The Pursuit of Adventure

Ever wanted to spend a year soaking up the sun?

The sound of waves crashing on golden shores, your tan deepening every day, learning to surf the salty waves, checking out the talent on foreign beaches… What more could you want from a mini retirement? How about 12 action packed months checking out some extreme sports in some of the sexiest locations on earth?

Forget lying on beaches. Take an adrenaline filled, adventure seeking round the world mini-retirement, perfect your mad skillz in places you would have never expected and take in some of the world’s best beaches, extreme sports and adventure activities, all in one supreme trip.

This is your first stop on a 12 month, 4 stop journey.

Thailand

The saying goes that “one night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster”, there are literally millions of different experiences to be had in Thailand. From the chilled out tribes of the North to the stunning beaches in the South you are sure to find what you are looking for.

Where to go:

For the best of Thailand, head directly to Phuket. The island of Phuket is located a short 2 hour flight south of the capital, Bangkok. Home to the notorious party town of Patong, Phuket is surrounded by stunning beaches (obviously). While the surfing isn’t world class, you will be able to catch a few waves off the western beaches like Kata.

Where to stay:

By going in March you can avoid the high season and be able to take advantage of discounted room rates. Stay in a place for a couple of nights before asking for a long term discount. Around Kata beach you should be able to find a serviced studio apartment for less than 15,000 baht/ month.

Getting around:

The easiest way to get around the island is to hire a motorbike from your guest house, these usually run around 3500 baht/ month. A car can also be rented for about 10,000 baht/month. If you like public transport there are tuk tuks and local buses starting from 20baht per trip.

What to do:

Days can be lost in Patong, due to the abundance to lady boys willing to take your money and the free flowing cocktails at discount prices. Literally anything you want can be found in Patong.

If you like western style nightclubs try hollywood patong

Thais are great musicians so if you like hard rock check out rock city with its giant King Kong stage featuring the best rock cover bands from AC/DC to The Rolling Stones.

For more active pursuit you could Train in Muay Thai kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts at Tiger Muay Thai. Speak to the instructors and put effort into your training and you could have your first pro fight within 3 months. If you’re not game to fight professionally, there are monthly smoker fights where you will be pitted against other students at the camp. A great way to test your skills after a few months of training.
(NSFW – swearing)
Phuket has great diving and a plethora of dive schools will happily show you how with internationally qualified instructors. Wicked Diving offers livaboards and overnight adventures to the Similian islands.

For those who like to party and lie on beaches, Koh Phangang is just a few hours travel away, and the beaches are absolutely gorgeous. World Famous Full moon parties occur once a month, with dark moon parties in between.

If you do happen to be in Thailand for Songram festival, Patong is definitely the place to be. The entire town erupts into one giant waterfight for 2 days. You will not leave the house without getting drenched, so bring your water guns!

If kickboxing, cage fighting and the beaches arent your thing, phuket also offers wakeboarding, bungee jumping, dune buggies and hiking to your delight.

Coming soon… the Phillines, land of unspoilt beaches and world class wakeboarding…