One of the most important decisions one has to make when planning a trip around the world is how to go about actually getting around the world. The decision of whether to buy a traditional round the world plane ticket vs. buying one-way tickets as you go is an important one that will have a major impact on your trip.

When Megan and I took our trip in 2008-2009, we went with one-ways, primarily because we wanted the freedom to do what we want, when we wanted. Hindsight is always 20/20, but the next time we take a long-term trip, we will certainly dig deeper into our options.

A new option

One new tool that has come along since our trip is BootsnAll’s Indie, a multi-country flight tool that allows you to search, price, and book multi-stop tickets up to 25 legs, completely online! With the instant pricing and buying options, it makes it easier to break your trip up into multiple legs if you want the best of both worlds – combining freedom with having a plan.

There are several issues that travelers have had with booking a traditional round the world ticket.

• Rules: So many rules, including, but not limited to: traveling in one direction only (east to west or vice versa), having a mileage or stops limit, a continent limit, no backtracking, etc.
• Having to go through an agent for everything, including getting a price.
• Making a decision on your entire itinerary up front before leaving.

With Indie, the only rule is that the trip has to be less than 25 legs, which takes care of 99% of the round the world trips that people take. Getting an instant price makes planning and budgeting so much easier. Plus they have experts at the ready should you need assistance. If you’re a planner, you can plan everything out in advance with indie like you would with a traditional RTW ticket, but if you want to have more spontaneity for your trip, it’s easy to split the trip up into sections, having the best of both worlds.

Why we won’t buy one-ways again

Traveling as a couple offers a different dynamic than solo travel or traveling as a backpacker in your early 20′s. While spontaneity certainly is nice, and there’s a lot to be said about taking advantage of opportunities that pop up while on the road, sometimes too much freedom can be a bad thing, especially when there is another person involved.

Megan and I are notorious for our lack of decision-making skills. Something as simple as what to have for dinner can evolve into an hour-long process.
“I don’t really care, what do you want?”
“Whatever, I’m not in the mood for anything in particular, what about you?”
“Doesn’t really matter to me, what sounds good?”
“What about Vietnamese?”
“Eh, I just had that for lunch earlier in the week. How about pizza?”
“You always want pizza – let’s get something different.”
“I don’t always want pizza. Fine, any other suggestions?”
“I don’t know, you always shoot down my suggestions.”
“No I don’t!”

And so it continues along those lines for a while before the conversation turns back to the decision we were trying to make in the first place.

Now try to picture that scenario over the course of a year-long trip around the world. A few times a week we had to make the decision of what to do next. If we had that much trouble deciding on dinner on a Tuesday night, how the hell were we supposed to decide and agree on our next destination for our trip?

While we obviously did make those decisions, I don’t want to know how many hours, or days, or weeks we spent over the course of a year having a variation of the conversation – “Where do you want to go next?”

So next time, it’s going to be that much easier while on the road if we make some important decisions before leaving. Using Indie, we can break our trip down better and have at the very least a broad outline of where we are going to go.

What we could have done

The map at the top of the article is from our trip and is the flight path we took, except that we booked most flights one at a time. We knew going into the trip that we were starting in S. America and would end up in SE Asia. We contemplated the Galapagos, and if we would have went there, we would not have added in New Zealand. Ultimately we decided on New Zealand instead, and if we would have just made that decision before we left, we could have booked the following before leaving:

Looking back, it would have been very nice to have those decisions made before leaving. And even had we booked the above trip before departing, we had plenty of room for spontaneity. After our first flight into Lima, we had over 3 months until we left Buenos Aires for El Calafate and Patagonia. 3 months gives you a lot of opportunities to take advantage of any opportunity that arises.

During our trip, we spent an inordinate amount of time searching for that next flight instead of actually traveling. I can’t tell you how many hours we spent in our little apartment in Buenos Aires trying to figure out the best and cheapest way to get up to Colombia before moving on to New Zealand. If we had only just made the decision before leaving, we could have had SO much more time to actually travel.

Had we gone this direction, we then could have turned our sights to the second leg of the trip. We already knew where we wanted to go, and even with the freedom of buying one-ways, our plans didn’t change. We stuck to largely the same route we envisioned. So at some point at the end of time in S. America or during our 5 weeks in New Zealand, we could have booked our second leg, which would have looked like this:

Spontaneity is nice. I agree with that. But there’s also something to be said about being able to actually travel on your trip and not constantly be thinking and having to make decisions about what to do and where to go next, especially when your significant other is involved.

I’m not sure exactly what we’ll do the next time around (especially since this couple has since turned into a family), but I can assure you we’ll be looking into all options a lot more seriously, and we’ll do most of decision making prior to leaving.

Original article can be found here: Why This Couple Won’t Choose One-Ways for Our Next RTW Trip

Do you love to travel?  Have you always dreamed of traveling for an extended period of time?  Are you sick of waking up for a job you don’t like day in and day out?  Did you know that there is another way to live?  That taking a career break, a sabbatical, and heading out on the road indefinitely is a possibility, no matter who you are and what your situation?

Join us for Meet, Plan, Go! St. Louis!

Are you ready to be inspired?  Are you ready to hear from other like minded people who have made the dream of long term travel a reality?  Do you live in or around the St. Louis area or any of the other 17 locations around North America that Meet, Plan, Go! is taking place on October 18, 2011?

Then now is the time!  What are you waiting for!?!?

Tickets are on sale NOW, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear from our awesome panelists of long term travelers, including my wife Megan, and I, who took a break from our careers to travel the world for a year, Stephanie, who traveled the world for a year with her family, including her two teenage daughters, and Scott, who is currently planning a RTW trip which he will embark early 2012.

I am extremely excited to move forward on this event that I feel so passionate about.  I am pumped up and ready to share my experiences of traveling the world with my wife.

We are not trust fund kids, we aren’t rich, we didn’t win the lottery.  We are just two regular old people who decided to make long term travel a priority in our lives, and our other panel members have done the same.  So sign up for Meet, Plan, Go! to be inspired to do something remarkable!

Be sure to become a fan of Meet, Plan, Go! on Facebook and sign up for their Career Break Newsletter to stay up to date on all the announcements leading up to the big event in October!

Original article can be found here: Meet, Plan, Go! St. Louis Tickets Are on Sale NOW!

As you probably know by now, I am hosting Meet, Plan, Go! in St. Louis on October 18, 2011.  As part of this whole event, we will also be hosting several informal meet-ups leading up to the big one in October.

These informal meet-ups will be a chance for fellow travel lovers to get together and talk about what we love, TRAVEL!  These are free and open to anyone interested.  So if you are on the fence about Meet, Plan, Go! this is a great opportunity to meet me and the other people coming in October.

Our next meet-up will be this Wednesday, July 20 at 7pm at the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, which will also be the site of Meet, Plan, Go! in October.  I will get a table or area in the bar area and have a clipboard with the Meet, Plan, Go! logo. The Bottleworks also has a Farmer’s Market on Wednesday afternoons from 4pm-7pm, so be sure to get there early to check it out.

If you hope to come, please go ahead and register here.  As stated, the informal meet-ups are completely free and open to anyone who wants to get together to talk about travel.  Feel free to spread the word to anyone you think may be interested!  I look forward to meeting everyone!

Again, the next meet-up will be this Wednesday, July 20 at 7pm at:

Schlafly Bottleworks
7260 Southwest Ave.
@ Manchester
Maplewood, MO 63143

Original article can be found here: Meet, Plan, Go! St. Louis Meet-Up

Craters of the Moon outside Rotorua

There’s a story in my family that my parents really enjoy telling when it’s time to demonstrate how adorably nerdy I was as a child. I was eight or ten, we were on summer vacation in Michigan visiting the Great Lakes. The beaches were very rocky, but all of the rocks were round and smooth, sparkling with quartz and polished from being tossed by the waves. When we arrived back home, my dad was unloading the bags and nearly fell over when he tried to lift mine. My parents promptly discovered that I had filled my bag with stones from the beach, the ones I had deemed the prettiest, some as big as grapefruits, the smallest the size of golf balls. Some kids collect seashells, I had gathered heaps of rocks.

My fascination with all things geology related didn’t exactly fade with time. When Adam and I visited Cafayate, Argentina, I enjoyed visiting the wineries, pedaling our bicycles through the vineyards, but I was really fascinated by the strange layered rock formations and canyons outside the city. When we climbed Volcan Villarica in Chile, I had a wonderful time climbing and sliding back down the volcano, but after the fact, I had one regret–that we didn’t manage to get any pictures of the solidified lava floes at the peak of the volcano. When we went ice climbing in Franz Joseph glacier here New Zealand, Adam could only laugh when he reached into our daypack after the hike and found a small rock (pumice on one side, shiny metallic rock on the other–very cool). Yes, I’m still at it.

Hi, I’m Megan and I’m a nerd.

Wai-O-Tapo Thermal Wonderland

Knowing all this, it should come as no surprise that our visit to Rotorua, a town in the heart of New Zealand’s geothermal activity, was a real highlight for me. Wandering through the strange landscapes created in these geothermal zones, I really felt like I had been transported to the far distant past, when the earth was still forming. Steaming waterfalls; pools of bubbling mud, spurting and tossing globs of soupy clay in all directions; steam vents escaping from the ground everywhere you look, reeking with the acrid smell of sulfur from the volcanic gases in the steam; huge silica terraces formed by mineral-rich water pouring out of the ground–all of this set amongst gigantic fern trees and thick native bush left me wondering what prehistoric creature I might meet around the corner.

Happily for budget travelers, my favorite geothermal experience was free. Outside of the Wai-o-Tapu geothermal park, there are mud pools on Department of Conservation land. They don’t show up in the guidebooks, but are well signposted. They were the largest mud pools we saw in New Zealand, and certainly the most active. The still photos above of the pools are cool for capturing the flying mud, but video can’t be beat for listening to the sounds of the constantly bubbling pools. Luckily for us, Adam was on the job.

Overall, New Zealand was a great place to visit and a nice respite from the chaos we sometime experienced on the first part of the trip.   Despite our love of it and its beauty, New Zealand sometimes gets the short end of the stick when reminiscing about the trip.  It’s almost like we don’t consider it part of the trip, as it was so much different than the other regions we visited.  It was almost like a vacation from our trip.  We had our own ride, we worried much less about how much we were spending (despite it being the most expensive country by far), and we just really enjoyed the ease of travel comparatively.

The geothermal parks of New Zealand were unlike anything I have seen anywhere, and they were a major highlight of an incredibly diverse and beautiful country.

*When we arrived in New Zealand, we were surprised to be met with recognition when we mentioned that we were from St. Louis. Turns out that Kiwis are aware of our fair city, thanks to none other than Nelly. We even got a “St. Louis? Do you know Nelly?” I couldn’t resist the opportunity to give a little hat tip to Nelly for getting St. Louis on the map with the Kiwis. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.

Original article can be found here: It’s Getting Geothermal in Herrr *

World Travel for Couples was nominated by my friend Todd over at Todd’s Wanderings to take part in the 7 Links Project that was started by Trip Base.  It’s an easy and very cool project, the purpose being to “unite bloggers in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again” (Trip Base).

After answering the 7 questions, I get the opportunity to nominate 5 more travel bloggers that I follow and enjoy reading.  Without further ado, here’s my 7 links.

1. My Most Beautiful Post

Does it get more beautiful than the Taj Mahal?

The idea behind 100 Things I Love About Travel was born during Twitter’s TNI back in October of 2010.  The topic was World Wonders, and after tweeting about some of the world wonders we had visited and then receiving a comment about how lucky we were, I began to reflect.  I agreed with how fortunate we had been to see all the awesome things we have seen, then started thinking about all the things I love about travel.  The list was going to be 10, then 20, then 30.  Finally, I said “Screw it!” and expanded it to 100, with a picture for each, making it a 10 week long series that was a huge hit.

2. My Most Popular Post

Even those who don't devote their lives to fitness can hike to the top of a volcano

A Trekking Guide (for those who like to eat and drink a lot) has been my most popular post by a pretty wide margin, and I think it’s because it speaks to the normal, everyday Joe who likes to travel and hike but isn’t the fittest person in the world.  The point of the post was to inspire others to get out there and go on popular, difficult treks despite not making fitness their #1 goal in life.  I think it succeeded.

3. My Most Controversial Post

Are We The Only Traveler’s Who Didn’t Like Laos got a lot of feedback, both good and bad.  I knew I was going to get questioned for bashing Laos, as it is blasphemous to critique what backpackers think is the best place on Earth.  I still think it’s “Meh.”

4. My Most Helpful Post

I challenge you to fine a more helpful post about hiking Torres del Paine!

When getting ready to hike Torres Del Paine in Chilean Patagonia, we were shocked that there was not one single site (that we could find at least) that summarized all you needed to know.  There was so much information scattered everywhere, so I vowed to create THE Definitive Guide to Hiking Torres Del Paine.  It was a pain in the ass to write (probably why there wasn’t one already) and a ton of work, but I challenge anyone to find a post anywhere on the interwebs that offers more thorough information for hiking the W in Torres del Paine.

5. A Post Whose Success Surprised Me

I guess sunsets on Thai beaches are pretty popular

The very recent post, How to Choose A Thai Island, got tons of great responses and traffic, and while I do feel it offers some good information, it garnered way more praise than I was expecting.  I guess when you write a thorough piece about a very popular travel destination, it gets noticed.  Noted.

6. A Post You Feel Didn’t Get the Attention It Deserved

Colombia-it doesn't get any better than this.

Colombia was our favorite country during our RTW trip, and it’s probably my favorite country I’ve ever been to.  Stereotypes, Irony, and the Nicest People in the World is a post that was straight from the heart about a country I have loads of passion for.  The fact that it didn’t get much traffic or response was a bit depressing to me.

7. A Post I’m Most Proud Of

Last Day Of Our Trip in Mumbai, India

At This Time Last Year… was a post I wrote on the one-year anniversary of our return home from our year-long RTW trip.  It is by far the most brutally honest post I’ve written, and it touched on so many different emotions I had felt over the course of a year after returning.  Though going on the trip was the best decision we ever made and has changed our lives forever, it’s been really difficult dealing with the fact that it’s over.

Here’s 5 more bloggers that I have nominated to share their stories:

• Migrationology
• Got Saga
• The Shirt Off My Backpack
• Hedgehogs Without Borders
• Go Girl Guides

Original article can be found here: My 7 Links

New Zealand is a dream destination for many people. It’s so far away, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and has a mystical aura about it, all contributing to it being near the top of many traveler’s wish lists. It costs a lot of time and money to get there, so taking a simple 1 week vacation there, particularly for Americans, makes it nearly impossible.

When planning our RTW trip, New Zealand was on the radar, but we never made it a must-see destination because of the cost it would take to get there. Our budget determined most of where we went, which is why we stuck to cheaper to travel in regions like South America, Southeast Asia, and India. So when we were in the middle of the South American leg of our trip and found a cheap flight to New Zealand, we jumped on it. We knew we just had to go.

The shores of Lake Tekapo on the South Island

We had read about traveling in New Zealand via campervan, a very popular method for exploring this beautiful country. One blog we read during our planning stages had done just that in a SpaceShip, a popular budget camper van company. We have a strong love of road trips and have road-tripped it around the US countless times, so once we booked our flights to New Zealand, we knew that a SpaceShip was going to be our method of transport.

The Need For Change

After nearly 6 months in South America taking nothing but buses and a few flights, we were ready for our own transportation. Our hometown of St. Louis is a car city. We have both had cars since 16, and we have always relied on cars to get around, both at home and while traveling in the United States. So not driving a car for nearly 6 months was a bit weird and disconcerting. We were all too happy to pick up our SpaceShip in Christchurch during our second day in New Zealand and be able to go where we want, when we wanted, stop whenever the need arose, and move at our own pace.

What the Hell is a SpaceShip?

The SpaceShip, our mode of transport in New Zealand

A SpaceShip isn’t the most luxurious campervan out there, but for two people traveling New Zealand on a budget, it’s the perfect way to get around.  A SpaceShip is essentially a pimped-out minivan with a bed, storage underneath the bed, a TV and DVD player, small fridge, and pull out propane stove.  We paid $35US/day for it, making it well, well worth the cost.  Keep in mind we were traveling in shoulder season (April) in 2009, when the US dollar was very strong against the NZ dollar.  The SpaceShip was very easy to drive on the windy New Zealand roads, it wasn’t too big, it didn’t guzzle gas nearly as much as some of its larger counterparts, and with the quality of camp sites all around the country, the fact that our cooking amenities were limited wasn’t really a big deal. The massive kitchens at most New Zealand campgrounds were amazing, and getting out of our little campervan provided us the opportunity to meet tons of other travelers.

Other Campervan Options In New Zealand

There are a few other companies that have budget campervans that are similar to the SpaceShip, and there are countless places that rent large campervans for those with experience driving RV’s or families and groups needing more space.  Obviously the bigger you go, the more expensive they are, both in rate and the amount of gas you’ll need.  The narrow, winding roads might be a challenge for some, but if you have driven something like this before, it shouldn’t be a big deal.  Having your own bathroom on board and good cooking facilities also negates the need to always use a nice, expensive campground.  It’s much easier to utilize the free campgrounds scattered about the country when you don’t need an external bathroom or kitchen, so what you decide on depends on your situation.

Where to Stay When Traveling NZ by Campervan

One of our favorite parts of the Top 10 Holiday Parks-the jumping pillow

If you have a little extra money to spend, then there are campgrounds all over New Zealand that put ones in other countries to shame.  While you can get around on the cheap if you need to, staying in free or really cheap campgrounds, you won’t get much but a place to park your car/campervan, a spot to pitch a tent if necessary, and pit toilets.  But if you’re willing to spend a bit more, you will be rewarded in kind.

The Top 10 Holiday Parks campgrounds in particular were amazing.  While they are a bit expensive, the amenities you receive are second to none.  The Top 10 Holiday Parks all had a combination of the following: massive kitchens amongst the equally massive grounds, Wi-Fi (for a fee), common areas, pools and jumping pillows, playgrounds for the kids, and immaculately clean grounds and bathrooms. (not all had every single amenity).  There is no shortage of camp grounds around New Zealand, and all come at a different price and offer different amenities.  You can go as basic or fancy as your budget allows.

What to Focus on When Road-Tripping Around New Zealand

Doubtful Sound, a highlight of a trip to the South Island

The only downfall of driving a campervan around New Zealand is that unless you have an unlimited amount of time, you simply won’t be able to see everything you desire.  We spent 5 weeks in our SpaceShip driving around both the South and North Islands, and while we saw a lot of both islands, we easily could have spend the entire time in one island or the other.  Prioritizing in a country as beautiful and diverse as New Zealand can be a challenge.

Here is just a small sampling of all that is possible in New Zealand:

• Beautiful rivers, lakes, beaches, bays, and the sea.
• Wineries and vineyards dotting the lands on both islands.
• Mountains, skiing, snowboarding, and skydiving.
• Glaciers and fjords.
• Kayaking, catching your own mussels, staying on houseboats.
• Hiking and trekking (or tramping as the Kiwis call it) for all levels.
• Climbing and mountain biking.
• Pies and beer.
• Zorbing, bungee jumping, and luging.
• Rugby, haka, and geothermal wonderlands.
• The best drive in the world.

What’s Next?

Hooker Valley Walk at Mount Cook in the South Island

There is so much to do and see in New Zealand that it’s impossible to do it all.  And because of the uniqueness of traveling around New Zealand, World Travel for Couples is going to change the format just for this country.  In all other regions, we offer specific, detailed city guides.  Because of the nature of travel in New Zealand and the fact that travel here is all about getting out and exploring instead of staying in cities, we thought it would be more helpful to offer itineraries by region and activity.  That way we can help travelers interested in all different types of activities.  Like to hike and bike?  We’ll tell you the best places to do so in New Zealand.  Like to drink wine and eat good food?  We’ll let you know where to go.  How about extreme sports?  We got that covered, too.

So stay tuned as we ramp up our coverage of one of the world’s most beautiful countries.

If you have any specific questions, suggestions, or requests about what you want covered in this section, please comment below or send us a message.

Original article can be found here: The Joys of Traveling New Zealand by Camper Van

This week’s picture is from our Pampas tour in Bolivia.  Wildlife was the theme of this tour, and our guides were all too happy to get right up in the mix with the main attractions.  It was no coincidence that the man petting the alligator had a massive scar on his arm from, yep, you guessed it, an alligator bite!

These guys are nuts!

Original article can be found here: Picture of the Week – Crazy Bolivian Tour Guides

“Oh, brah, you can’t go there.  That island is ruined now.  You should have gone there 10 years ago.  It was the spot back then.  But now it’s just overrun with tourists and McDonald’s and Starbucks.  It just isn’t what it used to be.”

Now that we got Henry McHeady backpacker’s opinion out of the way, let’s set the record straight.

Yes, there are certain Thai islands and beaches (Phuket and Koh Phi Phi leading the list) that has not been treated kindly by tourism.  Yes, there are McDonald’s and Starbucks and other western food chains popping up left and right in areas that were once pristine and deserted.  Such is tourism and development in the 21st century.  It’s unfortunate, but there simply aren’t that many secluded, off the beaten track places left in this world, much less in a country very tourist-friendly and with such fantastic natural beauty like Thailand.

Are Thai islands different than what they were in the 90′s?  Of course they are, but find me one other city or destination that is the exact same as it was 15 years ago.  Does this mean that all islands in Thailand are now shit and not worth visiting?  Of course not!  Are some better than others?  Well, that just depends on what you’re looking for.  One thing’s for sure, if you enjoy some good old fashioned beach time, then Thailand still remains one of the top destinations in the world to get that fix.

Nothing like watching the sun set on Lonely Beach on Koh Chang

What Are You Looking For?

The great thing about Thai islands is that there are so many to choose from.  Travelers have to decide what it is they are looking for in a Thai island getaway.  Partying?  Rest and relaxation?  Great beaches and swimming?  Diving and snorkeling?  Hiking and climbing?  So many options for everyone.

Weather

Another factor to consider then choosing which Thai island to visit is the weather.  Obviously the weather in Thailand is tropical, so it’s always going to be warm and pleasant for sitting on the beach.  But monsoon season strikes different parts of Thailand at different times of the year, and this has a major effect on where to go as a traveler.

The Andaman Coast receives most of its rain from April to October, with the islands in the Gulf of Thailand receiving most of its rain from September to December.  No matter what time of year you come to Thailand, you will be able to get to an island somewhere.  And remember that the monsoon season doesn’t typically mean rain all day, every day for months.  The monsoon season in Thailand is typically characterized by heavy rain for an hour or so in the afternoons followed by hot and humid weather the rest of the day.

Thai Islands by Category

Obviously most of these islands are pretty big and offer a lot of different highlights, but I’m going to focus on just a few and what they are known for.

Rest and Relaxation-  When many of us think of beaches and islands, we think of good old fashioned R&R.  Though you can certainly find some rest and relaxation on all Thai islands, some are better than others.  Check out the following Thai islands and beaches for the best chance of just lounging around and enjoying the scenery.

• Koh Chang-  Not the secluded paradise it once was, but Koh Chang still has several beaches that are devoid of giant resorts and pestering touts.  Lonely Beach is one of these, and it’s on more of the backpacker budget, but you can find some nice places for cheap and waste the days away lounging around and swimming in the crystal clear waters.
• Koh Adang-  Not far from Ko Lipe, Ko Adang is where tourists go to get away from the chaos and glut of tourist in Ko Lipe.  It may not be the most beautiful or have the best beaches and water, but it’s still pretty secluded and is a great place for some R&R.

Resorts-  If resorts, crowds, and pampering are what you’re looking for, then check out the following places.  They are the most popular in Thailand, and while many travelers may look down their noses at you, there’s a reason all these places are so popular.  They are beautiful.

Resorts aren’t all bad–at least there are beach chairs *from whl.travel

• Phuket-  Probably the most well known island in Thailand, Phuket has tons of resorts and is fully developed.  There isn’t a whole lot of authentic Thailand left on Phuket, but it still is gorgeous.
• Koh Phi Phi-  Made famous from the movie The Beach, Ko Phi Phi has been extremely popular for more than a decade now.
• Koh Ngai-  A once secluded island that was more a backpacker haunt, Ko Ngai has had resorts popping up left and right for the past few years.

Diving and Snorkeling-  Known as one of the world’s premiere diving and snorkeling destinations, Thailand has tons of great places for both.  Super cheap certification courses make diving very popular, and the crystal clear waters provide visibility not seen in many other places in the world.  The Andaman Coast is known as the better area for diving, but there is plenty of great diving opportunities in the Gulf of Thailand as well.

Diving and snorkeling on the Similan Islands is spectacular. *from The Exo Guy

• Koh Tao-  Not far from the party spots of Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Tao is much more secluded and much quieter.  Most tourists come here for the diving, as it’s one of the best spots in all of Thailand and a great place to get certified.
• Phuket-  While it may not be the best for quiet and solitude, if awesome diving conditions is what you want, then Phuket will deliver.
• Similan Islands-  The Similan Islands are known amongst divers as some of the best diving spots in the entire world and have been voted as some of the most beautiful year in and year out.

Partying-  If you’re on a gap year or just really looking to let loose, then look no further than Thai islands.  There are plenty of great party spots, and if you’re looking to drink yourself silly, then you’ve come to the right place.  If you’re looking for other extracurricular activities, be careful as police have really cracked down on illegal drugs.  You may not get arrested, but you will most certainly have to pay for getting caught.

It’s not the most authentic Thai experience, but it is one of the biggest parties in the world *From Jessica Rabbit

• Koh Pha Ngan-  Home of the Full Moon Party, and Half Moon Party, and Quarter Moon Party.  Some of the biggest parties in the world take place at Koh Pha Ngan.
• Koh Samui-  A large island that has some secluded places left, but the bigger beaches offer plenty of nightlife for those looking to get down and party all night.
• Koh Phi Phi-  After chilling on the beach all day long, just stay put as the beach comes alive at nighttime with fire jugglers,  fire dancers, and beach bars everywhere.

Most of these islands are rather large, and if you explore enough, you can probably find a little bit of each on every island.  Even Phuket and Koh Phi Phi have a few quiet and secluded places left.  With hundreds of islands in the country, this list could be expanded to have 20 or 30 islands and beaches within each category.  While overdevelopment has certainly hurt some of the islands in Thailand, they are still extremely beautiful and are a great place for those who love the beach, the ocean, tasty drinks, and fresh fish.

What Thai Islands have you visited?  What were your favorites and why?  Comment below!

Original article can be found here: How to Choose a Thai Island

Bangkok became our home base city, with Suk 11 our true home away from home during our 3.5 months in Southeast Asia.  A fantastic guesthouse in a great location, with plenty of amenities and super friendly owners and workers, Suk 11 is perfect for travelers of all ages.

Address

1/13 Sukhumvit 11
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
02-253 5927

Location

The front of Suk 11 *picture from Ayngelina

Suk 11 is located in the expat area called Sukhumvit.  It’s in a little alley-way off the main street, so there is no traffic right outside the building, making it much quieter than most other areas of Bangkok.  While you won’t get the most authentic Thai experience here in this neighborhood, it’s certainly better than the popular backpacker ghetto of Khao San Road.  Little Arabia is nearby, with tons of fantastic Middle Eastern restaurants and shops all around.  A massive outdoor market is open for most of 24 hours all along Sukhumvit, with souvenir possibilities around every turn.  Lot of rip-offs of popular name brand clothing and other items, including pirated CD’s and DVD’s.  There is a great little supermarket right across the street from Suk 11, and there are plenty of street carts all along Soi 11, so you can get lots of great food for cheap.  Cheap Charlie’s, a makeshift open-air bar, opens at nighttime in the same alley-way as Suk 11, and there are also two great little Indian restaurants in the buildings next door.  If you’re looking for a Guinness or football fix, head right next door to The Pickled Liver.  A Skytrain stop is a few blocks away, making getting around the city extremely easy.

Cost

Suk 11 has both dorm rooms and privates, with shared bath and ensuite available.  Here are the costs as of July 2011:

Shared Bath

• Single-  $16 US/night
• Double-  $22US
• Triple-  $29US

Ensuite

• Single-  $21/night
• Double-  $29/night
• Triple-  $38/night

All rooms are non-smoking and air conditioned.  All rates include breakfast.

Layout

Hallways at Suk 11 *picture from alickmighall

Suk 11 is a pretty big place, but it never gets loud or annoying.  This is definitely a family friendly hostel and not for partying.  There are plenty of partying possibilities around Bangkok and the Sukhumvit area.  There is a nice little outdoor area near the entrance, with tables, chairs, reading materials, and plenty of fans to keep the air moving in the humid Bangkok weather.  The lobby is a nice little common area of table and chairs and is also where they serve breakfast.  The second floor provides another common area, with a few couches and bookshelves near a few computer stations.  There is also a closed off room with air conditioning, a big screen TV, DVD player, and plenty of movies to choose from.  A great place to chill out in the afternoon to get out of the heat.  And despite the size of Suk 11, this room never seemed to be packed with people.  The decorations and layout is very unique, cool, and funky, with a very Asian feel to the dimly lit hallways.  There is a rooftop deck that we didn’t utilize much (I would imagine that it would be better in the cooler months).

The rooms were very spacious and quite nice.  Pretty basic, but the beds were HUGE in the double rooms, there was plenty of space, and the bathrooms were always very clean and nice.  Simple and basic but quite nice.  If you face the front of the building, it can get a bit loud at night sometimes depending on the crowd down at Cheap Charlie’s, but it was never too bad.

Breakfast

The breakfast at Suk 11 was an added bonus.  They obviously had the standard fare of toast, jams, fresh tropical fruit, coffee, tea, and juice, but they went above and beyond what most do for their included breakfast.  Suk 11 adds a few authentic Thai breakfast dishes to its menu each morning, giving the breakfast a little added flair.  It’s the little things that set hostels apart from one another, and this little added bonus did a great job for Suk 11.

Amenities/Computer Access

There are a few computer stations located on the second floor and do cost a nominal fee to use.  Wi-fi is offered in the lobby and on the second floor (the signal can be picked up in some rooms), also for a small fee.  I hate paying for wi-fi and try to get around it as much as possible, and if you stay at Suk 11, you can snatch it for free in certain areas.  The Pickled Liver is a bar right next door to Suk 11, and their wi-fi signal can be picked up in the lobby and common areas on the second floor (and in a few rooms in and around the common areas).  No password necessary.

Hospitality

Great customer service is always welcome and really helps put a hostel over the top.  Suk 11′s owners and staff were nothing but kind during all our stays there.  Always smiling, friendly, and willing to help out with any questions you may have.  They have several booklets with information for traveling around Bangkok and the rest of Thailand, and the staff has no problems answering any questions you may have.

Crowd

The crowd was one of the best parts of Suk 11, with a huge mix of travelers.  There were the gap year travelers, the college students on summer break, 20 and 30-somethings like us just traveling around or on vacation, families with children, and retirees.  It was a fantastic mix, and it truly makes Suk 11 the place for everyone.

Original article can be found here: Review of Suk 11 Guesthouse in Bangkok, Thailand

This week’s picture will keep with the theme for the week and comes from one of our favorite cities in the world, Bangkok.  The grounds at one of Bangkok’s top tourist attractions, the Grand Palace, are immaculate and filled with gorgeous temples and chedis (the stupa on a Buddhist temple).  The bright, sparkling gold colors and intricate mosaics were a sight to see, and it was amazing to think of the time and effort it must have taken to build and decorate these.  This particular pictures is from a unique angle and the bird accidentally caught in the middle of the picture just adds to it.  A great shot by Megan.

Chedis at the Grand Palace in Bangkok

Original article can be found here: Picture of the Week – Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand