Chiang Mai | Hua Hin | Thai Islands and Beaches | Inland Adventures
Booking Rooms:
I’ve had good experiences with Agoda, but you can book directly off most hotel websites.
Chiang Mai
Things to do:
Markets
1) The every-night night-market. Pretty standard really. Things to eat and buy and browse.
2) The star attraction within the city – the very charming Weekend night markets in the old fortified city with an atmosphere akin to a carnival. A mix of markets, food, souvenirs, handcrafts and sideshows. Ensure you visit Chiang Mai on a weekend.
The Hills beyond Chiang Mai
Doi Suthep. Doi Kham. ( Doi mean “Hill”)
Tour the green hills on motorbike.
Elephants that Paint and Tigers and Stuff.
Places: Tiger Kingdom, Mae Sa Elephant Camp. Everyone loves tigers and elephants. So, what’s the moral dilemma?
We stayed at Seven Senses Guesthouse.
The room was ok, simple, quaint. Short bike-ride to the markets. The owner/manager was especially helpful in planning out our day-trips into the hills. She was super helpful (and patient).
Hua Hin
Hua Hin is the summer palace of His Majesty. It’s also the seaside resort for many Bangkokians.
Hotel: Let’s Sea Hua Hin Al Fresco Resort. Sooo chill and romantic. Long salt-water pool with bar at the end. Nice rooms. Intimate.
In the cooler months /tourist season, the lovely night-time art and craft Cicada Markets are in full flight. Recommended. Let’s Sea is just a walk down the alley to Cicada. Fun times.
Thai Islands/ Beaches.
East Gulf of Thailand:
Ko Samet – Small island, closest island/beach to Bangkok. Travel: 4 hours minibus + ferry, speedboat. Thais and foreigners working in Bangkok sling to this island on the weekend. Gets messy on the weekend. Actually pleasant during the week. Samet is known for it’s relatively dry weather during the wet season.
Ko Chang – largest island. Taxi/Bus or Scooter hire required. Some nice beaches. Some vigourous levels of hotel development in recent years.
Ko Kut – remote island south of Ko Chang.
Pattaya (Never been, Don’t want to.)
West Gulf of Thailand
Ko Samui – Only Gulf island with an airport, essentially monopolized by Bangkok Air. Popular with foreign tourists. Similar to Bali’s Kuta and Seminyak, although lacking some of the wow of Seminyak. Looking at you, Potatohead.
Ko Phangan – The FULL MOON PARTY island. Specifically Hat Rin beach. Get there via a 1hr ferry from Ko Samui, or via the mainland ferry. Bike hire required to get around.
Ko Tao – Popular with French tourists and a jump off point for scuba divers.
Andaman Sea
Phuket – Again, a similar foreign contingency comparable to Bali’s Kuta. I have not had a good time there.
Renown Taxi mafia enforce price controls. People coming from Bangkok will be shocked. Typical taxi ride in Bangkok is 50-100 Baht. Expect to pay at least 500? Bt to leave the airport, last I heard.
Krabi – The natural beauty of the limestone karst surrounded beaches is not to be underestimated. Typical jaunt necessitates a long-boat tour of the various little sand-islands a few miles off Ao Nang Beach/ Railay Beach. Those are: Chicken Island, Monkey Island, and a couple other islands. It’s a fun day out. Stay for cheap on the quiet Ao Nang Beach side, and venture for party at night to Railay. Bring a head-torch.
Krabi Advice: The little ventured cave-pocked ocean-side beach on the otherside of Monkey island is the stuff of dreams. Baby fish dance in the shallows. Secluded beach with many high caves to climb in and around. Hunt for a boatman who will take you there. Heck, avoid the common tour guys and hire your personal boatman to get to that island. We did. It was awesome. For some reason, the muesli they serve in Ao Nang is supernaturally tasty.
Ko Lanta: A less well known island. Quieter than other islands. Less to do, but charming for it’s relative remoteness. South of Phuket, and with slightly more muslim/malay influence, most clearly demonstrated by the food (more beef, less pork). Actually appears to have an airport now, according to the Nok Air website. We stayed at a resort in a beachfront bungalow. Relaxing time.
Ko Phi Phi. Never been, but this island was especially popular with Europeans after the movie, The Beach. The island also suffered large tourist casualties during the tsunami.
Phi Phi can be reached via ferry from Krabi or Phuket. Erm, 2hrs from shore? Expect night time fire-twirlers.
Other In-land adventures.
Sis-Sa-Ket: Wonderful organic farm tours with Bryan and Tui.
Kanchanaburi
> Erawan Waterfalls
> Bridge over River Kwai
> The eyrie WW2 Thai-Burma Railway
> Tiger Temple
> Strange Karaoke on the Riverboat.
Kanchanaburi -> Sangkhlaburi via motorcycle.
Covered in more depth here.
Sangkhlaburi – Serene border town astride a lake.
Khao Yai National Forest. Trekking and day tours can be found.
Chiang Rai. Only flew there once to bus it over to Northern Laos.
Laos: Luang Prabang, Vientiane, The Gibbon Experience, Mekong River by Boat ( 2 full days of sitting in stress positions )
Cambodia: Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh.
(todo: Write about the poipet bus scam, Angkor Wat tips, Siem Reap tips, the casinos in no-mans-land at the Thai Cambodia border)