My maiden solo international trip to Bangkok

Bangkok rates highly in the bucket list of solo backpack travellers. It has the vibe of a true cosmopoliton, has a happy mix of culture and modernism and it just breathes 24×7. So, when I, a yet another travel deprived Indian, was counting options for destinations I had not much to choose from.

I booked my flights, stay and dropped some cash in my wallet- that’s about all I needed to travel to the winsome, chaotic, burly capital of Thailand.

Amazingly architected Bangkok city

From buildings, temples, floating markets, clubs, rooftop bars, shopping centres, china town, electronic hub to chilling Buddha, BANGKOK’S got it all.

I did not invest a lot in my hotel room, as I had no intentions for spending time locked inside while the city thrives 24*7! The Petite Wanderess helped me a lot in understanding how to get around the city.

Here’s a compendium for lady solo travellers from India, dedicated to those who take their travel VERY seriously:

1. Have an itinerary- get clarity on your agenda
2. Slip into your most comfortable chappals and buckle up- you are entering enormous freedom, you will NOT be judged
3. If you are comfortable using shared washrooms and are on a budget, book a hostel
4. Stock up some sanitary napkins- you might not find your favourite ones in Bangkok
5. A travel lock- yep, for your own peace of mind
6. Pack light- Bangkok has really reasonable shopping hubs. Nerd Nomads have curated a list of places to add to your list.
7. The material quality is certainly unsparingly better than Lajapt and Sarojni!
8. Keep your passport with you, at ALL times
9. If this is your first solo trip to Bangkok, I recommend walking as much as possible- this will not only explore the infrastructure, you will also get to relate with the culture so much more
10. Taxi Bikes are a must try- they are the ones with someone sitting on a scooty, with an orange security waistcoat. I wasn’t aware of this until I asked a local to drop me off at Asoke BTS- he did, he didn’t charge me a penny. Eventually, I embarrassingly figured he was not a member of the scooter crew as he blatantly denied any money “for you, free”

TWO Wheeled HAPPINESS

Bangkok offered EVERYTHING my touristy soul longed for – exploring a new country, exceeding my daily step count (walked for miles and miles, all smiles), gorging on to the beauty of the little boats (as I call them),  street wandering, club hopping, shopping and collecting souvenirs.

Mesmerising Bangkok at it’s best

Being a Delhiite, I couldn’t pamper my taste buds with a lot, except the best CHEESY Fries and a lot of McDonalds. Thai cuisine is hands down not my calling 😦

Loading up on CARBS!!

Wandering through the streets of Asoke, I came across the Bangkok Exchange Tower- discovered the architecture fan within!

That fountain, that attention to detail- The Exchange Tower

Once the shopaholic was back to her room, EVERY purchase was tried on, cuz club hopping bruh!

Rooftop bars, breathtaking view, perfect weather, great dress- all set for Octave Rooftop Lounge and Bar, Marriott. Levels upgraded, heart beat elevated- what topped it all was the hospitality- #inlove

45th Floor happiness!

How could I ever miss checking out the State Towers- cuz, Hangover 2 was shot here and what not! Lebua at State Towers is an experience you NEED in your life!

There was a lot I took back from this trip, much more than I had anticipated. Not only I got back a whole new wardrobe, I also-

1. Fell in love with International travel
2. Witnessed the fact that a densely populated city has been so well managed and the citizens are just so kind!
3. Got rid of a lot of my fears like riding two wheels, walking freely on the streets (currently residing in Noida, I know a lot of you can relate)
4. Walked across the city at 3 AM and nobody blinked an eye! At this point, I openly challenge guys staying in Noida Extension to walk alone at 3 am, on the main roads!
5. Observed how people are so free and yet, so passionate about their job- I will blog about this, a tale about enjoying the job, loving it, living it!
6. Visited quite a few 24*7 outlets (7-11), and figured about 98% of the outlets are operated by female staff- #inlove with Women Empowerment
7. Explored markets with fresh fish, vegetables, Thai food, creams of ice, and everything nice

I will jump off here and let you plan your trip! Go, be RELENTLESSLY awesome! Be FREE! Be YOU!

I dearly thank my better half for making me DO this- thank you for pushing me out the door! For else, I wouldn’t have found my wings!!

 

Solo to Bir Billing

It was a life changing trip for me. A 3 day excursion in the lap of the Himalayas where I traveled solo with complete conviction. In this first ever blog-post of mine let me take you to that amazingly serene place called Bir-Billing.

How it started

Life in Delhi can be very demanding. That too if you are a working girl and have to drive a lot. After one such hard day at work, my insides screamed – “I need to go out somewhere!!”. So I checked with friends and contacts but no one was ready to tag along, as of course they were “so busy”. And it just hit me like a gush of cold wind- why not travel alone? Being a Delhi girl, the first afterthought was – “Is it safe”? I thought over it and finally mustered courage to plan a solo trip. So I did my research and came across this unique startup called Smapsters which was offering an adventure of a lifetime – a trip to Bir Billing. I didn’t think twice. Picked up the phone and booked it. Done!

Butterflies!!

I was all excited. I had images of foothills, snowy tops, the pines, the greenery floating in my head. The urge was soaring high now – to get out of this machine. To live my life. To breathe free. To fly. First solo travel with unknown folks felt like a prison escape. It truly was one. The day was finally here. Here was I, a software chick from a metro city, packed and decked up, looking all glam and fab, waiting for the ride. A bus, which flashed “Smapsters 15.2 – Bir Billing Edition” on its body, arrived in some time. With a faint smile and slight breath I put my foot forward. I felt a lot like being on a bus for my new school, except this time I was all “grown up” and ready to embrace the unknown. Just that moment, I left so many “complexities” behind that society had forced upon me.

On the bus

Delhi to Bir-Billing is a good 550 KMs. Gives enough time for getting used to the concept of going on an adventure. This mere feeling was enough for me to get rid of my anxiety of travelling alone. Each of us got a 2 minute window to create our Hall of Fame and portray it to the fellow travelers. There were some 35 odd people on the bus and there were 2 of us who were, in a way, group-less. Coincidentally,  both of us had 2 things in common: 1. We were travelling solo 2. We shared the same name. Well, that didn’t necessarily bond us, but it intrigued me how there were so many people out there, just waiting to get out of chains and to go explore! I also met a group of people from Chennai who had traveled all the way to Delhi only to be a part of this trip. Our frequencies matched big time. I think it was because we were all “backbenchers since childhood”!

Bir Billing

After twisting and turning during that night drive, we reached Bir valley at around 8:00 AM. As I opened my eyes and glanced out the window, the view was unbelievable.

A swoosh of unexplainable bright energy woke up all my senses. Clean air, green pathways and welcoming locals – what more does a sinking heart want! A 2 hour halt at a stay house was quite enough to appease the travel exertion. I was all set to being me.. aaah.

Leap of faith

We then went to India’s Paragliding Capital, a world famous spot for paragliding enthusiasts. I went on my first trek and believe me the “6 month gym” plan had truly built a stamina strong enough to trek for 10 more kilometers. The view was BREATHTAKING. As we geared for running down the hill (quite literally), I approached Richa (chick with the same name) and had a quick conversation about what inspired her to travel alone. What Richa told me was so deep and had such a great impact on me- she was scared of heights, she was scared of darkness, and she was scared of being alone. Here was a girl working with the Big 5 Software giant, who had finally decided to fight all her fears at once. As Richa ran off the mountain, I could hear her shout. A voice mixed with fear and a sense of freedom. It was spectacular to watch a person accept their issues and shine bright out of it. I knew in that instance that this was where Richa had stepped on the journey of finding her true (fearless) self.

Next in line, it was my turn to take off. I was all geared up except I just wasn’t ready for it. Wasn’t ready to trust my life in the hands of an inflated shaped wing (nylon canopy). My demons haunted me. Nonetheless, I gripped the frame, ran downhill and took a leap of faith. Quite literally! Feet off the ground.. Eyes closed… Silence… Air brushing my airs like cold air blower… Eyes opened…  and I entered reality. I was flying amidst the beautiful green valley, like a juvenile leaf out of a tree. It was just CRAZYYYY (picture a teenage girl screaming your ear off 😀 )

It was pure fun. At 3500m above ground, gliding at not less than 6m/s, I was yawing myself like a character in xbox game. A turn left and I saw small houses and terrace farms, a turn right and I saw waterfall and rivers. Birds followed me. So did my friends on other gliders. I even had a few clouds beneath me. Cloud nine. No words to explain more. I sailed for around 25 minutes and that smile never left my cheeks. I was so happy. Like a fairy from heaven, I descended at the assembly area. I was totally a new person now, having conquered the amazing Joginder Nagar Valley , having conquered the demons.

Back at the stay house, this thrilling adventure bonded us like war survivors. I volunteered to host the lunch and served food to everyone. Along came Chennai Express (group from Chennai) to help me with the task (It’s kinda sweet how people from India’s south share such warmth.

I loved being an Indian in that very instance) Thereby, I discovered that I am pretty good at managing tasks and people. This realisation eventually proved to be a big boon back at office. I had become fiercely great at being a “Scrum Master” but that’s a story I will share in another blog post. We called it a day and we had to be well rested for day 2, the BIG trek!

Day 2: Trek. If you think you can, you certainly will!

Next day after the breakfast, we set out for Rajgunda Trek. It was not an easy one. We had to ascend 13km onto a forest laden hill and then descend the same amount. Before we started with our itineraries, our guide addressed the group. Said – ‘Trekking is a challenge, more for your mind, than your body. You are here, away from your comfortable home to explore nature. This is nature in its most raw form. Embrace it, accept it. If, at any instant, you “feel” you can not do it, you will never complete this trek, and when that happens, we will help you to the nearest car stop. But if you can convince your brain that no matter what you will complete the trek, you eventually will’.

With that we marched on. It was just so serene and beautiful to say the least. I still have it fresh in my memories. I can still see the hill, forest, rocks, rivers, grasslands, rain and the cave. I remember how I coped with limited food, water and shelter, just like ancient foragers used to do. By the end of it, I had this mantra instilled in my conscious – “A life problem is not really a problem. It’s a SITUATION. How we react to it, decides whether it’s a problem or not”

Starry memories

We settled in an amazing camp surrounded by mountains, huge ones. The bonfire was being set up while we stretched at canopy like tents. Absence of electricity never bothered me much as being disconnected from the world made me connect with my inner self. Never had the stars felt so real and approachable, yet so far above.

Like all good things, this crazy expedition had to end too. I now owe many of my professional and personal achievements to this one excursion! I talked to myself and found peace. I found that I am someone with limitless capabilities just like the never-ending expanse of the Himalayas. I discovered my inner self – the best version of me.