A few months ago, if you remember, we went on a short Bangkok exploration trip with Tourism Authority of Thailand and a few Bangkok-based bloggers. This campaign was to promote Thailand’s culture, local life and less-frequented destinations. It was also a way for us to promote a travel contest open to travel bloggers around the world. The winners would get to join TAT and other winners on a FAM (familiarization) trip to explore Buriram, a province in the North East of Thailand.

Well, just because we love contests and hadn’t visited this province yet, Shayan decided to join.

And guess what? He won!

Now although since it was his entry and winning, we requested if Kanika could join too. After all, she is part of Dose of Life. We emailed the management team and they replied simply saying that as long as we cover the cost of the tickets, everything else would be taken care of. That was totally fine by us. A domestic ticket costs very little and we also had Air Asia points. It was a no-brainer.

A few weeks later, we were ready to go on our first ever FAM trip. Excitement was in the air as the day arrived.

Heritage

The province of Buriram is mostly known for its Khmer temples and ruins. The two main heritage sites are Prasat Muang Tam and the Phanom Rung Historical Park. Both were erected as a dedication and place of worship for the Lord Shiva.

Prasat Muang Tam

Phanom Rung Historical Park

It was very peaceful walking around these heritage sites. The design and aesthetics resembled of a combination between Ayutthaya ruins and Angkor complex. The intricate design on the ruins were a marvel to see. If architecture and ruins are your thing, definitely visit these two places in Buriram.

Food

Food is definitely one of the top reasons one should visit Buriram or the Isan region of Thailand. In fact, we have an entire post just for food. Isan food has a lot of spices, so if you like spicy, you will love the food from here.

Sports & Entertainment

Although not for everyone, Buriram is known for its sports and entertainment complexes. Here you will find the iconic Thunder Castle or iMobile Stadium, which is home to Buriram United football club.

The highlight of Buriram is Thailand’s first international race circuit called the Chang International Circuit by Buriram United.

This is definitely going to set the stage for the city as tourism is sure to explode over the years because of the circuit. It might even host the next MotoGP in 2018.

It was our first time ever seeing a race and it was electrifying! We hope that we will be able to experience the MotoGP next year.

Overall Experience

In all, even though this was our first FAM/press trip and have nothing to compare it to, we had a wonderful time. Everything was so well organized and we were well taken care of. Despite a jam-packed schedule, we always had time to joke around, make conversations and even sit down at night for a few drinks. This was when we really got to know each other. It was a lot of fun.

Visiting a new destination is always great but meeting new people and making connections is what really counts. It’s what memories are made of.

If you are a travel blogger, we definitely recommend you take part in future FAM trips with TAT. They really do a good job of organizing the trip with a well thought-out and balanced itinerary. As you saw, our trip had a bit of everything. The best thing is meeting new people and making memories. There is no price tag on that.

If you’re a traveler or tourist, Buriram should definitely be on your Thailand travel checklist, especially if it is not your first visit to the country. If you’re looking for quaint, local experiences, then Buriram is a good choice. There are other destinations we also recommend like Prachuap Khiri Khan in the South and Chanthaburi in the East.

Disclaimer: all accommodation, flight tickets (except for Kanika), meals and entry fees were covered by Tourism Authority of Thailand. All thoughts and opinions are our own. We will always be honest with you.