We asked Star readers to tell us about trips they have taken and to share their experience and advice:
Where: Thailand
When: February 2025
Trip rating: 5/5
What inspired you to take this trip? Thailand had been on our list for a while. World-famous Buddhist temples, ancient sites and street food beckoned. Known as the Land of Smiles, the country also made us want to understand better聽how Buddhist values, such as karma and merit, coexist with everyday life. Inexpensive accommodation and a subtropical climate added to the allure.
However, now that we鈥檙e lifelong travellers in our seventies (61 countries and counting), venturing off the well-trodden path is near and dear to us. Could we do that in Thailand, a country that attracted more than 35 million travellers in 2024?
Our research convinced us we could.
Using 鈥淭he Rough Guide to Thailand鈥 and a recent map as our guide, we avoided the tourist trails and beaches, heading northeast to Prakhon Chai on a narrow-gauge railway used by schoolchildren and local shoppers.
We booked a room at the Eireann Boutique Hotel, a short cab ride from town. It had everything: a pool, fitness centre, garden and restaurant. In the evening, a talented pianist provided entertainment by the pool.
What was the best sight? Choosing a favourite site in Thailand is like choosing the shiniest diamond, but Phanom Rung Historical Park, a 15-minute drive from聽Prakhon Chai, stands out.
We were awestruck as we entered the 碍丑尘别谤听temple complex, which is more than a thousand years old and built on an extinct volcano. Originally a Hindu religious site, it later became a Buddhist one.
The only person in sight was a friendly security guard who competed with a deafening pair of koels, members of the cuckoo family, to ask us for a selfie. We obliged, then wandered off to absorb the ambience, imagining ancient worshippers padding silently through the complex, paying their respects in times gone by.
The highlight of the Hindu-turned-Buddhist complex is the Naga Bridge, symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth, which leads to a spacious open-air sanctuary filled with intricately carved buildings dating back to the 12th century.
What was your favourite activity? Hands down, our favourite experience was travelling with locals on commuter trains. Yes, the trains are slow, stopping at every small station, and the seats are hard, and air-conditioning is open windows. But the opportunity to immerse ourselves in everyday Thai life was priceless.
Students would clamber on board, filling the cars with laughter and smiles. Teen girls posed for seemingly endless selfies, while young boys took every opportunity to photo-bomb them before exploding into giggles.
On the afternoon trains, tired workers tried to catch naps while vendors hopped on and off at every stop, plying the aisles with delectable arrays of freshly cooked foods: bamboo rice, barbecued chicken on sticks, rice and lettuce combos with hot sauce, homemade candy and drinks.
What was the most delicious thing you ate? It鈥檚 almost impossible to decide, but my favourite is a toss-up between green curry and spicy mango salad. My husband鈥檚 most delicious dish was tom yum soup served at a mom-and-pop caf茅 that was selling vintage clothing and playing classic rock as a fluffy white cat supervised.
Spiciness varied by region and chef. When asked how hot we wanted it, 鈥淭hai spicy鈥 was always the answer. From crab curry to roasted duck, everything we ate was a harmonious blend of fresh ingredients and spices that left us looking forward to new tastes and sensations every day.
What was the most memorable thing you learned? It鈥檚 still possible to explore beyond the tourist hot spots, to engage and connect with locals, and experience the calm, contemplative nature of Buddhism in everyday life.
What is one piece of advice that you would give? Do lots of research. Guidebooks are always a good start prior to the time-consuming task of separating the wheat from the chaff online. Most importantly, don鈥檛 be afraid to veer off the main path.
Leave your everyday mindset at home and seize every opportunity to connect with Thailand鈥檚 often overlooked interior. Those special moments are the jewels of any journey.
Cheryl Van Raes,聽Aylmer, Ont.
READERS鈥 TIPS
We鈥檝e launched a series that invites Star readers to share places they鈥檝e visited recently and would recommend, whether it鈥檚 a weekend getaway in Elora, a Banff canoe trip, or a jaunt to Paris or Rome. If you鈥檝e been, loved it and want to tell us about it, we鈥檇 like to hear from you.
Email us with “TRAVEL TIPS” in the subject line at travel@thestar.ca.
Please include brief responses to these questions. If your holiday experience is chosen, we鈥檒l be in touch.
1. Where did you go and when was it?
2. Where did you stay?
3. What was a highlight of your trip? Why?
4. Any travel tips?
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