Thailand is one of the top travel destinations in the world and there is a very good reason for that. It is so beautiful from the towering sea cliffs in the south to the amazing temples in the mountain region of the north. There is so much to explore and take in. Oh, and how can we forget the food?! First piece of advice, do not limit yourself to Pad Thai, that is just scratching the surface! We also planned our trip around the best weather window so we weren't too hot or constantly worried about rain, so we could walk around as much as possible. I'll give you the run down of how we narrowed down our trip to Thailand and other tips we discovered in Thailand. If you want full details and a guide to plan your trip, you can find that here.
Where to Go
Bangkok is the capitol of Thailand and in my opinion the best place to fly into and get settled. The airport has everything you need to get set-up for your trip. It is also a great place to get other items you will need for your trip that you didn't want to pack in your suitcase to save on weight.
Koh Phi Phi is an absolute must. It is home to Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu ko Phi Phi National Park, and that alone is worth the trek from Phuket. It is a small island that is walkable and has full moon parties every night. This island is magical and will also hold special memories for us.
Chiang Mai is the next absolute must. This was my favorite spot in Thailand. Koh Phi Phi was a very close second. But I absolutely love the energy of this city and the temples are absolutely beautiful. We also were able to visit an elephant sanctuary that was one of the best experiences I've ever had. We also planned our trip to be in Chiang Mai during the Loy Krathong lantern festival. The city was unbelievably beautiful with all the decor. Read this blog post for more information about the Elephant Nature Park and lantern festival celebration options.
Tips While in Thailand
Below are a few tips I wish I would have known or taken more seriously before arriving. Do not worry, everyone is so nice and willing to help you out! If you forget something, you can always ask for help.
Cash is everything. It was very rare that we were able to use our credit cards. I was devastated, there go all of the miles on my Delta card. But there are plenty of ATMs around town and in the airport. It is not difficult to pull out more if you need it. One of the reasons people love Thailand is how inexpensive it is for basics like food and transportation, embrace learning how to operate in a new currency!
Do not flush toilet paper. It might be TMI, but I would have loved to have this information before traveling there. You are provided with a bidet or sprayer to clean yourself after you do your business and you use the toilet paper to wipe up the water and than disposed into the trash. It was a little difficult at first, but after a few times I got it down and felt squeaky clean. ;)
Motorbikes will not stop for you. If you make the move to cross the street, keep moving! They are able to maneuver quickly and will see you and make a move to avoid you if you stop you'll ruin the efficiency of the traffic chaos. They also drive on the left-side of the road. There are a lot of motorbikes, own your space and stay confident!
Thailand is a tropical climate and can be quite hot or super rainy. We absolutely lucked out. The weather was perfect when we were there. We arrived in late November and it was low 90s to high 80s with minimal rain. Be prepared with sunscreen and clothes to be comfortable walking around in hot temperatures. It was very easy to find places to cool off with a smoothie, Thai tea, or steal some A/C in a shop.
In Thailand, you bow when saying thank you. You will pick up on this quickly. They are very intentional and we would take our time bowing back to so respect. To say thank you is actually a lot easier than we expected. For females it is Khob Khun Kha, for males it is Khob Khub Khrup. YouTube or Google translate will give you audio of how to say it. I promise it is easy to learn!
I cannot say enough good things about Thailand. Stop postponing your trip and go now! If you aren't sure where to start, here is my full-detailed itinerary and guide with lodging, activity, and food recommendations.
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