So I spent about two and a half weeks in Thailand, stopping in Amsterdam for a couple days before and after to break up the travel time. From Baltimore/Washington DC to Amsterdam, it was about 10 hours and from Amsterdam to Thailand, it was about 11. I’ll post a separate itinerary for my time in Amsterdam. To break it down, I spent three days in Chiang Mai, three in Pai, one in Chiang Rai, 3 and a half on an island (Koh Lanta), and 2 and a half in Bangkok, not counting travel days. We also rented a car for most days besides the Elephant Nature tour day and Bangkok. As far as restaurants go, since there was so much to see, I normally didn’t prioritize going out of my way for recommended restaurants and just picked something up near my hotels or sites. We had breakfast included most mornings. At the end of this day-to day-itinerary are further recommendations in each place that I didn’t have time to do including restaurant recommendations.
Day 1- TRAVEL
Leave 9:30PM Eva Air
11 hour flight, arrive 2:30PM Day 2
Day 2- CHIANG MAI
Arrive 2:30PM Bangkok
Bangkok Airlines 5:10PM to Chiang Mai
Check in Shangri-La Hotel
Night Bazaar Market
Day 3- CHIANG MAI
Elephant Nature Park
Elephant Freedom Tour 8AM to 4:30PM
Anantara Restaurant by the riverside
Day 4- PAI
Drive three hours to Pai
Stop at Mae Sa Waterfall (short walk)
Lunch at Suan Mork Fah Restaurant Cafe
Check-in Reverie Siam Resort
Walking Street Night Market
Day 5- PAI
Kho Kuu So Bridge (Bamboo Bridge)
Pam Bok Waterfall (5-10 min walk)
The Land Split (farm that gives you fruit and shows you damage from an earthquake)
Pai Canyon
Day 6- PAI
Santichon Village (authentic Chinese village)
Yun Lai Viewpoint
Wat Pra Tat Mae Yen (big white Buddah. Lots of steps)
Day 7- CHIANG MAI
Drive to Chiang Mai (3 hours)
Lunch stop 32 Coffee Hill and Resort
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (temple on the hill)
Check in Rim Resort
Wat Phra Singh (temple in the old city near hotel)
Note: I chose to spend my first day in Chiang Mai, drive up to Pai then spend two nights in Chiang Mai in order to break up driving. Driving to the National Park (Doi Inthanon) takes a couple hours and driving to Chiang Rai takes about three hours, so to add driving from Pai straight to those places would be a long driving stretch. I also chose to get a hotel in the old city to fit in the temples there when we had time. A lot of people just spend a half day exploring the old city temples.
Day 8- CHIANG MAI
Valley Coffee by Lanna Resort (bird nest near Doi Suthep National Park)
Doi Inthanon National Park
Royal Twin Pagoda
The Summit
Mae Ya Waterfall
Wachiratan Waterfall
Mae Klang Waterfall
Phuffin in the Lake Restaurant on the way back to Chiang Mai (hammocks)
Day 9- CHIANG RAI
Wat Chedi Luang temple in the Old City
Three hour drive from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
Wat Rong Khun (white temple)
Wat Rong Suea Ten (blue temple)
Check-in Le Meridien Chiang Rai
Day 10- KOH LANTA
Fly Chiang Rai to Koh Lanta (4 hour flight with layover in Bangkok)
Rent car and drive/catch the car ferry to Koh Lanta
Check-in Lanta Castaway Beach Resort
Day 11- KOH LANTA
Beach
Dinner and shops in Old Town
Day 12- KOH LANTA
Dive or snorkeling excursion to other islands with Dive & Relax (they are located at Lanta Castaway hotel and take a speed boat to different islands, depending on the day. When I went, we went to Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Nai)
Beach massage
Day 12- KOH LANTA
Mu Ko Lanta National Park
Lighthouse
Nature trail
Beach
Lunch at Baan Phu Lae
Indian Bar for Fireshow
Day 13- BANGKOK
One and a half hour drive to Krabi Airport
Two hour flight to Bangkok
Check-in to Shangri-La
Bangrak Bazaar Market
Dinner at Breeze Restaurant (really great views of Bangkok but super expensive so might want to just go to the bar for drinks)
Day 14- BANGKOK
Pick-up for private guide from Tours with Tong at 7AM
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Grand Palace (Emerald Buddha)
Wat Pho (reclining Buddha)
Lunch at Home Café Tha Tien (across from Wat Pho)
Wat Arun (you can take a ferry to it if you don’t have a guide)
Amorosa Bar at Arun Residence to watch the sunset overlooking Wat Arun
Day 15- BANGKOK
Pick-up for private guide from Tours with Tong at 8AM
Drive to Ayutthaya
Summer Palace
Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon (victory temple and reclining Buddha)
Wat Mahathat (Buddha head in the tree)
Relax at pool
Day 16- TRAVEL
Flight to Amsterdam on Eva Air (13 hours)
Here is a list of other recommendations and suggestions I didn’t have time to do.
CHIANG MAI
Dining
KhaoMao-KhaoFang (Koi Ponds) (going toward Doi Inthanon)
The Giant ChiangMai (Treehouse on the way to Chiang Rai)
Chom Cafe & Restaurant (mermaid lagoon)
Galae (Hillside) Restaurant (picnic in field of flowers) Near Doi Suthep
Camp Meating (sit on beach and eat bbq) (closer to National Park)
Clay Studio Cafe in the Garden (secret garden)
Sepsil Glin Cafe Bannok (café in the river)
Kouen Coffee & Bistro (garden and Japanese building)
Nakara Jardin Patisserie & Bistro (high tea vibe)
Baan Mon Muan (mountain top café)
Kalapela Tea Room (in Old City)
The Baan Mae Klang Luang (authentic coffee near Doi Suthep Park)
Valley Coffee by Lanna Resort (bird nest near Doi Suthep National Park)
Khantoke dinner and show at Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center
Anna Farm & Eatery (rice paddies)
Fahtara Coffee (jungle café)
Riverside restaurants- the Good View, Deck 1, Puripunn, Vieng Joom, the Gallery
Temples
Wat Sri Suphan (made of all silver)
Wat Rong Khun
Wat Chiang Man
Wat Lok Molee
Night Markets
Anusarn Market (cabaret show)
Ploen Ruedee Night Market
Doi Inthanon National Park
Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail
Simon’s Sheep
Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail. .22 miles
Waterfalls- Mae Ya,Wachiratan, Mae Klang
Villages and markets in the park
People also like to take a cooking class or go see Muay Thai fighting
PAI
On the way to Pai
Park at parking 3, closest to waterfall and not long walk
Samoeng Forest
Huai Nam Dang National Park
Tha Pai hot springs
Mae Wang National Park
Mon Cham (gardens)
Doi Chiang Dao (wildlife reserve)
Pong Dueat Geysir
Prankled Coffee
Sunday Market
Khun Yuam Sunflower Fields
Ban Ja Bo Village (clouds & soup)
Phu Klon Country Club (pools)
Restaurants
CHIANG RAI
Baan Dam Museum (Black House)
Temples- Phra Kaew, Wat Phra Sing, and Wat Klang Wiang
Golden Clock Tower
Nigh Baazar
Food
Khao Soi Phor Jai
Ran Lab Sanam Keela
Lu Lam
KOH LANTA
Beaches- Kantiang Bay, Waterfall Bay (Ao Klong Jark) and Bamboo Bay (Ao Mai Pai).
Trang Islands with Freedom Adventures (mixed reviews with this tour. Some people say its too touristy and you spend the whole time on the boat. It’s the most popular excursion on the island)
Other islands
Koh Jum – A quiet island an hour by ferry from Koh Lanta
Bundhaya Speed boat to Koh Lipe
Weird island parties like the body paint party, Half moon party, random ones that pop up
Food
Drunken Sailor
Red Snapper (Long Beach)
Kwan’s Cookery
May’s Kitchen (Long Beach)
Irie (Long Beach)
Friend House
Three Sisters Restaurant
BANGKOK
Rooftop Bars
Above Eleven
The Marble Bar
Vertigo
Lebua (Bar from The Hangover)
Alfrescos 64
Banyan Tree Hotel-
Long Boat tour of canals
Chinatown
Flower market
Khao San Road
Temples
Wat Champa
Food
Mocking Tails (fairytale dessert)
Barstow (crazy drinks)
Jaiyen Café (sand in a bucket)
After You Dessert Cafe’s
ViVi The Coffee Place
Café Reverie
Wang Hinghoi
Haoma
Le Normandie
Sala Rim Naam (dance show)
Nahm
Thipsamai (best pad thai in the city)
Night Markets
Sai Tai Mai Center Night Market
Liab Duan Night Market
Palladium Night Market
Ramkhamhaeng Night Market
Huai Kwang
Klong San Market (popular with locals)
Chatuchak Market (supposedly the best one)
Wang Lang Market (day market)
JJ Market (day market)
Jatujak Market
Ayutthaya
Temples
Wat Phra Si Sanphet / The Grand Palace
Wat Chaiwattaranaram
Wat Buddhaisawan
I feel like the amount of time I spent everywhere was a good decision. Could have used maybe an extra half day to explore temples in Chiang Mai, half day to find and eat scorpion in Bangkok and an extra day to relax in Koh Lanta, but I was happy with my choices. I’ll be adding in separate posts giving more details on each place and an itinerary and post on Amsterdam so check back if you want to read more and see photos.
