Basic Travel Guide - Thailand

Thailand has been my favourite country I've been to thus far. I fell in love and can't wait to get back in the near future. Booking Thailand can be a little stressful as there are many places to choose from. This guide will explain some of the different places in Thailand with characteristics of each place to hopefully help you with planning your next Thailand adventure.

You also can take a look at my Thailand video -- >> HERE

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Chiang Mai

Location: Northern Thailand

Characteristics: Cultural, Refreshed, Ancient, Relaxing

Must Do's: Cooking class, Ethical Elephant Sanctuary, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Wat Ban Den, Explore the different markets, "Sticky" Waterfall

Chiang Mai is a must while travelling to Thailand. We didn't originally have it planned but things changed when we arrived & we ended up going their for 5 days. You will find so much culture in Chiang Mai compared to other parts of the country & so many activities to choose from. No beaches, but rivers run through the city. Your days can be filled with amazing activities with always something to do! I would recommend hiring a private driver for a few days to take you to multiple places a day. Hiring a driver was very affordable and it let us get around very easily.

Bangkok

Location: Central Thailand

Characteristics: Busy, Noisy, Populated, Extravagant

Must Do's: Khao San Road, Chatuchak Market

Bangkok is the one place in Thailand I wouldn't completely recommend going to. It is busy, noisy, and super hot (little access to beaches/water). We enjoyed our time in Bangkok but I would never say you missed out by not going. Stop in for a day or two and you should be good! I would recommend going to Khao San Road. It's a party street where we had some fun nights and great street food. Chatuchak Market is a cool experience with thousands of vendors. We never got the chance to head to a floating market but I have heard some great things!

Phuket

Location: Southern Thailand

Characteristics: Beaches, Party

Must Do's: Boat Tour, Bangala Road, Beach Day

The south of Thailand is definitely a must on your travels. This is where you will find the beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters. Phuket has so much to offer from heading to the beach, choosing from multiple different excursions, to ending the day at Bangala Road to party. From Phuket, you are close to Phi Phi Island, & Krabi where you also might find yourself staying. We decided to just stay in Phuket and do day trips where we wanted. I would high

ly recommend doing a boat tour. We did a tour that brought us to James Blond island which was breathtaking. On the boat we were surrounded by the beautiful water and large rocks in every direction. I truly felt like I was in a Jurassic Park movie.

Koh Tao

Location: Gulf of Thailand

Characteristics: Zen, Relaxing, Peaceful, Beautiful

Must Do's: Scuba Diving (If you want to try or like it)

Koh Tao was a short stop of ours. Koh Tao was one of the most beautiful stops we had in Thailand. Right when we arrived on the island, we felt a sense of relaxation. We spent our time in Koh Tao relaxing in our hotel and we did go out for the day scuba diving. I personally am not a fan of scuba diving after trying to do it but I would highly recommend going there! They see whale sharks quite often and it's one of the cheapest places to book if you have a desire to go.

Koh Samui

Location: Gulf of Thailand

Characteristics: Beaches, Quiet

Must Do's: Don't have any specifics

Koh Samui was a beautiful yet quiet location. It may not always be as quiet as we experienced it as it was the full moon party 2 days later on the island of Koh Phangan. We assumed that many travellers had already made their way to the island of Koh Phangan. We took our two days in Koh Samui to simply relax before we headed to the full moon party! We spent some time on the beach, had some great food, and hit some some local bars at night. We stayed in Lamai which is known for being a less busy spot in Koh Samui then Chaweng Beach. I don't have any specific recommendations for Koh Samui but it still was a great stop on our trip!

Koh Phangan

Location: Gulf of Thailand

Characteristics: Busy, Party, Beautiful, Expensive

Must Do's: Full Moon Party or any other moon party

Koh Phangan was an experience because of the Full Moon Party. Thousands and thousands of people were all on the beach for a huge party. I would recommend going to Koh Phangan during any of the moon parties if you want to party. Koh Phangan was also beautiful. We stayed a bit further away from where the Full Moon party was located. This had its pros and cons. The taxi drivers there all agreed on a set minimum price for the days leading up to the Full Moon party and the days after, so it was quite expensive to get around. Therefore, it may have been worth staying within walking distance of the party. The pros was that we were away from the hustle and bustle of the party and got to enjoy a beautiful beachfront location before and after the party.

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There you have it! A basic Travel Guide for Thailand. I hope this can help you choose the different locations you want to go on your own travels. Stay tuned for more blog posts on Thailand with specific guides for each place including where we stayed, full recommendations of the areas, and more!

Thanks for reading xoxo!