It's not about VIP tickets or shoes or Gucci belts, but every so often the challenge is too good to resist. On a recent solo trip to Thailand, I knew I was going to have to stay in hellholes in order to see as much of the country as I'd like. It turns out Lady Luck was on my side; I sat next to a very attractive guy around my age on the connection ferry, and by the time the 45-minute journey was complete, we had convinced everyone that we were there on our honeymoon. It ended up being the trip of a lifetime – honeymoon suites, travel upgrades and champagne on tap everywhere we went. I won't pretend that having to share a room wasn't an added bonus, but I'm not sure who blagged who there.