Khao San Road - A Backpacker's Guide to Southeast Asia's Launch Pad

Ask any traveler who has been to southeast Asia before and nine times out of ten that person would have stayed on Khao San Road. It's a glorious launching point for travel into one of the worlds most popular backpacking destinations. It can all seem incredibly daunting the first time you put that backpack on and step off the plane into the thick wet heat that bangkok so proudly possesses, but as soon as that first cold beer hits your lips and you realise you're a world away from anything you've known before, it all becomes worth it.

Khao San Road (KSR) is infamous in Bangkok. It's by no means the cheapest place to stay, nor the most beautiful, but if you want to stay in the heart of backpackers central, KSR if for you. The wide streets occupy bars, cheap hotels, clothes markets, travel agents and endless food stalls. You can expect to pay around $1 for a bowl of fresh noodles cooked in front of you or slightly less for a plate of sweet, sticky rice served with delicious mango. The taste buds are truly stimulated here in Bangkok, from the cheapest food stalls to high class hotel restaurants.

Most Hotels on KSR don't accept advanced booking and this can be pretty scary if it's your first time, but even though hotels fill up fast, you'll always find somewhere to stay. A typical air con single room will range from $10 - 30 per night, breakfast included, but if you're willing to brave the heat and opt for a fan room, the cost can get ridiculously cheap. KSR gets pretty lively at night, street entertainment comes out, loud music pumps into the street from the many clothes stalls around, and the healthy population of gap year students and budget travelers head to the wide array of bars that surround KSR. The nighttime buzz is truly memorable.

You're out there to have the time of your life, so keep it that way by following a few basic rules.

1) Keep your main cash and passport in the hotel safe, don't hide it under the mattress or on you in person.

2) Never travel alone at night. As safe as it might seem, stick with friends or a crowd of people you know. Opt for the taxi instead of late night walk. Act the same way you would back home.

3) Drink responsibly. Some of the Thai whiskey that is put into drinks can go down like fruit juice but is very strong. Take a careful note of what you've drank and how much and if needs be, carry a bottle of water with you.

But most of all, suck in the experience, Thailand is a beautiful country with amazing people and what a better gateway into that experience than by visiting Khao San Road.

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