Thailand. Land of Smiles. World’s most beautiful beaches. Need I say more?

When my husband and I were in wedding mode preparing our wedding, the best part was choosing a honeymoon spot. Thailand had been on my bucket list for quite some time, and my husband’s only request was somewhere with amazing beaches to relax on. Done. Thailand had it all, the culture, great food, relaxation, adventure, and beaches. We booked our trip, and I did the planning.

If you’re looking for a well rounded trip to this beautiful country, our itinerary covered it all. It has the city, mountains, and beaches. It has temples, elephants, and we even experienced the sky lantern festival- Yi Peng and Loy Krathong, which was absolutely breath taking. Two weeks is never enough time in such an astounding country, but we fit a lot in in the time we had, and still had time to slow down and enjoy the world’s most breath taking beaches. Our trip included three main places: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Ao Nang.

Wat Arun in the Early morning in Bangkok

Two Week Thailand Itinerary

Days 1-3: Bangkok

We arrived in Bangkok after 17 hours of travel. We flew with Eva Air from San Francisco, with one short lay over in Taiwan. We were tired, and a little overwhelmed when we first arrived. It was my first time out of the country without a seasoned traveler by my side, and it was my husbands very first time out of the country, ever! My first tip: trust the local transportation system. I was nervous, and didn’t utilize it enough in Bangkok, which also cost our pockets. The hotel taxis were 10x more costly. When you arrive in the airport, they have such a fluid, well-organized system to get people into taxis, and it’s much, much cheaper to do so. Just use the local taxis, unless you have extra cash to spend.

Eating breakfast at the Royal Orchid right on the river. Icon Siam can be seen across the river.

We stayed at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers right on the Chao Phraya River. The location was PERFECT. Every room has views of the river, and it includes two pools, and multiple restaurants within the hotel for dining. There was a public boat dock right next to the hotel we used to sight-see and check out the temples, and a private boat dock that takes the hotel guests across the river to the Icon Siam, known as “The Mother of All Malls” (and boy, is it!). There is even some shopping right next to the hotel, too.

Day 1 Travel and rest:

The first day we spent getting our bearings, ate at the hotel, and acclimated to the time change. We arrived in the evening so we didn’t do much.

Day 2 Temple hopping and Husky Cafe:

First on our list was to go temple hopping along the river. We first went to Wat Arun because it opened earliest. We went right when it opened, and we basically had it to ourselves! Wat Arun was probably my favorite temple in all of Thailand we visited. It is breath taking. We then went across the river to Wat Pho which includes the largest golden Buddha. We caught a Tuk Tuk to the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace has a strict dress code, I brought a sarong to cover my shoulders but it wasn’t enough, they require a shirt, so I had to wear my jacket and it was HOT. Men have to wear pants and cover their arms as well. After the Grand Palace, we caught a taxi via GRAB (Thailand’s UBER) and made our way to TrueLove at Neverland, the Husky Cafe. We spent the rest of our afternoon playing with husky’s, while treated to drinks and cake. Afterwards, we made our way back to the hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and shopping at nearby shops.

True Love at Neverland Husky cafe in Bangkok

Day 3 Sak Yants:

We ventured deep into Bangkok to get Sak Yants, traditional Thailand tattoos. I found Arjarn Fluke via social media due to his style and the fact he uses sterilized needles and new ink. Traditionally these can be done at temples by a monk (and for much cheaper) but I chose an Arjarn so we could have personalization in our tattoos. I also chose to get mine at the beginning of the trip, so I wouldn’t be stuck on a 17 hour flight back home with a fresh tattoo. My only concern was getting in the ocean with a fresh tattoo, but we wouldn’t be at the beach for 7 days so I knew by then it would be fine, and it was!

After the tattoos, we made our way back to the hotel, and in the evening we went across the river to Icon Siam. We could have easily spent a whole day there, it was amazing. There was a concert going on while we were there, lots of food vendors and restaurants, and of course amazing shopping. From upscale (Maserati inside the mall) to H&M, and everything in between. We even got a glimpse of a fashion show going on inside the mall. The whole mall wasn’t even completed yet, there is a top floor that is due to have more restaurants and even a waterfall that was under construction still.

Getting a Sak Yant (traditional Thai tattoo) in Bangkok by Arjarn Fluke

Bangkok was fun, we could have easily spent a few more days there but we really wanted to set off to the other parts of Thailand. Some things we didn’t get to were floating markets, a rooftop bar, and dabbling in more street food and cafes. Next time!

Day 4-8: Chiang Mai and Yi Peng

Landing in Chiang Mai was a breath of fresh air after being in the concrete jungle that is Bangkok. We landed among lush green trees, and caught a taxi up the Mae Rim to our hotel. Chiang Mai is in the northern mountains of Thailand, and harbors the traditional Lanna culture. It is a haven for nature lovers, with many waterfalls, breath taking views, and near by national parks. It also holds over 300 temples.

Poolside at the beautiful grounds at Panviman resort and spa in Chiang Mai

We stayed at Panviman Chiang Mai Resort and Spa. This amazing hotel is buried deep in the mountains, and it very private. The views are phenomenal and the grounds are amazing. The hotel includes a lot of amenities, and was the perfect escape for us honeymooners. Our room even included a private jacuzzi tub on the deck. The only drawback of our hotel was how far it was from the city center. The hotel does offer a free shuttle twice each day to and from the city center, but if you need to get down outside of that time, it’s either very pricey or very time consuming (we caught a local Songateaw down once!)

Day 4 Yi Peng and Loi Krathong.

It was not only the day we arrived into Chiang Mai, it was also Yi Peng and Loi Krathong. We were crunched on time (and we knew we would be) so when we arrived at the hotel, we basically had to check in, freshen up, and head back down the mountain to the city. I will be writing a future post on Yi Peng alone, but Yi Peng was a once in a life time event we will never forget! We scheduled our entire trip based off the timing of Yi Peng. After a lot of research, it was recommended to stay in the city center to enjoy the sky lanterns and floating boats called krathongs, rather than going to one of the tourist spots for the group mass release. Partaking in the more local festival was definitely the way to go. It was surreal walking around the city while thousands of floating stars filled the night sky. It was nothing short of magic.

Releasing our lanterns on the Ping River in Chiang Mai for Yi Peng and Loi Krathong in November

Day 5 rest and cooking:

Up to this point, our trip was packed full. We needed a day of true rest, and we also wanted to enjoy all our hotel had to offer. We explored the spa’s cave tunnels, enjoyed the pool that sat on the side of the mountain, and did a cooking class our hotel offered. It was much needed to rejuvenate and slow down.

Day 6 Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep boasts amazing views of the entirety of Chaing Mai, and is covered in gold from top to bottom. It is located in Doi Suthep National Park, and is a must-do when visiting Chiang Mai. It was simply worth it, we caught a Songteaw to get there. Most don’t want to do the drive, just look for one that has the Doi Suthep photo on the side and flag it down. If they say no, catch the next one. We found one that drove us there and back for half the cost of a one-way taxi. After visiting the temple, we stopped at Green Tiger House as recommended by a friend. It is a hotel, hostel, and includes a plant-based menu. We ate vegan Khao Soi, Thai tea, papaya salad, and more! It looks adorable, definitely on my list for accommodations next time.

Walking up the steps to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Elephant Nature Park Saddle off program- Elephant Wellness

Day 7 Elephant Nature Park:

You can’t go to Thailand and not see the elephants. It was crucial to me to find a way to see them ethically (and definitely no riding!!), which brought me to Elephant Nature Park. Elephant Nature park is a rescue and rehabilitation center. The owner, Lek, has a mission to see all elephants out of captivity. Instead of visiting the park, we chose to do one of their “Saddle Off” programs. This is an outreach program to visit a Thai settlement that once raised elephants to sell (as a way to make a living) and now, through this program, can make their income by allowing visitors to their settlement to observe and care for the elephants. We wanted to bring support to these Thai families, and also liked the fact it was in a much smaller group setting than visiting the park would have been, we choose the “Elephant Wellness” program. The day was filled with feeding the elephants, walking them, feeding them again, being served lunch from the Thai family, taking the elephants for a bath, and then feeding them once again, before saying goodbye.

Day 8 Khao Soi and Krabi:

Our final day in Chiang Mai had an afternoon flight to Krabi. Before leaving, I needed one more bowl of Khao Soi, the traditional northern curry noodle soup. I was on a mission to find the very best, and after a little research, led me to Khao Soi Mae Sai. I highly, highly recommend their Khao Soi. My whole meal cost about .50 USD, and I wished I had discovered this gem before the last day. We had a little extra time to spare before our flight, so our taxi driver drove us to a few local temples.

The best Khao Soi (curry noodle soup) at Khao Soi Mae Sai

Chiang Mai was amazing. Our hotel was great for what we wanted, Honeymoon style, but next time around we definitely would want to stay in a hotel in the actual city center, just for the convenience. Some other Chiang Mai attractions we would have liked to do it time allotted includes Chiang Rai, Pai, and visiting the waterfalls.

Day 8-12 Ao Nang

No Thailand trip is complete without visiting its world renowned beaches. When choosing a destination, there are so many to choose from. We wanted something laid back, with still a bit of city life. This lead us to Krabi province, specifically Ao Nang. We stayed at Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas and could not be happier with our choice. The Centara Grand sits in its own bay, between Ao Nang city and Railay Beach. it was secluded and private, while still being convenient at just a walk away from the little beach town and shopping.

Day 8 Travel Day

By the time we reached our hotel, night time fell. We were treated to cool fruit tea upon arrival to our hotel. When we got to our room, we ordered room service and went to bed.

Day 9 Ao Nang:

We didn’t have as much of an itinerary in Ao Nang, as we wanted to spend this time more laid back, and more “honeymooning”. Our first full day we decided to explore the little beach town of Ao Nang. It has a lot of shopping and delicious restaurants. We started the morning with breakfast at The Coffee Club and grabbed drinks and food as we walked along and shopped. The egg roti’s on the street are a must while in Krabi! We lounged at the private beach at our resort for most of the afternoon, and made our way back to the city for dinner. We ate at The Beach Seafood and Grill and I had the best, most fresh snapper I have had in my entire life. Side note- bring a poncho. We got DRENCHED, it rained for about an hour, which most nights it does.

Private beach at Centara Grand Beach Resort Krabi

Day 10 Island Hopping

This was one of our hardest choices to make. Thailand hosts a plethora of amazing islands to visit, but we wanted to spend just one day island hopping, rather than multiple. We ended up choosing Hong Island tour. In the city of Ao Nang, there are many tourist booths that book the tours. They all seem to be umbrellaed under one main company, all their prices are the same. After talking with the person working the booth, we settled on Hong Island tour of 4 islands by longtail boat. It included a stop off at Daeng Island to snorkle, Lading Island which is a small island that includes lunch, Hong Island which has crisp, white sand and perfect water, and ended with a ride through the Hong island lagoon, or “room”, as hong means room. It was enough of what we wanted. We ended the day by eating at Cheap Cheap restaurant , which was recommended by Mark Weins (I highly recommend his youtube videos for places to eat in Thailand!) I had the deep fried white sanding fish, and it was amazing (and of course, cheap!) I think our whole meal was $3 USD.

Day 11 Railay Beach:

Our final full day in Thailand. We decided to kayak to the ever so popular Railay Beach. Kayaking was unexpectedly one of my favorite activities we did, I highly recommend it! You get to be so close to the crystal clear water, I could even see schools of fish swimming underneath us. Railay is a popular destination, and has its own small beach town with shopping and restaurants. We ate a late breakfast at one of the beach front restaurants. I had my last plate of Pad See Ew (my favorite stir fry noodle in Thailand) After Kayaking back, we made our way back to town for dinner and to finish up shopping. We ate at Jungle Kitchen, which was highly recommended from locals. We almost didn’t get to, though, as it was one of the few Thai restaurants we came across that required reservations and they told us they were full for the night. Luckily they were able to squeeze us in. The restaurant is adorable inside, with private mini beach shacks under one larger building. We got a few curries and a mango salad (a take on the popular papaya salad, and my favorite!) After dinner we finished shopping, had a final egg roti, and enjoyed the buzzing night life around the town.

Delicious egg roti, my favorite street food

There was so much to do in Krabi, we simply could not hit it all. I wanted to see Khao Sok National Park, but it was a three hour drive from where we were, and basically required an overnight. Some other trips I would have liked to do if time permitted was Emerald Pools, Koh Phi Phi, Monkey Island, and Koh Lanta. We could have easily fit one of these in, but we wanted to slow down in Ao Nang and really soak up the trip. Plus, we have to save things to do for next time we come!

Day 12 travel:

Our final day, and time to head home back to San Francisco. We flew from Krabi to Bangkok, and then traveled on home from there. In retrospect, I wished we would had spent one last night in Bangkok rather than traveling home straight from there. It made for an extremely long day of travel. That’s what traveling is all about though, learning through your experiences!

Thailand, we WILL be back!