Last time I went to Phuket I didn’t feel that authentic vibe of Thailand. So if you want that real experience, make sure to include the following places in your itinerary.
Two Days in Bangkok
Bangkok—the capital, has so much to offer, you’ll want to stay at least two days to explore the historical monuments and the delicious cuisine.
Catch a taxi from the airport—it shouldn’t cost more than 400 THB (Thai Baht)
The best way to move around is to catch a tuk-tuk—local transport that will take you everywhere—sometimes they are more expensive than a taxi, but you’ll have a great chance to see the city.
I stayed in a cute boutique hotel with a funky design. La Long Hotel is just by the river. This hotel offers a charming terrace where you can enjoy river views in a quiet ambience.
Enjoy a long tail boat trip on the Chao Praya and Khlongs—past the floating villages. If you happen to be in Bangkok over the weekend, you can also visit the floating markets.
Book a 1 or 1.5-hour trip, culminating at the Grand Palace. This is a great way to explore all that Bangkok has to offer.
(Beware of scammers. Guides might try to get more money out of you, promising entry to the Grand Palace. A trip should be 500 THB per person, no more. You should negotiate to be dropped off at the Grand Palace.)
The Grand Palace
There are two must-visit places in Bangkok if you’re going to be a tourist for a day (and you should!)
Visit the Grand Palace—majestic temples and Buddha statues gold dripping. Make sure to get in early, it gets very hot later and Palace closes at 3.30pm. Remember to wear appropriate attire, covering your shoulders and legs to show respect.
I am a big fan of Hindu and Buddhist treasures; if you are too, you won’t leave disappointed.
Jim Thompson House
Some history that’s worth checking out, be sure to visit the Jim Thompson House, a self-made American entrepreneur who founded the world renowned Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company (http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/visitor/index.asp)
Take a tour of the traditional wooden complex that he lived in, surrounded by luscious gardens. There is a mystery around Jim. He went missing a long time ago when venturing Malaysian jungles.
Once you are done exploring the culture, immerse yourself in a famous Khaosan street, lined with food stalls and cheap bars. It’s more grungy and you can get a cheap massage there too.
Khao San Road
On my last night in Bangkok, I stayed in a heritage hotel not far from Khao San Road – Nanda Heritage Hotel
Khao San road is fun, however, if you fancy a little more luxury, treat yourself to one of the spectacular rooftops bars in Bangkok.
Rooftop Bars in Bangkok
I’d never experienced the fantastic high-sky bars in Bangkok before, but now I must say they are quite spectacular. Nothing beats the 360 view from 60 floors up on a hot summer night. It is an absolute must!
AWOL published this list of the best Bangkok rooftop bars, including one where The Hangover Part 2 was shot (Sky Bar at Lebua)
With my limited time in Bangkok, I visited number 5 on the list, the Moon Bar at Vertigo in Banyan Tree. You can find fine dining there or you can simply enjoy a drink or two. It is quite pricey, so be prepared to pay $25 for a cocktail.
Ayutthaya—a Historic Town
Immerse yourself in the majestic ancient town of Ayutthaya, only a 2-hour drive from Bangkok. Ayutthaya offers spectacular historical ruins.
There is so much to see there that you might as well stay for the day. And the night! Which is what I did. I chose a traditional Thai wooden boutique – Ayutthaya Retreat. The hotel is a beautifully renovated teak mansion, steeped in history where you can enjoy dinner with a view of the pond and fountain, or take a swim in the pool.
The lovely lady running the place can give you insider info; what to see and how to get around town. Rent a push bike and cycle between temple ruins— I rented a motorbike (or rather my boyfriend did) and took the whole day going from place to place so push bike might take a little longer.
On the other hand, you don’t really need to see every ruin and Buddha statue.
The Floating Market in Ayutthaya
As I completely immersed myself in the ancient ruins. I missed out on the amazing floating market in Ayutthaya. I did end up getting there but it was almost closing by the time.
Don’t miss your chance! The floating market in Bangkok happens only on weekends, so make sure you visit this one. You won’t want to miss this unique shopping experience.
The market has performances all day long, until 4:30 pm, so make sure to get there early. The entry fee is around 200-300 THB, which that includes a boat ride on the river.
Krabi
After all these cultural experiences, it’s finally time for some relaxation.
I chose to go to Krabi because it is close to Bangkok, but you can easily book flights to Koh Samui and Phuket. It’s the perfect place for an island holiday.
However, if you’re short on time, head to Krabi—a coastal part of Thailand, only an hour from Bangkok by plane. From Krabi, take a taxi or minibus to the resort of your choice—for a taxi you need to pay around 800 THB, whereas minibus is only 200 THB per person.
Krabi doesn’t really offer turquoise waters but it is a great spot to explore surroundings. Book a day trip to islands like Phi Phi, Maya Beach, the Hong Islands and others. Enjoy the picturesque turquoise paradise that these Thai islands have to offer.
I stayed at the gorgeous Nakamanda Resort and Spa. It’s located at the Klong Muang Beach a bit far from Krabi town, but with a beautiful ocean view. I considered booking the Vogue Hotel, as it has amaizng reviews, but even further away from Krabi, and I still wanted to explore.
Nakamanda is a beautiful resort with an extraordinary staff— they upgraded us to a fantastic villa with a private spa. Even though their restaurant looked lovely, I decided to explore the nearby beach shacks. This is my ideal tropical gateway scenario—sitting at the beach, with a cocktail in my hand, eating seafood, all that in a great company of my significant one.
We did, however, enjoy their happy hour cocktails, two for one!
Only 5 minutes away from the resort, I found a strip of beach lined with shacks. There were also a few nice massage places nearby.
Exploring Krabi
On day two I jumped on a scooter as a passenger (250 THB a day rental) to explore what Krabi had to offer. You can rent a car with a driver for a day to explore nearby gems, like the Emerald/Crystal Pools, Tiger Cave, and Hot Steam Waterfall.
Tiger Cave
It took 45 minutes on a scooter to get to the Tiger Cave—a giant Buddha sitting at the top of a mountain. For the privilege of seeing it, you need to climb the 1,236 steps up the hill. It was really challenging to climb in a total heat—30 C, however, the view was stunning, and everyone I passed on the way said it was absolutely worth it—which I agree, it was.
Emerald / Crystal Pools
Another hour on the scooter and I reached the pools. Make sure to get there early, as one of the pools—Blue Pool closes at 3.30pm. These natural phenomena feature turquoise and blue coloured waters. However, a lot of local tourists using those pools so you can skip them and head to the hot spring instead.
Hot Steam Waterfall
This was a unique experience for me; I have visited natural hot springs in Slovakia and Japan before. This is a hot steam waterfall where the rocks have formed little pools at the base, where you can sit and enjoy. It is surrounded by forest and the water falls into the river right before your eyes.
We got caught up in a storm there with trees falling down next to us which made me feel like in an Indiana Jones movie…:)
There is a lovely hot spring and spa resort across from the waterfall that might be worth staying for a while, and enjoy some relaxation for a day and night. They have plenty of hot spring pools on their property—check out Wareerak here http://www.wareerak.co.th
Day Trips to Nearby Islands – Hong islands
The highlight of every trip to Thailand is a day trip on either a long tail boat or fast boats. They take you to absolutely divine islands, where you can enjoy being surrounded by turquoise water, majestic rock formations, and incredible snorkelling venues.
Last time I was in Thailand, I booked a very popular trip to Phi Phi islands and Maya Beach (where The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed). It was super crowded. There were simply too many boats packed with so many people.
This year I booked a less popular trip to the Hong Islands, not knowing what to expect. It was the best trip ever. It was only 20 min by a speedboat from Krabi and we ended up in an absolute tropical paradise- but without crowds.
Hong Island looks very similar to Maya Beach which everyone is crazy about so you can absolutely be confident to book a less popular one and still enjoy paradise. We chilled for hours on Hong Land beach with no tourists in sight except our boat with 10 people.
That was it for busy seven days! It was definitely a memorable one…
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