“Life is meant for good friends and great adventures.”
With one of my best friends from the States coming to meet me in Asia, she had limited time off so we set out to jam as much as we could in her 10 days abroad. Here’s a comprehensive sneak-peak of how we traveled around Thailand in ten days.
Day 1-2: Bangkok
More often than not you’ll fly into Bangkok. I would recommend a couple days to indulge in the city vibes Thailand offers. Because the city is so big it’s best to stick to one general area to avoid being stuck in traffic for hours. (Trust me traffic in Bangkok is no joke)
We based ourselves out of the infamous backpacker area, Koh San. Koh San Road has a reputation of being young, reckless and all party. This is spot on. But we still found it to be thriving with shops, cheap eats, and good vibes overall. It’s a large area as well so you won’t run out of places to go drink, eat and shop. There are many tour operators nearby offering trips to the Damnoen Saduak floating market and Maeklong railway market.
We spent a day perusing Chinatown nearby and visiting the Wats (temples) along the river via ferry (check out Wat Arun).
There are tons of night markets that go on daily. We decided to brace the traffic and journey out a bit further to a night market that was less touristy, Rod Fai Train NightMarket Srinakarin. It was an open air container market full of international food stalls, cheap trendy clothes and tons of vintage/ antique shops set up.
Day 3-5: Chiang Mai
Northern Thailand is known to be a mellow, more authentic experience. With less tourism than the south you can enjoy the rolling mountainous landscape of the north.
Take a 70-minute flight or the surprisingly popular choice a 12-hour overnight train. We went with the latter and though we were on the older train with no A/C, it was very comfortable all night and the views the next morning on the last few hours of the journey made the train ride completely worth it!
The best area to stay is in the Old Town, where there are remnants of a fortress wall that enclose old town. We stayed at Diva Guesthouse, Budget, backpacker hostel in the middle of old town.
I would plan your time in Chiang Mai to be there on a Sunday as there is a massive Sunday night market from the Tha Phae Gate that spreads across 1km down the full length of Ratchadamnoen Road. Blocks full of outdoor massages, souvenirs, food stalls and anything else you could imagine. Probably one of the best markets I’ve been to in Asia! So extensive.
Set a day aside for a visit with the elephants. While Thailand offers many opportunities to experience them, DO YOUR RESEARCH beforehand to choose an ethical company. Mistreatment of elephants is sadly very common in Asia, especially Thailand. Please go with a company that has the elephants in consideration and is a no riding facility.
We went with the popular choice in Chiang Mai, the Elephant Nature Park. While the actual park that houses over hundreds of elephants was booked out a month in advance (opps), we were able to go with one of the many off site projects they have in the surrounding community known as their ‘saddle off’ program. We did the full day Karen Habitat Tour (83USD). This included a day in the Karen village visiting three elephants native to this community where we fed, walked with, and bathed them. It was a perfect peaceful day accompanying the elephants on their time.
The landscape of the mountains was absolutely gorgeous. What a beautiful home they have!
Walk or bike around the old town and enjoy the temples and rustic architecture and don’t forget to treat yourself to a Thai massage after a long day of activity. It was our first time getting Thai massages and it can only be described as ‘an experience’. It was worth the exuberant splurge at 5 USD. I was as stretched out as a spaghetti noodle! Who wouldn’t want that feeling?
From Chiang Mai you can easily reach Doi Luang National park, Doi Inthanon National park, the Golden Triangle (where Laos, Burma and Thailand meet), and Chiang Rai. We decided to hop on a 3-hour bus and explore the temples of Chiang Rai. We rented motorbikes and enjoyed the small town feel while stopping at the White Temple (a modern day art exhibit that poses interesting an twist to usual temple architecture) and the Blue Temple.
These temples truly stand out from the rest!
You also must, must eat Khao Soi. A popular noodle dish only eaten in Chiang Mai.
Day 6-8: Phuket
From Chiang Mai we flew to Phuket. Phuket is the gateway to all the Thai beaches that are commonly used for desktop screensavers. Phuket has much more to offer than just a stopover though, with many different neighborhoods to choose from we spent a night in Chalong (the eastern coast of Phuket full of restaurants and bars within walking distance) and another night in Patong (the crazy, party tourist area known for its nightlife). Near Chalong, a visit to Sunshine Bar in Rawai Beach is a must. Trust me, probably the best bar you’ll ever go to. Patong has a long walking pub street full of clubs and promoters wanting you to come for their ‘late night shows’. Also worth mentioning is Da Hood Patong a daily night market full of local Thai dishes, live music and drinks.
Day 9-10:Phi Phi
The Phi Phi islands, pretty much synonymous with Thailand! Debating whether the hype and massloads of tourist associated to Phi Phi was worth it or not, we decided why the heck not. We’ll sacrifice crowds for the beauty! We took a 90-minute ferry (450Baht/14USD) to Don Phi Phi from Phuket. While there are many island hopping tours available for the day out of Phuket, we decided to give ourselves a couple days on the big island to choose more activities. Don Phi Phi is full of nightlife and restaurants and just an overall fun vibe. We spent one day kayaking around the island (300Baht/9 USD for two hours), joining in on one of the many pool parties at Ibiza House and then hiking up to the popular viewpoint where you can see an aerial view of the island for sunset.
Keep a day dedicated to island hopping. Our tour was (25USD) full of various islands, snorkeling and beach lazing including lunch. (The tour brought us to Maya Bay, Monkey beach, Viking Cave, and Phe Lay bay). It was just as beautiful as we imagined.
While Thailand is rich in culture, food and sights. It’s definitely possible to spend more than 10 days. Luckily we captured a great glimpse of city, nature and beach all in 10 days. My favorite part of Thailand? The food. DUH!
Sweet travels, hope this 10-day itinerary helps guide your trip!
Recommendations:
Accommodation
Bangkok: Bella Bella Guesthouse.
Chiang Mai: Diva Guesthouse.
Phuket: Four Rooms Guesthouse
Phi Phi: Harmony House.
Entertainment
Chiang Mai: Elephant Nature Park. Karen Habitat Tour.
Phi Phi: Island hopping tour.