

Bangkok is one of the world’s biggest, and most bustling cities. It goes by several names, including the official Thai name “Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit” (no joke!). This is the longest city name in the world, or just “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon” for short, translating to City of Angels. Curiously enough, the more westernized name is almost opposite of this, as it is referred to as the “Sin City of Asia” with reference to the busy night life. Being one of the oldest Asian trade cities in dealing with the West, it has had a long term standing accommodating foreigners. This has brought about many popular attractions, and some at high tourist prices!
So what can you do that’s fun, interesting, and not really on the beaten-path? Being such a massive metropolis, there’s hidden gems around every corner in Bangkok. Here’s some of my favourite discoveries:
The forensic museum is not your run of the mill museum. This off-the-beaten-path museum is located at Siriaj Hospital, in central Bangkok. This place is crazy… and certainly not for the faint of heart! The Forensic and Pathology Museum takes you through a variety of different exhibits, examining different elements of the CSI related science, and it’s use in Bangkok. The exhibits include coronary studies, head injuries, a Tsunami 2004 exhibit, and even the mummified cadaver of the most infamous serial killer in Thailand. It’s not your run of the mill attraction, but certainly brings with it a heap of information and an inside look at this interesting study.
Perhaps not best to combine this with your day at the Forensic Museum, this is a very popular Thai activity. Similar to a Korean BBQ, the Thai version incorporates a bowl at the bottom of the grill for making a soup with noodles, greens, wontons and of course some drippings from the meat being cooked on the grill above. It’s a do-it-yourself activity, and all you can eat. The typical Thai BBQs run about 120 Thai Baht, and often don’t have time limits dictating your stay. The buffet is immense, with tons of tasty food to try – including salads and desserts! Best if you go with some friends so you have some company to engage with while waiting on your meat to cook to your liking! They can be found all over the city – my personal favourite is Pla Thong located centrally in Bangkok near the Victory Monument sky train station!
Going to the movies in Thailand may not seem like such a big deal. Sure there’s lots of English choices available, but they’re no different from the movies you can watch back home… except for one detail. A few theater complexes have developed VIP theatres. If you’ve got an extra evening to kill, and you really want to check out that new film your friends back home have been raving about – this is an experience in itself. Often with 3 different seating options, you can choose between the front gallery, where you’ll sit comfortably under the screen in body fitting bean-bag chairs. Moving up a notch going up the sides of the theatre, you will be watching the movie with the comfort of home, in a leather recliner chair – equipped with a blanket for maximum comfort.
And then.. the cream of the crop – Check out the fully reclinable ‘bed’ seats. These ones go up the centre of the theater for the best seating. They have enclosing walls so you and a friend don’t get the distracting sounds from people chatting around you. They also happen to recline almost completely horizontally for the effect of laying in bed. Equipped with pillows and a blanket, this is the ultimate comfort in movie watching.
This is like flying first class, minus the turbulence, and with a giant state of the art screen and surround sound system, to comfortably transport you to a far away land. Oh.. and did I mention they deliver popcorn and drinks directly to your seat? The seating runs about 300-1000 Thai Baht – cheaper than a night out back home, and in much more class and comfort. The Paragon Cineplex in central Bangkok is perhaps the most state of the art if considering this fun option.
This is about as full on as markets get. At the very end of the sky train and subway lines, it’s easy to get to from nearly every central point in Bangkok. This market is probably the largest of it’s kind that I’ve ever been to. It’s definitely the biggest in Bangkok. It’s so big in fact, there’s maps available showing you the different areas to visit, and how to navigate to them. It’s roughly 4 city blocks in size, and easy to get caught up in and just spend the day browsing! You can get just about anything here – from clothing, to food, to art work, and even pure bred puppies! Once you’ve finished your shopping, or just need a break, there’s a massive park right next to it that you can go and lounge in and examine your loot! You’ll find some of the best prices here, and is a great option for buying souvenirs.
Now this can be a tough one for some people. It doesn’t exactly sound like the beaches and temples vacation you had originally planned on doing, but may be one of the most rewarding off-the-beaten-path experiences in Bangkok. There are countless people who have been imprisoned for overstaying their visas or living here illegally as refugees. They live with very little, and lack some basic necessities, such as vitamins, carbohydrates and hygiene products. There are a few NGOs in Bangkok who, for a very small fee of about $15, take you to visit some of the refugees and bring them these products with your donation. When you get out of your comfort zone and try to help others in need, you quickly learn the benefits of love and adventure that come from changing people’s lives for the better.
If you’re looking at hostels in Seattle, you probably don’t want to stay at Second Home Hostels (more info). It says that it’s within walking distance from Seatac airport — but what they neglect to mention is that the airport is no where near downtown Seattle. You’re looking at a 30 minute ride on the light rail (for $2.50) or a cab ride (for $55) to get to the city from the airport.
I had the chance to travel for a few weeks with Anna Zalazar through Belgium and Spain this summer (after having met her in Chiang Mai in April). Anna got featured on OurPhilippines.tv — and of course it strikes a chord since it’s Anna talking about her solo travels through her home country, the Philippines – a country I spent a month in earlier this year.
Congrats on being featured, Anna!
Australia is often thought of as part of the western world, but when you consider the geographical neighborhood: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia, you might begin to wonder just how different it is in Australia really? After all, it is on the other side of the world.
One way to think of it is this: Australia is to the West what Hawaii is to America. On a map, the space between them is vast. But in person the differences are only subtle.
Australia is on par size wise compared to the West. Bigger than all of Europe and as big as the United States, if you don’t count Alaska. However, there’s far fewer Aussies than there are Europeans or Americans. That leaves lots of room down under. And that is important to consider while you travel in Australia. There are not as many major cities to see.
Australia’s flag contains the Union Jack, so unsurprisingly there are some similarities to the United Kingdom, but those similarities make it different than America. For example, in Australia they drive on the left side of the road. When it comes to spelling and slang words Australians use what is usually called “proper English” by everyone not American. For instance, ‘colour’ versus ‘color’, Australians would use the former spelling.
Language differences are probably one of the most obvious difference you are likely to encounter. The Australian accent and use of slang words is often one of the first things that comes to mind. And you are probably thinking right now, “G’day mate!” But that is a stereotype.
A good thing to know is that in restaurants the word “docket” is used instead of “receipt” or “bill.” Slang words are often just shortened or abbreviated words with “o” or “ie” added to the end. The word Aussie is a good example of this. You will pick up on the local and colorful language, just listen!
But what about sports? In America the game is Baseball. In Europe it is Football. But in Australia the game of choice is definitely Cricket. You probably will not figure out all the rules of Cricket during your time in Australia, but it is worth watching a match and drinking a beer. You will be surprised at how expensive the beer is in Sydney, the most expensive city overall.
If you are dependent on having free wifi access know that there is much less connectivity available compared to Western cities. Perhaps, a good way to summarize the differences between Australia and the West in general would be to say that Australia has a bit of the same, but much less of it.
There are not as many major cities save Sydney and Melbourne. There are fewer architecturally stunning or historically important buildings to gawk at. There is arguably only one great museum: Australian War Memorial in Canberra. (Western cities generally have several museums worth noting.) And compared to Europe, Australia has a lot less cultural diversity.
This isn’t to “knock” Australia. It is its own continent for crying out loud! The birds are more exotic, the beaches are great, but beware the bugs are massive. You are probably going to get more mosquito bites than you have ever received.
Hopefully, this post has got you thinking a bit about what to expect when you travel to Australia. It is all the way on the other side of the world, but you probably are not going to suffer from any culture shock. Which is not such a bad thing. Australia has a charm of its own that you’ll need to discover for yourself as with all places.
There is a general ‘tourist trail’ that most people follow when heading to Thailand for the first time. This usually includes a trip to the beaches in the south, pit-stops in Bangkok, and a trip up to one of the northern provinces of Chiang Mai. It is a fair bit less common for people to venture much beyond that, as the city of Chiang Mai holds so many relics and activities already. This being said, for those adventurous enough, a short 3 hour bus ride to the northern most province of Chiang Rai can be well worth the time. Amongst the mountains, rice patties and natural beauty, amidst the ancient history and old cities, there lies another incredible – and bizarre – attraction: The White Temple.
Locally known as Wat Rong Khun, the unconventional temple is a tourist attraction for locals, foreigners, and even monks alike. Though completely different from the usual temples you may see in the north, it is still considered a place of spiritual worship for practicing Buddhists and should be treated as such.
Before arriving to the gates, you can already tell that there’s something truly spectacular about this place! The immense complex of the White Temple is, as the name states, almost entirely white, with small reflective mirrors ornately decorating it. It’s is a beacon of light to all those within even the slightest bit of an eye-shot away from it, luring them in with it’s beaming glow.
This modern temple began it’s construction in 1997. You may say it’s a work in progress, as you can see new structures going up even to this day. With that said, however, there are already a myriad of temples and stupas found on the holy grounds which already completed.
The reason the White Temple is a little ‘different’ from your traditional temples is because it has completely modern elements, which lack in the older temples you may visit. It brings in an unusual contrast of good vs evil. Evil being represented largely in part by sins, modern warfare, and funny enough – Hollywood movies.
With a mixed bag of appearance such as Neo (from the Matrix), Superman, Osama Bin Laden, and even Sponge Bob Squarepants, there is no shortage of recognizable characters in the stories being illustrated. Completely decorated with murals, statues, and even bridges crossing over purgatory, you find yourself becoming part of the journey to enlightenment.
To anyone thinking of visiting outside the regular tourist trail, this is a highly recommended, and unique, destination to consider. You should give yourself about 3 hours to walk around, and another 30 mins in each direction getting to and from the temple from the city of Chiang Rai’s centre.
Please note: You should dress appropriately while visiting the White Temple. Although it’s bizarre, it is still a place of worship, and should be treated as such.
Last weekend, we (Eric and I) participated in the Startup Weekend Seattle. It was my 3rd Startup Weekend (Amsterdam in July and San Francisco in September) and Eric’s 2nd (Louisville). Timing for the event (November 16th-18th) turned out great, as I already had a ticket into Seattle on the 13th for the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. Further, the event was hosted by my former employer, Zillow – so was a great chance to go see some old colleagues and work on a new travel idea for a weekend.
We worked on TravelAngel.co. “Connect with a local expert in 60 seconds.”
The concept was a peer-to-peer marketplace to connect travelers with extremely knowledgeable locals, expats, or long term travelers.
The premise of the idea is that many people don’t want to spend 10 or 15 hours researching their next trip. They’d rather talk to someone knowledgeable about the area (either a current resident or traveler who has spent a lot of time in a given destination) for 30 or 60 minutes and get their specific questions answered. Heck, many of those individuals would love to pay that person to plan the whole trip for them (I just spoke with a friend last night who wants to pay someone to plan the logistics of her upcoming honeymoon).
The traditional travel agent model is broken. If I’m planning a trip to Beijing, I’d rather get advice from someone living in Beijing rather than someone sitting in an office down the street, who has likely never even been to China or maybe only been there once 4 years ago.
Similar to a site such as AirBnB, the business model would be based around transaction fees. For instance, if someone booked at $75 consultation with a Beijing expert, we’d make 15% of that as a transaction fee.
We proved this business model and actually made revenue over the course of the weekend. We connected someone we found planning a trip to Beijing in three weeks with Will Moyer, who has lived in Beijing the past two years. Thus, we earned 15% of $25 ($3.75).
Of the 35 people we surveyed, 49% said they would pay for the service. I know enough long term travelers who would be way more qualified than travel agents to give advice, and all of whom would love the chance to make some money for sharing their advice. We know both the demand and supply is out there – it’s just a matter of connecting the two.
Our team:
Even though we experienced a technology fail during the final pitch — our slide deck crapped out and I had to wing the pitch with no deck for the 1st 3 minutes of the 5 minutes allotted – we took home third place and a $250 gift certificate.
At the end of the event, someone came up to me and said he wanted to sign up to be the Libya expert — which further proves the supply side of this model is out there. If you’re interested in being a local expert for a given area, shoot me an email (drew at ohheyworld) or leave a comment.
We’ve taken the website down for now, but we plan on bringing the travel angel concept back under the Oh Hey World umbrella down the line. Overall, it was a fantastic experience working with some really amazing people.
Slide deck for those interested:
As you probably know if you’re following this blog – we’re in super private BETA right now. A couple weeks ago, we ran into a software bug. Don’t get me wrong, most software bugs suck — but this one actually turned out to be great.
Why?
It resulted in a concrete real world example of a user scenario that happens all the time — and it only happened because of a software glitch. I won’t get into the technicalities of the bug, but the gist of it is that the wrong people were notified of one of my check-ins.
The user scenario that came from that is close friends introducing their friends to people if they happen to know their friend is in the same location as someone they know (& the connection would be mutually valuable). In fact, I just did this tonight with a friend who is in Las Vegas this weekend, where one of my closest friends from high school runs marketing for Koi Ultra Lounge. I sent texts to both of them, and told them to meet up if they can.
The problem with those kind of connections are that they only happen when you know where your friends are traveling to and when they will be there — and whether the people you know in that location are actually going to be around. Yet these types of introductions should happen at least twice as often, except I don’t always know where my friends are and think to introduce them to other friends in that city. If I didn’t happen to be on Facebook today, I wouldn’t have known my friend is in Las Vegas for the weekend and, therefore, never would have been able to introduce her to my friend that has lived in Vegas for the past 8 (ish) years.
You and I both know an inside connection from a good friend is always welcome when traveling in a foreign city. You and I both also know there is a better way to facilitate inside connections for travelers than the current process.
And we’re going to build it.