Thailand is a truly special country. Energetic, chaotic and vibrant, yet at the same time serene and rejuvenating. Thailand fuzes incredible draw-dropping natural beauty, vibrant cities.
All of this is without even mentioning the aromatic, spicy food. Thailand is the only place where I’ve had three meals consecutively. We started in a Michelin guide-worthy Hainanese chicken place, then simply had to try some fried chicken in a neighbouring restaurant before calling into another place for grilled chicken satay chicken. It was the Bangkok chicken trifecta.
Enjoying river life in Bangkok
Our trusty scooter
Our Thai itinerary
For Joe and I, Thailand was the perfect escape from a dreary Danish February. Scandinavian winters linger far longer than I can handle, and getting a little winter sun is the perfect antidote.
Many other, probably better itineraries are available, but this is what we did when we visited in February 2019.
We started in Bangkok. No trip to Thailand would be complete without at least a short stay in Bangkok. We ate our round Bangkok, mostly eating as much street food as we could. We took in many temples, braved the bustle of Bangkok’s canal ferries and enjoyed the contrast between new and old Bangkok.
Chinatown, Bangkok
After Bangkok, we headed to Koh Yao Noi, a sparsely populated island paradise. The perfect place to learn to ride a scooter. There’s not a huge amount to do on Koh Yao Noi, but this is kind of the point. The island isn’t so popular with tourists, so its beaches are calm and unspoilt. It was the perfect island to read a few novels and enjoy doing nothing.
From Koh Yao Noi we travelled by boat to the island of Ko Lanta. Ko Lanta island has a lot more energy than Koh Yao Noi, but is no less beautiful. Here we mostly spent our days exploring the island by scooter, eating, and lazing on Ko Lanta’s spectacular beaches. Ko Lanta also has a beautiful national park, the Mu Ko Lanta National Park. We also took a particularly worthwhile cooking class - Cooking with Mon. The recipes we learned here we still use on a regular basis.
Beach life in Ko Lanta
Our final stop on our trip was in the Northern city of Chiang Mai. Chang Mai was the perfect place to round off our trip with its beautiful ancient walled city, temples, great street food and beautiful forested surroundings. We stayed in the spotless 99 The Heratage Hotel which I cannot recommend enough. Oh, and Chang Mai is also the perfect place to enjoy a massage or two. My pick would be the Oasis Spa.
Enjoying the views from Ko Yao Noi
Thailand I cannot wait to one day return!
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