Thailand wilderness - it's real: tips for the holidays

It was common for Soviet citizens, who had no access to the system for distributing vouchers, to go on vacation "wild". In those days, sanatoriums and hotels were inaccessible to ordinary people. The best an ordinary factory worker could hope for was a trip to a regional rest home. And not every year. Young people could not afford it either.

Therefore, young people went on trips on their own, often without a definite route. And it was really a "savage" vacation. In the main destinations - the Crimea and Sochi - almost all accommodations were in the private sector, without any civilized amenities. It was a budget option for a vacation.

What is a holiday in a wilderness today? And how do you go to Thailand as a wilderness traveler?

Self-guided travel or backpacking

Today, a wilderness vacation is at least two strategies for traveler behavior:

• backpacking;
• self-organized travel.

Backpacking is similar in essence to the "savage" kind of recreation of the Soviet people.

Backpackers are mostly young people who are characterized by the following behavioral strategy:

• stay in the cheapest hostels, cottages, including in the private sector of Thailand, can live in tent campsites;
• have no requirements for service and comfort;
• often do not have a definite route;
• can live in backpacking mode for a week, a month, or six months;
• backers' consumer behavior is budgetary.

Going wild in Thailand is a perfect backpacker trip:

• it's always warm in this country;
• The population is friendly and welcoming;
• Thailand is the safest Asian country;
• you can find very cheap accommodation, for example, for $5 per person per night;
• cheap food - if you want you can manage for two in $6 a day, and if you cook yourself - and reduce costs; fruit - 20 baht per kg;
• There are traditionally backpacker vacation spots like the islands of Chang and Phangan with cabins on the beach itself and daily open-air events.

What a backpacker gets: freedom of choice and maximum savings. Self-organized travel may not be at all backpacker. Meanwhile, it also out of old habits will be counted as a savage vacation. Although the traditional "savage" in it almost no more.

Behavioral strategy for self-traveling people - non-backpackers:

• as a rule, fully think through the route;
• have a limited travel time and a plane ticket back;
• book accommodations in advance;
• stay where they like;
• want to see a certain level of service;
• As a rule, have funds for recreation, comparable with what you can pay for a trip organized by a travel agency.

What a self-traveler gets: the opportunity to organize your vacation as you want it. Today, vacationing wilderness can be both very cheap with accommodation in a tent, and very expensive with a stay in a 4-5-star hotel.

Pros and cons of an independent holiday in Thailand

Do I go to Thailand by myself?

Pros

Freedom of movement. Today you can be in Phuket, tomorrow - in Pattaya, and the day after tomorrow - on the River Kwai. And this, of course, is the main advantage of vacationing wilderness.

• You can rent a car and travel in your own vehicle.
• If it is difficult - in Thailand is a well-developed bus service.
• Air service connects all popular tourist areas and major population centers.

You can choose where to stay. Did not like the hotel/bungalow/hostel, looking for a new option, inspect it and if you like it, move. Optional: always a good view from the window; store, beach, tourist bureau, nightlife nearby.

The ability to plan your budget more carefully. It is no secret that group tourists are taken and taken to places that are expensive. This applies to places where you can eat, buy souvenirs, etc. Travelling in Thailand on your own can save somewhere, and somewhere, on the contrary, if you want to spend more. Article on the topic: how much money to take in Pattaya.

Living not surrounded by tourists from the CIS. This is not a plus for everyone: on the contrary, many feel more comfortable among compatriots and people who speak their language. But for those who want to rent an apartment, say, in Bangkok from the direct owner and live in the capital of Thailand as an ordinary Thai - independent travel will be the best option.

Speaking of backpackers, they tend to group internationally. You may find yourself among Europeans and Australians, of whom there are many traveling wilderness to Thailand, making acquaintances with them and improving your English.

Minuses

Language barrier. A classic difficulty that haunts all strangers. But in Thailand it is not too stressful. All inscriptions are duplicated in English. People who are in daily contact with tourists, a minimum set of English words possess and successfully use. If you are not going to a completely deaf Thai village, a basic knowledge of English can solve the problem of the language barrier.

 You have to have the ability to organize yourself. Booking a room, booking an excursion, renting a car, driving to a remote island, not getting confused in the Bangkok subway, planning time in a foreign country - all this requires an active attitude of life. Not everyone can successfully organize themselves. That is why most people prefer tours with a prepared program: leave the hotel - load on the bus - arrive at the place - return to the hotel on the same bus.

It takes a lot of time to navigate. Imagine that you need to get from point A to point B. You have no idea how to do it. You can ask at the hotel reception, or ask your landlord, or a cab driver, or ask on a search engine.

One way or another, it all takes time, planning in advance. It is possible that you can get confused. However, if you go wild, for example, in Phuket and do not plan to go anywhere from the island, then this disadvantage as if not.

If you are used to independence and do not like the collective pastime, then go to Thailand wilderness will be the right decision.

Just do not think that the "savage" vacation in Thailand, will certainly be cheaper than that organized by the travel agency. It is quite possible that it will be even more expensive.

How much does it cost to go on a vacation in Thailand?

Consider two options:

• budget backpacking;
• independent travel on an average budget. 

Table. Calculation of the approximate budget for a vacation in Thailand

The calculation is approximate and very average. The results may deviate more (more likely) or less (less likely).

The factors affecting this are standard:

• season;
• an influx of tourists;
• resting place.

For example, in Pattaya and Phuket a vacation will cost significantly more than, for example, in Trat or Rayong province. Not to mention the northern provinces, where even for $15 per day you can afford a very wasteful backpacking.

If you are going to visit different areas of Thailand and expect to use air travel within the country, you should expand your budget. Each flight will cost $20-$120. And Bangkok Airways dominates some destinations with no alternative. This means that tickets will be $100 rather than $20.

The above calculation does not include the cost of an international flight to Thailand. For example:

• Moscow-Bangkok: $500 (direct), $400 (connecting).
• Moscow-Phuket: $800 (direct), $500 (connecting).