We spent three weeks in Thailand — proper buzzin’ from all the new sights, food and downright ridiculous moments. Below’s how it all panned out, where we stayed, and the bits that were great (and not so great) along the way.
Bangkok — The Chaotic Welcome
We flew into Bangkok because it was the cheapest way in — no fancy reasons, just maths. Stayed three nights to shake off the jet lag, and promptly found ourselves eating dodgy night-market food. A mistake everyone travelling Asia will make once (or twice) in their lifetime.
Luckily for us, we had a budget yet boujee base, you can check it out here if you’re interested.
In between naps, we managed to squeeze in visits to a bunch of temples and chaotic markets. Bangkok’s temples are worth the faff — just remember to cover your shoulders and knees if you’re heading in for a proper look.
Tip: Use the metro and water taxis where you can — they’re cheaper than Grab or tuk-tuks and quicker in rush hour.
Check out our GetYourGuide recommendations for Bangkok here! And use TIGHTTRAVELLERS5 for money off!
Krabi — Beach Buzz & Boo-Boos
Next up, we grabbed a £45 flight to Krabi (thank you SkyScanner) and stayed three nights. We treated ourselves to a hotel we assumed was four stars… turns out the real stars were the cockroaches (we’re not naming names, avoid if you can).
After this realisation, we were proper ready to relax on the bright white sand and paddle in the bluest water. We ran in, dead excited… and then straight back out again. The crystal clear water showed nothing, and yet we could feel ourselves getting bitten over and over. (Potential sea lice?)
The Hong Island boat tour was a highlight — walked up to the viewpoint, snorkelled, sipped mango smoothies, and generally behaved like mermaids. We also hit Railay Beach, had a beach lunch, and did a bit of unwanted shopping. The ‘genuine’ diesel previously bought in Thailand had decided they’d had enough.
We went to the Ao Nang night market, numerous times. Great food (although we were more cautious after the stint in Bangkok).
Phuket — Bit of Everything… Mostly Busy
Phuket was split between Nai Harn (2 nights) and Patong (3 nights).
First then, Nai Harn. We visited Yanui beach where we got well burnt and snorkelled with loads of fish. This was a short tuk tuk ride from where we were staying. We watched the sunset on Nai Harn beach and spent the next day chilling our burn in the pool.
Then Patong. We got a tuk tuk to freedom beach. When we started on the path down they tried to charge us? Who has to pay to go to the beach? We walked further up the road and trekked through the jungle, difficult to do in sliders btw. It was a nice beach, but we have been to better. Lots of jellyfish in the water and very busy. We used the first path on the slog back up, and it was free this time…
We did a day tour which included the Big Buddha, Wat Chai Thararam and Phuket old town. This was ok, but I don’t think that the old town was anything special and there was not much to do/see in the area.
The Similan Islands boat trip, though? Proper class. Bluer water than you’d believe, turtles and dolphins — but bloody busy with tourists.
Then there was Bangla Road. No comment.
Koh Samui — Kayaks & Fire Shows
Three nights in Koh Samui was a laugh. Stayed right near the Golden Buddha, and our hotel had free kayaks — so of course we paddled out to see the big shiny bloke from the water.
We also ventured into the Fisherman’s village, where window shopping turned into a serious sport, snacks mysteriously disappeared, and we were mesmerized by a fire show. Being far from everything had its perks; we had all the time in the world to chill and plot our grand departure to the next adventure!
Koh Tao — Turtles, Spice & (Accidental) Pancake Poverty
We spent 5 nights in Koh Tao, starting at Shark Bay. We lounged around at our boujee hotel, swam with turtles again (this time without the crowds), and once again was rushed out of the water by sea lice (?). A lovely hotel, but it was very out of the way. Forcing us to remortgage our house because we were too lazy to go out of food and ate at their swanky restaurant.
Once we moved closer to town, we thought, “Hey, let’s be fancy!” and signed up for a cooking class, which was fun until our culinary dreams turned into a spicy nightmare afterward. Oh, and we bravely tackled a Scuba course for a day, proving that we’re not afraid of drowning in adventure—or just drowning. We hiked up to viewpoints, got tattoos, and splurged (accidently) on a “healthy” breakfast that cost us an arm and a leg (seriously, who knew pancakes and a smoothie bowl could break the bank?). Moral of the story? Next time, I’m sticking to trusty noodles for breakfast!
Check out our GetYourGuide recommendations here! Use TIGHTTRAVELLERS5 for money off.
Tight Travellers 