Thailand Trip | Aaron and Jency Go Explore Thailand

Traveling to Thailand is a photographer’s dream.  The landscape in Thailand is so varied. Even just in our trip, we began in the crowded streets of Bangkok, to going to the countryside of Chiang Mai, then exploring the jungle areas of Krabi that lead down to a secret beach, to taking open waters to nearby islands, then back to Bangkok. The first picture is a panoramic view of Bangkok from our hotel window. I used a slow shutter speed to catch some of the moving light on the water. I like that you can actually see the light pollution.

The Thai people subscribe to the thought “Art is in our heart,” which is so beautiful to me and Jency. Even more alluring is to see the juxtaposition between the crafted beauty by the people and the overpopulated areas that are dirty and aging with heavy use. Then there’s open countryside and places I never imagined I would see.  I’m excited to share a small insight to our trip. I hope you enjoy!

When we started planning to go to Thailand, it was my dream to have a monkey come up to me and sit on my shoulder. When this little guy came up, I was so excited. I felt like I could die happy after he graced my shoulder with his little monkey butt. In return, I was happy to share some of my fresh water with my new best friend.

We had a great time kayaking in Krabi, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Each kayak held a native of another country. The boats were filled with varied languages, with English being our common language. I’ve always found that strange how so many other cultures have had to learn English, while I’ve never had to become fluent in another.

The trees here were huge! They grew so tall, it was incredible.

The low tides at sunset were magical. I love the way these picture came out, but it still cannot do justice to how beautiful it was in person. Thailand, you are so beautiful.

Over the years, I’ve developed this habit of taking note when I pass a wall that is full of character, texture, color – anything that makes for an interesting background. I really loved the way this wall was weathered and cracked from the years, how the green was vibrant in places and sun bleached in others. The contrast between the old wall and Jency’s delicate dress creates such curiosity. I’m really glad she brought her “special dress.” Each major trip we do, Jency will get a dress that she feels fits the place we’re going.  This yellow dress she bought from Merci Boucoup, a boutique clothing store in Baton Rouge, and it worked out really well.

These photos have the glow of the early morning light perfectly basking over Chiang Mai, thanks to our terrible jet lag. When we first arrive, we were terribly off from Thai time. But we very quickly adapted once we got to our bamboo huts with a mosquito net overlay.

These boats are called “Long Tail Boats” and they use them for pretty much anything. They use them to transport tourists, or for themselves to travel, to fish. Multi-purpose boats!

This was our trek to the secret beach of Krabi. As it’s name suggests, it was very hard to get to (and find!) After a bike trip to a covered trail, a long bit of hiking, and climbing down the hillside using a rope, a very tired Jency and I finally found the secret beach. And…Wow.

This is honeymoon rock, one of the many beautiful features at the secret beach. We met this newlywed couple, Paula and Josh from South Africa, on our journey.

I took us to Phi Phi to go scuba diving in some of the most beautiful waters one could ask for.  As you can see in the first shot, Jency was a bit nervous. She didn’t want to be underwater and was terrified about not coming back up. But she did it, and her adventurous spirit is something I love so much about her.  I think she ended up loving it too.

I couldn’t resist….I wanted to be a flower.

The tok tok is a mode of transportation around the cities that puts off such strong exhaust fumes, everyone wears something over their face. we tried it without them at first and got very dizzy. Kids, don’t try this at home.

The clothing in Thailand is so varied, and you can get things tailored to your body anywhere in Bangkok.  This woman on the street worked as a tailor to anyone who needed quick fixes. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s Narin, owner and tailor of the best custom suits in Thailand. He is the top guy, so I had to get a suit from him. As he was making it, he was questioning if I was certain I wanted it to be all blue, with a light blue stitching, and orange lining! He just shook his head and said “It’s what you want.”

Yes! Yes! A Buddhist Monk on his cellphone. When I saw this, I was so excited to see traditional Thai culture meet 21st century technology.  Like these young girls performing traditional dances with their boombox blasting authentic Thai music. But these girls were incredible. The were perfectly synchronized to the smallest step.

Souvenir time.

You could get a meal on the streets of Bangkok for under $1. And everything it was so amazing. Below I ordered a papaya salad. When asked how hot I wanted it, I asked for Thai hot. I figured a salad was a good place to start. How hot could it be? Well, it was so hot, it made me cry.

The hand made crafts in Bangkok were so incredible, especially watching the artists at work.  These flowers were candles that are so detailed it was unbelievable even when we could watch the woman making it. And below, the man’s meticulous crafting is so impressive.

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