10 things that I've learned from my travel to Thailand and Cambodia PART 1

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1. Never EVER travel to a foreign country without a map.

Unless part of your travel's purpose is to get lost and you truly want an adventure.

On my first trip overseas, my mother and I went to Bangkok (and a little side trip to Cambodia). It was just the two of us and we didn't bring any map with us.

Stupid as this may sound, but we learned it the hard way.

I only downloaded an Android app prior to our trip, Triposo, which I mainly used for suggestions of a list of tourist attractions that we could visit during our stay there. The map feature in the app was pretty useless so it was not of useful value at all.

You might be wondering how the heck were we able to go around in Bangkok and even to Cambodia. How did we survive going around Bangkok and traveled to some tourist spots?

Good thing Bangkok's BTS provides free maps of Bangkok so we were able to visit some tourist attractions.

Even though the Triposo map was not useful, some tourist attractions listed provided descriptions and directions on how to get there, so some places were a breeze to visit.

Say for example, going to Ancient City Muang Boran is accessible via BTS Bearing station and a 30-minute taxi ride.

Also, we relied on my itinerary research prior to our visit to Bangkok and LOTS OF TALKS AND CHATS AND LOST IN TRANSLATION MESSAGES FROM THAI LOCALS on how we could reach some tourist spots.

So as a lesson, don't effin' travel without a map especially if you're on your DIY tour.

2. You can travel if you know how to speak in English.

Not really, but quite. They say you could travel the world if you know how to speak in English, Spanish, (French, and now.. Chinese?)

I have read from a travel blog that only knowing English is not enough, but I guess it would suffice. Most would know basic English like 'yes' and 'no', but I think the most basic language that everyone must possess before travelling is to know how to speak in English.

Being a Filipino, English is not my mother tongue. Being educated in private schools where the language medium used is English, my second language is English.  But since I usually use Filipino in conversations, I would admit that I am not 100% fluent with my English, so travelling to Thailand and Cambodia was really good for me because I am truly able to practice my English.

As the saying goes, everyone must know how to speak in English because it is the universal language. Wherever you go, bring English as your weapon.

3. Always have US DOLLAR currency with you other than your local currency when travelling overseas.

Just to be sure, our DISAPPOINTING experience in Thailand was that only a few currency exchange and Thai banks accept Philippine Peso to be exchanged to Thai Baht. They seldom have Peso exchanged. At first we thought that we're safe carrying around our Philippine Peso only to find out that currency exchanges in the Suvarnabhumi do not accept PhP.

I don't blame the Government of Thailand at all for not accepting Peso. I think it serves as an eye-opener to our Government, knowing that our money has no value at all to them. And when asked why they do not accept Peso, they just respond with a passive facial expression. Just because.

In fact, it was not only Thailand that doesn't accept Philippine Peso. On our fourth day of our vacation, we also went to Cambodia. Upon arrival that night, we searched for currency exchange booths only to realize that they do not also accept Philippine Peso. They accept baht, US dollar, Chinese Yuan and even Vietnamese Dong, but not Peso. 

Funny, right? And now the Philippine Government tells us that the Philippine economy is improving. Seriously though, I'm not anti or anything, and I just want to say this in my own opinion since this is my blog, heck. Isn't our president aware of these things? Doesn't he feel any resentment about this at all?

It's just saddening to realize that as a tourist, your local currency could not be accepted.

Just like English being the universal language, it is safe to se of the 'universal' currency when travelling.

4. Always put your documents in a kit. If possible, put it in a handy medium-sized waterproof envelope. (more about this in my next post)

Always have a kit where your passport, plane ticket/s, arrival/departure cards, hotel address are all placed together.

Also, have your passport photocopied just to be sure.

5. If travelling to non-English speaking countries, always make sure to have the local address that you're staying at written in local characters and language.

Have your address written into translated characters and language.

This would be useful for asking directions, for riding the taxi, and other public transportations.

6. Eat the local food.

It never hurts to try new things sometimes. Local cuisine is part of a country's culture and tradition. Eating the local cuisine is where you could truly immerse yourself in another's culture. Their local cuisine goes way back, and it's like trying to get a glimpse of that country's history.

You don't get to fully enjoy your trip if you don't eat what the locals eat.

I was truly inspired by Mark Wiens' Migrationology perspective. Check out his channel on Youtube here.

7. Research on the country you're going to visit before your departure date.

Believe me, you are going to enjoy your trip better if you've done even just a little research on the places that you'd like to visit when you're there.

In our trip to Cambodia Siem Reap, I honestly did not do any research about it since I honestly thought that we would not have time to visit the place, hence I was ignorant on what it was and its role in Cambodia and why it was titled as a UNESCO heritage site.

Okay, so I only knew that it was the largest religious site, and that was it.

Having a brief background on what it is, what is its purpose, etc would make your experience better.

8. Only pack the essential things.

I know this is an issue for girls/women since as much as possible you don't want to repeat any clothes because it will be seen in your pictures when you post it to Facebook ^^ and you want to look your best even when travelling.

For 'serious' travelers who care more about adventures than their physical appearance, getting the essential things wouldn't be a problem, but for others, this is an issue.

I like travelling and I love clothes and this issue was a problem for me. The weight limit for every passenger when we went to Bangkok was 15 kg rather than 20, so keeping my luggage lightweight was a big deal.

Because of this, I learned how to only bring the essential things with me and ditch out the others. Even though I believe I was able to pack the most important things, I believe I could still have reduced my things to 8 or 9 kilograms at that time.

Toiletries were a problem, other than the clothes.

I was not able to use most of the things that I brought during our trip to Bangkok, honestly. It turns out, what you think you might need, you wouldn't be able to use. I brought lotion, sunblock, and others but the truth is, I did not even touch those things!

Other than a first aid kit, bring only the toiletries that you use every day.

Now, the clothes issue. I suggest bring lightweight tops. Since Thailand was like the Philippines, bringing light clothing was not a problem. I have no idea what to pack for colder countries, so.. I'm probably not the best person to give tips on what to pack for colder countries.

Of course, the amount of clothes you will bring depends on the number of days or weeks you're staying, but for a week, here was what I packed.

Bring at least a dressy top for a classy dinner, maybe. Casual tops when you're out and about touring (I LOVE v-necks, or pastel-colored dolman tops with light fabric),  clothes to sleep in (1 or 2 tshirts maybe which you could use again and again since you don't sweat that much when you're sleeping), a cardigan or jacket.

For bottoms, it wouldn't be a problem since you could use bottoms more than once and it wouldn't be that obvious.

I brought with me 2 pairs of pants or jeans (jeans are an all-around miracle from the fashion gods), 1 or 2 pairs of shorts as sleepwear, 1 or 2 pairs of shorts (I brought jean shorts and khaki-colored pairs since these go with anything in any color, or even white).

I am not a skirt person, but I guess you could bring one if you'd like to dress up.

Do not worry about bringing too much clothes. Our technique was that we used the clothes that we bought after going shopping in Bangkok.

9. Be vigilant, use your common sense and do not fall into tourist scams.

You might think that not being involved in a scam is impossible because things like these just happen and you don't control everyone's actions, but in my experience in Bangkok and Cambodia, spotting a potential scam is easy, okay not really, but you just have to use your common sense.

Use your basic instincts. If you feel that someone is trying to get you ripped-off, trust your instinct.

Use your common sense, guard your money, and don't just AGREE to give your money/ payment right away. LEARN HOW TO SAY NO, and I mean, "NO" (I learned this the hard way on our trip to Siem Reap)

Before paying, be sure to use the service first before paying.

Be snob, don't give too much damn of what others might say about you, it is your money and you're in a foreign country, it is only right to be more than careful.

I have no other tips on how to avoid getting scammed, but the most important things to remember are

don't be too gullible,

don't get too much swept away if the locals seem too friendly,

be persistent,

do things on your own if you can, and

only ask from the right and appropriate sources.

10. Travelling builds self-confidence.

Or at least for me. Why? Being in Bangkok, I realized that only a few could speak English. This might sound that I'm too proud but yes I guess one must be proud sometimes that you know how to speak in English, unless it is your mother tongue.

I am a Filipino and English is not our first language. Also, I am an introvert and I admit that I am not outgoing. I sometimes feel timid to do things because I'm afraid of what others might say.

After being exposed to a place where not all know how to speak in English, I think knowing how to speak in English in Thailand is a 'privilege' which boosted my self confidence.

Enough of this boasting.

Being in a foreign land plus the fact that we have no maps with us, if you don't ask questions, you don't get to your destination or worse, you don't get to go home.

If we don't ask around for directions, nothing will happen so asking for directions to random locals was not a choice, but a must.

Also, it boosted my self confidence since we are in a foreign land where nobody knows me so I am free to do what I want and ask around without anybody criticizing me. It feels good to be a tourist! HAHAHA

There were no reasons to be ashamed since I know how to speak in English, and I'm a tourist.

It builds self confidence, really.

So here are my 10 travelling tips/ lessons learned part 1 during my travel to Thailand and Cambodia, hopefully I would be able to post a part 2 soon!!

See you guys soon in my next post! :)

Wondering

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Do you sometimes wonder if someone ever had/ has a crush on you?

Something to think about.. it's 11 in the evening here in the Philippines and I can't get myself to sleep!

School's out forevzzz: college graduation

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If I could rewind back when I was a seventh grader and I had a vision that after 8 years' time, I will finish a Bachelor of Science degree in Information System, I would probably say "Oh really, that's the degree program that I will choose?  I am an IT-person?" with a tone of resentment in it.

My thirteen year-old self would probably not expect that I will choose that degree program, I am not saying that it is a bad degree, but back when I was little, I  dream of being a doctor, a scientist, a chemist, or an inventor. You know, the usual stuff that's VERY easy to attain.

Finishing this degree,or rather, choosing this degree that I have just recently attained was not planned at all. I remember University of the Philippines (UP) being my dream school, and Nursing being my dream course with my first choice of UP campus being UP Manila. Unfortunately, and with over self confidence that I will get in the said school (everybody needs that, of course. You need to have the over-confidence to enter your school of choice), I do not get accepted, which lead me to make La Salle as my next 'dream school' just to compensate the bitterness that I felt after not being accepted at UP.

As I fix my mind to think that DLSU is also a good school albeit one of the three best universities in the Philippines, I learned to like and love it in the process.
Of course there are times when I hated it because of receiving low grades, or finding some subjects difficult to pass, but despite my love-hate relationship with my school, a big part of me loves it and is proud of it as an institution, because I know that without their strict rules and regulations, the output that we would produce will not be 'academically competitive' and of standard.

 There are a lot of things to thank now that I finally achieved a Bachelor's degree including God, my parents, my profs and mentors, my blockmates, groupmates, and friends. Without them and other important aspects in my life for the past four years of my stay at the University, I believe that I wouldn't achieve what I have attained right now.

So, finally, here I am, writing this, as a legit De La Salle University alumni, proud to say that I am a Green Archer who will live Jesus in her heart forever.
Animo La Salle!

I didn't want to start my post with a negative tone but just an update: the so-called "graduation bliss" is finally over, now that I'm going back to school to have my toga returned, get the graduation pictures, and get my alumni card.

The unemployed-phase now looms over most of us graduates #leSigh

Travel around Bangkok: like the locals do

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What's your next travel destination, the amazing Bangkok Thailand? Going there soon and you want to go around the city without burning your pockets too much?

Being in a foreign city for the first time is an exciting deal for newbie travelers like me. Upon finally booking a plane ticket, you find yourself grinning like a kid excited for the day of your departure to arrive.

Of course, there is also this excitement in you where you google search the tourist attractions that you could visit during your stay, or tips on how to get around the city without getting too ripped off with your transportation expenses.

Let's face the fact that of course you have to spend money allotted for your transportation expenses, but that doesn't mean that you have to spend more money on getting to the places alone when you could save a few amount more for your food instead, or for shopping!

So, excited to get around Bangkok while on a budget? Listen up!

Upon touchdown at the airport (in our case it was Survarnabhumi International Airport), feeling adventurous right away, and got your currency exchanged to Thai Baht, you could take the local transit-- bus.

You could ask for reliable persons at the airport to get to the nearest bus stop and ask if you could get to your destination with the routes serviced by the buses for that bus stop.

As I'm still a newbie traveler, I don't fully recommend yet taking the local bus upon touchdown to airport to get to your destination. Metered taxis are best since the local drivers know the way best while you are in your comfort of sitting in the backseat and knowing that your luggage/s is/are secured inside the taxi with you.

After your flight you might probably feel tired, so maybe you could reward yourself of riding the taxi and lessening your hassle of getting to your place via the bus and spend your craving for adventure for later.

The taxi trade

In our trip to Bangkok upon touchdown, there are a lot of taxis lined up for arrival passengers. Since we were new to the place and didn't exactly know the trade, we just consented to hiring a taxi. As we got there I noticed that the trade at the airport is there are no metered taxis, but taxis for hire. It means that you have to pay for a specific amount instead of paying the amount shown in the taxi's meter

In my opinion I think right from the start we got kind of SCAMMED.

At the airport, there is a taxi bay where a lot of taxis are waiting and there is a counter with a lady where you have to pay your fare.

When we arrived, it was raining and we were told that the taxis have different fees when it's not raining and when it's raining. They were charging us 700 baht (real expensive for a taxi and we don't know if our destination is just near or far, convert that to our Philippine Peso which is P1400). That logic doesn't make any sense, so what if it's raining or not, there's no difference with the vehicle.

When we were told about that, I got the feeling that I think we're getting scammed. Add to the fact that they were talking with each other and we cannot understand a single word they say.

But we as foreigners (plus it was raining), with having 3 'elders' with me and we have our heavy luggage with us, consented to paying them 700 baht.

When we arrive at our destination, we saw that the taxi's meter only gauged at 100 baht. Imagine my frustration!

So a tip for you once touchdown to Bangkok: do not immediately agree in riding a hired taxi. Look around for metered taxis because I personally think that 700 baht is not worth it.

The mistake we made when we arrived at the airport was we did not look around for other metered taxis. If we just looked around for a bit, I think we could find a metered taxi and rode one.

First things first: BANGKOK TRANSPORT SYSTEM 101

• Bangkok has a skytrain: BTS, Bangkok Mass Transit System
• Bangkok also has a subway: MRT
• they have metered taxis, public buses, public vans,  tuktuks, and rental cars

Do as the locals do: public bus

I have recently read an article from a newspaper or magazine about traveling on a shoestring budget: commute to places like the locals do.

Riding a metered taxi won't always be the best, especially on your pockets. Ride their public transits- the bus! Not only do you get to spend a few baht for your transportation expenses, you also get to live like a local. You get to immense yourself fully and experience their culture.

Bangkok has an organized transport system, in my opinion (minus the traffic jams during rush hours).

Each public bus has a specific number. Each bus number means a specific route that that bus services. 

Know what bus stop is near the place you're staying at, and know which bus numbers you could ride which passes through your desired destination. Remember: make sure that the bus number you are riding will pass through to your destination or near your destination, if not, that means mayhem unless you really plan on getting lost for an adventure!

At the bus: as we are frequent local bus riders during our stay in Bangkok, I noticed that all bus assistants are females and DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH. A con in using the local bus is communication gets so frustrating. They don't understand your pronunciation, you don't understand what they're saying. They understand some English and could speak the fare amount in English, so you'll get by.

Another tip: also ask the assistant to notify you where you must get off since you are not familiar with the places.

In Bangkok, we were staying at Ramindra in Laksi Soi 3 and it is a bit far from downtown Bangkok, they city center. In order to get downtown, we ride Bus 26 and we stop at Mo Chit BTS station.

Another tip: BTS stations are your best friends in commuting around Bangkok, use it as your landmarks.

We use Mo Chit BTS station as our landmark in the city center. Mo Chit BTS is the first BTS station of the Sukhumvit Line.

Mo Chit BTS station is just near the Chatuchak Park or the Queen Sirikit Park, as well as the popular Chatuchak weekend market :>

Another tip: if you also wish to get home riding a bus, ask around what bus numbers should you ride that will pass through near your destination. And which nearest bus stops you should go for those bus numbers.

Queen Sirikit Park, lungs of Bangkok against the building-up traffic along the road beside it

Also, as much as possible avoid getting trapped in Bangkok's rush hour traffic jams, they are deadly especially if you are riding in a bus!

We have been there, and done that. As cheapskates that we are we rode the bus going home and are always caught up in Bangkok's traffic jams. Since a lot of locals go home starting from 5 pm onwards after work, expect for crowded buses and crowded bus stops full of waiting passengers like you.

Expect to ride the bus while standing up for hours depending on the distance of your destination.

If you don't wish to end up experiencing the same fate, don't get caught up in Bangkok's traffic jams!

Another tip in riding the local bus transit: once you step inside the bus, always grab the nearest railing you could find and quickly clamber up to the bus' landing because I'm telling you, the bus drivers are pretty reckless (heck, they DO NOT slow down when going on a curve, or when turning to the right or left hence the gravitational pull may tend to let you fall down especially if you are standing so I suggest grab the railings tightly).

Once the door is closed, they start driving immediately so be careful not to fall.

Also, most probably the bus assistant won't understand your pronunciation even if you say your destination in Thai, so I suggest to have your destination's name written on a piece of paper, translated in Thai characters. That would be less hassle, that's what we did every time we go home -- we just show the destination's name, and as a reply the assistant tells you how much your fare is. It is cheap, with around 12 to 15 baht only.

We just show this to the taxi driver and he understands right away ;)

Bangkok's BTS

Another very convenient mode of transportation around Bangkok is the BTS. I love the BTS. Whenever we ride on the BTS I feel like anything is possible, I could go anywhere I want in Bangkok and not get lost. BTS fares are also relatively cheap.

What I love about BTS the most is they provide guides in their website on which tourist spots are accessible using the BTS. Very great for DIY trips!

A lot of foreigners like us are also riding the BTS and MRT

Another thing that I appreciate in BTS is they give free maps with indications of the tourist spots. AWESOME. I remember when we got off a certain station we were asking for directions on how to get to Platinum Mall and this very kind lady guard even ran and caught up with us just to hand us free maps.

This map was our lifesaver! You could get one at the ticket counter

Bangkok MRT

Besides the BTS, there is Bangkok's MRT. Some MRT stations are connected with some BTS stations so changing trains are not a problem. Similar to BTS, MRT fares are also relatively cheap. I have observed that a lot of foreigners also ride the BTS and MRT.

Inside Bangkok's MRT

When in doubt, take the taxi

Of course, there are the metered taxis. Taxi fares are also cheap starting at 35 baht as its flat rate and 2 baht for every meter added.

Be careful though because we talked to a fellow foreigner who shared her experience that the taxi she once rode already had its meter at 65 baht as its starting fare. Do not ride in those taxis if you encounter one. 35 baht is the standard starting fare.

Ride a metered taxi if you already don't know where you're going. That's the only solution that I could think of when in a foreign place. In our trip to Bangkok, if we have no clue of how to get to a certain destination, we just leave it to the hands of the taxi driver.

A local Thai also told us that sometimes knowing that we are foreigners, mean taxi drivers take you to a longer route before getting to your destination so as to have a bigger fare.

Also, have your destination translated and written in Thai characters on a piece of paper to show, because some taxi drivers don't understand English.

Tuktuks for tourism

Last but not the least, there are the tuktuks.

Tuktuks were the main cause of traffic in bangkok a few years ago so their government ordered the reduction of tuktuks in the streets, but not entirely diminish it. The government retained a few tuktuks because of tourism. Tuktuks today in Bangkok are mainly kept for tourists. An intelligent decision. You don't fully experience Bangkok without riding their tuktuks. It's a bit expensive (well duh, it's the tourist price) for a motorcycle ride, and only goes for short distances but what the hell, you pay for the experience, of course! (when we went from Wat Saket to the area near Wat Pho and Grand Palace, we were charged with 60 baht, not that bad)

With my mama :)

So when travelling to Bangkok, don't be scared to try their public transit-- because you ride both for transport and for experience.

Getting around Bangkok

We only stayed in Bangkok for 5 days but unfortunately we were not able to fully utilize our time to get to many tourist attractions as much as we can.

Here is a list of where we went, and how to get there:

Take note that we stayed in Lumpini Villie in Ramindra at Laksi Soi 3 so that will be my reference point

To Chatuchak Weekend Market or Queen Sirikit Park: these are just a walking distance away from

Mo Chit BTS station or Mo Chit MRT station

If you are coming from the BTS station, you have to cross through the overpass. If you are coming from the MRT station, just walk going in to Queen Sirikit Park then Chatuchak Market is at the left side just outside the park.

The usual scene at the Chatuchak Weekend Market

To Siam Paragon or nearby malls like MBK:

Ride the BTS stopping at Siam station then from there walk using the overpass.

To Platinum Mall:

Ride the BTS stopping at Ratchathevi station. From the station, you could walk going to the mall. It's a 10-15 minute walk. Don't worry about getting lost, the name of the mall could easily be seen. The mall's a bit after this hotel specifically for gays haha

To Ancient City in Samut Prakan:

(locally known as Muang Boran [so that the locals could understand you, say it as Muang Bolan]) Ride the BTS stopping at Bearing, the last station. From the station, ride a taxi. When we went there we were very lucky with the taxi driver because he was so kind, he even stopped at the entrance of the Erawan Shrine for us to take pictures and offered us candies (not in a creepy way, okay) :)

The Crocodile Farm is also near the Erawan Shrine and Ancient Station. If you have plenty of time, allot a day for Ancient City, then another day for both the Erawan Shrine and Crocodile Farm.

It is a 30-minute ride which costs 130 baht. Going to Ancient City, I used (paste link here)'s guide which is very true to his words.

When we got to Ancient City, we think that the reason behind the taxi driver's kindness is that whenever they bring visitors to the place they receive somewhat a commission. Ancient City is a place really meant for tourism and education since it houses the ancient city, Siam, and presents replicas of old temples or palaces during the ancient times. I'll dedicate another post about Ancient City some time.

looks familiar? Yes, this view at Ancient City was used in a particular scene in the Hangover 2 movie franchise

To Wat Saket, Grand Palace, and Wat Pho:
We also went to Wat Saket (Golden Mount), Grand Palace (locally known as Wat Phra Kaew), and Wat Pho (the good thing here is that  these popular tourist spots are near each other so you could visit a lot of places in one day) but I don't know exactly how we got there. We came from Platinum Mall then just rode a taxi from there going to Wat Saket. It's not that far, and the fare is at 55 baht.

The steep stairs at Wat Saket leading up to the temple

From Wat Saket, we took a tuktuk going near Chao Phraya river to tour the canals and a floating market, but we realized that WE ARE BEING SCAMMED so we did not pursue taking a boat (I'll post an entry about this), instead we just walked going to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.

From Wat Saket, you could take the tuktuk to Wat Pho. The Grand Palace is just a walking distance away from Wat Pho.

We were unable to go inside Wat Pho and the Grand Palace because it was already 5 PM!

Going to Wat Pho, you'll probably pass through the Giant Swing.

Taking the tuktuk around this place is the best place to do it because it has a different 'feel' unlike taking a tuktuk around the city center. You won't be able to fully appreciate the ride if you take a tuktuk at the city center itself so I recommend try the tuktuk at this area.

I took these photos while riding the tuktuk ;)

To Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha):

We took the MRT starting at Mo Chit station stopping at Phetchaburi station. From there you could take a taxi.

When we got here, unfortunately it was a Sunday and they have a worship at the temple so it is closed to visitors so we didn't get to see the place. I have observed that there are a lot of foreigners like us which made me feel kind of safe. There are a lot of backpackers as well.

Up next: Getting from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia and back safely and easily (posting this soon)

Inspirations for blogging

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I have long kept online blogs since 2005 before I entered high school but due to online and social media trends and sometimes personal reasons, I create and deactivate personal blogs from time to time (the most recent blog I created was hosted by Posterous which now if you visit their website has decided to close the site) but since my recent trip to Indochina, it inspired me to create a travel blog (teehee).

Besides my recent new-found inspiration, I wouldn't be inspired enough if not for two of my friends who keep a blog themselves -- Mary, and Kleng.

Of course, creating this blog was also inspired by an awesome solo female traveler that I have discovered with the help of Google, in fact I think I am starting to become a fan -- Kate McCulley (adventurouskate).
Thanks for reading this entry and I hope you enjoy your visit in my blog!

Roll-out of new blog

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