Thailand
Chiang Mai, Krabi & Bangkok
Thailand Tips:
Sarong: You can't get into temples if your knees or shoulders are showing so bring a light sarong tucked in your bag everywhere you go and can wrap it around your shoulders/legs as needed (its REALLY hot in Thailand so the sarong is a nice/light option). It also doubles as a beach skirt when you go to the islands.
Bug spray: Bring a lot ofbug spray- the bugs/mosquitos are no joke in Thailand (and some can carry malaria etc). I was getting bit even during the day after using bug repellent lotion and spraying both my clothes and body. This was in both Chiang Mai & the islands. You can get malaria pills if you’re worried however, I hear they can have not-so-fun side effects.
Toilet Paper/Bathrooms: A lot of public bathrooms don’t have toilet paper in the bathrooms and their “seat” situation can be... interesting/non existent ….. Some are built into the ground like this and have to stand over it. Carry a small pack of tissues in your bag and be mentally prepared for what some toilets may look like when you enter the bathroom.
Chiang Mai
Where To Stay (Chiang Mai)
Pingviman Hotel ♡* : We LOVED our hotel in the Old Quarter, Chiang Mai. The location was a little bit of a walk to the main part of old city (10 min) but the hotel was beautiful, great staff, the rooms were awesome. The hotel had a homey/cozy feel, a really nice pool, good (free) breakfast & excellent service etc.
Where To Eat (Chiang Mai)
Restaurants: There are a bunch in the attached itinerary that we researched that looked good, however, these listed below are the two that stood out as our favorites below. Also, definitely eat a lot of tom yom soup, khao soi & mango sticky rice! :
Dash ♡: We went here for dinner and it was really really good. Dash is a nicer restaurant with a giant outdoor area with live music. It was a little pricey and less traditional than normal Thailand standards (AKA like $40 total for 2 people for dinner instead of $15) - highly recommend for a nicer night out!
Coconut Shell ♡♡ : Coconut Shell is excellent for lunch and we really enjoyed it. Get the coconut shake if you go, I’ve never had anything so delicious and refreshing in my life and think about it often -- its not like an American shake, this is light & refreshing.
Things To Do (Chiang Mai)
Cooking Class ♡ : We took a 4 hour cooking class that was a crash course in all things Thai food called Basil Cookery . We made 6 dishes (pad thai, 2 curries, spring rolls, papaya salad, tom yom soup, mango stickey rice & stir fry). They bring you to the market first to show you the ingredients in the foods you'll make and explain what things are etc. They pick you up from your hotel and drop you off. There wasn't any drinking involved which was totally fine, but definitely changes the vibe a little since youre with a 2-4 other couples. My friends did Thai Cooking Farm which is a longer class (all day, 8.5 hours) - its supposed to be awesome too
Doi Inthanon National Park ♡♡: We did a private day trip to Doi Inthanon. Our guide took us to waterfalls, to the twin pagodas (to honor the king & queen), the highest point in Thailand and then on a 1.5-2 hour hike through the woods/rice fields with a local guide. He showed us farms, local plants & went swimming at the bottom of the one of the waterfalls. Our guide took us to lunch at a local coffee spot in a small village 1.5 hours outside of the city. We really enjoyed this day trip- they picked us up, dropped us off at the hotel.
58K Mile Bike Ride ♡ : We did a guided 58K bike ride through Grasshopper Adventures. This bike tour took us through the country side of Chiang Mai, which was a bit of a wild adventure and absolutely loved. We took the train 30 minutes (with a guide) out to Lamphun and saw a massive Wat there and then rode through the country side through farms (stopped and ate fruit off trees and stuff & explained everything to us), had lunch at a local spot (in the middle of nowhere), went to a market & wood carving market where you can buy art/furniture etc. We really enjoyed this but were dead after! Cool way to see the countryside!
Elephants: We didn’t do elephants because we didn't care to despite everyone telling me I'd regret not doing it (i dont regret not doing it) but a good friend of mine went to this elephant sanctuary and said its one of the best in Chiang Mai, she said to book at least 1 month out: Patara Elephant Farm
Night Bazaar: Night bazaar was really cool to walk around for a few hours - a great place to get gifts for the fam (very cheap!)
Wats: You will get Watt-ed out quickly - choose which ones you want to see in Chiang Mai because it can get monotonous quickly. The coolest Wat we went to in Chiang Mai was : Wat Chedi Luang Varavihara
Krabi
Where To Stay (Krabi)
Amari Vogue ♡ : We stayed at the Amari Vogue Krabi and it was absolutely gorgeous and the restaurants on the property are actually really really good along with an excellent spa. Our room was huge with great views, a bath, hot tub & balcony. Amari is at the far end of Krabi (technically Tubkaak Beach) as we didn’t want to be in the main overcrowded, busy/touristy areas with shops etc (45 minutes from the main beach & airport). Tubkaak is very secluded, relaxing and has a gorgeous beach (about 20-30 minutes from the nearest town- they have shuttles that will take you for a reasonable price). Tip: Bring a lot of cash. We didn’t enjoy going to the main beach towns, staying on the resort was better. The only reason we went into town is because we ran out of cash and there wasn’t an ATM for miles.
Where To Eat (Krabi)
Tubkaek Seafood : This is the only restaurant we ate dinner off the hotel property, about a 15 minute walk down the beach. Food was good and was a cool beach/hutty, chairs in the sand type of place. We enjoyed it.
Lotus (Amari) ♡ : We did a prefix Thai dinner at Lotus (at Amari, the hotel we were staying at) and the food was actually phenomenal. I distinctly remember their yellow curry dish being incredible. In the morning, Lotus is the hotel’s complementary breakfast restaurant which was also very good.
Marco's (Amari) : We ate lunch and dinner here while staying at Amari. Food is more Mediterranean/American. For lunch you can get pizzas and sandwiches etc. Dinner is a bit nicer with pasta and meat entrees. They also have an awesome sunset happy hour with live music. The sunset view from Marco’s patio is incredible and drinks are 1/2 off.
Things To Do (Krabi)
Relax, eat, drink, beach, spa.... We used our days in Krabi as "refuel" days after all the activities we did. Don't do the Islands for more than 3 days - there is so much more to see in Chiang Mai, Vietnam etc to spend more than that here.
Longtail Boat / Island Hopping ♡♡: I don’t have a specific recommendation as they offered longtail boat excursions through our hotel concierge. The boat picked us up right on the beach in front of Amari (our hotel). We basically had our guide take us to 3 different islands over 4 hours. Views are breathtaking and is a really pretty way to get out on the water and swim in the Indian Ocean! This is a must do while in Krabi (or any beach town in Thailand)
Hike: Khao Ngon Nak (Mo Ko Phi Phi National Park) ♡ : This is one of the best and most challenging hikes I’ve ever done. It’s mostly difficult because of the heat and humidity (I think it was about 100+ degrees with 80% humidity - basically hiking in a Bikram yoga jungle). The view point at the end is worth it. Bring tons of water and snacks. It took us about 3.5 hours total. If you stay at Amari, its about a 10 minute walk to the trailhead.
Thai Massage (Breeze Spa) ♡ : I got a massage at the Breeze Spa at the Amari Vogue and it was amazing. I understand that Thai Massages aren’t for everyone - they are VERY intense and not relaxing. I tend to get tons of knots and super tight from traveling so I LOVED IT. A woman smaller than me basically beat me up (Im not kidding) but it got all the knots/tension out of body. I highly recommend trying a Thai Massage after a long trip abroad especially if you like deep tissue massages.
Bangkok
Where To Stay (Bangkok)
Le Meridien ♡: The Le Meridien in Bangkok is AWESOME. Beautiful hotel and the breakfast is amazing (everything you could ever want & more). The rooms are very nice, spacious and clean. Great decor throughout. They also have a cool bar inside the hotel called Bamboo Chic Bar which I recall had a great Happy Hour and good apps. The location is near Lumphini Park which is a bit of a ways away from the downtown area/Bangkok action. We stayed here as we were only in Bangkok for about 20 hours and wanted to go to Gaggan which was near by Lumphini Park.
Where To Eat (Bangkok)
Gaggan ♡♡ : If you have the opportunity, go to Gaggan for dinner! It was the #1 restaurant in Asia the last 4-5 years and has 3 Michelin Stars! There’s a Chefs Table episode on his restaurant, watch it! It’s a 25 course dinner/tasting menu and is pretty wild/different (its basically Alinea but Indian inspired cuisine). The original restaurant closed down in 2019 due to legal issues with his business partners, however, has reopened and created a new concept. I am not sure what the new restaurant is like, but, I have no doubts it is spectacular. When we went to the original location it was about $300/person after tax, tip, booze. It’s worth it and a ton of fun - try to request the chefs table (typically easier if you have no allergies/dietary restrictions). Book at least 1 month in advance.
Cafe Bangrak : This was a great spot for lunch and I’m sure is great for dinner. I wouldn’t go out of your way to come here but, if you’re walking around Lumphini Park one day, it’s worth a stop in for lunch.
Things To Do (Bangkok)
We were in Bangkok for a total of maybe….20 hours, but this is what I have :
Lumphini Park: We walked around Lumphini Park and saw tons of KOMODO DRAGONS! YES, they are REAL and are all over Bangkok. They can kill you just from their poisonous bite!!!
Things you’re "supposed to do" that we didn’t do in Bangkok: Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha, Khao San Road & Floating Market. Floating Market is the one thing I WISH i could have done. Looks so cool.
* ♡ = a favorite
♡♡ = a must do