• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

Asia, Travel
/
April 7, 2015

Visiting Thailand and Cruising the Mekong River

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

It’s been two weeks since I returned from my trip to Thailand.

I was ready for a very many things, except for the long flight – I definitely should have prepared better for that (sleeping meds, more getting up and stretching, and more comfortable clothes, for starters).

I knew that whatever happened didn’t matter, because it was all new to me anyway. I think this is still the most excited thing about travel for me; the unexpected, the unknown, the new. It mattered little how much Anthony Bourdain has featured the country in his series, or how many travel bloggers often write about the country – for me it was all new.

Everyone suggested I visit Chiang Mai (everybody loves Chiang Mai, especially its vibrant expat community and beauty) – I didn’t. I was told to visit the elephant sanctuary for rescued and retired elephants – but I didn’t (I do hope to visit with my children one day). I was even told to eat pad Thai and all kinds of street food. I sort of did, but not pad Thai, as every time I came across a street vendor making it, I wasn’t hungry enough to want any. And I didn’t eat any bugs though I was happy to film other people doing it. Honestly, as adventurous as I can be, biting into a silk worm was just not going to happen.

ChiangKhan_girlgonetravel_allrightsreservedBy the time I found the pad Thai, I wasn’t hungry. It was a bit harder to find than I expected!

Some would roll their eyes at the lack of what so many know to be the typical Thai experiences most people have when they visit, but I would argue that my experiences in Thailand were anything but lacking. One short visit felt more like a tasting of something so much bigger making it impossible to share in one single post.

So, instead, I decided to share my #DiscoverThainess experience in the little pieces that meant so much to me, with the first one being the afternoon our group took a boat ride down the Mekong River while visiting the small village of Chiang Khan in Loei, Thailand.

ChiangKhan_girlgonetravel_allrightsreserved ChiangKhan_girlgonetravel_allrightsreservedThe people here were some of the friendliest I have ever met anywhere.

Located in the North-Eastern part of Thailand and thus one of the coolest areas of the country, I was spared the intensity of the heat I briefly experienced while in Bangkok. Not many international tourists visit here, but national visitors flock the area annually to escape the summer heat.

ChiangKhan_girlgonetravel_allrightsreserved

Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetr
I love everything about this area, but taking in the sunset and local views of farmers and fishermen at work while on the Mekong is one of those travel-dreams-come-true that I still can’t put into words. So, I thought it best to share it all through photography in the hopes that you will understand just how special it was.

Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetravelSailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetr Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetrView of Laos

Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetrSailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetr Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetr Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetr
Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetr Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetr

Sailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetrSailing the Mekong River_All rights reserved_girlgonetrSunset over Mekong

I just found out that Uniworld luxury river cruises offers Mekong River cruises as well! Check them out! (And read about my cruise experience with them through the Aquitaine!)

Don’t miss: Images of Chiang Khan.

Photography is property of the publisher and may not be used without consent of GirlGoneTravel.com

Disclosure: My first trip to Asia was sponsored by Thailand Tourism and their partners, and I was invited to experience what they have in store for those planning to attend this year’s TBEX Asia conference in October of 2015. All opinions are my own.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
4 Comments
  • zipporahs
    April 14, 2015

    I was in Thailand with you (sort of) and this made me want to go. ROFL

    Reply
    • caincarol
      zipporahs
      April 15, 2015

      Hahaha! I want to go too…oh wait. LOL!

      Reply
  • thebritishberliner
    April 25, 2015

    These photos are beautiful Carol. I’m so glad that you finally got to go to Asia. And choosing Thailand as the very first destination is great as it smoothes and opens the way to other Asia countries in the future! I love Asia as apart from Europe of course, it’s my favourite continent and I have been to many countries there. I’ve been to Thailand 3 times and was in Thailand, Indonesia, Korea and Qatar just last summer!
    Welcome to the club LOL!

    Reply
  • caincarol
    April 27, 2015

    Woooo! I\’m just getting started : )) Thanks!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Press Trip Conundrum: What do we owe in return?
Next Post
Almsgiving to the monks Chiang Khan

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe54 Post(s)
  • North America318 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Contact

  • caincarol@gmail.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Life has been a LOT lately, and I am indulging in Life has been a LOT lately, and I am indulging in it. 

Especially enjoyed this recent walk through town as a storm slowly brewed. 

It felt lovely. 

#fingerlakes #corningny #newyork
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! @travisjcain will be painting MARK YOUR CALENDAR! @travisjcain will be painting a beautiful new mural at Elmira’s Mural Fest this year (weather permitting on Saturday, if not on a less rainy day)! Last year he painted this board which was recently on display still at @communityartselmira. 

Hopefully we have a sunny day and you can come out to support Travis and all the muralists that day! See you there!

#elmirany #painter #artist #communityarts
Sometimes it’s like I never left. #newyork Sometimes it’s like I never left. 

#newyork
SHOUT OUT to our oldest, @davidacain_, who carries SHOUT OUT to our oldest, @davidacain_, who carries with him the entrepreneurial spirit he’s inherited from his parents. 

While successfully working in supply chain management for a global corporation based in NYC, he continues to manage and operate his own product, @getcalma, a comforting heated eye mask that is currently on the Amazon top seller list for two years in a row and has a growing consumer following! 

We are so incredibly proud of David and his growing success as an entrepreneur and in his career, and know the future will continue to be bright for him!

To learn more about Calma and make a purchase, visit his website at GetCalma.com. 

#proudmomma #getcalma #entreprenuer #smallbusiness
The time has come to move on from my role as a bar The time has come to move on from my role as a barista at @the_garage_at_rye and towards my next adventure. 

I started this journey with a curiosity for a craft I admired and wanted to learn more about. It turned into a job. Then a serious passion. And now here I am, launching Café Cómodo (KOH-moh-doh), which means “Comfortable/cozy” in Spanish, a pop-up café serving espresso and seasonal drinks at local farmers markets and private events! (@cafecomodony)

Starting yet another business was never my intent…and yet, I fell further in love with the craft, the industry, and the culture.

I owe so much of what I have learned to @seschieber, who took me under her wings and taught me so much (and still does) and who embraced my nerdiness and eagerness with patience and kindness….and in the process became one of my dearest friends. Working alongside her has felt like winning the golden ticket. She further instilled in me a respect for the craft, the industry, and a commitment to always strive for a quality product, even in a world of Dunkins and Starbucks. 

Grateful for @abbdawes, @hannahmariee93, and Amanda who tolerated my clumsiness at the start while I fumbled my way through the register and the various drink recipes!

I wasn’t sure where this journey would lead, and as I look back at these clips I realize how much I have changed in the process. It’s not always a place that impacts you, but rather the people in it.

I will miss the regulars I’ve gotten to know whose names and drink orders I memorized and who I looked forward to serving. 

I’m so grateful for everything I learned, beyond just making coffee, because I know it will help me to further grow as a leader, an entrepreneur, and a team member wherever I go and in everything I do next.

I won’t miss the dark morning wake ups and long drives before sunrise though! 

I’m proudest of myself for wanting to develop a new skill and ✨DOING IT✨ even when it felt awkward, nerving, and impossible. I hope you will follow me on this next chapter and come say hi at the market (and hire me for your next event)!

Thank you to Charlie Hunter, owner of The Garage for this opportunity.

#coffee #cafe #popupcafe
Recently took a moment to slow down and enjoy the Recently took a moment to slow down and enjoy the sounds of this beautiful place I call home. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #upstateny

Copyright © 2025 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice