Grad-Trips are not just a travelling experience, but a cherishing memory in itself. And going by my own experience of how time-consuming planning the grad-trip can be, here is a comprehensively compiled resource to help you solve your problem! The below article covers one such experience on a trip to Thailand, shared by an IIM Lucknow alumnus Archita Mittal.
Trip Details:
Where did you go for your graduation trip?
We went to Thailand. (Bangkok – Pattaya – Phuket – Phi Phi – Krabi)
What was the duration of your trip? When did you go?
10 days (including to and fro travel), from 29th Feb to 10th March.
How big was your group?
6 people in total
What was your budget per person? How much did it actually cost?
We didn’t plan initially, as we booked many day tours on the spot there. But overall, it costed us between INR 45-50 thousand per head.
Planning Phase
How did you organize your trip? Was it self-planned or did you take the help of a 3rd party?
Entirely self-planned. One of the group-mate had gone to Thailand earlier, so we could use his expertise in planning.
How long before the actual trip did you book the tickets?
We bought the tickets around December end close to the new year, as MMT and EMT had a lot of offers/discounts going on. It’s a good time to buy the travel tickets at least. The accommodation can be booked later on as well!
What were the considerations regarding ticket booking and visa (if any)?
Well, in January, the Thailand government had waived off the visa fee. Hence, it became a popular holiday destination for Indians at that time!
P.S. Since via is on arrival, it might take 4-5 hours on exiting the airport itself, as there are long waiting times and queues. You can use the express lane, you need to pay 200 Baht and your visa is processed in 30 minutes or so. Saves a lot of time!!
How did you decide on which accommodation to go for?
I find hotels very formal to stay when traveling with friends. Go for Airbnb. You will find a lot of options, in all the price ranges. There are many with in-house pools, near to the beach, and fancy as well. The cancellation process is very easy as well.
The Trip
Could you share with us your itinerary of the trip?
Day 1- Flight to Bangkok
Day2– Reach early morning Bangkok – Bangkok tour
Day3 – Transfer to Pattaya
Day4 – Pattaya tour
Day5 – Transfer to Phuket
Day6 – Island tour (including James Bond Island)
Day7 – Transfer to Krabi (stopped at Phi-Phi for 3-4 hours)
Day8 – Krabi tour
Day9 – Flight back to Lucknow (late evening)
What challenges did you face while traveling or staying there?
The public transportation. Uber isn’t present there. They have some local travel app as well, but we found it very costly. Unless you know the local transportation rates, they will literally loot you! Better to know the average local transport rates to save on that front.
Food? Vegetarians are usually apprehensive about whether they will find veg food there. Luckily, it’s available mostly everywhere. I am a vegetarian, and I didn’t face many issues during the entire trip. I actually loved the Quesadillas at Phi-Phi Islands, which I crave right now as well :P
Can you share with us the contact details of the travel agency, guide, etc which you used for this trip?
Whatever day tours you plan to go on, it’s better you book it itself while you’re on the trip.
You will find dozens of tour operators’ shops in Thailand, hence you can bargain as well.
The accommodation where you’ll be staying, they also offer travel services + the day tour services. So, they are always at your disposal.
Any other tips which we should keep in mind while planning for this destination?
There’s a supermarket chain – 7Eleven (you must have read it in Marketing cases). It’s present at every 1 km, and it’s a lifeline! You can buy your daily eateries for breakfast, or for travel. No need to take a lot of things from India itself.
If you are a nature and beach person, plan more time at Phi-Phi Islands. It’s extremely beautiful. Water’s crystal clear, it has all the water sports activities (snorkeling, scuba-diving, etc). An absolute must-do :D
If you are falling short of days, try to skip Bangkok or keep only a day for it, as I found it like Delhi (entirely my personal opinion). Plus, you can extend your trip to Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam as well!
About the Author:-
Archita Mittal is currently working as a Consultant with Deloitte. She pursued her MBA from IIM Lucknow in 2019 and graduation in Bachelor in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi in 2017. At IIM Lucknow, she was part of Click N Pick, a student entrepreneurship venture. She was captain of badminton team and vice-captain of volleyball team, and won the Inter-IIM tournaments consecutively for 2 years. Apart from sports, she has an interest in photography as well.
Special thanks to Oculus, the Travel & Adventure Club of IIM Lucknow