A look back at my first adventure

Oh the excitement when you finally pluck up the courage to book your first real trip. Yes you may have been away before, probably with your parents on a package holiday to Spain. Or maybe even a post A-Level bender to Zante with your mates.  But this is different. This is your first real adventure, which is absolutely terrifying but also the most excitement you’ve ever experienced.

I’ve done quite a lot of travelling now so often forget how not obvious some of the questions people asking me actually are.  I thought it would be fun to go back and have a think about my first trip away, when I too was a novice to this exciting journey my customers are about to take.

Thailand – the perfect destination for a first time traveller.  A mixture of culture, beaches, wildlife, adventure, friendly faces and (for the 19 year old me, travelling in the summer of my 1^st year of Leeds uni) partying!

Who’s coming with me?

The first, and I believe the most challenging part of organising a trip, is who is going to join you? I decided to voice my interest during pre-drinks one night: ‘Does anyone fancy going to Thailand this summer?’  Instantly all 10 people start screaming their enthusiasm at how unimaginably fun this is going to be. The following week however, 10 has now dropped down to 8, due to mandatory family holidays (blurg). The following week another one is lost to the ‘boyfriend holiday‘ and then another and another… So then there were 5. Still it was a rather large group to try and organise everything but we did it, we all got together one evening and took the plunge and booked… followed by celebratory drinks!

Injections… eek!

I NEED INJECTIONS? Why did no one mention that I need to stab (what felt like hundreds) of enormous needles into my arm (my biggest fear). And there goes the second stage (and my least favourite) of the adventure…
The kit…

My clever friends decided to get backpacks… they were clever! I however didn’t think about this, as the one monopolising thought in my head was… ‘Just how am I supposed to fit in 6 weeks’ worth of clothes into one suitcase?’  I ended up rocking up at Heathrow with a human sized suitcase, trotting along in 6 inch heels (just one of 4 that I had brought with me) being laughed at by my much more travel-savvy friends. So we left our teary parents, waving their babies through the security gates at Heathrow and there we were. The first step on our absolutely unforgettable, magical, eye opening, friendship bonding trip to Thailand.

And here it is in a nutshell….

 

My travel tips when booking your first adventure:

• Organise in advance, it’s when you get the best flight prices and means you’ll get space on a tour, especially if there is a big group of you.
• Pack light, you’ll only need half (or in my case a quarter!) of the things you think you need.
• Pick up a travel guide; it’s so handy to research the country before you go.
• Learn some local phrases; it goes a long way with the locals.
• Try and get involved in everything, the culture, the food, the adventure. You want to look back on your trip of a lifetime and know it couldn’t have been any better!

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