Thailand must be on each traveller’s bucket listing! With white sandy seashores, historic temples, wealthy tradition, mouthwatering meals, and the notorious full moon social gathering, why wouldn’t it’s? There is just too a lot on provide on this tropical paradise for travellers. The beauty of this nation is that it appeals to each backpackers on a price range and travellers with luxurious style.
BANGKOK | CHIANG MAI | PHUKET | KOH SAMUI
BANGKOK
We arrived in Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok round 11.30pm, collected our baggage and jumped straight right into a Taxi. Getting a Taxi is handy from this airport since it’s a regulated quantity system which suggests truthful costs, so anticipate to pay ~400 THB. Bangkok does presents a great deal of choices to get across the metropolis. Grab, Gojek motorbikes, Metro, BTS (Skytrain), Taxis, Tuk-Tuks, and native buses. I’d recommend you obtain the Grab app and attempt to keep away from Taxis and Tuk-Tuks as you don’t need to get caught in a bargaining sport.
We arrived at our lovely lodge, Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn. We checked in, dropped our luggage off after which went straight to the rooftop to take a look at the views. Wow, the view was superb! We sat by the infinity pool and had one of the best pad thai ever!
Day 1 – Temples of Bangkok
DRESS CODE
- Men should put on lengthy pants and shirts with sleeves (no tank tops. If you’re sporting sandals or flip-flops you need to put on socks
- Women should be equally modestly dressed. Legs lined, no see-through garments, naked shoulders, and so forth.
1. Grand Palace
Wake up early to strive keep away from tour teams because it does get very crowded. The second you arrive exterior the palace partitions and enter the gates you’re rapidly struck by the sheer measurement and recognition of what’s Thailand’s most sacred web site.
2. Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho)
From the Grand Palace, you possibly can stroll to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho. It is a should see!
3. Wat Arun
From the ferry level, take the ferry, which prices 4 THB, to the opposite facet of the river. It is a 3-minute stroll from the doorway. This temple was my favorite, the climb to the highest offers a panoramic view of the river and metropolis – It was merely lovely.
Chinatown & Khao San Road
Bangkok Chinatown is the most important Chinatown on the earth. If you like seafood then that is the place to be. We ended up getting a Tuk Tuk to Khao San Road….. what a journey! You should expertise a Tuk Tuk journey no less than as soon as. They take you from A to B inside minutes, zigzagging via visitors. All i’m going to say is maintain on tight!
Khao San Road, the road that may be a haven for each price range backpacker. It’s the primary avenue that involves life at evening, with so many bars, meals stalls, low-cost buckets with alcohol and fried scorpions sellers. Walk via this avenue and be amazed by what’s going on right here. Absolute should see and factor to do in Bangkok.
Day 2 – Shopping
If you like buying as a lot as me, then it’s important to take a day trip to only go to the department stores and discover. The beauty of buying in Bangkok is that one minute you possibly can store low-cost native designs at one of many many markets and the subsequent minute luxurious manufacturers like Louis Vuitton and Chanel in a shopping center close by. We began off in Siam Center, it consists of many small retailers, some worldwide manufacturers however many small extra unknown Asian manufacturers. We then checked out Siam Discovery which has 5 flooring, and consists of many hip worldwide manufacturers. Next was MBK, this was well-liked amongst vacationers. The heart is filled with small retailers and stalls, largely Thai manufacturers. You even have the Central World, which has eight flooring from Designer items to electronics and so forth. After strolling round for hours, we thought to cease and discover a spot for afternoon tea. We ended up strolling about 20 minutes and ended up in Central Embassy, one other massive shopping center.
We discovered the right spot for afternoon tea. Sretsis Parlour is the prettiest medieval floral-themed cafe in Bangkok … Stretsis Parlour is certainly a must-visit cafe the subsequent time you’re in Bangkok! The cafe may be very fancy from the doorway and much more lovely from the within. Sretsis offers off the European vibe with their curtains, furnishings and interiors. Everything may be very intricately achieved. The espresso was common however I didn’t thoughts paying that additional only for the ambiance and the latte artwork. Felt like I used to be having excessive tea in some western fancy restaurant.
Day 3 – Rooftop bar
I spent probably the most of my final day enjoyable by the pool. If you’ve an excellent view like this out of your lodge then why wouldn’t you. It was simply so peaceable within the early hours – a morning swim and day simply to relax poolside.
A good way to shut off your time in Bangkok is by watching the sundown from a rooftop. Visit the notorious Skybar and have a 360 levels view over the entire metropolis at 48 tales up within the sky.
CHIANG MAI
We obtained a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai however there are simpler and cheaper methods to get there by way of practice, bus and so forth. Chiang Mai is the most important metropolis in North Thailand and is a land of misty mountains and adventurers – It was for positive my favorite metropolis.
Compared with Bangkok, the place there are wonderful and trendy public transport techniques in place, Chiang Mai’s transportation is somewhat poor. To get round I used The crimson songthaew, also referred to as the crimson automobile, crimson taxi or crimson truck. The fare normally begins from 20 Baht for a really brief distance, and may by no means exceed 100 Baht as a result of that’s the worth vary of a non-public tuk-tuk or taxi already.
Day 1 – Temples of Chiang Mai & Thai Cooking Class
Monke’s Trail to the Jungle Temple & Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
You should hike to the temple Wat Pha Lat. Given its virtually hidden location within the jungle, Wat Pha Lat sees far much less tourism than different temples within the metropolis. We hiked to the temple from Suthep Road however you may also take a songthaew (the crimson automobile shared “taxi”) to the top of the highway. It’s a reasonable 45-minute hike from the start line.
You haven’t actually arrived in Chiang Mai till you’ve been to Doi Suthep Temple. As you possibly can see above, you’re first greeted with a frightening 306 steps which had been in-built 1557. Check out the superb view from the temple.
Once we obtained again from the visiting the temples, we had a number of hours to calm down and clean up earlier than our cooking class. We had booked the category the evening earlier than after studying all the nice evaluations. We booked onto Pra Nang Chiangmai Thai Cookery School. The hosts had been so pretty. The driver will decide you up and drop you again off to your lodge (they will provide you with a time beforehand). Once the driving force arrived, we obtained onto the bus and had a number of different decide ups earlier than we arrived on the meals market. Firstly, the host welcomes you after which goes via every ingredient you will want for the category. You additionally get an opportunity to go searching and store.
Once we had all of our substances, we went again to the home to start out studying tips on how to cook dinner genuine Thai meals. You get a number of choices on what you want to cook dinner, I selected the soup, Thai inexperienced curry and sticky rice and mango for dessert – It was scrumptious! You additionally get to remove a recipe e book.
DAY 2 – Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
This was on the high of my bucket listing. I simply love elephants and after this expertise i fell in love with them much more. Elephants are the icon of Thailand however sadly these lovely animals have been abused for tourism and brought out of their pure habitat. I’d recommend you perform some research earlier than and turn out to be conscious of the actions that contain animals’ sacrifice. Please don’t journey them!
Chiang Mai Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is run by the individuals who have a real concern for the animals’ welfare. They don’t promote any elephant journey or present. Instead, they do their finest to present them love and care in a protected and sustainable atmosphere.
They provide a number of programmes however we opted for the total day go to which lasted 9 hours. You are supplied with Karen garments (tribe) as elephants really feel aware of the clothes.
One of the primary actions you may be doing on the sanctuary is to feed the lovely elephants. You can spend about an hour to feed the elephants. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary will provide sugar canes and bananas so that you can feed the elephants.
After about an hour of feeding and interacting with elephants, you get to wash with the elephants. The tub begins within the mud tub the place you possibly can rub the elephants down with mud. The mud helps defend elephants from the sturdy solar and bugs and so they love rolling round in it.
After the mud tub, you’ll go over to the river the place you possibly can rinse off the elephants and your self. The elephants take pleasure in this much more. Once bathing is all achieved, elephants will stroll out of the water and transfer alongside on their method. This is a kind of experiences that you may truly see and really feel that the elephants reside a contented life.
Visiting an elephant sanctuary is a really distinctive expertise. This shouldn’t be solely a rewarding but additionally thrilling as you possibly can truly work together with the stunning elephants. Once you get to know them, you’ll completely fall in love with these nature’s cutest & friendliest giants, I positive did.
After a protracted superb day, we obtained dropped again off to our lodge. We had been so drained and in want of a therapeutic massage, so we discovered a spa which was strolling distance from our lodge – Zira Spa. The place was lovely. It was an opulent spa so we did pay quite a bit for the remedy. However, there are many spa’s round, cheaper too, nevertheless it undoubtedly must be in your listing of issues to do.
DAY 3 – Yoga & Explore Chiang Mai
I really like yoga so I believed it will be nice to check out yoga therapeutic massage within the park. I obtained the crimson truck to Buak Hat Public Park, which price not more than 20 THB. The teacher was superb and made you are feeling so welcome. It was an excellent expertise as I learnt some new stretching strategies and met some very nice individuals.
We then headed over to Tha Phae Gate which is a superb perception into historical past of Chiang Mai as an outdated metropolis, it’s a should see for historical past lovers and folks watching,
Night Bazaar
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is the primary neighbourhood for buying and nightlife. It’s a must-see whereas within the metropolis. They arrange normally about 18:00 and the festive power continues unabated till about 22:30.
Night Bazaar can be house to a variety of lodging, from price range guesthouses to luxurious five-star. If you need to be in the course of Chiang Mai’s busiest industrial part, staying in Night Bazaar received’t disappoint. The finest items on provide listed below are normally garments, from hand-tailored Thai silk to the most recent ‘designer’ fashions to the “Same Same But Different” t-shirts.
The weekend strolling markets are to not be missed. These markets are massively well-liked with locals and guests alike and a complete night will be spend to wandering the 1km lengthy market and the encircling streets whereas selecting conventional Thai snacks alongside the best way.
The Night Bazaar and strolling streets could also be the preferred spots amongst guests to pattern conventional Thai favorites and worldwide avenue meals, however there are many different markets to discover with genuine tasty treats.
Nightlife in Chiang Mai
If you simply need to finish your day with a drink, Chiang Mai has all kinds of various venues to supply, nonetheless golf equipment are a really uncommon factor to seek out as there are strict alcohol legal guidelines and enforced closing instances at midnight.
You can go to Loi Kroh Road, within the crimson gentle district of Chiang Mai, for locations which can be somewhat extra raunchy. It was near our lodge so we went to test it out. They have a number of bars and a boxing stadium. We determined to take a look at a Muay Thai battle which was fairly entertaining, they do attempt to rip you off with the doorway charge so watch out.
The go-to place is Zoe in Yellow. The space hosts quite a lot of bars that cater to everybody. Fans of rock music will take pleasure in head banging at Pentatonic Rock Bar, whereas Reggae lovers get their repair at Roots Rock Reggae Bar.
Address: 40/12 Ratvithi Road, Chiang Mai
PHUKET
We left Chiang Mai and obtained a flight to Phuket, which was round 2 hours. Phuket is house to lovely white sand seashores alongside its southern and western coast and a spattering of smaller islands simply off the mainland.
The transport in Phuket may be very costly. Taxis and Tuk-Tuks management transportation on the island and have been recognized to cost extortionist fares. There are metered taxis and limousine taxis (mounted fare) you possibly can catch from the airport. It took us simply over an hour to get to our lodge. There are many lovely motels in Phuket however after some analysis I fell in love with Avista Hideaway Phuket Patong – MGallery and it undoubtedly didn’t disappoint. The lodge has 3 swimming swimming pools, a buggy service that can assist you get round and presents a free shuttle bus service.
Day 1 – Shopping and Temples
We obtained the shuttle bus from our lodge and stopped off on the Jungceylon buying centre which is downtown Phuket and reverse Bangla Road. It is a big complicated with 200-plus different shops – it has every part you want. Its undoubtedly price trying out. We additionally discovered an incredible restaurant – D Wine Italian Bistro & Wine Bar. I ordered the salmon pasta which had vodka sauce, surprisingly it was most likely one of the best pasta i’ve ever had.
We then managed to discover a taxi driver who agreed to take us round for a number of hours for an inexpensive value. Our first cease was the Big Buddha.
Go Visit The Big Buddha
The Big Buddha is among the most well-known sights in Phuket. At 45 meters tall (148 ft), it’s the third-tallest statue in Thailand and will be seen as far-off because the Old Town. The views from the Big Buddha are spectacular as effectively, as you possibly can see from the photographs above. It was gorgeous – I’d undoubtedly suggest you go see it. If you’ve time, I’d additionally suggest to go see Wat Chalong and Karon Viewpoint as they’re so shut to one another, you would go to all three locations on the identical day.
Check Out a Night Market
We then headed to Phuket evening market – drivers advice. It’s a weekend market open from 16:00 hours to 22:00 hours.. You may simply spend a few hours right here. It t is a must-visit as it’s a one-stop store for just about every part you want, from scrumptious avenue meals to souvenirs and handicraft items for a really affordable value.
Party On Bangla Road
As you might have heard, Bangla Road in Patong is social gathering central in Phuket. It’s loud and sleazy in elements so it isn’t for everybody, however when you’re seeking to social gathering it up in Phuket, then that is the place to do it. It’s la higher and larger model of Khao San Road in Bangkok.
There are some cool bars so go verify them out. If you’re seeking to social gathering then I’d suggest Illusion – it’s the preferred Nightclub on Bangla highway in Patong Beach. It’s free entrance and the music is a mix of dance and RnB – undoubtedly a great vibe.
Get a Massage
Getting a therapeutic massage on a tropical island must be on everybody’s must-do listing. The finest time to get a therapeutic massage is once you’re partying away and your toes start to harm particularly when you’re in heels. There are loads of therapeutic massage parlours on Bangla Road the place you possibly can stroll into with out an appointment – I obtained a 20 minute foot therapeutic massage, it was superb. However there are various parlours round so ensure you test it out as there’s no higher method to calm down on an island than by getting a therapeutic massage.
Day 2 – Island Hopping
Phuket is surrounded by lovely islands and coastlines, however they will take a while to achieve. Using bigger ferry boats to achieve Phi Phi, Phang Nga, Krabi or the Similian Islands can price you many hours, which means much less time to take pleasure in every part that these locations have to supply. With a speedboat, you possibly can zip throughout the waves in a fraction of the time.
When it involves Thailand Island hopping, there are such a lot of choices and doable itineraries. There are so many excursions from Phuket to Phi Phi islands, not even mentioning the excursions supplied by motels (which are typically about 50% costlier) so I’d recommend you e book on-line. All the excursions in Phuket provide complimentary lodge pick-ups. All the excursions to Phi Phi provide just about the identical itinerary.
A brief cease at Maya Bay made well-known by the 2000 movie The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio only for a fast photograph as it’s now closed off by authorities. Next is the Viking cave and Monkey seashore. Then you’ll have the chance to go for a swim and snorkel within the National Park. You then cease off in Phi Phi for some lunch and calm down on the seashore earlier than heading again. The islands actually are as lovely as individuals say.
Day 3 – Lay on a Beach
Laying on a seashore and doing completely nothing is among the finest issues you are able to do in Phuket. It’s house to lengthy stretches of white sand seashore which can be among the many finest in Southeast Asia. There are many to go go to however I’d recommend Paradise Beach – It’s 8 minutes away from Patong Beach. Paradise seashore is a privately owned seashore that’s run by a preferred seashore membership. They host Phuket’s Full moon, half moon and new moon seashore social gathering’s in addition to a variety of sports activities and leisure actions. You can even go to Karon Beach, Kata Beach and Freedom Beach – they’re simply as lovely.
KOH SAMUI
The last cease was Koh Samui. It’s recognized for its palm-fringed seashores, mountainous rainforest, plus luxurious resorts and posh spas. I had the prospect to remain in one of the crucial luxurious motels ever – Vana Belle, which is nestled in a secluded cove on the pristine white sands of Chaweng Noi seashore. Vana Belle interprets to ‘beautiful forest’ and as you arrive you instantly discover it’ll reside as much as its identify. It’s the is the type of place the place you’re pushed round in golf carts. Vana Belle is a Luxury Collection resort so I knew the lodge was going to be good, however what I skilled exceeded each expectation I had concerning the resort.
As it was our final cease we opted for an opulent suites with our personal personal pool. In this explicit suite solely the bathe and bathroom are hidden behind glass doorways. Bath and double sink washbasin are in the identical open area as the place the mattress is. I discovered the Pool Suite very properly designed!
Day 1 – Temples
Of course, the Big Buddha shouldn’t be an insider tip, as it’s one of the crucial essential and foremost sights in Koh Samui. Once you’ve made it previous the 70+ steps, you may be rewarded with a fantastic view of the Bo Phut seashore.
Be positive to take a look at the close by Wat Plai Laem after the Big Buddha – a worthwhile go to.
Ark Bar Koh Samui
If you’re in search of a great evening out, I’d recommend you take a look at Ark Bar. Ark Bar Beach Resort is sort of an establishment in Samui. Located proper on the seashore, within the central space of Chaweng, a restaurant, bar and nightclub describes itself because the one-stop social gathering vacation spot within the prime vacation vacation spot in Samui Island – and this description couldn’t be extra correct.
Day 2 – Gulf of Thailand Tour
Our day journey to the Ang Thong Marine National Park was one of many highlights throughout our time in Koh Samui. We obtained to spend a day within the Emerald Green Lagoon of the Gulf of Thailand on a velocity boat for about 45-minutes while island-hopping. First, we arrived at Koh Wao for snorkeling via the gorgeous nature and clear blue waters. Koh Mae Ko, you possibly can hike as much as the highest with a spectacular view over the emerald saltwater lake known as “Talay Nai” which is linked with the ocean via underwater caves. Later we visited the park’s precept islands, and explored their pure caves and gorgeous rocks formation by kayaking across the great nature of Angthong National Marine Park and climbing as much as the mountain’s high to try the unbelievable panorama view – undoubtedly add it to your listing of issues to do.
Fisherman’s Village
Fisherman’s village is situated within the North of Koh Samui within the Bophut space. You will discover many stylish eating places on the seashore and a small collection of motels lining Bophut seashore. The evening market is open from 5pm-11pm each Monday and Friday. It attracts big numbers of buyers from throughout the island for the superb number of all types of products and naturally superb meals! I purchased some cool souvenirs (bear in mind to haggle), then obtained some meals at a restaurant on the seashore. It’s an excellent evening out with a really vigorous ambiance.
Coco Tams
Coco Tams is precisely one thing you’d assume you’d discover on a tropical paradise island. It is not only a seashore bar with coconut and palm tree decorations. You can swing whereas ready to your drink on the bar – how superb. It’s a really chilled vibe. When the solar begins slowly taking place you possibly can get cozy on the Lazy boys whereas sipping your Mai Tai and listening to groovy lounge or home music.
Partying in Koh Samui
Koh Samui is the island the place you possibly can social gathering in fashion. I discussed Ark Bar, Coco Tams previously- they’re undoubtedly price trying out. There are so many cool golf equipment in Chaweng however when you’re like me and love RnB and Hip Hop then I’d recommend you take a look at Hush Bar. It’s well-known for its low-cost buckets from 9pm til midnight. There’s a distinct DJ each evening, spinning a mixture of Hip Hop, RnB, UK Garage.
Day 3 – Beach Day
As our lodge was situated on Chaweng Beach, we thought we might have a day to calm down earlier than we hit Full Moon social gathering. We obtained a buggy all the way down to the seashore bar, I ordered a hen caeser salad with a strawberry daq – the view was unreal.
Don’t neglect to have a recent coconut or pineapple cocktail – they style so good.
Full Moon Party
Years earlier than I got here to Thailand pals of mine instructed me concerning the Full Moon Parties they celebrated on an island. I heard some loopy tales, like leaping the fireplace rope and plenty of different issues… I knew that I needed to embrace the Full Moon Party in my Thailand journey even when it was the evening earlier than we had been flying out. The Full Moon Party is on Haad Rin Beach at Koh Phagnan.
We had been pondering of getting a lodge however then discovered that boats run ever hour from the island so we ended up reserving a ship from Koh Samui to Ko Phangan. The driver will even decide you up out of your lodge and take you to the boat. There is a Full Moon Party timetable with dates however when you can’t make it there’s a half moon social gathering you possibly can look into, it’s also purported to be excellent.
This evening is all about alcohol, social gathering, dancing, and medicines. Better watch out doing medication as there are very strict anti medication regulation and police enforcement. Lots of people will attempt to promote you medication so simply be careful. Another factor to be careful for is the buckets with alcohol – they’re very sturdy. It was an superior evening although, met some actually cool individuals, the vibe is simply loopy so simply let your hair down and have enjoyable!