19 Feb A Pack-n-Go Adventure in Thailand
by Magdalena Hewlett and Sandra Escobar
Pack-n-Go Girls note: Thanks to Pack-n-Go Girl Ambassador, Magdalena Hewitt, and her mother, Sandra Escobar, for this great sneak peek into their Thailand travels! If you’d like to share your travel adventures with Pack-n-Go Girls, just drop us a note.
Getting to Thailand
Maggie: We had to get on 3 or 4 planes to get Thailand. It would take until night time to get there. We had to stay together at the airport. On the plane I colored, watched tv, and played games. You can pick whatever show you want to watch. My favorite part was reading the Mystery of the Golden Temple. I made a friend on the plane. She is from Thailand. I shared my book with her so she could learn about the golden temple too!
Sandra: To make your trip comfortable, make sure to pack a change of clothes, slippers, warm sweater or blanket, and lots of snacks and activities for the kids! International flights come equipped with personal tvs at each seat and they provide headphones. Stop at a discount store to buy lots of activities for the plane. Stickers, playdo, coloring books, action figures, anything to keep their attention. If it breaks, gets lost, or is left behind, it cost you less than a dollar!
Tuk Tuks
Maggie: Tuk tuks are little cars with seats in the back. They have handles for you to hold on to. Tuk tuks can be really colorful like red, green, and blue. I liked seeing the pictures they put in their tuk tuks like of the king of Thailand.
Sandra: Tuk tuks are a great way to get around Thailand! You can also opt for using the red trucks, which will be cheaper than using a tuk tuk. Either way, make sure to agree on a price with the driver before hopping on. In for a great adventure? Rent a motor scooter for your travels!
Food
Maggie: I love pad thai. Pad thai is made out of noodles and can taste really good. I like how they put in vegetables like broccoli and many healthy stuff. We would get pad thai and fried chicken from a restaurant on the street. We would go to a store every night to get snacks for our room.
Sandra: Thailand is known for its street food. Everything is prepared with upmost hygiene and safety and incredibly delicious! Try to eat small so you can sample as much food as possible. TIP: make sure to stock up on snacks and sandwiches at 7-11. Their 7-11s sell a greater variety of foods and snacks than we see in the U.S. With the time change and jet lagged, we found ourselves hungry at odd times. It was great having sandwiches, water, milk, fruit, and snacks in case we got hungry after hours.
Temples
Maggie: Temples were so beautiful. We would go for walks and see beautiful flowers and temples. Inside the temple, you will find people saying prayers to Buddha. I liked all the pictures of Buddha and all the statues. Everything was made of gold!
Sandra: Temples are open to the public and a must see in Thailand! We visited 8 temples in Chiang Mai alone. Out of respect women should wear loose pants or long skirts. Nothing above the knees, no shorts, and no jeans or tight pants. Shoulders need to be covered. No tank tops allowed. It makes a great excuse to buy a beautiful scarf to cover your shoulders with!
Elephant Sanctuary
Magdgie: Every time I said Bon Bon, the elephant came to me because they know we have food for them! The elephants were big and very calm. I saw baby elephants and they were nice, even the momma elephants. I got to play with them a lot and I got to learn how to take care of them. We fed them, played with them, gave them a bath and gave them snack time.
Sandra: I cannot speak enough about the elephant sanctuaries around Thailand. These amazing people dedicate their lives to improving the living conditions of these amazing creatures, creating loving, caring homes for them. In dedicated sanctuaries, you do not ride the animals as their mission is to create a cruel free environment. A typical day involves a couple of feedings, mud baths, and swimming with these gentle giants. Lunch is provided as is transportation to and from your hotel.
Thank you for reading about our amazing time in Thailand, truly the land of a thousand smiles! – Maggie and Sandra