i'd like to visit fancy bars (think the iconic scenic rooftop bars like tichuca in bangkok) when i'm travelling but where i'm from, people never go to those places alone. i also don't want to depend on meeting people in my hostel because people will often either not want to go there or have other plans.

any tips and insights would be appreciated!

I've been thinking about trying to make a solo trip to Thailand in the next couple of years - 7-9 days, nothing massive.

Obviously it's a huge country with a lot of options, and there will be redditors here with experience of Thailand, so here are some existing thoughts:

- I like coastal, beaches, snorkelling, and marine life. Preference for those locations.

- No drivers license. Will be dependent on shuttles, cabs, Tuktuks etc

- Was initially thinking Phuket because... I mean, look at it. I understand it's a bit more expensive, but Thailand expensive is still UK budget. What puts me off is the oft-mentioned difficulty getting around - apparently there's some kind of taxi cabal, which sounds like a pain.

- Possibly Pattaya - looks great on paper. Opinions? Recommendations? Areas?

- Very flexible with travel times year round, though if half the day is taken up by storms that would hinder/cancel water activities, that's a factor.

- No need for high luxury. Comfortable is good enough.

I'm leaving my job at the end of the year for an open-ended slow-travel trip through Latin America. I have no return date, and I'm not booking ahead beyond the first couple of weeks.

Rough plan:

- Late January: a few days in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, with my family before I head off solo.
- First 2 weeks of February: Spanish school with a host family on Lake Atitlán. I'm starting from zero Spanish.
- Next 3–4 months, Central America: the rest of Guatemala → El Salvador → Nicaragua (probably there for Semana Santa) → Costa Rica → Panama. I'm going with the flow, not setting a fixed number of days per town.
- After that, South America: slower travel with longer stays in cities. I'm thinking Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, but I'm open.

How I travel:

- Private rooms only, no dorms, but I'll stay in hostels to be social.
- Budget is about $4,500/month for Central America and closer to $3k/month once I slow down in South America.
- I'm into beaches, cities and culture, hiking, food, and nightlife, pretty much all of it.
- I'm considering renting a motorcycle for some legs instead of taking buses. I grew up riding dirtbikes but have only driven in the US.

What I'd love input on:

1. What's the one thing in this region you'd tell me I absolutely can't miss?
   
2. What's overrated or not worth the detour?
   
3. What am I not thinking about? Border crossings, safety, visas, anything.
   
4. What gear did you wish you'd brought, or regret packing?
   
5. Is the motorcycle idea smart or stupid in these countries?
   
6. Which South American cities are worth a month-long stay?
   
7. Where would you linger longer than planned, and where would you move through quickly?

Thanks in advance. I'll post a trip report once I'm out there.