transit Systemand inexpensive metered taxis make Bangkok an easy location to navigate. Most signals are in both equally Thai and English, as well. Tuk tuks — the carriage connected to a bike you might have seen in Darjeeling Restricted— are One more fun method of getting throughout the city, while you could expect to pay for extra for your novelty journey (but don't shy far from haggling beforehand). When it might be a little bit dearer, you are able to't head to Thailand with no Driving a tuk tuk at least once.

Spend a night on the town.

 

Thailand travel

 

Look at Bangkok's top rated bars while in the professional district of Silom (similar to the 1930s-cabaret-themed basement bar Maggie Choo's, within the Novotel Bangkok Fenix Silom near the Surasak and Taksin BTS stations; or the most effective rooftop watch in Bangkok, Cloud 47, near the Sala Daeng station). Sukhumvit is likewise brimming with fashionable parts. Get some fish at Tororo Sushi right before hitting the nightlife in the Thonglor-Ekamai neighborhood, where you'll have your option of dance clubs enjoying leading 40 Thai hits, bars serving beer from around the world, and swanky rooftop patios.

Yet another excellent option for a unforgettable evening is really a Chao Phraya Princess Evening meal Cruise — you'll get an upscale buffet dinner when looking at the landmarks alongside the Chao Phraya riverside float by.

Treat yourself to a night of luxury

  

Thailand travel

 

With loads of inexpensive accommodation — together with listings on Airbnb, hostels, and inexpensive lodges — a night of notroughing it truly is worth the splurge. Check out the Windsor Lodge, with views across the entire metropolis. It's centrally located in Bangkok and it has some wonderful Avenue foodstuff nearby, furthermore it's appropriate close to a major BTS interchange (Asok/Sukhumvit) that lets you jump over the skytrain or perhaps the subway. Try to look for deals on the web and you could possibly find a area for as minimal as $fifty.

Want to actually splurge? The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok has 125 yrs of working experience earning its visitors really feel like queens. With outdoor pools and cabanas, tennis courts, a complete-service spa with Thai massages, yoga classes, and 10 dining establishments, this stay will set you back many hundred dollars, however you'll absolutely experience a throwback for the golden age of Thai luxury travel.

Head south on a one-woman road trip

 

 

Thailand travel

 

Southern Thailand is magnificent — and the perfect spot for a solo road journey. Car rentals is often organized on the web all through the area, and getting your individual wheels provides you with the flexibility to prevent when and where you want.

This Section of the region is all about Checking out the modest villages and metropolitan areas that punctuate the miles and miles of beaches. Character fans will benefit from the "Small Amazon" of Takua Pa in Phang Nga, in close proximity to Khao Lak — exactly where no developing is permitted to stand taller than a coconut palm tree — and just a few several hours from Phuket. Stop in Khao Lak in the beachside Khaolak Laguna Resort (in the middle of town) and take a tour on the nearby waterfalls, go for a hike in Khaolak-Lumru Nationwide Park, or simply just take pleasure in a drink by the pool though viewing the tide roll in.

Up coming, travel up the coast to Ranong, a lesser-acknowledged metropolis which was at the time a well known vacation spot for that now-defunct Phuket-Ranong visa run. There's an awesome sizzling spring, cheap but delicious places to eat (Le Ranong Cafe has awesome banana smoothies), along with the Rattana Rangsarn Throne Corridor, a wooden palace reproduction with gardens that's an excellent afternoon studying location.

See the other side of one of Thailand's most popular tourist spots

 

Thailand travel

 

Phuket is Thailand's largest island and has above thirty shorelines. Despite the usually-expressed sentiment that it's as well touristy, the fact relies on which Element of the island and which era of calendar year you visit. Near to the southern suggestion, Nai Harn Seaside isn't as chaotic as Patong and is also a neighborhood beloved. It's got a few beachside places to eat, a temple to examine, in addition to a large lake that's a preferred running location for expats. Also have a look at Nai Yang Beach front (from the north, close to the airport), a fantastic spot to go kiteboarding without having to steer clear of a throng of swimmers.

Any time you've experienced your share of sand and surf, head into town to discover Old Phuket Town — it's full of Chinese temples and museums, and it's smaller than you'd imagine, considering the popularity of a number of the close by beaches. This is the coronary heart of the island as well as the destination to be in the course of the once-a-year Vegetarian Competition.

Kopi de Phuket is an effective possibility in town for lunch or espresso. It's also strolling length to Jui Tui Shrine — Adhere to the smell of incense to this Chinese Temple on lovely grounds. Sunday is the best day to walk in Old City, snap photos on the Sino-Portuguese properties, and revel in the road food items and leisure of the walking current market on Thalang Road because the Solar goes down.

Take time to explore inwards.

 

Thailand travel

 

If experiencing Thailand spirituality is a thing you're into, check out the temple-loaded northern metropolis of Chiang Mai. You will take an right away coach straight from Bangkok or an air-conditioned bus — each options must get you there in fewer than 12 hours. An alternative choice is the previous capital of Siam, Ayutthaya, in the Central Plains (a straightforward vacation at below 60 miles from Bangkok). It's full of ruins and temples like Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Mahathat, dwelling from the famed Buddha statue in an aged tree.

Wish to go definitely solo? Dhamma Kamala in Prachinburi gives 10-day silent courses in Vipassana meditation. This is often legit silence — no chatting, no texting, and no composing for ten straight times. It's operate on a donation process, includes straightforward lodging and meals, and gives you a lot more time than you at any time assumed attainable to reflect on your own only frequent journey companion: your self.

Check out the north on a motorbike

 

Thailand travel

 

With scooters, mopeds, and bikes available for rent in basically just about every metropolis, town, and village in Thailand, jetting off like Audrey Hepburn (but with no extra body weight of Gregory Peck over the back again) is really a breeze. You'll wish to ensure you have adequate insurance policies, a helmet, and beefy adequate tires for the kinds of streets you bear in mind. And don't forget to snap some shots with the bicycle before you decide to depart to ensure you aren't billed for almost any problems you didn't lead to.

The compact cities and quiet streets of northern Thailand make for Specifically wonderful bike touring. Chiang Rai is a comparatively fast generate from Chiang Mai; you'll move a lot of cafes and strawberry farms along the way in which. Quit in the Doi Chaang Coffee farm (while in the village of the identical name) to seize a Chunk to try to eat and buy some organic coffee to just take house with you.

Chiang Rai's Night time Bazaar is a fantastic put to possess a couple of beers and sample dishes like seafood soup in a very steaming hotpot although individuals-watching and Hearing local musicians. It's centrally Situated and in just strolling distance through the golden clock tower, which resembles the design of Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple), a modern day art exhibit within the variety of a Buddhist temple, also in Chiang Rai.

Meet your fellow wanderers on an organized tour

 

 

Thailand travel

 

If you're ever needing companionship, your choices are plenty. Head to Ayutthaya to discover temples and web sites by bicycle, where quite a few tour providers (for example Grasshopper Adventures) have comprehensive- and half-day excursions alongside again lanes and earlier exciting cultural web-sites. You can also get an right away Mekhala cruise within the Chao Praya River from Bangkok, floating in a very restored teak rice barge.

For an extended excursion and the opportunity to spend some serious time with other tourists, attempt booking via a tour business like Oriental Escapes, which operates multi-working day excursions across the nation and it has a great name (in addition to a assurance to avoid vacationer traps).