THE SOLO WOMAN’S TRAVEL GUIDE TO THAILAND

THE IDEA OF TRAVELING ALONE as a girl might be Terrifying. But we will't Permit that end us — And by chance, we haven't: Solo female travel is without doubt one of the fastest developing demographics while in the sector. And even though independent Ladies adventurers are likely almost in all places, few locations have witnessed this growth in excess of Thailand. Beyond currently being Risk-free and welcoming, it's spending budget-pleasant, easily available, and however even now completely envy-inducing. It's a triple menace.

Thailand is household to various locations, Each and every with its own cuisine and lifestyle. To get a grasp from the place, you'll need to see all of them. Within the roots from the Lanna Kingdom in Chiang Mai plus the Hill tribes of your north, into the Babas around the island of Phuket inside the south (and, needless to say, the behemoth that is Bangkok), we'll walk you in the Essentials.

Get around the capital, solo

 

 

Thailand travel

Bangkok (recognised to locals as Krungthep) has improved radically in the last number of a long time. The sheer amount of matters to complete — museums, dining places, retailers, and marketplaces — can make it among the best metropolitan areas on the globe to go to or reside in, and it's very Harmless for solo woman tourists, Specially mainly because it's uncomplicated to have all over.

The BTS (Bangkok Transit Systemand very affordable metered taxis make Bangkok an easy destination to navigate. Most symptoms are in equally Thai and English, also. Tuk tuks — the carriage attached to a bike you might have noticed in Darjeeling Limited— are One more pleasurable method of getting throughout the metropolis, although you may be expecting to pay for far more in your novelty trip (but don't shy faraway from haggling beforehand). Even though it might be a tiny bit dearer, you are able to't head to Thailand without the need of Driving a tuk tuk at least the moment.

Spend a night on the town.

 

Thailand travel

 

Take a look at Bangkok's top rated bars inside the professional district of Silom (such as 1930s-cabaret-themed basement bar Maggie Choo's, while in the Novotel Bangkok Fenix Silom close to the Surasak and Taksin BTS stations; or the most beneficial rooftop check out in Bangkok, Cloud forty seven, close to the Sala Daeng station). Sukhumvit is usually jam packed with fashionable locations. Purchase some fish at Tororo Sushi just before hitting the nightlife within the Thonglor-Ekamai community, in which you'll have your choice of dance clubs actively playing top 40 Thai hits, bars serving beer from around the world, and swanky rooftop patios.

One more excellent option for a unforgettable evening is really a Chao Phraya Princess Evening meal Cruise — you'll get an upscale buffet meal whilst seeing the landmarks along the Chao Phraya riverside float by.

Treat yourself to a night of luxury

  

Thailand travel

 

With a lot of very affordable accommodation — such as listings on Airbnb, hostels, and cheap motels — a night of notroughing it can be worth the splurge. Look into the Windsor Lodge, with views throughout the full town. It's centrally situated in Bangkok and it has some excellent Avenue food nearby, furthermore it's suitable beside a big BTS interchange (Asok/Sukhumvit) that enables you to soar about the skytrain or even the subway. Search for offers on the web and you may be able to locate a space for as minimal as $50.

Want to essentially splurge? The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok has one hundred twenty five many years of practical experience earning its company come to feel like queens. With outside pools and cabanas, tennis courts, an entire-support spa with Thai massages, yoga lessons, and ten eating places, this stay will set you back many hundred pounds, however, you'll definitely encounter a throwback into the golden age of Thai luxury vacation.

Head south on a one-woman road trip

 

 

Thailand travel

 

Southern Thailand is stunning — and the best place for a solo highway journey. Motor vehicle rentals might be arranged on the internet through the entire location, and possessing your own personal wheels will provide you with the flexibleness to stop when and where you want.

This Element of the nation is about Checking out the modest villages and towns that punctuate the miles and miles of beaches. Mother nature fans will enjoy the "Minor Amazon" of Takua Pa in Phang Nga, close to Khao Lak — exactly where no creating is permitted to stand taller than a coconut palm tree — and only some hrs from Phuket. Prevent in Khao Lak at the beachside Khaolak Laguna Vacation resort (in the middle of town) and have a tour with the nearby waterfalls, go for a hike in Khaolak-Lumru Nationwide Park, or merely delight in a drink through the pool although observing the tide roll in.

Subsequent, push up the Coastline to Ranong, a lesser-known town which was when a favorite location with the now-defunct Phuket-Ranong visa run. There's a wonderful hot spring, affordable but tasty restaurants (Le Ranong Cafe has wonderful banana smoothies), as well as Rattana Rangsarn Throne Hall, a wooden palace reproduction with gardens that's a perfect afternoon reading place.

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

 

Thailand travel

 

Phuket is Thailand's major island and has around thirty beaches. Despite the generally-expressed sentiment that it's too touristy, the fact will depend on which part of the island and which time of 12 months you take a look at. Near to the southern idea, Nai Harn Seashore isn't as fast paced as Patong and is also a local beloved. It has a couple of beachside eating places, a temple to discover, plus a big lake that's a preferred functioning spot for expats. Also look at Nai Yang beach (inside the north, near the airport), an excellent location to go kiteboarding without having to prevent a throng of swimmers.

Any time you've had your share of sand and surf, head into town to take a look at Outdated Phuket Town — it's stuffed with Chinese temples and museums, and it's smaller than you'd picture, thinking of the popularity of several of the nearby beaches. This can be the coronary heart with the island plus the place to be in the course of the annual Vegetarian Pageant.

Kopi de Phuket is a good choice in town for lunch or espresso. It's also walking length to Jui Tui Shrine — Keep to the scent of incense to this Chinese Temple on lovely grounds. Sunday is the best working day to wander in Old Town, snap pics of your Sino-Portuguese properties, and luxuriate in the road meals and entertainment from the walking industry on Thalang Highway since the Sunlight goes down.

Take time to explore inwards.

 

Thailand travel

 

If enduring Thailand spirituality is one thing you're into, look into the temple-loaded northern metropolis of Chiang Mai. You will take an right away teach straight from Bangkok or an air-conditioned bus — both possibilities should really get you there in under twelve hrs. An alternative choice is the former money of Siam, Ayutthaya, from the Central Plains (a straightforward trip at lower than sixty miles from Bangkok). It's crammed with ruins and temples like Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Mahathat, home from the famed Buddha statue in an previous tree.

Choose to go truly solo? Dhamma Kamala in Prachinburi features ten-day silent programs in Vipassana meditation. This is legit silence — no speaking, no texting, and no writing for ten straight days. It's run with a donation technique, includes easy lodging and foods, and provides you with extra time than you at any time believed probable to replicate on your own only continual journey companion: your self.

Check out the north on a motorbike

 

Thailand travel

 

With scooters, mopeds, and bikes readily available for lease in essentially every single metropolis, city, and village in Thailand, jetting off like Audrey Hepburn (but without the included body weight of Gregory Peck on the again) is actually a breeze. You'll need to be sure to have sufficient coverage, a helmet, and beefy adequate tires for the types of roads you bear in mind. And don't forget about to snap some images on the bicycle before you leave to ensure you aren't billed for just about any harm you didn't result in.

The compact towns and peaceful roadways of northern Thailand make for Specially good motorcycle touring. Chiang Rai is a comparatively brief generate from Chiang Mai; you'll pass several cafes and strawberry farms alongside the best way. End on the Doi Chaang Espresso farm (from the village of a similar name) to grab a bite to consume and buy some natural and organic espresso to get property with you.

Chiang Rai's Evening Bazaar is a superb position to possess a several beers and sample dishes like seafood soup in a steaming hotpot while people today-seeing and Hearing regional musicians. It's centrally Found and within walking distance with the golden clock tower, which resembles the design of Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple), a present-day art show during the kind of a Buddhist temple, also in Chiang Rai.

Meet your fellow wanderers on an organized tour

 

 

Thailand travel

 

If you're ever in need of companionship, your choices are a great deal. Head to Ayutthaya to examine temples and web sites by bicycle, where by various tour providers (such as Grasshopper Adventures) have whole- and fifty percent-day excursions alongside again lanes and earlier intriguing cultural web sites. You can even choose an overnight Mekhala cruise around the Chao Praya River from Bangkok, floating inside a restored teak rice barge.

For a longer tour and the opportunity to invest some major time with other tourists, check out booking through a tour company like Oriental Escapes, which runs multi-day excursions across the nation and has an excellent popularity (in addition to a warranty to stop vacationer traps).