January 2020
Thailand
Asia
Trip Summary
15 Days Total: Thailand and Cambodia
Arrival Flight: Philippine Airlines Toronto to Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand | 3 days
Transfer Flight: Air Asia Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia
Siem Reap, Cambodia | 1 day
Transfer Flight: Air Asia Siem Reap, Cambodia to Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiang Mai, Thailand | 3 days
Transfer Flight: Air Asia Chiang Mai, Thailand to Krabi, Thailand
Krabi (Railay Beach), Thailand | 2 days
Transfer Ferry: Andaman Wave Master Krabi to Ko Phi Phi
Ko Phi Phi, Thailand | 2 days
Transfer Ferry: Andaman Wave Master Ko Phi Phi to Phuket
Phuket, Thailand | 3 days
Transfer Flight: Air Asia Phuket, Thailand to Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand | 1 day
Departure Flight: Philippine Airlines Bangkok to Toronto
We had 13 days in Thailand that were jam-packed full off all different types of adventures. It was exciting, stunning, surprising, tiring, and amazing all at the same time. Here is a video of my suggested itinerary. Thailand has so much to offer and you can (and should) really tailor your trip to your preferences. For example, my husband and I really love exploring new quiet, quaint small towns and find large, busy, bustling cities exhausting, so if we were to go again, we would spend less time in Bangkok and more time in Chiang Mai. I will take you through what we would change from our trip, and explain what each place we visited has to offer, so you can make the right decision for yourself. However, regardless, I promise no matter what you choose as your itinerary for this adventure, it will be nothing short of life changing.
Before I take you through places we visited and recommendations for your trip, let's cover a few general tips about Thailand:
1. The best time to visit Thailand and avoid rainy season is between November and March, or if you plan to include the Lower Gulf in you trip (that is Ko Samui, Ko Phangan, and Ko Tao islands), then December to March is your best bet. We went in January and had sunny skies and no rain every day we were there
2. With those sunny skies and no rain comes a lot of heat and humidity. I mean, a lot. Especially in Bangkok where the city is absolutely buzzing 24 hours a day. Don't forget your sunscreen, and booking a hotel with a good pool is a must. There were many days we had to take an afternoon break from exploring to go cool (and wash) off in the pool.
3. You have to cover your shoulders, legs, and ankles when visiting temples (and you will be visiting a lot of temples in Thailand). Bring a long skirt or loose pants (remember, it is very hot) and a shawl in a small backpack when exploring during the days.
4. Download the "Grab" App before you go. This is the "Uber" of Southeast Asia. You can use this for rides and it will help with any language barriers or tourist traps
5. You should also download the "Agoda" App before you go. It is a good place to look for last minute hotels with lots of options and discounts based on what is available. We booked everything in advance because that's just how I roll (anxiety), but many people don't and there are lots of options for lodging and transportation if you want to play it by ear
6. You can buy a SIM card at the airport for your phone to avoid high roaming charges or using sketchy public WiFi. They are plentiful and very reasonable at around $10 for 5 days
7. There are massages everywhere in Thailand and they are amazing! The cheapest place we found had massages for 30 mins for $4. We did so much walking, we got a foot massage almost everyday that we were there and it was the best
8. There are fresh fruit smoothies and dried fruit on almost every corner. These are the best afternoon snacks - strawberry smoothies and dried pineapple and mangos were my favorites
9. Bamboo tattoos!!! If you are feeling spontaneous and brave. They are cheap and there is no downtown - you can go in the sun, pool, and ocean the next day with no issues. But, they take about 5x as long as the machine tattoos and can be more painful. So, it depends how much time you have, and your pain tolerance :)
10. Schedule a car to pick you up and take you to the airport in advance if you can. Getting to and from the airports can be quite stressful and overpriced, so if you can pre-book your ride, you will save yourself some hassle and potentially some moola $
11. If you plan to rent a scooter in Thailand when you arrive (which you definitely should, it is so much fun), make sure to get an IDP (International Driver's Permit) in your home country before you go. In Canada, you can get one at any CAA for about $25. They will ask for it at the scooter rental shop in Thailand. If you don't have one, they will still let you rent the scooter, but then if the police stop you and you don't have it, you will have to pay them off to continue on. It is so much easier, safer, and likely cheaper to just get the permit before
12. Don't let the IDP deter you though, renting a scooter is the way to go! It is the most inexpensive, most fun, and most efficient way to get around Thailand
13. Pack light and do laundry anywhere throughout the trip. There are loads (no pun intended) of laundry stops where you can drop your clothes off and they wash, fold, and iron it for you to pick back up later on. Supreme service for Thai prices - the best combo!
14. On the topic of packing light - pack only the essential toiletries - only the ones you know you need for sure. If you need anything else, there is a 7/11 on every corner that has everything you might need for reasonable prices
15. Don't forget to buy a power plug (travel) adapter from Amazon before you go
16. Air Asia is an inexpensive airline to use to book flights between cities when traveling within Thailand. The planes are fairly small and uncomfortable, but the flights are quick! If you have more time and are really on a budget, there are also a lot of bus and train options to get from destination to destination as a good alternative
Okay, enough small talk. Now for the good stuff. Here is what we did in Thailand, and what you should do if you go:
DAY 01
BANGKOK
City
We had a long travel day from Toronto, Canada to Bangkok, Thailand. We flew on Philippine Airlines flight 119 that left Toronto at 10:40pm, stopped in Manila for almost 6 hours at 4:20am the next morning, then landed in Bangkok at around noon later that day. The planes were comfortable, the food was decent and overall I would recommend the airline, but to say we were tired when we landed would be an understatement. It is also worth noting that Bangkok is 12 hours ahead of Toronto, so we landed at what felt like 12midnight to us. One thing I would highly, highly recommend, and have done for all of our trips since this one, is booking a nicer hotel for the first night or two after a long flight like this one. For our first two nights we stayed at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok. It was fantastic. We loved the happy hour on the rooftop before our evening activities.
When we arrived at the hotel from the airport, after a quick shower and a rooftop beverage for the Hilton's happy hour, we were ready to hit the town. We were still fairly tired so opted for a simpler evening and headed to the backpacker's capital of the world - Khao San Road. Here is a video tour of the area for reference. Now, after visiting Khao San Road, "simple" is definitely not a word I would use to describe it, but it was so much fun and the perfect activity to acquaint us to the city of Bangkok. Khao San Road is a huge party street with unlimited vendors selling food, drinks, clothing and souvenirs. We drank vodka from a giant bucket, Drew ate a fried scorpion, we made some other tourist friends, did some shopping, and took a tuk tuk ride home. It was the perfect first night in Thailand.
Patpong Market, also known as the Bangkok red light district, is another area known for it's nightlife, and is around 20 mins away from Khao San Road. You may have heard of the famous Thai Ping Pong or Lady Boy shows, and this is the place to find them. Going to these type of shows is a personal choice, so do your research and do what you will. I will warn you, though, a Ping Pong show has little to do with playing actual Ping Pong. Though Ping Pong balls are involved in another capacity. We will leave these details for another blog
DAY 02
BANGKOK
Temples
This morning we woke up extremely early (thanks jet lag) and had coffee at the hotel while planning our day. Today, we were going to do a tour de temple - aka visit the many famous temples that Bangkok has to offer. We had plans to visit Wat Phra Krew (The Grand Palace), Wat Pho (The Reclining Buddha), Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), Wat Traimit (The Golden Buddha), and the Emerald Buddha. However, after visiting the first three temples, we were a bit temple-d out, and if I were to recommend a series of temple visits to another tourist, I would say the three we visited were perfect and plenty.
First up is Wat Phra Krew (The Grand Palace). It is open daily from 8:30am-3:30pm, and I would recommend starting early for your day of temple exploring. Entrance tickets can be purchased online (at least 24 hours before your visit), or at the gate. A single ticket is 500 Thai baht, or ~$20 CAD. The temple is vast, intricate, and amazing. Take public transportation to get there - there are public boats along the canal, and a public sky train. They are fairly easy to navigate, and so much more efficient than getting stuck in traffic in an expensive taxi all day. Don't forget to pack your cover up clothes as well!
Just a 10 minute walk down the street you will find another intricate temple called Wat Pho (Temple of Reclining Buddha). Wat Pho is open daily from 8:30am to 6:30pm and costs 200 Thai baht (around $8 CAD) to enter. As the name suggests, this temple has a humungous reclining buddha which was so cool to see. Once you are done exploring The Reclining Buddha, head to the canal and cross the water to arrive at your last temple of the day - Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Wat Arun is one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand with it's white detail walls and is a must visit. It is open daily from 8:00am to 5:30pm and costs 50 Thai bhat (around $2 CAD) to enter.
After a long, awe-inspiring day of temple exploring, we were ready for some dinner and a foot massage. We found a street vendor for a $4 CAD 30 minute foot massage, and continued just up the canal to our next destination - the iconic ICONSIAM. ICONSIAM definitely can't be considered a "hidden" gem, due to it's massive size and intricacy, but when researching things to do in Thailand before our trip, this awesome stop did not come up somehow, and it was one of our most enjoyable dinners. ICONSIAM is a huge, and I mean huge, high-end fashion small with tons of shopping and stores - some you are used to back home (like the biggest, fanciest H&M I have ever seen), and some new unique Asian designers. The best part of ICONSIAM however, in my opinion, was the lowest level where all the food vendors were located. This is definitely the best mall "food court" we have ever eaten at. They had so many amazing fresh, local, inexpensive options for food, and we spent the rest of the evening taste testing our way through the vendors.
DAY 03
BANGKOK
Huskies
Today is the day of huskies!!! Yes, the white, fluffy, canine huskies you are thinking of. All the way in Bangkok! Thailand has endless animal-related adventures, and some of these are the popular animal cafes. In Bangkok alone, they have the Caturday Cat Cafe, the Little Zoo Cafe, the True Love Neverland Husky Cafe (that we visited), the HOPs Dog Cafe, the Big Dog Cafe, and even a Corgi cafe called Corgi in the Garden! Talk about heaven. We opted for the True Love Neverland Husky Cafe after a recommendation from friends of ours, and it did not disappoint. Here is a video of our day at the cafe. It is important to mention here as well that, from what we saw and learned while we were there, these cafes are cruelty free and the owners truly care about the animals - giving them a long, healthy, happy life. However, new cafes open and management changes over time, so it is important to do your own research before supporting one of these type of establishments. The True Love Neverland Husky Cafe is open every day and has 2 sessions per day with the huskies that they call "playtime" - with the first one being from 1-2pm, and the second being from 4-5pm. A ticket for entry is 350 Thai bhat (around $13 CAD), and includes one drink from the drink menu, a bottle of water, and an hour of playtime and photos with the cutest, friendliest, fluffiest pups ever. Now, this particular husky cafe operates on a first-come, first-served basis, is very popular in Bangkok, so I would suggest going early to secure your tickets. You can go as early as 11:30am to purchase your ticket if you want to take advantage of the first playtime from 1-2pm. This is what we did and it worked out great. Though they do sell food at the cafe, in the meantime between buying our ticket and waiting for playtime, we opted to venture about 15 minutes up the road to a cute little restaurant called Lay Lao, and would highly recommend. The staff was so kind, the service was great, and the food was some of the best we had in Bangkok!
Once you have said goodbye to your new furry friends and are ready for your next Thai adventure, call a Grab (Thai Uber) and head 10 mins up the road to the Chatuchak Weekend Market - assuming it is the weekend of course. As the name suggests, the Chatuchak Weekend Market is only fully open on the weekends. It is open Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm, and is free to enter. It is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7am-6pm - but just the plant section, and it is also open Fridays from 6pm-12pm, but only for wholesale buyers. If you can, I would highly suggest waiting until Saturday or Sunday to get the full market and the full experience. The market is enormous, with over 15,000 stalls offering an eclectic variety of items, from food to clothing to souvenirs, and even animals. They have lockers at the front of the market if you are carrying luggage or have your temple visiting back packed with longer skirts and shawls that you don't want to carry around with you while you are shopping. One more thing - don't forget to barter at these markets! They know you are a foreigner and automatically 10x the price when they see you. Don't be afraid to barter, and don't be afraid to walk away. You can get a deal on almost anything if you work for it!
This was the end of our time in Bangkok for now and we had an amazing 3 days. Personally, I think 3 days was a perfect amount of time to explore this bustling city - 1 day for acclimating to Bangkok life, exploring the backpacker hotspots, and a bit of partying, 1 day for temple exploring, and 1 day for animal cafes and shopping. A few things we had on our list that we didn't get to, if you end up having more time were: visiting the street food market at Tha Chang Pier, going out for some nightlife at Octave Rooftop at the Marriott or a pool party at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit, hiring a boat to explore the city’s channels (khlongs), taking a day trip to one of floating markets outside the city (Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa, Taling Chan), taking a day trip to Samut Prakan (30 mins), taking a day trip to Ayutthaya (train has nice views), or, if you are feeling extra adventurous, attending a naked sushi experience at somewhere like Mojo Sons. If you are heading to the airport from here like we were, remember to give yourselves lots of extra time. It is only about 20km away from downtown, but it can take over 1.5 hours to get there. The traffic in Bangkok is crazy, so be warned!
DAY 04
CAMBODIA
Siem Reap
DAY 05
CHIANG MAI
Food
DAY 06
CHIANG MAI
Elephants
This next day was spent in Siem Reap, Cambodia exploring the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. To learn more about this portion of the trip and our experience in Cambodia, head over to the Cambodia page of the blog. We flew into Siem Reap from Bangkok the prior evening, and then returned to Thailand the morning after one full day exploring, flying from Siem Reap to Chiang Mai. Both flights were taken with Air Asia, a budget-friendly, no-frills airline.
We landed in Chiang Mai at 4:05pm this day from Siem Reap, so by the time we made it to the Airbnb, there wasn't much daylight left for a big expedition. The Airbnb had a really nice rooftop pool, so we spent a while there getting settled, taking a dip, and enjoying the view, before heading out on the hunt for some dinner and a little adventure in a new town. The Airbnb had everything we needed and was in a perfect location with the bonus of laundry and the nice rooftop pool, so I would recommend staying there if you go.
Just a 10 minute walk from our accommodations, we happened upon this awesome market called think PARK, bustling with shops and food vendors and luring us in. We spent the rest of our evening here trying new small dishes, enjoying some live music, and window shopping, until we headed back for the evening and got some much needed rest. Think PARK has outdoor communal picnic-like low to the ground tables set up where everyone sits together trying new foods, and it is quite a vibe. A perfect first night in Chiang Mai!
This day was a day we had been looking forward to since we booked our trip to Thailand - it was time to visit the elephants! There are a couple ways and places to interact with elephants in Thailand, but of course we wanted to be mindful of the animals and do this in the most humane and caring way possible - which led us to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. This particular ethical and sustainable sanctuary rescues elephants that were poached, ridden, overworked, or abused and gives them a happy, healthy, fulfilled life, while still allowing tourists to interact with them in a wholesome, non-invasive, non-abusive way! We booked on their website (which was very easy) and allowed us to choose from a Morning Visit, Afternoon Visit, Full Day or even an Overnight Visit. We went for the Morning Visit, which was perfect. The Morning Visit was a half day trip that costs $1700 Thai bhat per person (around $67 CAD). This was definitely one of our more expensive excursions, but a portion of the proceeds went to helping and feeding the elephants, and it was a truly unforgettable experience. The tour started at 630am when we were picked up right from our Airbnb, and driven around 1.5 hours into the Chiang Mai wilderness to the sanctuary. Once we arrived, we were given a short introduction to the sanctuary itself and the elephants living here. We then got to meet the elephants up close and feed them bananas - which was hilarious and amazing. Once they were full for the time being, we walked with the elephants to a small water basin on the property and had what they call a "mud spa with the elephants" - where they encourage you to get into the mud pit with the elephants and splash them with water as they splash you back with their trunk. It was so much fun, I didn't even think once about the mud embedding itself into my hair and fingernails. Finally, to finish off our marvelous morning with the elephants, we were served a nice Thai lunch, and then driven back to our hotel to arrive around 130pm in the afternoon. The visit was amazing and a must-do if you are in the area, just remember to wear clothes you don't ming getting dirty 🤍
Now, after getting back to the Airbnb and cleaning off the mud from our mud spa, we still had lots of day left to explore Chiang Mai. What we decided to do, and I what I would suggest you do as well if you go, is rent a scooter and head up to Doi Suthep for some more temple exploring. It was a bit of a hike, just under an hour on the scooter to get there, but riding the scooter is so fun and it was a great way to see the Chiang Mai landscape. You can rent a scooter from any shop in the area, and it should cost you just around $10 for 24 hours.
Doi Suthep was stunning, and offered more nature than the temples we saw in Bangkok, which fits with the Chiang Mai vibe. It is a 5,499-foot mountain that has different trails through evergreen forests & a picturesque, hilltop temple. It is quite the undertaking walking up seemingly endless stairs to reach said hilltop temple, so please remember to bring your temple appropriate clothing with you before you go up, so you don't have to walk back down to buy some at the vendors at the bottom to be allowed inside (unfortunately, yes, I am giving you this advice from experience... ouch).
Cap your adventure-packed day today off with a fantastic, authentic Asian dinner like we did at a hotpot buffet. We went to Shabu Buffet which was just a 5 min drive from the Airbnb, and did not disappoint. They sit you at a table with a pot of boiling water and a small cooktop in the middle, and allow you to pick any sort of food to cook in the pot yourself in front of you. We tried everything, and it was awesome! Don't be shy to visit the fridges at the back of the restaurant to pick out extra items.
DAY 07
CHIANG MAI
Waterpark
Start your last morning off in Chiang Mai in the most purr-fect place to get a morning coffee - The Catmosphere Cat Cafe. Like Bangkok, Chiang Mai is home to many adorable animal cafes, and this one is just a 5 min drive from the Airbnb and has the most friendly, lovable, social kitties to hang out with while sipping on your daily caffeine.
Once you are full of caffeine and cat cuddles, hop on your moped or scooter and drive (carefully) about 30 mins over to Grand Canyon Waterpark for the day. This was a place we just happened across when we were there, and was one of the best things we did. It is a huge waterpark with tons of activities like kayaking, cliff jumping, water trampolines, floats, zip-lining, etc. which are perfect to escape the Thailand heat for the day and have a ton of fun. It costs about $25 CAD to get in, and you can book online or pay at the door. They also have good food and drinks there, so you can stay for lunch!
This was the end of our stay in Chiang Mai, and following our waterpark adventure, we headed to the Chiang Mai airport for a 4 o'clock Air Asia flight to Krabi to start our Thai island tour portion of the trip. However, Chiang Mai was one of our favorite stops in Thailand and we left so many fun activities on the table because of time constraints, so if you were to go and have time to extend your stay, I would choose this stop to add a few days to over many others. If you can stay a while longer, here are some things we wished we did: dinner in one of the restaurants on the banks of the river, day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park (~1.5 hours by scooter), a day trip to Pai (~2 hours by scooter to see the Pai canyon, walking street, hot springs, tubing down the river, waterfalls, and the Santichon Chinese village), or a day trip to the Lampang province (~1.5 hours by scooter to see the evening market, walking street, and the famous stairway to heaven)
DAY 08
RAILAY BEACH
Islands
Next up on our Thai adventure is the highly coveted Railay Beach. We flew into Krabi from Chiang Mai, then took a ~20 min taxi (~$15 CAD) to Ao Nammao Pier where we hopped on a quick ferry (~$3 CAD) to Railay Beach. They run back and forth consistently all day, so just show up whenever you are ready. Railay has gorgeous, extensive, famous beaches, lots of fun, chill, island-vibe bars, no shortage of the devil's lettuce (4/20 everyday lol), some cool cafes and restaurants with good fresh seafood, boat tours, and that is pretty much it. It is stunningly beautiful, but extremely small, and more expensive than our other Thai stops. We stayed 3 nights with 2 full days here, and though we fully enjoyed our stay, one full day and night would have been enough for me - especially knowing our jam-packed itinerary and list of activities and destinations we wanted to hit while we were here. However, it is good to mention (if you haven't already figured it out) that my husband and I are more the active, adventurous, explorative types who can't sit still, rather than the relax, sleep, read and swim at the beach types. If you do like to relax on the beach with a book, this is maybe one of the top places in the world to do it. We stayed at the Sand Sea Resort and it was fantastic. We had a comfy bed, a huge room, a great big (included) buffet breakfast, and it was right on the beach and close to everything while still quiet in the evenings. 100% would recommend.
The first full day here in Railay Beach you will want to take a tour of the neighboring islands. This is the most popular excursion in the area and a must-do. There are tons of boat operators on the beach offering tours all day everyday, so just walk over to the beach whenever you are ready, get your best bargaining hat on, and get to work selecting a tour and company. You will want a tour that takes you to visit Koh Gai (the chicken island), Koh Tup, Koh Mor, and Koh Poda. You can find a group tour for ~$20 CAD or a private tour for ~$80 CAD. We opted for a private tour because we were doing well for budget at this point in the trip, and we preferred to be on our own schedule and have more space on the boat, but either would be fine and fun - just take your pick! If you do do a private tour, rent a snorkel and bring your own snacks and beer from one of the shops inland before you head out. On your tour, you will likely see jellyfish as they are common in this area. The white or clear jellyfish you will see aren't dangerous, but be careful to stay away from the colored ones - they will sting you. Also, it sounds obvious, but we all still forget, bring, wear, and reapply your sunscreen. The sun is so hot on these Thai beaches and you will be having so much fun you don't realize you are turning into the lobsters you see under the water until you are writhing in pain in bed later that evening. Just trust me.
This evening, once you are home from your island tour and aloe-ed up, get some dinner from one of the waterfront restaurants and then join the rest of the crowd on the main beach with a towel or yoga mat and a beer to watch the unforgettable sunset. This is truly one of the best free things you can do in Thailand, so don't miss it.
DAY 09
RAILAY BEACH
Viewpoints
On our second full day in Railay Beach, we were ready for some adventure, and some shade. If you are feeling the same, I would suggest following our itinerary for today. First, after breakfast at the hotel, head out to explore the other beaches in Railay - Tonsai, Railay West, Railay East, and Phra Nang. At Phra Nang, you can also hike up to the Railay Viewpoint. It is a steep climb and not for the faint of heart (or rather, the faint of exercise), but it is gorgeous and very much worth the view at the top. Plus, like I said, we were a bit bored of beaches and ready for a challenge. The viewpoint closes at 5pm, so make sure to go before then. Early or mid morning is the best time in my opinion. Make sure to look up in the trees on your climb up for monkey friends hanging out and cheering you on. By the way, please don't feed or try to touch the monkeys, we heard a story of a tourist attempting to take a photo with a monkey on her shoulder, and in return for a mediocre Instagram post, the monkey took a big bite out of her cheek. Not fun, and not worth it. They are cute enough to admire and photograph from afar.
After heading back down from the viewpoint and making your way back to town, you might want to fuel up with a bite to eat. After lunch, if you are not hiked out, another fun adventure this area offers is a hike to the Railay Lagoon. It is easy to follow signs in town to get there, but try to time your hike with the tide at that time of year so that the lagoon is full of water when you arrive. It is a quite strenuous hike, so an empty lagoon at the end would be disappointing, and it empties daily when the tide goes out. This is another hike not for the faint of heart that including propelling down cliffs with a rope and hiking all-terrain, so wear athletic clothes, strong athletic shoes, and bug spray.
DAY 10
KOH PHI PHI
Party
This morning, or the previous evening (depending on your travel plans), you will head over to the neighboring island of Koh Phi Phi (pronounced ko-pee-pee... yes you heard that right). There is no need to book a ferry to or from your next destination in advance when you are in Thailand. You can get tickets easily (and likely cheaper) when you are there than online, and the ferries leave consistency throughout the day, so it is easy enough to just hop on when you feel like carrying on. However, if there are any other OCD girlies like me who need to have everything booked in advance to sleep well at night, we booked ours online prior to the trip with Andaman Wave Master and it worked out great.
Koh Phi Phi is a fairly small but bustling island in the southeast corner of Thailand between Railay Beach and Phuket. It is absolutely gorgeous, as all of the Thai islands are, with crystal clear teal waters, fine sand beaches and luscious limestone cliffs, with a hint of Ultra Music Festival or EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) vibes. The main street in Koh Phi Phi consists of raves, beach parties, pool parties, tons of EDM music and alcohol at almost all hours of the day and night. If you do have this stop on your list, don't plan on sleeping much. It is very fun, but a couple of days is enough for you and your liver.
We stayed at the Phi Phi Sea Sky Resort for the 2 nights we were in Koh Phi Phi. The view from the lobby and room was unbelievable, breakfast was lovely, and it was one of the few quiet corners of the busy, loud island. Nevertheless, I would not recommend it unless you are prepared to hike to get there (I mean hike 30 minutes uphill through a forest-like trail) and live in a subpar cleaned and comfortable room for a few nights. We were in what felt like the farthest corner of the island from the main strip, and though I also don't recommend staying on the main strip where you would be sleeping in the middle of an EDM festival, a little bit closer would have been nice. After sunset and a few cocktails, it proved quite difficult to get ourselves back to our room each night navigating this uphill trail in the darkness.
When you arrive and check in to your hotel, explore the "downtown" a little, check out the many beach and pool parties going on, and if you are feeling active, find your way to the viewpoint trail for a hike. There are a bazillion stairs, so make sure to stretch your quads before you go, but the view at the top is breathtaking. There are 3 viewpoints on the trail - I would suggest going to viewpoint 1 and 2 which are beautiful and cost just a few dollars to visit. I would skip viewpoint 3 if I were to go back, just because it isn't as good of a view as the first two, and you have to pay an additional fee to see it.
Once you are back in town after your big hike, you might want to jump in a pool or the beach to cool off. Then, when you are ready and refreshed for an evening of fun, follow the music for a night of endless activity and entertainment. I don't have specific suggestions of where to go, really just whatever looks fun to you in the moment, but I do have a few pro tips. Pro tip #1: you will see everyone walking around with buckets of booze and a straw. This is the drink of choice for partying on Koh Phi Phi and you can carry it with you anywhere. The tip is to buy your bucket of booze one or two streets over from the main strip. It is the exact same thing you will get on the main strip, for half the price and a 2 min walk. Pro tip #2: you will see lots of different entertainment shows like fire shows or acrobat shows on the beach. These are "free" and open to the public, but the performers do expect tips and can be quite pushy and convincing. The tip is to stand at the back of the show to watch - don't sit or stand near the front - because this is where they come around with the tip basket and pressure you to tip big. You can usually see just as good from a few steps back, you won't get hustled, and then you can leave whenever you want as well. Have fun!
DAY 11
KOH PHI PHI
Snorkel
This morning, after you sleep in from dancing the night away and have breakfast at your hotel, you can head to the pier or into town to find a boat tour to join for the day. You will want to find a boat to take you to visit the northern beaches of the island, specifically Mosquito Island and Bamboo Island, along with a few others. When we were there we found a long tail boat tour that took us and a few other tourists to 5 neighboring islands, provided a snorkel and a box lunch, and even threw in a nighttime glow-in-the-dark plankton snorkel experience that was a bit scary but very cool and unique. This full day tour was just ~$7 CAD each - remember to bargain, you can always talk the tour operators down, especially for day of tours that they will be operating already anyways. We did see a few party boats on our tour that were visiting the same stops and looked very fun with much nicer boats and more space, but the pricing for one of those nicer tours was ~$60 CAD, so it depends how you are doing with your budget at this point in the trip on which one you choose.
Finally, you can end your evening with some more alcohol, dancing, or live entertainment if you are feeling up to it. We split the activities in Koh Phi Phi into two days since we had pre-booked our trip, but if I were to go back, I would visit the viewpoint, do the boat tour, and enjoy the downtown party scene all in one eventful day and night on the island and then pack up and continue on to all the other gorgeous stops Thailand has to offer.
Again, you can take a ferry from Koh Phi Phi to any island you are visiting next whenever you are ready to go, or you can prebook online through Andaman Wave Master.
DAY 12
PHUKET
Buddha
Phuket is the last stop on your Thai adventure if you follow the same itinerary we did. We loved Phuket when we were there and 3 days was a perfect amount of time to spend in this part of Thailand. It is more developed and more of a city vibe than Koh Phi Phi and Railay Beach, but still has an island feel. Scooters are allowed and everything is nicely spread out with lots of beaches and beach towns to explore.
We stayed at the Nook Dee Boutique Resort which is now rebranded as The Sea Galleri by Katathani. I would 100% recommend this hotel. It was the best place we stayed on our two week Thailand and Cambodia trip and maybe still one of the best hotels I have ever stayed out through my travels. It had stunning views, great, comfortable, large rooms, friendly, kind, attentive staff, a good location, and awesome amenities including a crystal clear infinity pool and a beautiful rooftop deck to watch the sunset and enjoy a cocktail. It was fantastic to stay at a nicer resort for the last few days of our trip and really soak it all in before we started our long journey back home.
Once you are settled in your hotel and maybe jumped in the pool for a quick dip to cool off, ask the front desk staff where the closest reliable place is to rent a scooter and head there. We rented our scooter for the full 3 days we were staying in Phuket to make it easy and economical, and I would suggest you do the same. Once you're all set with your transportation, head up the coast on the way to the Big Buddha. If you are also staying at the Nook Dee Resort or somewhere nearby, Kata Beach is on your way to the Big Buddha and is a great place to stop for a swim, food, drinks, sightseeing, or even some light shopping. Kata Beach is a nice area with lots of nice hotel options nearby up the hill if you are looking for a stay in a good area. It is one of the higher end beaches or areas in Phuket that we visited and less busy than the others, which made it our favorite. After Kata Beach, continue on to the main event: The Big Buddha. As the name suggests, the Big Buddha is quite big. It is a 45-metre-tall white marble statue visible from anywhere in the southern part of Phuket. It is free to visit to just view from the outside and is stunning up close with the added bonus of an extensive 360 view of Phuket from above. Once you are done visiting with the Big Buddha, hop back on your scooter and head back down the hill. If you are hungry, you can stop for dinner at one of the restaurants on your way down the hill for a beautiful dinner with a view. Bonus if it's sunset.
DAY 13
PHUKET
Beaches
Today is a day of exploring the famous Patong Beach. Patong is known for it's 3-km strip of golden sand as one of the most popular beaches in Phuket, along with it's bustling nightlife. Kata Beach and Karon Beach are on the way to Patong Beach from the hotel. Hop on your scooter and make a beach-hopping day out of it, stopping at each one along the way to your final destination. Karon Beach is fairly similar to Kata Beach, though a bit more busy. When you arrive in Patong on your scooter next, you will know it. Patong is a wild, busy, and super fun area with tons to do right on the beach and on walking street. You can visit the Patong Market if you feel like doing some shopping, but remember to bargain! They start high here but will go low. In Bangkok, they start lower - but you can get to the same price in either place. One bargain you might see often here and want to be careful with are 6 Tequila shots for $4. Yikes. Patong is wild and fun, but I would not recommend staying at a hotel here if you want to get some sleep. It was plenty fun to visit for the afternoon and evening, and then scooter (or take a tuk-tuk if you are drinking) home to our quiet, nice hotel at the end of the night.
DAY 14
PHUKET
Cape
Your last day in Phuket, and second last day in Thailand is a bittersweet one. It was such an amazing trip and so many unforgettable memories were made that it is sad to go, but of course, eventually we need to get back to reality and head back home. I would suggest spending today on the scooter (it was seriously one of the most fun parts of the trip- just be safe!) exploring the southern tip of Phuket that we haven't seen yet. Start by scootering to the Karon Viewpoint for a mediocre hike to another gorgeous view of a beautiful Thai island to capture a few last photos and memories before you leave. Then, continue south to the Promthep Cape peninsula where you can swim, snorkel, eat, drink, shop, and explore. Stay for the perfect sunset over the Andaman Sea where you can watch the colorful fishing boats soar through the clear waters as the sun goes down for the last time before you go. This is the ultimate, unbeatable last view to have in your mind and in your eyes as you say goodbye for now to beautiful Thailand.
We had a perfect stay in Phuket and wouldn't change a thing, but if you find yourself with extra time there, we heard good feedback about others who had a chance to see a Muay Thai fight, or who booked a day trip to explore Phang Nga by kayak. From here, we flew with Air Asia from Phuket back to Bangkok, and had a bit of time to do some last minute souvenir shopping and get some rest before our long, sad flight home the next morning.