I have been traveling the world since I was 15. If you're thinking of going traveling solo, and it's making you nervous, just know that that is totally normal. In fact, even though I've traveled solo countless times, I started getting a bit of trepidation before every single solo trip, because there are so many questions playing on your mind, right? It feels like a first day in a new school, it feels like you might get lonely, you might not make friends, you might get sick and have nobody to take care of you. Anything could happen.
But here is what actually happens. The second you get on that plane, or that bus, or that train, taking you to your first destination, about half of your worries disappear immediately. As for the remaining 50%, let's tackle those now with my solo female travel tips.
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I finished my teacher training with Trika Yog, Bangkok, Thailand, in 2019. It’s been a while, and it was a long journey from picking the right yoga teacher training school, choosing the location, to finally getting on-board. When people around me found out I was taking the yoga teacher training in Bangkok, I got a lot of questions. So I’ll list them here and tell you about my absolutely wonderful journey in my yoga teacher training with Trika Yog in Bangkok.
Is yoga teacher training worth it? Absolutely! Yoga teacher training has definitely deepened my yoga practice. I have taught my friends and family since the training ended. During lockdown because of COVID, practicing yoga at home was possible because I had been taught the proper alignments already. That means I was more aware if my hips are squared in poses, and definitely being more careful of my lower back in all poses, and much more. I wouldn’t have known all this without the teacher training. Even if you don’t intend to become a yoga teacher, I still encourage the yoga teacher training as a good investment in yourself. I love Bangkok! This city has so much to offer. Bangkok has some of the best street food on earth. Also, comparing to other places in the world, Bangkok is rather affordable! You can get a meal for as little as $2 !
If you're traveling in Asia, Bangkok is probably one of your destinations as it's quite in a prime location. Whether you're traveling to other parts of Thailand or using it as a base to travel further to other countries in South East Asia, Bangkok is a great place to stay. So you should choose to stay in the area that suits you and your life style. Here are the best neighborhoods in Bangkok! I have also written a post on best hotels in Bangkok here. If you have a long layover in Bangkok, you might want to consider a day trip into the city. Or if you have a few days in the country, and would like to spend one day visiting main attractions in Bangkok, this is for you as well. As a local, let me guide you to some of the places worth visiting so you get as much out of your one-day trip as possible! How to get into the city center: Once you manage to get out of immigration, the fastest and cheapest way is by taking the Airport Link . There is only one line and I’d recommend you get off at the very last station: Phayathai station. The station is connected to the BTS (Skytrain) which will branch out and you can go to many touristy places. Bangkok traffic can be very unpredictable, so if you’d like to be able to budget your time, taking the Airport Link is a great option. It should take you less than an hour to get there. If you’d like to take a taxi, it should take around 40 minutes and up to 3 hours of travel time (not joking!) when the traffic is very heavy and it’s raining. If you’re pressed for time, at least on your way back to the airport, please do consider taking the Airport Link. Places to visit Most of the cultural places are, unfortunately, not along the BTS lines. So, the best way to get there from the Phayathai station is to take a taxi. You can use Grab taxi, Line taxi, or hail a taxi from the street. I have found the metered taxi hailed from the street to be quite cheaper than getting one from an app, BUT you need to make sure they turn on the meter, or they could charge a ridiculous amount for travelers! To be safe and preventing the language barrier, using an app could be a great option. If you’re more into shopping, I have written about shopping malls in Bangkok along the BTS lines. Taking a tour is also another great option! When I travel solo, I often buy tours to save myself the headache of organizing everything myself. I often meet interesting people and hear their stories in many of these tours as well. The Grand Palace A must for all travelers visiting Bangkok! The palace is rich with history, and is Bangkok’s number one attraction. In the past, the palace used to be home to the King. But nowadays, it was mainly used for royal ceremonies. Because of its sacred status, visitors are not allowed to wear shorts or tight jeans. If you happen to wear shorts, they have long pants for rent, but the line can be long and you don’t want to waste your precious visit time. You can check out their website for dress codes in detail. Also, the palace is located near the Chaopraya River, with the gorgeous view of Wat Arun. There are along the river area for you to enjoy the delicious food and the nice views. It’s a perfect place for evening chill-out both for locals and travelers alike! Address: Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand Admission: 500 Baht Opening Hours: Daily 8:30am-3:30pm Website : https://www.royalgrandpalace.th/en/home Wat Phra Kaeo / the Emerald Buddha Temple It’s literally a 2 minute walk from the Grand Palace, so it’s super easy to visit. The Buddha is made of jade, dates back to the 1400’s and is housed in the main prayer hall. You can watch and worship from the distance. It can be crowded so it’s not quite an ideal place if you look for quiet meditation as there will be tourists walking in and out. Address: Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand Admission: 400 Baht Opening Hours: Daily 8:30am-3:30pm Wat Pho Also in a very close proximity to Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Pho is a very short trip away with less than 10 minutes’ walk. Wat Pho is also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The reclining Buddha is a 46 meter long gold plated figure and is 15 meters high. The statute represents the Buddha passing into Nirvana. This place is also known for its massage school! Address: Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 Admission: 100 Baht Opening Hours: 8am-5pm Wat Arun
Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is located on the other side of the river from the Grand Palace. So, you need to take a ferry to cross. The pier is a short trip of around 5-minutes’ walk from the Grand Palace. If you do have the time into the night, I totally recommend having dinner on the other side of the river to enjoy the full view of the temple at night; it’s absolutely breathtaking, so it’s a spot you definitely should not miss in your short travel in Bangkok! Address: Bangkok Yai, Bangkok Admission: 50 Baht Opening Hours: 8.30 am-5.30 pm This should keep you busy for your one-day trip with lots of photo taking opportunities. Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you think. Enjoy Bangkok!
Staycation is the trend in 2020 now. Even if you cannot get away from Bangkok, spending a few nights at a nice hotel can be very refreshing. It's actually quite nice to have the vacation without much travel, and relaxation is only a short trip away!
U Sukhumvit Hotel This hotel is in a very nice area of the vibrant Sukhumvit neighborhood. The service was amazing. I loved their 24 hour stay policy - if you check in at 6 pm, you have till 6 pm the next day to check out! The breakfast is amazing. Some of the best I've had at any hotel in Bangkok. Who'd serve proper egg benedict at breakfast buffet? The selection was just absolutely amazing, and the food incredibly delicious! What's not to love? The location was very convenient. The hotel has free Tuk-tuk shuttle service to Terminal 21, where the food court is both cheap and amazing! And it's near the BTS, so you can travel anywhere easily. I totally recommend U Sukhumvit for your next travel in Bangkokl! |
AuthorRachel has solo traveled to many places in the wold. When she can't travel abroad, she'd spend her weekends doing yoga, reading, cafe-hopping, or going on a weekend getaway. Archives
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