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Ko Tapu at James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

I really can’t speak more highly of Thailand. The culture, people, food and beautiful landscapes really touched my heart as I travelled through the country. When I visited South East Asia last year, I spent around five weeks travelling in Thailand and I had some amazing experiences and visited some very beautiful places. Although I still have a lot more of the country to explore, I thought that I would highlight some places that I think you really must see if you’re travelling to The Land of Smiles.

Bangkok

Wat Arun at sunset in Bangkok, Thailand

No visit to Thailand should be without a stop in it’s bustling capital city. With crazy traffic, bustling markets, street food stalls, amazing shopping, a great river scene and beautiful cultural buildings, Bangkok is a true assault on the senses. Known as the Gateway to South East Asia, there’s a good chance that you will start your journey here, and you should definitely spend a few days exploring the city before heading off to other parts of the country.

Some must see things to do in Bangkok are a visit to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, other temples like Wat Pho and Wat Arun, take a ferry ride along the Chao Phraya River, grab a bargain at one of the city’s many markets and eat some of the best and cheapest food that you will ever try at the countless street food stalls. I’ve been to Bangkok several times now and I just cannot get enough of this amazing city!

Chiang Mai

Thai Red Curry in a Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Located in the far north of Thailand, Chiang Mai is a large city that doesn’t seem to act like one. This laid back city has plenty to see, from interesting Buddhist temples and Thai cooking courses to the exciting night market, but what really puts the city on the tourist map is the surrounding countryside. There are endless activities and tours that you can take around the mountainous north of Thailand, from hiking and rafting to visiting hill tribe villages. Another popular activity in Chiang Mai is elephant trekking, but make sure that you do plenty of research before you book. There are a lot of better ways of interacting with these beautiful creatures than by sitting on a platform strapped to their backs.

Ayutthaya

Buddha head in a tree at Wat Maha That in Ayutthaya, Thailand

The ancient capital city of old Siam, Ayutthaya is heaven for the history buffs. Ayutthaya was a thriving city that was destroyed by the Burmese army in the 18th century, and what is left now is a whole lot of interesting ruins that date back hundreds of years. Although the modern town of Ayutthaya is built amongst it, exploring the ruins of the ancient city make for an interesting way to spend a day, and you can easily visit as a day trip from Bangkok by taking the 2 hour train ride with the locals. We stayed overnight on our way to Chiang Mai and explored the ruins by tuk tuk and on foot, but the best way to get around is by renting a bicycle for the day.

Some of the most interesting ruins to check out are Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Chaiwatthanaram and Wat Phra Si Sanphet.

Southern Islands and Beaches

Beach on Koh Phangan, Thailand

Ok, so this is a very general one, but it’s very hard to choose one particular island or beach that you should see. I think that you should visit as many as you can! Thailand has some of the best tropical island paradises that are out there, and they also have some of the best examples of paradises that have been ruined by tourism. On our trip we visited Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Krabi and Koh Phangan. The only place that I would advise against going is Phuket. We hated it and couldn’t get away fast enough as we didn’t even feel like we were in Thailand anymore. I have heard that Koh Samui is similar, but I’m guessing that if you look around and get away from the main tourist parts, you can probably still find some nice spots.

Our favourite place ended up being Koh Phangan despite all of the bad rumours that we had heard before going there. It took a while, but we found our perfect tropical island paradise there and spent several days just lazing on the beach or in the hammock of our beach bungalow.

Chiang Rai

Bronze Buddha in Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai, Thailand

Heading all the way back up into Northern Thailand, Chiang Rai is another interesting city to explore, and it’s a little more quiet and less popular than nearby Chiang Mai. I visited Chiang Rai after travelling through Laos and catching the slow boat to the Thai border. I travelled during the wet season and there were very few tourists there exploring the city, so I often felt like I was having more of a local experience.

Some must see’s in Chiang Rai include a visit to it’s night market and fresh food markets, explore temples like Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Rong Khun, hiking and hill tribe visits and head out to explore nearby Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle.

 

There are so many other great places to see in Thailand, but these are some of my favourites so far. I still have a lot more to see!

Have you been to Thailand? What are your favourite places?

 

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