Waking to the sound of roosters and “Tea or coffee, Rachel?” as offered by a fellow traveler, I gathered my things and enjoyed breakfast on the porch. Then, we all made our way down to the river for a wonderful bamboo-rafting adventure! Somehow, our 3 hour ride flew past with unimaginable speed, the time filled with attempts at fishing, attempts at steering, and awesome rides through small rapids. The scenery was astounding, and the calls of wild animals escaped the forests to reach our raft just before disappearing into the churning water. We passed families of elephants guided by bands of children, our guides sang Thai folk songs as we took the chance to swim alongside the raft, and the splashing wars with other tour groups were very clearly won by us. Next up, it was lunchtime in a small riverside restaurant before boarding our truck to head back to the city of Chiang Mai. Just as we climbed into the truck, the blue sky darkened and the first raindrops fell. By the time we had begun driving, torrential rains came down in sheets outside the car, and the jungle that had been our home was a beautiful blur of deep green and gray. We said goodbye to the villages along the way, to the elephants and their guides, and to an experience that shall always hold an extremely special place in our memories.

We arrived back in Chiang Mai with a couple of hours to explore or rest, and then we headed out for one last evening on the town. We had a fabulous dinner on Rasta Row, complemented by the live music and enhanced by the unexpected performance of our guide Dong and fellow trekker Rob...I never knew “La Bamba” could be so beautifully sung! Then Megan, Nikki, and I headed to the night market to explore and indulge in half-hour massages that cost us less than $2. Yeah, Thailand!

The following day, the group attended a cooking class and learned to make some fabulous Thai dishes before we boarded our overnight train. We spent one last night sharing jokes and stories on the train, and in the blink of an eye it was morning in Bangkok. Warm embraces and goodbyes were made easier by the notion that we'll hopefully see each other again on the road sometime (you can trust that I WILL be calling these fabulous people if I end up in the UK, Holland, or Australia again in the near future).

And after separating, I spent the day exploring the astounding Grand Palace, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, and riverside activity of Bangkok. I indulged in another extremely cheap and unparalleled massage for all of $3. For dinner, I wandered Khao San road until I found a place with cheap pad thai. I sat enjoying my food and people-watching, and out of the blue a friend from high school wandered into the same nondescript restaurant! My beautiful pal Fiona, with whom I played field hockey and did various other activities, happened to also have just one night in Bangkok (in transit just like me, no less), and somehow she ended up in the same tiny, boring-looking restaurant as I did. Talk about a small world! She and her friend Kim joined me for dinner and drinks, and we took one last spin around the night market before calling it a night and each heading off in different directions to our next travel destinations.

All in all, Thailand has been one of the most incredible travel experiences of my life. At this point, I've been to just under 30 countries, and somehow in a span of only 8 days Thailand catapulted itself to the top of the list of favorites. And I'm not the only one to fall in love with the magical land of Siam; everyone I know who has visited says the same thing: “Thailand may very well be the coolest place I've ever been.” So, get yourself here A.S.A.P. I guarantee you – you'll be charmed, challenged, and inspired.

Visit, and let Thailand become a part of you. You won't regret it.

And now I'm off to the Land Down Under. Stay tuned for my final weeks of adventure as STA Travel's World Traveler Intern – I'll make sure you see some skydiving, snorkeling, 4-wheeling, and beach adventures! Australia, here I come...

Rachel