Happy new year everyone.

From mid-December to yesterday, I went on my first ever solo trip. I visited Thailand and had an absolutely fantastic time, and I think this concept of solo traveling has radically changed the way I will be vacationing in the future.

Pre-trip, I booked only my first 3 nights of stay in Bangkok, and no travel or other accommodations. I traveled light, taking only 3 shorts/shirts, 1 pair of jeans/belt, some underwear, my cell phone, medical kit, toiletries kit, and a book. I took an Osprey Kestrel 48 as my main pack and did not check it in once in nine plane rides (including the tiny United Express planes in the US and the Thai AirAsia aircraft where they are strict about this sort of thing). This was big because I wanted something I could carry on everywhere. I also had a collapsible/foldable daypack that nicely tucked into a zippered compartment of the Kestrel 48. Received a TON of compliments on the Kestrel 48.

My trip had me arrive in Bangkok after close to a 30 hour journey from the US. Despite the exhaustion, I felt right at home taking the Airport Skytrain from Suvarnabhumi international airport to my hostel. The locals were extremely friendly and all smiles on the train, everything looked peaceful and relaxed, great vibes.

I spent 3 awesome days exploring Bangkok’s weekend market, accidentally trespassing a government building (and being kindly escorted out by security), racing down a river in boats, checking out the Wat Pho (temple of reclining Buddha), getting unbelievably relaxing daily massages, grabbing delicious meals with my fellow Hostelers, going up 84 floors to a rotating viewpoint showing the Bangkok skyline, and just chilling out.

My last day in Bangkok I was unsure of what to do next: extend my stay here? Or go elsewhere? I had heard good things about southern Thailand and the islands, and felt I could use some beach time, so I bought a one way ticket to Krabi, packed my bags, and set off.

Landed in Krabi, joined a minivan with 10 other travelers and off we went to the island of Koh Lanta! Koh Lanta is amazing - beaches all around, lots of food, lots of massage places (many are right on the beach so you get a nice view of the sunset while getting massaged), and quite a bit to do! Here, I took a snorkeling excursion to Koh Rok (amazing amazing amazing island guys, picturesque white sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters). Got to ride a speedboat and snorkel for the first time in my life and see the amazing creatures of the Andaman Sea. Made friends with other travelers on the boat quickly and we had a blast enjoying a beach picnic together. On the way back to Koh Lanta, the speedboat went through really choppy weather/rough seas and we were airborne in the boat several times for a few seconds ahah: that is a memory none of us will forget. We had an inside joke going - the tour operators had emphasized that they were insured when selling us the tour package, so whenever we had a hard landing or felt like our balls had been kicked by the rough tumbling of the boat, my new friends and I just shouted out to each other “don’t worry they’ve got insurance!” Awesome memories were made here.

In the following days, 2 guys and I from the hostel rented scooters and embarked on an adventure exploring Koh Lanta. First time riding a scooter for me and several people discouraged me from doing it - two shops downright refused to rent to me. But it ended up being a great journey riding with these guys and trying out some awesome food places, grabbing gelato, Thai pancakes, etc.

Next, I headed up north to Chiang Mai. Great friendly people here too. Fed elephants/gave them lots of love, explored the city and saw Star Wars in 4D (highly recommend) with a hostelmate, went zip-lining (first time), trekking/mountain biking (first time), and white water rafting (first time) along with trying out copious amounts of Thai Pancakes. Spoiled myself my last day with a nice 3 hour spa package.

One important, often stated, yet under appreciated benefit (at least by myself) was the freedom and flexibility that solo travel offers. I booked my tickets to go to the island of Koh Lanta the day before my trip, and only after talking to several people at my Bangkok hostel. I went on day trips on a whim with fellow travelers. With previous trips when I traveled with a few friends/cousins, it often required compromising. Traveling with them sure had its benefits, but I think solo traveling is more enjoyable personally for me.

Also, even though I was traveling solo, I never felt lonely. I believe hostels deserve the credit for this because I met so many people through them to hang out with.

Thailand was a great visit and solo traveling was an excellent new thing to try out. Thank you to everyone on this sub for being so encouraging to me before my travels, and to anyone on the fence, DO IT! You won’t regret it.