Vacations in the Land of Smiles are great, but there’s only so much trekking or laying around on the beach you can do. If you’re in the mood for something a bit more substantial – like, say, learning a new talent – Thailand has you covered.

The country’s tourist hubs have really kicked things up a notch by offering people the chance to bring a tangible bit of their vacation home with them. It’s really a pretty savvy public relations move – “Not only did I party, get a tan, and ride a tuk-tuk, I also learned this! (display skill for amazed friends). And you can too!”

At any rate, here’s a list of a few things you can learn while you’re on holiday in Thailand. We’ll refrain from listing any specific venues or companies, because those are a personal choice and should be made only after plenty of research. The Internet is your best friend here – there are endless resources online to comb through and find what’s right for you. The important thing to remember is that there are no special skills needed – just a willingness to listen and learn!

Muay Thai (kickboxing)
It’s a no-brainer that Thailand’s national sport is an attractive one to many foreigners. The ripped, tough-as-nails fighters that spin around a ring in the exciting (often brutal) bouts are superb athletes, and know how to protect themselves to boot. There are essentially two routes you can take: train in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, or other foreigner-friendly cities, or train in a camp in the rural provinces, where very few western conveniences lie. The big city experience will be easier, with English-speaking trainers and plenty of other foreigners, but if you want another layer of authenticity, a camp in the countryside is where you should head. Little English, no air-con, and very few foreigners mean that you’ll get a (very) Thai experience.

Meditation
The image of saffron-clad monks making their morning alms rounds has fueled a thousand postcard fortunes, but there’s nothing saying you need to be Thai to study how to do it (becoming a monk is a different thing – that takes years of devotion). There are a vast array of meditation centers throughout the country covering every style, location, and duration. Jungle retreats where practitioners live in total silence, beachside retreats where you trade odd jobs for regular lessons, and isolated temples that only take a few students per month – or even year. Courses can range from days to weeks to months and beyond, and the cost varies depending on what type of support network you expect. Thailand also has a surprising number of foreign monks who can help you out, many who will be more than willing to answer questions.

Scuba diving
The rumors are true. Not only does Thailand have some of the best scuba diving sites in the world, but they’re serviced by about half-a-billion dive shops that can take you from noob to open water certification (we’ll talk about over-touristed dive sites another time, but it is something to keep an eye on). That being said, hordes of people head to Koh Tao, on the Gulf of Thailand side of things, to get educated, while others prefer the area near the Similan Islands on the Andaman Sea side of things. There’s also lovely sites down south near the maritime border with Malaysia. As always, do your research, choose a company wisely, and have fun.

Sailing
If you’d rather spend your time on the water rather than underneath it, you’ve come to the right place. There are plenty of stops in Thailand that can teach you the fine art of navigation and controlling a boat. Most are centered around Phuket, which is no surprise – among those who spend their lives on the open water, it’s a major stopover point. There are courses to serve everyone from beginners to families, and even those that teach you how to race or sail out into the open ocean. It might not be for those on a budget, but how many people are able to answer “What’d you do on your vacation?” with “Not much, learned how to race a yacht.”

[Tweet ““What’d you do on your vacation?” – “Not much, learned how to race a yacht.””]

Elephant training
Despite being Thailand’s national animal, the mighty elephant has gotten kind of a raw deal over the past 80 or so years. As machinery has taken their jobs (it’s not only us humans who have to worry) they’ve been relegated to animal shows, mounts for curious tourists, and even begging for food on the street. Thankfully there are a handful of places that work hard to give injured, abused, or abandoned elephants the quality of life they deserve. Many offer one- or multi-day courses that let you feed, bathe, and help the animals in their daily routine. The job usually falls to the animals’ trainer, a mahout. Some even offer longer courses that let you assimilate a bit further. Please keep in mind though – while you are learning something new, you’re doing this for the elephants, not for you. As always, do your research and read reviews, negative and positive, before choosing a camp. It may also help to send some emails to wildlife conservation agencies to see if they can give you any recommendations.

There are plenty more skills to learn on your vacation in Thailand, but this is just a summary of some of the more popular. Get out there and explore, and let us know what else you find! If you do need some help, we have a few recommendations that can be easily slotted into one of our trips. Enquire with us here.

The post Top Five Skills to Learn While Holidaying in Thailand first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Don’t let all the organizational tasks crash a holiday

“Okay, keep your foot on the brake and shift the car into reverse.”

My friend’s daughter gingerly handles the gear shifter and awkwardly moves the column one position down from “Park.”

“All right, good, now turn yourself around and look out the back window.” She let her foot off the brake and turns right around in her seat. The car begins a slow roll backwards.

“No! Keep your foot on the brake!” her dad says.

She slams her foot onto the brake and the car jerks to a stop. She tries again, the delicate and unfamiliar dance of keeping an eye out the back window, gently letting off the brake and easing the car backwards out of the driveway.

Anyone who remembers when they first learned to drive or who has taught a youngster to drive will know exactly how this story goes.

When a new driver starts out, every single task that she is responsible for seems awkward. There are so many things to remember: check the surroundings, check the mirrors, brake on, change gears, let off the brake, push the accelerator, turn on the signal, turn off the signal, turn on the headlights, and so on and so on.

As a driver becomes more competent over time, these things become second nature and the process of driving becomes far less mentally demanding to the point that for many people going for a drive is a fun and relaxing pursuit.

So it is with anything that we are unfamiliar with.

When it comes to travel, we know that “anyone can do it.” Just like my friends daughter “knows” how to drive, it is certainly more than possible to go through a holiday by managing everything yourself, but that can lead to more hassle and possible wrong turns than you often realize, which can lead to friction between traveling members on holiday. While it gets you from point A to point B, there might be something great around the corner that you don’t want to miss, and something that makes all the difference.

Smiling Albino has the experience and expertise that allows holidays to occur as second nature, allowing you the opportunity to enjoy your holiday for the fun event that it is, rather than the stressful and harrying thing that it could easily become when you try to juggle all the details yourself.

For more information about Smiling Albino and what makes what we do so special, contact one of our travel enthusiasts today to ask about your next holiday.

Daniel B. Fraser

What’s Coming Up…

Explore Myanmar with Smiling Albino Founder Dan Fraser November 16 – 26, 2014

All that glitters, Asia’s Golden Land: Magnificent temples, remote villages, historic journeys, Colonial hill stations, stupas glittering gold, thousands of Pagodas, leg rowers and smiling faces…

Myanmar, or Burma as it was formerly known, holds great mystery, beauty and legend. From Himalayan Mountains in the north, to stunning ancient temples, enchanting lakes and soulful people, we’ll enjoy an experience in one of the world’s last unexplored corners in style.

We’ll take you on an intimate exploration of the remote countryside, to the thousands of pagodas of Bagan and finally the photographic haven of Inle lake. We’ll engage and learn from the Burmese people from floating villages to hill stations, and from markets to monuments.  Rudyard Kipling once described Myanmar as “quite unlike any place you know about”, and we invite you to come and discover the spirit and hidden corners of this nation on the move.

Explore Myanmar with Smiling Albino Founder Dan Fraser: New 2014

This special Myanmar experience will be hosted by Smiling Albino founder Daniel Fraser.

Creative Bangkok

October 12-17, Bangkok

Smiling Albino’s Dan Fraser will be a keynote speaker and “walkshop” presenter for the international creative symposium called Creative Bangkok taking place at various venues around town October 12-17, 2014. Creative Bangkok is six days of creative immersion that will enable you to think outside the box to leap over your challenges.

For more details and program, visit Creative Bangkok’s website.

Reminder

Destination Thailand Lands in Toronto!

If you are in Toronto, Canada Sunday, September 14, be sure to drop by the Smiling Albino booth at Destination Thailand at Yonge-Dundas Square and say “hi”!

The Destination Thailand Festival will showcase the best Thailand has to offer to Canadians and tourists from around the world. The event will feature famous Thai food from local restaurants, Muay Thai, traditional Thai dance, exotic fresh Thai fruits, Thai handicrafts, authentic Thai massage, world class Thai beer, live entertainment, lucky draws, and much more. Smiling Albino’s Adventurer-in-chief Dan Fraser will be emceeing the event and you may even be able to join him for a coffee (or Singha beer depending on the time) at the Smiling Albino booth. Please visit Destination Thailand on facebook at www.facebook.com/DestinationThailandToronto

The post Albino Smiles September 2014 – Enjoy More Travel Value first appeared on Smiling Albino.