How Leonardo Dicaprio made me want to go to Thailand

I have long wanted to travel to Thailand. One of my mother’s best friends has lived in Bangkok for years and every time she returns to the states for a visit, she is full of exotic stories of Thailand, the food and the people. I became immediately curious about this far away and enchanting place of spices, beautiful beaches and a rich culture. However, I have to be honest that it was more than just Marsha’s tales from Bangkok that inspired my desire to travel to Thailand. It also had something to do with a movie. And a bad one at that.

In 2000, when I was the tender age of 15 (and still carrying around a pretty big crush on Leonardo DiCaprio), the movie The Beach came out. The scenery was stunning and when I found out the movie had filmed on the beaches in Thailand I knew I had to go there. It’s 9 years later, and while I have developed a serious affection for Thai food during those years, I have not yet visited Thailand or the beaches that enthralled me from the cheesy DiCaprio love flick.

As it turns out, this year may finally be the time for me to pack up my favorite swimsuits and head to Thailand. With airfare to Bangkok, Thailand cheaper than it has been in years and plenty of great offers and deals to be found at cheap hotels in Bangkok, there is little reason not to book my ticket and head out on a Thai vacation of my dreams. In fact, with the economy down and almost everything in the travel industry discounted, now is a great time to also save money while traveling. Not only will you find your plane tickets are cheaper, but you’ll also find plenty of hotels offering cut-rate rooms and specials on tours and other tourism related activities.

Plus, while Thailand certainly has it’s fair share of nice resorts and fancy hotels, it has also been a major backpacking destination for hot spots, meaning you’ll have no problem finding hostels in Bangkok or in the many beach towns popular among travelers. With the dollar usually quite strong against the Thai currency, you’ll also find yourself spending a lit less money once you are over there than you may have anticipated, making Thailand a very budget-savvy choice right now.

Since work and other adult obligations have me grounded for the time being with no Thai adventure on the near horizon, I’ll probably have to satiate my desire to travel to Thailand by visiting my favorite Thai restaurant in Portland called Pok Pok-- woofing up their delicious dishes seasoned with lemon grass, cilantro, limes, chilies and coconut milk until I can make a trip to Thailand myself and eat the real deal.