CITY: Bangkok

HOW LONG: 2.5* NIGHTS

I met my good friend & mentor KT for our first trip together! How fun that it’s all the way in Thailand! We took an overnight train to Chiang Mai so technically it was two nights in the hotel & one night on a train.

ACCOMMODATION:

As a break from hostels, we stayed in a very nice Marriott hotel with sweeping views of the Bangkok skyline. Very fun for me and a nice change of pace!

WHERE TO EAT:

Breakfast Story– leave it to me to always crave a Western breakfast, but I still just love a cute cafe to start my day.

We also had some lovely street food at the Floating Market, where our chicken friend rice was cooked on one of the boats – pretty cool!

WHAT TO DO:

So honestly, I don’t LOVE big Asian cities. I find them overwhelming, loud, & hot so I purposely only spent 2 days here. The highlight was visiting the Maeklong Railway Market & the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. It’s a little ways out of the city but both visits were pretty fun! It’s always wild to see the market completely close up the 8 times a day that a train rolls through. Definitely worth the visit. The floating market is cool because instead of walking around, you hop on a boat and just cruise through the canals to see all the stalls. It’s slightly hokey, but we enjoyed the fanfare and grabbed some fragrant coconut pancakes from another boat stall that was gliding past us at one point.

We also enjoyed a cool afternoon in a mall. I know it sounds weird to head to a mall, but the malls here are beautiful, luxurious, air-conditioned and had tons to do. We actually went to a fancy movie theater and got stuffed with popcorn. Sometimes it’s nice to do familiar things in very unfamiliar places!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Yeah so Bangkok wasn’t ever going to be my favorite place, but KT & I had fun exploring and just catching up!

Time for the Night train to Chiang Mai.

CITY: Chiang Mai

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Thapae Loft Hotel and it was in a great location, within the walled in old city. Very clean, spacious and had all the amenities we needed: Small pool, attentive staff, decent wifi. The staff helped with recommendations and booking of activities.

WHERE TO EAT:

Obviously there’s plenty of street food that is delicious here, but it’s hard to recommend specific stalls haha. Here are my favorite restaurants we went to:

Kati breakfast and brunch
Coconut Shell – KT ordered the Khao soy soup, which is local dish.
Lemonn– Great for brunch – I had a yummy bacon egg omelet
Konjohn coffee 2– cute afternoon cafe vibes – I had an iced cacao drink & we played cards
See you soon cafe – another cute cafe option

Also, I loved getting Mango sticky rice for dessert. In Chiang Mai they use pea flowers to turn the rice blue!

WHAT TO DO:

Fresh off the overnight train, we decided to treat ourselves, and I mean TREAT ourselves, to a 4 hour spa treatment at one of the nicest spas in Chiang Mai: Makkha Spa Ancient House. I had a Thai Massage, Salt Body Scrub, Aromatherapy Massage & Facial (each an hour long). It was luxurious. Because this was at a higher end spa, it was “expensive” at $131… pretty wild.

Chiang mai is home to more than 300 temples so it would be impossible to see them all, but luckily there is a high concentration in the old city, so we just slowly meandered around town and saw plenty of them.

Our favorite activity was doing a Thai cooking class at a farm just outside of town! We had a blast trying to make some of our favorite dishes. It was a fabulous experience, and our culinary leader was very patient and great at explaining things to us. We were so stuffed by the end, we didn’t need dinner that night. Highly recommend doing this if you visit Chiang Mai!

The different menu options we could choose from

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I liked Chiang Mai far more than Bangkok. It was a great size, with a mixture of it being walkable but also not overwhelming. Plenty to do, but also you could have a lazy day just getting a massage & sitting at a cafe too. Just make sure to avoid burning season when you visit as the air quality can get pretty bad.

CITY: Pai

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Ai Pai hotel, which was a cute, boutique hotel located near the end of one of the main roads. The grounds were lovely and the pool was very nice (although very cold while we were there). We enjoyed our stay here.

WHERE TO EAT:

There were tons of cute cafes here so we spent plenty of time sampling different drinks while playing cards, escaping the heat of the afternoons.

Highlights:

The Peddler– This was my favorite cafe. Great wifi, yummy breakfast options, lots of table options, and strong AC. It also happened to be a 1 min walk from out hotel. We ate here twice, and I also sat here and worked on the blog for an afternoon.
Lemon Thyme Bistro – another cute cafe with lots of great breakfast options – all day!

We loved going to the night market for dinner each night! Sometimes we’d get small snacks along the way as we perused so we got try lots of things and sometimes we would sit down and just order a big bowl of noodles. So many yummy things to try here!

WHAT TO DO:

The main things to do here are the drunken tubing on the river (lots of tour agencies will push this on you as you walk around the town). Luckily KT & I were on the same page that this was not of interest to us 🤣 beyond the tubing, folks like to rent scooters to explore the nature and see some waterfalls. However, due to the state of the roads & the prevalence of alcohol & drugs, Pai is notoriously filled with bandaged and bruised backpackers. Truly KT & I were astounded by the percentage of westerners that had some form of casts, bruises, or gauze wrapped around legs/arms. Pretty scary. We decided it wasn’t worth it to us. Given we only had two days here we just focused on walking around the town and enjoying its vibrant, hippie energy.

I also got my nails done here!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Pai was such a cute, sleepy, hippie town. It’s no wonder so many backpackers flock here. It’s very social, easy to get around since it’s so small, filled with cute restaurants & hostels, and just a lovely place to hole up for a while. I thoroughly enjoyed my short time here.

CITY: Chiang Rai

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

After seeing reviews about how this small hostel quickly feels like family, I knew I needed to stay here. I’ve said this before, but big hostels tend to end up feeling more like hotels and it becomes hard to meet people. Small hostels (like less than 20 beds) create an environment where you quickly meet everyone who is staying there, thus making it incredibly easy to plug into an plans being made by others. Together Backpackers Hostel also hosted nightly dinners where they would walk us all over to the night market and get us a table. Inherently this meant, at 7pm the whole hostel would gather and you would meet any new arrivals. Loved it!

The beds were comfy, curtains provided privacy, lockers were big but also you quickly feel safe that no one in your room will steal your stuff if you leave it out. AC was strong, showers & bathrooms were clean, and WiFi worked great. Location was also close to everything you’d need. They also arrange for motorbike rentals.

Can you tell I loved this place? I wish all hostels could foster this environment. 10/10 would stay here again!

WHERE TO EAT:

The main place we ate was at the night market for dinner. I loved all the different options and we had some yummy dessert one night too!

We also visited the cat cafe in town for a drink and a snuggle with some cute cats.

WHAT TO DO:

Within 10 min of getting into my room, I met Flo (German), Mr T (Finnish), and Sonja (German). We hit it off and quickly made plans to explore the region on motorbike the next day! Sonja, ever the planner, had a whole list of places she had wanted to see so we just deferred to her as our tour guide.

The boys kindly drove and Sonja & I were happy to be passenger princesses ☺️

The highlights:

The White Temple – recently completed, this sparkling white temple is truly stunning! My jaw was open the entire time as we walked through. This might be my favorite temple I’ve ever been to! A must do in Chiang Rai.

The Akha Farmville sheep farm – when Sonja first suggested it, I looked at her as if she was crazy haha. Like what? But all the way up the hills above the clouds, you can find a very cute sheep farm! You even get a drink included in your entrance ticket. It was nice to get into some cooler air and hang with the sheep for a bit.

The Doi Chang view point– no one else was here, we even weren’t sure if we were getting ourselves lost on the way following google maps, but we eventually arrived. Beautiful views of the region.

Khun Korn Waterfall! A short hike brings you to a beautiful and big waterfall. We didn’t encounter too many people and the Germans even swam (I was too wimpy with the cold water 😆). Def with a visit!

Big Buddha (Wat Huay Pla Kang) – this is one BIG BUDDHA!! You even can take an elevator up 25 floors to take a view out of its eyes.

The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) – we were quite tired by this point, but we still enjoyed walking through the temple. It’s a stunning shade of blue!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I have very fond memories of Chiang Rai, and we packed in a ton of stuff in my one day there! I also met Sonja, who I would end up overlapping in Laos and we might even be planning to see each other in Japan & beyond 👀). I’m not sure if me loving Chiang Rai was more about the people or the place itself… probably a lovely mixture of both.

BUDGET FOR 10 DAYS IN Northern Thailand:

Accommodation: $239 ($23.90 per night)- this was a mixture of small hotels with KT & a hostel while on my own in Chiang Rai. I also saved one night of accommodation on the overnight train!

Food: $88

Groceries: $0

Activities: $217

Local Transportation: $132

Miscellaneous: $34

Total: $710 (Daily average: $71) You can certainly spend less than this as I did plenty of spa treatments & stayed in some private rooms with KT. You would also spend less than this if you ate more street food & less at western style cafes (but they bring me so much joy!!).

Transportation to next destination: $180 (flight to Laos)

March 2020

CITY: Koh Lipe

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Bloom Cafe and Hostel was such a nice hostel. While it wasn’t as social as other hostels I have been to, you will get such a great night sleep. The bunk beds are all custom made so the height between the beds is higher than normal. Also, no need to climb a pesky ladder to get into a top bunk- theres a wooden staircase to get you where you need to go. The beds are comfy and you have that coveted personal light, plug and curtain. There are lockers under the bed to store your valuables. The front desk was helpful in organizing discounted breakfast, transportation off the island and snorkeling trips.

WHERE TO EAT:

Bloom Cafe– This was the cafe attached to my hostel and it has amazing breakfast and lunch! Probably my favorite food I had on the island.

Tropical café– Your classic instagrammable cafe. It was cute to sit in, but I wouldn’t say the food was to die for.

Sea La Vie– A great spot to hang during the day or night. Good drinks, great atmosphere, and fun decoration.

Bennys on the beach– The perfect spot for an appetizer and drinks at sunset. It’s a tranquil, little spot!

I also fell in love with the Thai pancakes that all the different tiny food stalls have up and down the Walking Street. So delicious as a snack or late night noms.

WHAT TO DO:

The main activity I did was a half day snorkeling trip and it was great. There are two main routes that all the boats use and I opted for Route B. Apparently it’s the “better” route.

Other than that, I spent my days exploring the island, sitting in the sun, and meeting up with Max (the Australian I met in Borneo) and some friends he had made. We watched sunset and bar hopped around the island.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This was my favorite island in Thailand because of it’s small size. It’s just so easy to get around because all you need are your two feet! I can’t stress how happy I was to be able to walk the whole island. It’s also filled with great restaurants and beautiful beaches. Can’t ask for much more than that! I would come back here in a heartbeat.

CITY: Koh Lanta

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Blanco Hostel for two nights while in Koh Lanta. At first I was unsure whether I would like it, but it ended up being super social as there were tons of different spots outdoors to chill and sit and meet new people. The restaurant on site has plenty of food options and the hostel is a 5 min walk from the beach. There are lockers and free breakfast available. Overall would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

There was nothing too notable about the food options around the hostel. Luckily I didn’t mind the food at the hostel. The one restaurant I would recommend is May’s Kitchen. There were lovely women welcoming us at the front and the food was delicious!

WHAT TO DO:

I took part of the hostel’s 1/2 day of snorkeling and drinking on the boat for sunset. It was a great way to see some of the best snorkeling spots near the island as well as make some new friends from the hostel.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Koh Lanta was another beautiful island in Thailand, however I much preferred Koh Lipe.

CITY: Khao Sok National Park

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

The night before and after the adventure into the national park I stayed at Chillax Hostel. I have nothing negative to say about this hostel. The front desk was very helpful and the wifi was decent. I also ate at the hostel both nights for dinner and it was delicious. I slept great here and would highly recommend this hostel!

WHERE TO EAT:

I only ate at the hostel, but no complaints here 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

The main reason for coming to Khao Sok is to take an overnight to explore the national park by boat. I booked my overnight excursion through my hostel the day before- no need to book ahead of time. This isn’t the exact tour I did, but it gives you an idea of what’s included and an potential itinerary. Exploring the park via boat is magical. It feels like a whole different world. We also hiked through a cave and got to see all types of animals, including thousands of bats. Staying on the wooden huts on the lake was a really cool experience and I highly recommend it!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This was such a fun stop for me from start to finish. It was lovely spending time on a lake and doing some hiking. After spending weeks and weeks on sandy, salty, beaches, I was thrilled to swim in some fresh water and spend time amongst stunning rock formations surrounding the lake.

CITY: Koh Tao

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I met up with Sabrina, a good friend from home, and we booked at Summer of ’69 for 2 nights. This was charming small hostel, with a cool evening vibe filled with guitar jam sessions and a bar onsite. While we enjoyed our stay and had planned on staying 2 additional nights, it was now mid-March of 2020, which meant Covid-19 was making waves. After a few folks in our room were coughing all night, Sabrina and I made the call to switch to a private room at a hotel nearby.

Koh Tao Simple Life Resort was a lovely place to end our trip (we made our way to Bangkok to fly back to California after our time in Koh Tao). The free breakfast was a big buffet of delicious treats. After months of 10 person dorm rooms, it was so, so nice to have a room and bathroom to ourselves. The pool and daily room cleaning was nothing to complain about either. We also preferred this area of the island to where Summer of ’69 was located. Lastly, the staff were so wonderful and kind. Highly recommend this place.

WHERE TO EAT:

Maya Beach Club– I enjoyed a few delicious smoothies while laying on their lounge chairs on the beach. Sabrina and I spent hours laying in the sun here 🙂

Plug and play – We enjoyed a delicious brunch here! Would definitely recommend.

Baia Burger Concept – Wow did we enjoy a burger and milkshake from here! I also had a delicious apples and cinnamon french toast! As I write this, I wish I could go back and eat more of their yummy food.

WHAT TO DO:

Koh Tao is famous for it’s gorgeous scuba diving so Sabrina and I spent one morning diving in two different spots near the island. It was beautiful! Definitely a highlight of my time in Thailand.

Other than that, you better believe that with Sabrina with me, most of our days was spent lying on the beach soaking up with sun and taking dips in the ocean every so often to cool off from the humid heat. It was quite the relaxing last stop of the trip.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Koh Tao is a beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand. I loved the food scene and beach scene here. Breathtaking views and a fun place to walk around. Definitely enjoyed my time here.