The Silver Backpacker – Chapter 1: Taking off for Journey to Asia

journey to Asia

Krabi, Thailand Having sold the second of our businesses in 2003, I found myself in a strange situation. The majority of my male friends were still in employment, my wife was fully integrated into her singing hobby, and my allotment needed little attention other than the occasional watering.

Very active, physically sound and still not having reached the age of 60 years, I wanted a challenge. Something as an alternative to the obvious downward spiral of long boozy lunches that I was staring at. My appetite had been somewhat whetted late in the year when we took a 14 day vacation to Thailand, on the tropical island of Koh Samui.

Long lazy days on Samui’s Chawang beach, reading biographies and sipping long cold Singa Beer, and the odd massage, one could not help but notice the hundreds of youngsters passing along the foreshore under the burden of backpacks.

Hai Phong street market, Vietnam Hey, they all looked happy and appeared to be having fun and a great experience. Not too different from my youthful days visiting exotic places around the Far East as a serving member in the Royal Navy, I supposed, but that was so many years ago.

” I’d love to be in their position again” I said to my wife, “brings back great memories of a fun youth”.

Imagine my surprise when the response came back “Well why don’t you give it a go?”.

Four months later in January 2004 I was Thailand bound with a return ticket dated 6 months later. Not quite a Silver Gap year but certainly a lengthy period to roam around the Far East.

The Killing Fields Memorial, Cambodia My 6 months took me through Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and the Philippines. I learnt to Scuba Dive, cook Thai food, give massages as well as acting as a ‘dog’ for a blind English lady for two weeks. The most fascinating country visited was Vietnam and the friendliest was Thailand; the Land of Smiles.

There were ups and downs, fortunately more of the former. Many laughs and many memorable moments and visits. The most thought provoking were at the My Lai massacre sight in Vietnam and the even more infamous Kmer Rouge Tuol Sleng prison and genocide museum in Phnom Penh .

There were often times when I needed reminding as to what I was on. One particular incident came less than two months after my arrival in Thailand, when I received an email from my wife. She had received my first credit card bill since leaving the UK and didn’t think that the Shangri La hotel in Bangkok and the Melia hotel in Hanoi were her idea of ‘backpacker’ establishments. Ooops!

Koh Tao, Thailand But to start in Thailand. My first stop was once again the island of Koh Samui. All islands in Thailand are prefixed with Koh and for me Samui was to be the stepping stone to a more exotic and tropical island, Koh Tao, the island of the Turtle.

Koh Samui is a very popular tourist island, not as popular or commercialised as Phuket which I would visit later. Samui has a number of good beaches, probably the most popular one being Chaweng Beach: 5 kilometres of white sand and crashing breakers. I stayed at Poppies, a small Boutique Hotel which fronts directly onto the beach and where we had stayed some 5 months earlier. It boasts probably one of the best restaurants on Samui. It proved an excellent place to acclimatize to the heat and work off the inevitable jet-lag.

So after 5 days of relaxation the adventure really began, and I boarded the ferry that would take me to the island of Koh Tao and beyond.

Read Chapter 2 – Koh Tao to Kanchanaburi
Read Chapter 3 – Thailand and Vietnam
Read Chapter 4 – My Lai, Hue and Saigon

Silver Travel Advisor recommends Selective Asia for tailormade holidays to Thailand and other destinations in Asia.

151 people found this helpful
17422

Share Article:

Richard Okill

Retired naval officer & businessman

Leave a comment

*

Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest travel tips on top destinations.

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Most Recent Articles

There’s something refreshingly nostalgic about the quintessential British coach holiday….

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.