Brief overview of the route

Since some people have asked me what I have planned for my vacation and what I'm packing, I'll write about it here. I'll write a separate blog post about my packing list.

On December 9th, I will take a 13-hour flight from Munich to Bangkok, where I will arrive at 6 am in the morning. Around 2 pm, I will take a 12-hour night train to Chiang Mai. I'm not exactly sure what to expect there, but I'm excited to find out.

So far, the only thing on my itinerary is a visit to an elephant farm in the jungle, where I will spend the whole day with an elephant. I will feed him, bathe with him, and take him for a walk. What's important to me about this elephant farm is that they rescue circus elephants and do not ride them or chain them up in the evening. I'm still searching for an ethical farm to visit. Other than that, I'm open to anything. I will rent a scooter and explore the north of Thailand on my own, visiting Buddhist temples, before returning to Bangkok on December 16th. From there, I will take a 12-hour bus and train ride to Krabi in the south of Thailand.

From December 17th to December 25th, I have absolutely nothing planned or booked in the south of Thailand. I'm thinking about getting my scuba diving certification and going diving there.

I will take the night train back to Bangkok on December 25th, where I will spend the rest of my time until December 30th before heading back home. I'm really looking forward to my time in Bangkok, especially the street food markets. I plan to try all kinds of things, from beetles to spiders. I also want to spend a day in a temple, where I will get a traditional tattoo from a monk. I even found out that they mix the ashes of deceased monks into the tattoo ink, and I will make a lifelong commitment with the monk. But the conditions of that commitment will be decided by the monk.

That's my rough route for this trip. I will write a separate blog post for my packing list in the coming weeks. So until next time.