Thailand Adventure - March 2024
Follow our Adventure from the beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui to the hills of Chiang Mai & bustling Bangkok.
We started our adventure from SAV, laying over in Miami and Doha, Qatar before finally arriving in Phuket. Total travel time = 32 hours.
We flew Qatar Airways which was OK, honestly nothing special. We did pay for an exit row / bulkhead row and that was SO worth it.
The Doha airport was pretty cool. Very modern and high end.
Day 1 - Finally, we arrived in Phuket! Our room was not ready yet, so we headed to the beach.
First cheers of vacation! Thai beer is great.
The Le Meridian Phuket was awesome. It has a private cove beach, the service was outstanding and the buffet breakfast was the best of the trip.
One of the largest pools I have ever seen!
Freshly squeezed juices available every morning
They also have an on-site restaurant where we had some lunch and it was great also.
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich
Pad Krapow… Shrimp with Holy Basil and this was SPICY!
Our first night in Thailand we headed out to a Muay Thai boxing match. This is the national sport of Thailand and is no joke. These guys (and girls) are TOUGH.
After Muay Thai, we headed over to Patong Beach. This is a crazy party street and we got some great street food.
A whole lobster, Crocodile meat skewer and potato on a stick. Exploring the food stalls and trying new things is one of my favorite experiences!
Day 2 – We booked a Luxury Sailing Yacht which took us to Hongs of Phang Nga, caves & caverns within the rock formations
We also visited Phing Kan Island, better known as James Bond Island from “The Man with the Golden Gun”.
The sunset was beautiful and it was a great day.
Day 3 – Today we did a speedboat tour that visited Phi Phi (pronounced pee pee) Islands, Maya Bay where The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed, Pileh Bay lagoon, Monkey Beach, Bamboo Island, and the best snorkeling we have ever done in our lives!!
Bamboo Island
Monkey Island
Phi Phi Island
Collecting birds nest for soup
Pileh Bay lagoon
The color of the water in the Thai Islands is something special.
Day 4 – We were usually up before sunrise to walk on the beach, and then we were on our way to Koh Samui! I pre-arranged all transfers to and from the airports and everything went perfectly. Bangkok airways was a quick and smooth flight.
Our last sunrise in Phuket
After landing in Koh Samui (one of the smallest airports I have been through) and finding our transfer, we arrived at the Vana Belle, a Marriott Luxury Collection.
Check in area
The Vana Belle mascot is half elephant and half fish
Lobby
Breakfast view
On arrival, they wash your hands with rose water to cleanse and for good luck. They gave us an arrival tea, and then we floated the coaster in the pond to make a wish.
Our room was beyond amazing and I am spoiled for my own pool from now on. Would stay here again in a heartbeat!
Obsessed with this plunge pool
The room key cards are made of wood
The grounds were perfectly manicured with beautiful orchids growing everywhere! They also had golf carts to whisk you around the resort (it is very hilly)
The beach here was very beautiful but the water was pretty rough, so we didn’t do much swimming.
The staff went so far above and beyond that I almost felt bad! Nothing was ever too much trouble. The service here is like nothing I have ever experienced.
Day 5 – Today was a tour of Koh Samui. The 4 hour excursion included stops at Wat Plai Laem temple and Wat Phra Yai, also known as “Big Buddha” temple where we received a monk blessing.
Nagas are often represented as door guardians
receiving the blessing for good luck
We also visited Lad Koh View Point, Grandfather rock and the Na Muang Waterfall. Overall, this tour was a good overview of Koh Samui.
Aptly named “Grandfather Rock”
best ever coconut ice cream
Na Muang Waterfall
We spent some time enjoying the room before we headed out to get some street food, and found a cool 2 story beachfront bar with bean bag chairs and fire performers on the beach below.
Day 6 – Best Day Ever!
Today we visited the Samui Elephant Sanctuary. Make sure when booking a “sanctuary” they are legit, do not allow elephant rides, and take good care of their elephants.
We started by making supplement balls from pumpkin, tamarind and banana with grass, salt and protein supplements. They bring in the elephants to meet you and feed them. Elephants love you when you have food!
We then visited with them out in the open. They are all females except for Lucky, who is a 5 year old male.
Lucky!
After returning to camp and having lunch, it was time for a cooling mud bath and then washing them off. This experience was literally my dream come true.
This afternoon we returned to the resort and the Vana Belle surprised us with a drawn rose & coconut bath and floating canapes in the pool.
Last night in Koh Samui, we headed out to Chaweng Beach area. We got some street food, walked on the beach and saw a Cabaret Show.
Day 7 – On to Chiang Mai.
Here we stayed at the Shangri-La for 4 nights. Pretty central location and the room was nice, but I was spoiled after the Vana Belle!
We upgraded for $30 a night for the Horizon Club which included a larger room, breakfast and a happy hour in the afternoons. Worth it.
We found a little restaurant called Lemongrass that we ate at twice. The food is amazing and the prices are unbelievable! I could literally eat here every. single. day.
Chicken in Green Curry, Stir Fried Morning Glory and Pork Pad Gra Prow, 380 Baht = $10.36 USD
Crispy Pork Belly, 140 Baht = $3.82 USD
Chicken Satay with peanut and chili dipping sauces, 105 Baht = $2.86 USD
This evening we did a private night temple tour that included 4 temples, and ended at the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar for more street food.
Resin Tree (Yang Na) - approximately 225 years old
The tua mom is derived from the crocodilian makara and is only seen in the north of Thailand, usually as a temple door guardian. They are good luck to bring rain.
Wat Chedi Luang, built in the 1300’s and destroyed by an earthquake in 1545
Day 8 - Today we had nothing planned in the morning so we hired a taxi for the day… which is only about $60. We first visited the Hmong Village, one of the Hill Tribes known for their colorful outfits. The plants and flowers in the village are so beautiful!
We then headed to the “Long Neck Karen” village, originally a tribe from Myanmar & Burma.
They are extremely talented with weaving and embroidery, and it is amazing how they have held on to their culture.
Very nice, beautiful and interesting people.
This evening, we attended a dinner show. This was a traditional performance with dancing, drums & costumes, and told the story of Thailand through song and dance.
The food was great! It consisted of fish, pork, rice, soup, coconuts, dessert and more.
We ended our day with a beer and Muay Thai Boxing
Day 9 – Today we drove ATVs. The guide was super nice but did not speak any English. The trail was sketchy in spots, the ATV was a single axel with terrible alignment and kept cutting off. I was honestly really scared would NOT recommend this company as the equipment just seemed old, battered and not mechanically sound.
This afternoon we walked around Chiang Mai and explored, got Thai massages, and ate at a restaurant named “Thai Food”, which was a lady cooking from her home in the carport. Of course, the food was amazing.
Thai Chicken with Coconut Soup, 70 Baht = $1.91 USD
Veggie Spring Rolls, 70 Baht = $1.91 USD
Day 10 – Today was another free morning and an evening temple tour. We visited an ancient Lanna tunneled temple called Wat Umong which was built in 1297.
The Chedi of Wat Umong, a temple built in 1297 by the Lanna dynasty
The Naga is a door guardian and often seen at entrances of temples
We also visited Dol Suthep for sunset. This temple is on top of the mountain and has sweeping views of Chiang Mai below.
Doi Suthep is a beautiful temple set high above Chiang Mai, dating back to the 14th century.
We got some fresh grilled prawns for dinner and enjoyed our last evening in Chaing Mai.
Day 11 – today we flew to Bangkok. We stayed in the Westin Grande Sukhumvit. While this hotel was very nice and in a high end location next to a great mall, but I would likely not stay here again. This business district has the worst traffic I have ever seen. It literally took us an hour and a half to travel 6 miles.
Sunset view from our room
This evening we did a tuk tuk food tour.
We saw the flower market and learned how to fold the lotus flower.
Marcus tried Duck Beaks
Stopped for a drink with a great view of Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn, on the Chao Phraya River.
Our next stop was tasting Michelin recommended dishes, and the kitchen was in the alley!
We also walked through Chinatown and had some desserts.
Day 11 – Today was another free day.
We explored around our hotel in the morning and got a tuk tuk out to Khaosan road in the evening.
Marcus tried tarantula and we just had some time to see the bars, shops and nightlife of Bangkok.
Day 12 – Our tour today consisted of the Grand Palace and Wat Po.
The grand Palace has many buildings, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, a museum, and more.
Construction on the Grand Palace began in 1782.
They do require long pants to enter, so if you did not pack any (Thailand is HOT!) you can buy some inexpensive elephant pants at the entrance.
Our next stop was Wat Po, which is my favorite temple.
The grounds are beautiful and this is where the Thai Massage was invented.
You can also see the reclining Buddha which is huge and fully covered in gold leaf.
Feet of the Buddha, with Mother of Pearl
Wat Po was a temple even before Bangkok was a city, believed to have been built around 1688-1703, and is also considered the first public University in Thailand.
Attempting my very rusty yoga skills
We got dinner at the hotel restaurant and the food was great! Ahi, Curry, Mussels and Tom Kha.
Then, it was sadly time to say goodbye to Thailand.
I can’t say enough about what an amazing country it truly is. The people are just wonderful, the food is delicious, it is affordable, and just one of my favorite destinations.
