I would wager that this is the most famous backpacking district in the world. To be honest, it’s really the only one I could name before we started this journey. The only way to explain the insanity of this road is by day it is Chinatown in NYC and by night Bourbon Street in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Can you only imagine?!?!
Anything you can imagine is available here…countless street food vendors, dance clubs, ridiculously cheap massages, market stalls carrying everything from knock-off Beats by Dre to Run DMC t-shirts, crazy cheap “buckets” of liquor, tattoo parlors, and offers of sex shows (also referred to as Ping Pong shows…do NOT go!). It definitely caters to tourists, specifically backpackers, but you will see tons of locals joining in the fun and the energy in the air is like nothing else I’ve experienced.
Without a doubt it is worth a visit here. The only unsettling thing for me was the young kids working the streets and selling flowers to drunk tourists. These poor kids carry the burden of supporting their families and will probably never leave the Khao San Road area. But they do let loose and dance with the inebriated…I have an awesome video of a young Thai kid, and once I figure out how to upload it I will share.
Next stop Phuket…
Nicole Guess | Drink. Dine. Discover 
Good old Khao San Rd:) I agree regarding the kids working there. You can’t help thinking “shouldn’t you be in school??”
I know!! It’s very sad, but also a totally different culture from anything I’ve ever experienced.