In the first episode of a series of podcasts inspired by her recent visit to Thailand, thoughtful travel blogger and podcast producer Amanda Kendle shares her experiences from her first post-pandemic trip to the country.

Three and a half years after my last overseas adventure before the pandemic, I finally managed to leave Australia for a short press trip to Thailand. Now I'm back home, and it seems very fitting to celebrate this trip together with the milestone of the three-hundredth episode of the "Thoughtful Travel Podcast".

In this episode, I'll tell you a little about my trip to Bangkok and Chiang Rai – more on that in future episodes – and about how it felt to leave Australia. I've also included a clip from a conversation with my friend Jean, who took her first post-pandemic trip to Iraq a few months ago and had many similar thoughts about this "new" travel experience.

Of course, I always try to be a mindful traveler, and I like to divide the topic of mindfulness into the phases before, during, and after a trip. In this episode, I therefore reflect on how well I succeeded, since the trip came about rather spontaneously. And finally, I ask our Bangkok tour guide, Suree, for her tips for mindful travel in Thailand, and she has plenty of advice—not just for traveling, but honestly, for life in general.

For more in-depth insights into sustainable travel in Thailand, visit Amanda's website.