For years I heard of legendary adventures about people traveling through Southeast Asia, specifically Thailand. Island hopping, epic full moon parties, and outlaws living off the grid. I needed to know how to navigate it all. Even though I'd been traveling for a while, when I first arrived in Thailand, I felt like I was new to the "backpacking" scene. I found myself asking other travelers, "What's Thailand all about?" I was trying to get tips on navigating the region like a pro, and here and there I managed to collect a few secrets. I remember asking the same question to a guy I ran into at my hostel, thinking this guy would know. He was probably in his early 40s, but looked 50. His skin was leathery from the sun, his bleached hair kinda resembled dreadlocks, and he was inked up with dated tattoos. He was always, always looking for a cigarette. You could just tell that the guy had been through it. He looked like a veteran traveler, so I asked him, "Do you have any tips? What do I need to know?" I was surprised by his answer. He said, "Mate, you missed it. Ten years ago, Thailand used to be great. Everything was a quarter of the price it is now, and there were no tourists, just a small, cool backpacker scene." I thought, "Shit, I just arrived. Did I miss it?" In fairness, I probably caught him at a bad time. After 15 years of traveling through the region, he had just sold his bar in Koh Rong, Cambodia, and was headed home. He said he needed some normalcy.
I had some of the best times in Thailand, but after he said, "you missed it," I can't help but wonder what it was like ten years ago. I ask myself, "What's next?" Where's the next backpacker scene? Vietnam? Cambodia? Philippines? Papua New Guinea?