The Journey begins - Thailand

Hello :)

My name is Giani and I'm so happy that I can write about my experieces as a traveler, also as a student. This is my first blog about my travelings, usually I post almost day or at least once a week of Facebook, Instagram or other social networks. 

So as my first post, I'd like to talk a bit...or a bit more about a beautiful country I have visited last year for the first time, as you could see from the title is Thailand.

Before going somewhere I'm all the time so excited and ready to go and discover new things, culture, see the world from a different perspective, meet new people, try new food, see new places, shopping and so much more. I used Google informations about Thailand and Pinterest because it has so many beautiful places. So I created a new folder for my new experience and keep on collecting everything that I liked and I wanted to do. From what food should I eat, to the activities till the places to visit.

So as you know, Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, and it is situated on a different continent, called Asia. Thailand is the world's 51st-largest country. It is the 20th-most-populous country in the world, with around 66 million people. It was my first time going to Asia and I was so excited because I know it's totally different world that the one I'm living in.(Europe)

I have never thought that this experience will be so amazing, till the day that I got there.

In the first place I'd like to mention the way I got there. So last year around the end of October I went to London and from one of the airports, London Heathrow my journey had begun.So from London (England) to Instambul (Turkey, as the first stop) and the final destination Bangkok,(Thailand). I searched for flights to Thailand around January or February 2016, because most of the people said they might be really expensive. For my surprise the tickets I found were really cheap like 300 something pounds, return. Can you believe that??? Comparing to £1000 or more. I was so happy because I knew that saving the money from the plane tickets I can travel more, and spend them on food,clothes and other fun things. Less than half price! Was such a great deal! I love bargains! <3

You can seach for flights on different website as www.skyscanner.com or just google the destination and from where you want to travel.

I booked my tickets with Turkish Airlines, one of the best airline in world, as they said, so it was the first time traveling more than usual 2-3h, and in style. I really liked the fact they offer in the airplane free food, and snacks, drinks, but really good stuff, and specialities. From England, Turkey and Thailand, I had 2 choices at each meal, starters, main course and dessert. Really yummy! A funny thing was, that meanwhile they were serving the food, the chef was also present there, really cool, I wanted to take a photo, but then I didn't, because I've never seen a chef in the airplane. Than another thing I liked in the airplane was the electronic tv,tablet, whatever that was, but It allowed me to watch movies, listen music, play games or anything else keeping me busy while I was flying. I think the total hours from London to Bangkok were around 12h but including the waiting time, maybe 14h. For me the longest journey by plane ever done, till now. 

I wasn't bored at all, because I watched the latetes movies I really wanted to see anyway, so my flight till Bangkok was pleasant.  Beside that enjoying the snacks and drinks. Yummy stuff as I said before. But the best was yet to come. 

Because Turkish Airlines are in the top 5, they also gave me a pack of useful things like : slipper, thooth paste, thooth brush and other stuff that I can't remember right now, but cool to be used in the airplaine or later on. The airplane was nice, spacious and really cool bathrooms, comparing to the low cost flights, I felt like I was in heaven :)) hahaha! so yes, even traveling with a air company that is among the best in the world is a special experience. I wish that everytime I travel to be treated like I was then...basically like a princess:)) or this is how I felt. Anyway...let's move forward to the actual story from Thailand. 

I arrived in Bangkok, as many of you know is the capital of Thailand, but before you enter propely in the country, you need to apply for a Visa.

They will give the Visa to most of the people, as far as I know, concerning countries of European Union you can apply without anything else special. All you need is a photo, a normal size for a document, fill a form there for getting the visa and of course money. But if you don't have a photo with you, no need to worry, there are some photobooths around the airport and for £4 or euros you can take them. But important thing to do before you go in Thailand is to change money in the country currency, which is Thai Baht, but also you can change money there at several Exchange Points. So after you have the photo complete the form with the informations about yourself and other questions and then is a point to pay for the visa. I think it was around £50 per person. Then you have to wait in the "never ending queue"(or at least I did for more than an hour) for your application to be submitted and then to enter in the country. Also there is a restriction kind of to stay there around 15 days, I think they changed this last year, but you might get a longer visa for staying up to 3 months as a tourist. I don't think is possible to stay more than 3 months. Anyway, my intinerary was just fine, 16 days almost in Thailand. 

After a long time in the airport, after receiving the Visa we went to find a taxi to go at the hotel. I said we because I was along other 3 persons: my sister and other 2 friends. Before leaving the airport, I saw a place selling sim cards with internet!! that's all I needed:)) to have everywhere I go and to post on social media, speak with my friends and google for different things to do in Thailand along the way. I paid around £10-15 for 2 week unlimited internet, minutes and sms. Unlimited internet!!! can you imagine that??? at 4G speed:)) I love internet and really enjoyed the fact that I could have that sim card during my staying. 

From the airport you can take either bus or taxi, I guess taxi is better and easier to get wherever you want, especially that after 14h you are tired and also excited to get at once at the hotel you booked.  Here was the area where we stayed and behind this is the hotel.

Just a quick mention, there are two airports in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport, from both of them you can take taxi or bus, and the price is not much at all, I think for a jouney around 20 min we paid £10. Which is almost nothing. 

As you know, going to Thailand by plane is the expensive part after that most of the stuff are cheap and you can afford doing a lot of thing for a small price. 

We got at our hotel and I think is the best hotel I have been staying, really, 5 stars, really big room with 2 king beds, living room, kitchen with fridge, table, a washing machine, cooking place and so much more...and of course a really cool bathroom! Really amazing! I had such an amazing time there. Also really good breakfast, really diverse and a lot !!! whatever you wanted it was there! Of course the hotel had so many services included like pool, spa, gym and other cool stuff. I was so facinated :))) this was one of the best hotels ever, really! :)

This Hotel was called Silom, five stars, really really nice, as you can see from the photo above. If you think why did I post a photo with a toilet..because it's the most cool and funny toilet ever, has this functions to warmer you seat, or water or other stuff:)) I never seen that before so It was interesting for me. 

The website I used for booking it was www.agoda.com or they also have a application for the phones, and you might get a slide discount if you book from the application; called Agoda also.

In this area there are many food shops and also a mini-mall( you can see it in the picture above). This area is a really good and populated area. Silom City Hotel is located 700 metres from Surasak BTS Skytrain Station and 1 km from Patong Night Market.

Also close to the train station is a station for boats, to travel in Bangkok by boat, which we did; you can make a one day travel card for 150 thai baht, if I remember well, that's around £5, I think. Anyway, but you can travel with this pass along the river, there are several stops where you can get off and visit. 

Bangkok is famous for Temples, because they have so many, and in my opinion the way they are made, it's so interesting and look so expensive and creative and amazing really. I'll post also some other photos so you can see how beautfiful is this city. They also have so many markets and other beautiful things. 

This photo(below) is from the first evening, the sunset was so beautiful and I loved it so much, so I took a picture. You can also see that this place was so busy, full of tourist and thai people, because in the evening the "actions begins". As you know it is really hot during the day so not many people are outside, but in the evening till midnight, maybe even later, people are coming out, selling and buying stuff. But I'll talk about this later in my post. So check them out! :)

I'll make a special post for each one of them separatly so you can concentrate on what you are most interested about. Feel free to ask questions !

More to come, I'll tell you all about Thailand and the places I have been visited! So great really! You will love the photos!!! :) ---> check the other post! Thanks! x

Have a lovely day! :)