I had to buy tickets three times before I finally got to Thailand. At that time I thought perhaps I just wasn´t meant to go there, but luckily I got that perception invalidated.
The first time I arrived at this amazing country was with my hubby and our then eight months old daughter. She was quite plump then, and got quite a lot attention from all the small Thais. It was charming and heartfelt, and I fell in love both with them and their country.
The only bad thing about going to Thailand is coming back home again. Then it gets too obvious how much bad service we get and how we treat our fellow countrymen in Norway. And especially here in Oslo! In Thailand you are met with a huge smile and people who just can´t do enough good for you. They will never say no or deny you anything. Even if the answer necessarily is negative. If you ask a waiter if he has a Coke, he will say yes, even if he brings you a Sprite!
But Thailand is so much more than smiling and positive people. It is an exciting and diverse country where you pick out what ever elements that suits you and enjoy it as much as you can. As for most Norwegians it is the weather and the beaches that are most important. In addition, I am a big fan of the style, design and architecture you can find on some of the best hotels, and of course the food. So beach, hotel design, and food are important key words for me when going to Thailand (as it is for many other destinations). I also like to have a certain distance to the most hectic and touristic areas, but it is nice if you have the option to drive to a shopping area or other restaurants if you get the urge to do so.
There are a lot of fantastic hotels in Thailand, and I think I dare to claim that Thailand is the number one country to get your money worth if you want to climb the ladder of stars and standard.
Since becoming less restless and having kids with me when travelling, it is more important for me to stay at better hotels. The walk to the beach should be short. As should the distance to the pool and the restaurants. A gym will compensate for that!
I have been to Koh Lanta, Krabi, Koh Samui, Khao Lak, north of Phuket and to Bangkok. The best hotels I have stayed in are Costa Lanta, The Racha, Silawadee, Sala Samui, Casa de la Flora and Sala Phuket.
