Are you ready for a holiday to a new place that’s not only culturally stimulating but relaxing? If you are looking to escape to a foreign, exotic and affordable place there is no better place than Thailand. If the gorgeous white beaches and relaxing atmosphere don’t win you over the food and people most definitely will. Not only is Thailand one of the most beautiful places on earth, but there are endless views, attractions and excursions for every kind of traveler. You just might have such a great time that you won’t want to go home! Sound interesting? Well, keep reading! Here's my nine awesome reasons for vacationing in Thailand... 1. To Visit Ko Phi Phi Le Island where “The Beach” was filmed
I think we all like the idea of stepping foot onto a spot where a popular movie was filmed. Especially in a remote part of the world. Not only was "The Beach" staring Leonardo DiCaprio filmed on this uninhabited island, it is covered with sandy white beaches, stunning cliffs surrounded by crystal clear blue water that will take your breath away! You will feel like you just stepped into paradise when you step out the boat which is required to reach Ko Phi Phi Le. And trust me, once that happens it's really difficult to get back on the boat to leave this paradise island!
2. Your dollar goes a long way in Thailand
Hotels, food and clothing are all incredibly affordable. What you might pay for a beach side hotel in the U.S. is approximately half the price in Thailand and food from the local village and street vendors can be as cheap as a $1 for an entire meal.
Tip: A word of caution, there are a lot of locals that are willing to take advantage of your dollar. Negotiate and compare prices before you start tossing out the money. Your pockets can become very light very fast. Just be wise. 3. People in Thailand are super friendly
Thailand is not called the “Land of Smiles” for nothing! The natives are kind, happy and willing to help you if you're lost or need help. They aim to please, whether it comes to cooking you a dish or making up your hotel room. They don't skip on hospitality. It’s a country that welcomes tourism, but doesn’t pester its tourists either.
4. Thai food is delish!
Coming from a family that LOVES food, you can trust me when I say, you haven’t experienced real Thai food until you’ve had it in Thailand! Not only is it affordable, but it’s delicious. There are a variety of options and if you're at the right place, you can choose your own crab or lobster from the tank. Ask the locals what they recommend and without a doubt you will be more than just satisfied. Note: Their idea of spicy is as close to a fireball in your mouth as possible! ALWAYS order mild if you aren't into fireballs.
5. It's a quiet getaway
There's more to Thailand than party towns. Krabi Town is a quiet getaway not far from Ao Nang, once a quiet backpacker resort, this formerly quiet town has grown into Krabi's capital of tourism. The main road, which was once a dirt track on the beach itself, is lined with tour operators and charming cafes, while the upper streets of the town house bars, restaurants, and interesting eateries operated by local Thais and international visitors.
Although part of the Krabi providence, Ao Nang is more lively and offers bungalows to luxury hotels. Many of the region's best hotels and resorts are found along its beaches and stunning limestone hills. Small, easy to navigate, and designed for both pedestrians and motorists, Ao Nang is a good place to stay while you explore Krabi's beaches and islands. 6. You can interact with elephants
Visiting Thailand presents perhaps your first opportunity to touch, ride and play with elephants. As first-time visitors to Thailand ourselves, we took part and paid for an elephant-riding activity that – had we done our research – we would have most likely avoided. Elephants are plentiful in Thailand. But before you get on the back of one, please read what is entailed with elephant-riding here. If you decide against elephant-riding there are other alternatives and locations where you can pet, feed and cuddle with these amazing creatures!
7. Thailand’s location is ideal for a traveler
You might take awhile to get to Thailand, but once you are there everywhere is just around the corner. You can grab a flight with Air Asia and in just four hours be in Bali, three hours to Hong Kong, two hours to Singapore and it is half way between Australia and Europe. It’s the perfect place to start or end a travel adventure.
8. Thailand is Family Friendly
"Looking for an exotic destination that the kids can handle? Thailand has it: beaches, mountains, elephants, sparkling temples and bustling markets; there's something for each age range. Plus Thais are serious 'cute' connoisseurs and exotic-looking foreign children trump stuffed animals and fluffy dogs", says Lonely Planet.
9. It's a Great Place for Family Connections
When you take a vacation together, you become a team. You’re all suddenly part of a dynamic that relies and includes each family member. Researchers have found that family vacations can improve family communication and bonding.
Research has concluded vacations build up what is called by fostering growing and enduring connections strengthening positive connections. We found that Thailand is a perfect place for strengthening those connections!
So what are you waiting for?
Start planning your trip to Thailand! Still not sold? Here's another article that might do the trick!
Places we visited and recommend
The Taj Palace Krabi Town Market Poo Dam Restaurant Majaraja Restaurant Tiger Temple Orchid Resort Air Asia
With Love and Blessings, Robin and David If you're not already following us, CLICK HERE And join in on our wild adventures of culture, personality and fervor! There's a time for everything under the heavens...and there is a time to heal or what can also be known as rest. Dictionary.com defines healing as; to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment. Everyone desires peace and rest. It's so easy to allow the hustle and bustle of life consume you with all of it's demands. To get caught up in the chaos happens before you can bat an eye. We are so busy with work and bills, housework and yard work...Making sure that everyone and everything is taken care of. And for some of us that could mean A LOT, a lot of bills, responsibilities and people...And you know what I mean if you have a large family at home, aging parents or a slew of friends that all need something, which is mostly your time. This not only takes a toll on you but can also affect your kids making them restless, unsettled and out of control. Sometimes, more often than not, we need a time out! A time to rest, a time to relax, a time just to do whatever it is you feel like doing without any thinking or planning involved! A time to meditate, a time to pray, and sometimes a time to reconnect with God. Here is what a recent study says about getting rest: As we rush around madly trying to squeeze as much as we can into every waking hour, the latest news that lack of sleep can cause depression, weight gain and even premature death comes as grim reading. Many of us are so busy we see rest as “a weakness - a waste of precious time,” Dr. Edlund says, 'but rest is, in fact, a biological need. All the science shows we need rest to live, just like we need food.' He says what we need is “active” rest - this can make you more alert and effective, reduce stress levels and give you a better chance of a healthier and longer life. Dr Edlund describes four different kinds of active rest: social, mental, physical and spiritual (using meditation and prayer to relax).CLICK on link to read more...http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1313812/Why-rest-good-sleep-long-dont-just-slob-TV.html This last week was that time of rest for our family including our oldest daughter Ashley and granddaughter Isabella who has been going non-stop! After a very crazy year, full of changes and lots of excitement, we strategically planned an island getaway. Well, for Ashley and Bella it was their island getaway on Mallorca. But for us, the quiet time with Ashley and Bella was our island getaway! Our time to rest and heal... Here's a few great quotes for the upcoming week that you can use to encourage you to get some rest and healing: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it, including you.” -Anne Lamott “If you get tired, learn to rest not quit.” “My soul will rest in your embrace.” -Oceans by Hillsong United “Fatigue is the common enemy of all of us. So, slow down, rest up, replenish and refill.” -Jeffery R. Holland “Find rest my soul in God alone.” Ps. 62:5 “Take a rest. A field that has rested gives a beautiful crop.” Ovid “Come away with me to a quiet place and rest awhile.”-Jesus, Mark 6:31 “Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”- Alan Watts “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.”-Jesus, Matt. 11:28 What do you do to take time to rest and heal? We would love to hear from you! With Love and Blessings, Robin and David If you're not already following us, CLICK HERE And join in on our wild adventures of culture, personality and fervor! The Germans love their festivals! We never lived near Munich during our residence in Germany so Okoberfest is something that we never really frequented. We lived way up in the North in a small city called Bremen. There is a fest that they hold in Bremen each October, it's similar to a state fair in America, for the last two weeks of the month. And in the years that we lived in Bremen, I believe we only missed going one time due to our travels. And now that we are living in Spain and knowing that we are only a two hour flight away, the kids expressed their strong desire to visit the Freimarkt this October. All the years that I lived in the states while my three oldest kids were growing up, we rarely ever attended the state fair. It was expensive for one, but the safety issues were always a concern and I never really seen a need to go. However, living abroad for so many years has opened my views in a new way, including taking kids to the fair or what we call the Freimarkt in Bremen. Here in Bremen, to go to the Freimarkt is tradition. It's almost unheard of, if you live in Bremen not to make a yearly visit to the Freimarkt. But putting that aside, there are great reasons to spend the day together as a family at the fair or Freimarkt. History- There's the history aspect of how and why a fair started. Here's a little history about the Bremen Freimarkt... The Bremen Freimarkt was first held in 1035 and is one of the oldest fairs in Germany. With more than four million visitors each year, it is also considered to be the biggest festival in Northern Germany. It is celebrated for 17 days in the last two weeks of October, somewhat extended from Friday to Sunday. The area covers approximately 100,000 square meters on two areas: the so-called "Kleiner Freimarkt" (Small Free Fair) on the market square, and the main area at the "Bürgerweide" adjacent to the Main Station and the Exhibition Center. On 16 October 1035 Emperor Conrad II gave the "fair justice" to the city of Bremen. In the first centuries it was a free market for one day on 9 October. A showman with a carousel appeared for the first time in 1809. Overcoming fears- Spending the day at a fair gives ample opportunity for kids to overcome fears or weakness. I personally do not like rides that spin up high in the air. And I have NEVER been on a roller coaster, at least one that loops! Our kids each have different challenges when it comes to rides and crowds. One doesn't like rides that are too high. Another won't ride rides that are too fast. And one of our kids hate crowds. But over the years that we have attended The Freimarkt, we have seen progress with each child in overcoming their fears! Last year, our son that refuses to ride roller coasters decided he was going to overcome his fears! Without pressure he jumped in line and with each step that took him closer to the coaster his courage grew. Before we knew it, he was whizzing down the tracks with his mouth wide open as he screamed in anticipation! But afterwards, he came to us with accomplishment in his eyes and victory in his voice! Money management- Because fairs are usually very expensive and the more kids you have the more it ends up costing, we always set limits. We make a budget as to how much can be spent per person and they are given the free choice as to what rides or games they want to do as long as it fits into their budget. This teaches them how to manage the budget they are given. But also grants them the liberty to choose and gives clear limits knowing that they can't run The Bank of Mom and Dad dry! Family fun time- A fair is a great place to spend time as a family. We walk together from ride to ride exercising patience as we wait on one another until the ride is over. We play, eat, laugh and even dance together while enjoying The Freimarkt. Our family makes it a point to stay strong as one unit, one family. And being at The Freimarkt is no exception! The Freimarkt only comes to Bremen once a year. So, we choose a day and head out to the city center and make the most of the time we have together! That's what family is all about, right??!! What are some things that you love to do as a family? With Love and Blessings, Robin and David If you're not already following us, CLICK HERE And join in on our wild adventures of culture, personality and fervor! For more photos and more about the Bremen Freimarkt visit:
https://www.freimarkt.de/en/ Or for other things to do in Bremen visit: http://www.bremen-tourism.de/ |
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We're Robin & David, husband & wife, entrepreneurs, explorers & adventurers. We each sprung out of separate parts of the world (Malaysia & Arizona), disembarked together & formed an unbreakable marriage & family out of what once was a complex blend of jumble, whilst living as foreigners in Europe. CURRENT LOCATION
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