Staying Active in Thailand

Sawadee Krup TBF Travelers!
Thailand is a great place to relax, with beautiful white sand beaches, inexpensive Thai massage, delicious Thai food and extra-strong Thai beer, but it is also a great place for adventure! Our Thailand Beach Adventure trip is designed to allow you ample time for both. All of the activities on the trip that are included are called ‘soft adventure’ activities – meaning they are designed for all ages and fitness abilities; nothing is ‘extreme’ at all. Worawan and I have done every single activity to ‘test’ them for safety and professionalism as well as fun. You can of course pass on any of the activities offered as part of the trip if there is something else you prefer to do that day. There will also be optional activities offered during the trip; some of them will be no or low cost and some of them will have a fee, and we will let you know about these activities as they are scheduled or as they arise.

As far as special equipment, most everything will be provided by the activity or tour operators. The most important ‘equipment’ you will be responsible for are shoes and apparel appropriate for each activity. Having a good pair of all-purpose sandals or shoes that can get wet will come in handy for bamboo river rafting, cave exploring, sea kayaking, jungle trekking and likely more. There will be two cave exploring opportunities: one at Khao Sok and one at Railay Bay that will require headlights. Not everyone needs to have one – but in the pitch black dark of these caves; the first one underground in Khao Sok and the one at Railay Bay elevated but still very dark, it is good to have your own headlight. For the snorkeling at Railay Bay and on Koh Samui masks and snorkels are provided, but I have always brought my own personal pair of swim goggles and used those. Plus there are lots of opportunities for ‘sudden swims’ on both trips and having a pair of swim goggles in your day pack is handy. There may be opportunities to rent and ride mountain bikes, and or motorbikes, and while both places will provide a helmet with the rental we have always used our own personal mountain bike helmets that we brought from home. It is important to wear a helmet that fits properly – especially when renting motorbikes, and sometimes the rental helmets are sloppy, ill fitting or uncomfortable. Having your own helmet is a nice treat.

For activities that are included such as rock climbing, cave abseiling, elephant trekking, snorkeling, and sea kayaking there are really no special equipment or clothing you need. Harnesses and rock climbing shoes are provided at Railay Bay , and seat belts keep you from falling off the elephants. The most important item to have for any activity out on the water is sunblock.

Sunburn is probably the most common ailment that strikes our TBF Travelers on their first trip to Thailand . It is easy to forget to apply sunblock, and even easier to get sunburned – for us light skinned ‘farangs’ anyway, in the tropical sun of Thailand . Probably the second most common ailment on the trips is what I call: “ Bangkok belly” – or gastric distress. If it is your first time to Thailand there are going to be a lot of germs and bacteria that your body has not met and dealt with before. Hopefully all of the ‘bad’ germs you will avoid with basic steps like washing your hands, not touching a lot of public things, only eating cooked food, and not drinking any tap water. But there may be a bad germ or two that gets by your defenses. If this happens and you have any signs of an upset stomach you should immediately let us know and we will get you to a pharmacy. Thai pharmacies can prescribe medicine and they all have ample supplies of what I call “the magic pill”. This is an antibiotic that will quickly and painlessly heal what ails you. And it will be different than antibiotics or over-the-counter meds brought from home. The Magic Pill always works – but sometimes travelers try other remedies for several days, usually with no luck, until they finally take the Thai antibiotics and get cured. Remember, at the first feeling of any ‘ Bangkok belly’ ask for a pharmacy.

Another pesky irritant on your trip could be mosquito bites. Some people get bitten a lot while some are ignored by the tropical pests. The ‘feeding time’ for mosquitoes is from about 4:30 to 7 each afternoon and evening. But some places, like jungles and caves, will always have mosquitoes. Make sure to apply a Deet-based repellent on any exposed skin if you are going to be outside in these areas or at ‘feeding time’. Ankles, elbows, hands and necks are favorite targets for these hungry bugs. Never leave your door or windows open at your hotel rooms, especially in the evening – once inside a smart mosquito will hide and only come out to feed at night when you are sleeping. Besides mosquitoes, dogs can bite too. There will be commonly be stray dogs, both in the city and on the beaches, that seem to roam freely and sometimes are not friendly. Mostly if you ignore them, they will ignore you, and you will not get bitten.

Definitely the most dangerous activity on the trips will be renting and riding motorbikes. Accidents are very common for inexperienced riders, and besides a bad case of road rash any scratches or damages to the motorbike, even from just a fall, have to be paid for in cash. Riding the motorbikes is fun, but extreme care should be taken to make sure you are familiar with the motorbike operation and follow the two local rules of the road – “stay to your left, and don’t hit anything.”

Our safety record is very good on our trips and if you drink plenty of bottled water, wear sunblock and mosquito repellant, wash your hands, take the ‘magic pill’ quickly if needed, and ride your motorbike carefully and cautiously you will finish each day with a big smile and be ready for either a Thai massage for repairs from the days activities, or a beer/cocktail as refreshment from the days activities.

Please send over any specific questions you may have about any of the activities on the trip.

Bill