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Thailand Itinerary


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.

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