As you already know, thanks to Instagram, I went to Thailand last year to celebrate mine & Cali’s 5th anniversary! I know this is a little overdue, but hey, better late than never, right?
Traveling to Thailand in late April was surprisingly NOT tourist season, which I thought was interesting since that’s prime traveling time for Americans! Well, at least for me it is. It was honestly such a perfect time to travel to Thailand. Yes, it was 100 degrees, but I’ve always been able to handle hot weather. I actually prefer the heat in a humid climate vs a dry climate (yes to clear skin!).
I spent a total of eight days in Thailand: four days in Bangkok, four days in Phuket. In Bangkok, we stayed at the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, and at the Holiday Inn Resort in Phuket. Is it weird that I’m already dreaming of going back? This trip was by far the most stunning, exciting, and breathtaking trip I have ever been on! Here’s why:
T H E F O O D
Okay, I may be biased because I’ve always loved Thai food, but this was probably our favorite part of our days in Thailand. We had so much fun trying new traditional Thai dishes like Tom Yum Soup (Spicy Shrimp Soup), Fried Basil and Pork, Green Chicken Curry, and Chicken with Cashews! Girl, you already know we loaded up on Pad Thai at every restaurant we went to. Tourists much?
Before going to Thailand, I’ve heard/read about pretty much every horror story about people getting what they call “Bangkok Belly” aka food poisoning. Of course, I was cautious about everything I ate, but it honestly wasn’t as sketchy as the internet made it seem. It’s really all self-explanatory- don’t eat from street carts, don’t trust food that has obviously been sitting out all day, only drink from bottled waters, etc. I feel like these rules apply for everywhere though, so that was an easy code to follow for Cali & I.
It helped that we booked a local tour guide named Alice, who had the BEST restaurant recommendations! I wish I could remember every single restaurant she raved about, but the few I do remember are in Phuket: Lay Restaurant (they give free fresh fruit at the end of your meal!), Nunit Restaurant, One Chun, and Thaivetro Old Town Ice Cream.
A C T I V I T I E S
Okay, there’s two ways to do Thailand. You can either take it easy by roaming around and enjoying the culture and food, or you can be that traveler who has each day planned with lots to do. Can you guess which type of tourist I was? (Hint: I’m a Virgo who did extensive research before my trip!)
Bangkok: The capital of Thailand! Of course, there was LOTS to see/do. The universe was on our side for this first half of the trip because the new king was being inaugurated!
- Damnoen Saduak: one of Thailand’s most famous floating markets! We took a speedboat canoe? to get to the floating market, which was an unexpected, yet fun surprise! This is how we spent our first full day in Bangkok, which honestly helped shape us for the rest of the trip. We learned how to haggle prices (a MUST when traveling to Thailand), how to speak basic Thai, and how to pick out which food looks the safest to eat.
- Temples: This one’s kind of a given haha. We visited the infamous Golden Buddha and Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha). Sadly, the Grand Palace was closed because of the King’s inauguration, but since that was a once in a lifetime situation, it won’t happen again for a very long time!
- Elephant Sanctuary: If you weren’t planning on seeing rescued elephants on your trip to Thailand, then WHY go to Thailand?! Playing, feeding, swimming, and bathing elephants had been on my bucket list since I can remember. I couldn’t stop smiling at these loveable animals! I felt so lucky either way, but the best part was that I swam with two baby elephants! Seriously a dream come true. To this day, Cali and I still say that interacting with elephants was surreal.
- Khao San Road: Looking to eat some fried scorpions? Well, here’s the place to do it! I went there with the intentions of trying a fried insect, but when I saw it… my mind instantly told me to keep it movin’!
Phuket: Ready to take some blogger-esque beach photos? If you’re more into a beach vacation, Phuket is a must-see for you.
- Phi Phi Island: You can’t go to Phuket without taking a speedboat to this breathtaking island. This was my first time ever seeing green, lagoon-looking water, and it did not disappoint. I’m not much of an ocean swimmer kind of girl (haven’t you seen Finding Nemo??), but I had to get in to swim with the fishes!
- Phuket Old Town: This is where I had the best food throughout the entire trip. It’s definitely fun to spend the day walking through the streets and seeing European architecture mixed with Malaysia’s bright, colorful buildings.
Everybody travels differently, but no matter the personality, Thailand should be a must on anyone’s bucket list. Where’s your favorite place to travel to? Let me know down in the comments! Save travels my loves!
xo Pau
