VISIT April 2016 Issue 1
£2.50
April 2016
WELCOME TO
Thailand
Meet Polly as she shares her experience on living in Thailand for 1 month
thinking of having a gap year, meet the student who embraced Thaialnd
BRING ON THE SPRING of the best weekends away
3
BARCELONA We have both... find out just we have everything you need
cocktails or tours?
revealed!
where to go in the big city
BANGKOK - BUENOS ARIES - IBIZA - HOW TO MAKE AIR MILES REALLY WORK FOR YOU
Welcome to
thailand
an interview with a traveller ...
Ever wondered what it is actually like to go tarvelling in Thailand for a month? Wondered whether the things you have read on Thailand were true? Well Pollyanna Beasley, a 20 year old girl from Northamptonshire has in fact traveled to Thailand for ac whole month and wants to share her experience. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GO TO TRAVELING, AND WHY THAILAND? Well, I’ve always wanted to travel. From a young age I have always been fortunate enough to get to go on holidays and visit different countires with my family. But I really wanted to experience something alone, and more exciting... especially as I had univeristy on the cards for the next coming year. And Thailand, well I have always thought it looked completly beautiful, so why not. I heard loads of fab reviews. I do not regret going to Thailand, at all!
SO HOW DID YOU BEGIN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THIS DREAM A REALITY? I basically grabbed my laptop, checked out different locations within Thailand, different hostels and read ALOT of peoples reviews. Something I think really helped in making my decision was what other people of similar ages experienced there. I then found a place to stay, and then immediately checked out the flights. WHERE DID YOU STAY IN THAILAND? The island a stayed on was called Koh Phangan, south east of Thailand. Known for its ‘full moon parties’, now they are great! But I’ll tell you about that later on... I stayed in the back-papers resort of Shiralea. This was amazing. Everybody was So friendly. They held different events and outtings for those who want to go out and do things with a group. I advise others to check it out! http://shiralea.com
Photo: Edward Garnett @ flicker
FULL MOON PARTIES, WHAT ARE THEY? THEY SOUND INTERESTING Oh my, they are amazing! Every student or whoever MUST do when in Thailand, especially Koh Phangan. It is basically a beach party all night, on or before or even after a full moon. They are a must do if you are a party lover. WHAT ELSE DID YOU DO WHEN YOU WERE IN THAILAND? I went to the elephant zoo in Koh Phangan, they run a elephant trekking experience. This was my all time favourite experience, ever. You get to experience Thailand from a totally new prospective... HOW DID YOU GET AROUND? it wasn’t even that expensive either. That is I hired a mo-ped. Every person I met in another must. Thailand was driving around on these things! We hired them from a car and bike hire place in Koh Phangan. You must bring along your passport though, else some bike hires won’t let you take a bike out. You can get taxi’s as-well... TOP THINGS TO DO? 1. Attend a full moon party! They are amazing. Once in a lifetime experience. 2. Phaeng Waterfall. Beautiful views for those who love nature. Tucked up in the mountains.
WHAT WAS THE FOOD LIKE? The food was different. You can’t go to Thailand and be fussy, you’d starve. There a lots of meats, but you need to make sure you know exactly what meat it is. I went to one street bar and they were serving dog. I don’t want to put anyone off, but the food is very unusual. However, if you like rice you are in luck! So many rice dishes, my favourite was Phat kaphrao, this was a street dish which contained meat flashfried with basil and a generous helping of fresh chilli and garlic. All the food is also really cheap, so that’s why it’s a good place for students to visit. Here are a list of my favourite restaurants when I visited: Maidreamin, Smokin Pug American BBQ, Sensi Restaurant and TingTang. But I’m not going to lie, it did take me a while to find these restaurants. They are there! You’ve just got to have a search around for them.
3. Elephant trekking, you get to see Thailand from a totally different view. It is breath-taking. 4. Thong Nai Pan beach. Gorgeous, full of travellers.
POLLYS TRAVEL MUST
- bug repelent - headphones - a rain proof coat - a mini fan - extra money - head rest - language book - back pack - light clothes
Photo: Nikos Roussos @ flicker
escape to READY FOR A WEEKEND AWAY? Fancy a long weekend away somehwhere new? Whethter you’re after sun and sand or inner city cocktails. Barcelona is the perfect place to go.
REMEMBER THESE DATES:
INSIDE BARCELONA+ Flights from only £69 per person, astonishing architecture, fabulous food and a laid back cool vibe, no wonder Barcelona has been crowned the 4th most visited city in Eurpoe. There is so much to do on your visit, so it is essential to grab a Metro card else you will be walking miles upon miles everyday. The metro card is only 20 euros for 4 days, which in the grand scheme of things is amazing, it takes you all over the city! Once you have got off the metro tubes there are buses above to jump on and go to your destination. It is super quick. Barcelona is known for its amazing architect, hosting work from Antoni Gaudí and Josep Fontseré. The most known piece being Gaudi’s La Sagrda Familia. His church has been in construction since 1892, and it’s not expected to be finished until 2030. When visiting you can get a guided tour around, witnessing the surreal structure of the building. Another place has to be Camp Nou for all the football fans. Camp Nou is Barcelona FC’s home ground, and it is spectacular. It is huge, one of the biggest and highest stadiums in the world. You can also get a
However, the great thing about Barcelona is it’s night life! Being in Spain it’s not unusual to eat late. There are so many cool urban bars for people to hang out at, oozing sophistication... yet along side there are Irish Bar’s packed with English tourists; which are always a good laugh for travelling brits. Barcelona is not only popular for the cool city scene but also holds place to amazing stretches of beaches. Barceloneta Beach is the most popular beach, full of tourists, entertainers and some sensational seafood eatery’s right by the shore. Another great beach would have to be Nova Icaria Beach. It is located beside the Olympic marina. This beach is great for those seeking adrenaline-based water sporting fun. It’s also next to the Icária shopping centre, which contains an English speaking cinema. However if you’re seeking a more subdued location to soak up the sun then how about Ocata Beach. This beach is on the Northern side of Barcelona, it’s quiet, flat and has golden sands for miles on end... it’s only a half hour train out of the city. So, escape to Barcelona and you certainly won’t regret it.
HOTEL ACTRA ATRIUM PALACE+ Gorgeous and stylish hotel for you:
This hotel is a real show stopper, with a astonishingly fair price tag to go with it. Hotel Acta Atrium Palace has a rating of 4*, and is located in the centre of Barcelona on Gran Via de les Corts Catalanesa, APRIL 2016 | BARCELONA-
just a few minutes from Passeig de Gràcia, Plaça Catalunya and Las Ramblas. It’s prime location means it has super easy access to transport to all of the city’s tourist attractions. All of the rooms are decorated and
WHAT’S ON AND WHEN?
designed with elegant and sophsticated decor. Marble bathrooms and soft colour scheme of creams and browns. This hotel is not only lavish and full of extra delights like the free basment pool, and spa,
but it is all for such a great price. You can book into this hotel for 4 days for two people for just £120. This hotel is a real delight, so stay in style on your visit to Barcelona. Check it out. www.hotel-atriumpalacebarcelona.com/en/
21ST APRIL: Chris Cornell grammy award singer. Gran Teatre del Liceu. .......... 1ST MAY: Biergarten, Poble Espanyol is being transformed for two weekends into a traditional German biergarten. .......... 15TH JULY: Festa Major Del Raval, annual street festival. Barcelona culture, hertiage, music. .......... 20TH JULY: Festival Cruilla, leading summer festival. .......... AUGUST: La Gràcia Festiva: Gràcia district come alive + week-long fiesta. ..........
OCTOBER: Annual barcelona: Jazz bands, parties and food ..........