Waving goodbye to my family and walking through the gates at Heathrow airport with my ridiculously huge backpack was the weirdest feeling. After years of dreaming and planning I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I had a few momentary thoughts of why the hell am I doing this but all nerves and anxiety escaped as soon as I got to my accommodation on Khao San Road. It was exactly how Alex Garland had described it - the smells, the noise and the rows of stalls selling anything from bootleg DVD's to cockroaches on sticks. I found myself saying no I would not like to buy a wedding dress too many times.
I spent a whole day in Bangkok being a tourist - being taken a back by the architecture of The Temple of Dawn the magnificent decor of The Grand Palace and the breathtaking reclining Buddha at Wat Po. I've always been really interested in Buddhism and seeing it in practice by the Thai people was great to see.
Lesson learnt - alcohol by the bucket is dangerously strong and cheap
Ayutthaya
It was instantly noticeable that this ancient capital was at lot less touristy than Bangkok. A tour around Wat Phra Mahthat, the Historical Park and the Temple of the Reclining Buddha highlighted the troubled history of this city as buddha statues could be seen without a head while the missing piece was nestled into tree roots. It was so interesting to be there and learn more about the history. I also went to the Floating Market and had a boat ride down the Chao Praya River to gain even more of a feel for Thai culture.
Chiang Mai
My first stop in Chiang Mai was Maevang Elephant Camp - one of the most amazing experiences of my whole trip. It wasn't one of those elephant camps where the tourists sit on a chair on the elephants' back and pay for a short ride around the area. I spent two days with these beautiful creatures learning how to train them by shouting commands at them. I learnt how to climb onto the elephant via its trunk ... believe it or not I was even less elegant getting down. We also rode the elephants bareback into the river each day to wash and play with them whilst avoiding floating shit and being sat on.
After leaving the elephants we then trekked in intense humidity through mud, lush greenery, rice padies and natural waterfalls until we eventually reached our home for the night - three huts surrounded by nothing but trees. Our bedroom was a wooden hut floored with bamboo and lined with small mattresses and mosquito nets (with holes in), the kitchen was a tiny hut with a stove and the bathroom was a hole in the floor surrounded by corrugated iron. We were invited in for homemade rice vodka (aka happy water) and some banana leaf tobacco rolls. I was even asked to cook once the women left for a while. After dinner, which was made all the better by my magnificent
stirring job, we played drinking games with the tribe.
I know I'm about to sound like a stereotypical 'gap yar' student that has 'found herself' while travelling but this experience really was life changing. From living so basically and meeting these lovely, welcoming, friendly and accommodating people I have memories of this place that i will keep with me forever. These people were so happy and yet they had none of the now seemingly pointless luxuries that we indulge ourselves in every day.
Talking about amazing and unforgettable experiences, my next stop was an orphanage near to the Burmese boarder. During my five days of volunteering there I helped fix their kitchen pipes, planted some vegetables, painted the boys' dorm rooms and played with the children which was no doubt the most valuable thing that we did. The kids at the orphanage were burmese refugees who escaped into the Thai jungle to avoid the troubles in Burma. This means that they have no Thai identity which makes it hard for them to go to university or get jobs. Despite all of this, I have never met such happy and playful children and they were so grateful when we bought them toys and toothbrushes.
One of the girls, thirteen year old Meenam, took a shine to me and everyday she would take me into their library and read to me, asking me to help with the English words she didn't know. After showing me photos of her family (I'm not actually sure what happened to them or if they're still alive) she put a small photo of herself in my hand and said "for you, teacher." It got even more emotional when on our last evening all the kids sang to us, gave us flowers and 'I love you' cards and the founder of the orphanage aka the most amazing man ever said was an angel to him ... totes emosh.
Chiang Mai itself is a great buzzing city full of culture. More beautiful temples, more shopping at the infamous Chiang Mai Night Bazar and even more buckets of alcohol at Zoe's bar.
Koh Tao
My first Thai island!
Paradise.
I loved everything about this Island; the whole laid back atmosphere was so refreshing. Every day was perfect - lie on the beach all day, watch the sunset at Lotus Bar and stay for the live acoustic music (I knew the whole set list off by hard towards the end of my stay) and the spectacular fire show before getting a bit more than merry (or very merry on the infamous Koh Tao bar crawl at three or four different bars... memory is slightly burred) and then repeat. What could be more perfect?!
A day trip to Koh Nang yuan was extra perfect. It was such a quite, unspoilt island. Not to self - next time where shoes and more than just a bikini when getting to the viewpoint. Climbing rocks barefoot and wearing next to nothing isn't ideal.
Koh Phangan
Maybe/definitely I arrived on this island at the totally wrong time because it was out of season but i just wasn't a huge fan of the town Had Rin - home to the infamous full moon party. The locals look sad, the walls are splattered with neon paint and it just generally didn't have the island feel that Koh Tao had. It's hard not to feel like tourists have ruined this part of the island. That didn't stop me going to the Black Moon Party and having a psychedelically great time ... what a hypocrite.
My visa was nearly running out so I booked myself a Visa Run. The woman in the travel shop didn't have the best English so I didn't really have any idea what I was doing - I just hoped that my little piece of paper meant that I'd eventually get to extend my visa. A taxi was supposed to pick me up at 4 am from my accommodation but it was a no show so after realising that the little piece of paper was my boat ticket I jumped on the back of a very friendly Thai's motorbike and he took me (dangerously quickly) to the pier. After aimlessly getting of the boat I heard a man shouting "visa run" so assumed that was for me and climbed into a tiny van full of other travellers. We drove for what felt like an eternity only to spend two seconds in Malaysia (no exaggeration) just so I could get stamped out to extend my visa. I recognised one of the guys in the van from The Sanctuary so we got talking and it turned out that tattooed, barefoot Bob used to be a stock broker in London before literally selling his life and moving to Thailand and ended up becoming a personal sanctuary at the Sanctuary and only leaves the beach if he needs to extend his visa. I told him how much the Sanctuary reminded me of THE Beach which resulted in an amazing conversation on our journey back to Koh Phangan together.
Koh Samui
Tourist day - The Big Buddha was really cool and I even got sprinkled (drenched) with holy water from a monk. I met some friends from the hostel and all three of us squeezed onto one motorbike and snook into a posh resort to sunbathe on the beautiful beach and use their pool. 
A few of us trekked up to Au Nuang waterfall on a really beautiful day.
Being the poor backpackers that we were we didn't want to pay the price for the pool party that was being advertised everywhere so instead we found some really good street style food on the beach and stumbled upon what became my one of my favourite bars in Thailand. Chaweng beach is full of very clubby clubs that can be great, but Lipsmackers was a welcomed change. It was a tiny bamboo bar that you could hardly notice and there was just two young lads working there. 'Happy hour' for us turned into happy 6 hours and we even took control of the music. Countless cocktails and dancing into the sea with The Stone Roses playing in the background ... perfect.
Chaweng beach is a crazy place. For example one night out in Ark Bar before I even knew what was happening a guy put a monkey on my shoulder and then pretty much forced me to buy a photo that he had taken. The monkey isn't even looking!
Koh Tao
I couldn't resist going back to paradise and just by coincidence almost everyone that I had met on Samui ended up on Koh Tao at similar times so being at Lotus bar all together was so great. My hostel, Spicy Tao, was brilliant. It was away from the town and up in the jungle and the common area was out in the open and made out of wood and bamboo. When I first turned up there were people in hammocks watching The Beach and I knew I was in the right place. 
Two of us decided to get a motorbike and see some of the bays. Note to self - next time if you decide to visit Mango bay, get a boat and not a motorbike. The viewpoint was amazing and the cute bay we came across was cool but you can't actually get to Mango bay via road. Covered in sweat and cuts we just resided to the beach ... as always.
Koh Samui
Back again! A few of us went back much to the excitement of Joy and Bam Bam - ah I miss them. I went with Joy to the market to get some food and helped her cook dinner. I'd like to say I'm now a pro Thai cook but I don't think peeling potatoes and wrapping up tofu counts much. More beach, more nights out at Ark Bar, Green Mango and Sound Club (where else) and more family time at The Lounge.
Koh Phi Phi
Controversially I skipped the plan to go to the Full Moon party and made my way to Koh Phi Phi as my time in Thailand was running out but I really wanted to go. I'm so glad I did. After travelling across Thailand for hours, made better by two guys I met at the start of the Journey and we just chatted away to pass the time, I was on my final boat to Phi Phi when I realised I didn't actually know where my hostel was. I asked someone when I got off and a Thai man walked me (there are no cars) to the hostel without expecting anything back. All he said was "lovely to meet you Lauren from England," waved and walked away... amazing.
We also had the intention of going to Maya Bay, the beach where the The Beach was filmed, but we were lazy and didn't wake up and in our defence it was raining.
Is it weird or cool that I sat on the top deck of the boat when I left for Phuket with All Saints' Pure Shores and Moby's Porcelain playing on repeat? I'll settle for super cool.
Goodbye for now Thailand! See you very soon
