Travel Itinerary: Thailand
Your trip to Thailand awaits! Spend three days in Chiang Mai, a city in mountainous northern Thailand with elaborate Buddhist temples, night markets and animal sanctuaries. Then head over to the island of Krabi for five days! Krabi is on Thailand’s southern west coast, it’s known for limestone cliffs, dense mangrove forests and more than a hundred offshore islands. Your final stop will be in Thailand’s capitol, Bangkok, to enjoy delicious cuisine and vibrant street life.
Day 1: Welcome to Thailand
Welcome to Thailand! If you’re coming from the United States (like we were) you’ve traveled almost an entire day to get to where you are…it is the most amazing feeling stepping off the plane and realizing that you are quite literally on the other side of the world.
Logistics: We flew from Boston to Dubai and then Dubai to Bangkok via Emirates. We then took a 1 hour flight into Chiang Mai with Thai Smile airlines (for the cost, this airline the most amazing service we’ve ever experienced). Once we arrived at the airport we took a taxi to our hotel. We found taxis to be the most cost efficient and effective option.
Accommodations: Book a room in the heart of the city at Chankam Boutique Hotel. This hotel is of excellent value - it has relaxing rooms and air conditioning, plus breakfast is included. The service is one-of-a-kind, they have staffing 24 hours so check-in and check-out is made simple.
To-do: You’ll most likely arrive a little jet lagged, so take a quick nap to get back on schedule (if you prefer). Then freshen up and head out on the town. You’re in walking distance to all the best spots in Chiang Mai! We grabbed food at an outdoor restaurant in old city - a full meal and beers all for a mere $8 (located along Rachadamnoen road). The riverside area also has many bars and restaurants and is located within 30 minutes walking, or 5-10 minutes by tuk tuk.
Day 2: Explore Chiang Mai
Explore the city of Chiang Mai! There are a few must-see sights, all within reasonable walking distance from the Chankam Boutique Hotel:
Wat Suan Dok - Gorgeous white washed temple grounds
Phra Singh - Buddhist temple from the 1300’s under the Mangrai dynasty
Wat Chiang Man - Chiang Mai’s oldest temple - founded around 1296
Tonight, head to the Night Bazaar, it is a must visit after dark, for shopping and more food options! We, ironically, visited the Irish pub there multiple times (this family can’t get enough of Ireland, especially Guinness) and a few of their open air bars, with live music.
Day 3: Pamper a Pachyderm
Visit and volunteer at Elephant Nature Park! Established almost 30 years ago, the park provides a sanctuary and rescue center for distressed elephants from all over Thailand. The park is located approximately 1 hour from the hotel and there are various packages to choose from, from a quick visit to overnight stays - we chose the Single Day Pamper a Pachyderm.
The packages include transportation to and from the Elephant Nature Park. En route, you will watch a film that teaches you all about the history of elephants and why rescue and rehabilitation is so important. You will then meet and feed the elephants, walk them through the forest, enjoy a picnic lunch and bathe the elephants in the river. The visit ends at the Elephant Nature Park for a tour of the facility and to meet the rest of the herd.
Day 4: Travel to Krabi
Say goodbye to Chiang Mai and head down to Krabi and it’s stunning beaches! Krabi lies along the coast of the Andaman Sea in Southern Thailand, the perfect choice for relaxation and tropical landscapes.
Logistics: Take a morning flight via Thai Airways from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and fly Thai Smile from Bangkok to Krabi (or a direct route if you can snag one). Total flight time is 2 hours 40 minutes. If you choose to stay at the accommodation we stayed at, Rayavadee, pick-up from Krabi will be arranged through them. A representative will be waiting to greet you outside the arrival hall, terminal 2 in Krabi Airport. Look for “Rayavadee” sign board.
Accommodations: The most luxurious place we have ever stayed, hands down, is Rayavadee. Rayavadee is situated in the heart of Krabi's beautiful Phranang Peninsula, an area renowned for its natural beauty and rich flora, fauna and marine life. With their focus on sustainability, there are many varieties of birds, monkeys and other animals living within the resort. If you don’t choose to “splurge” on Rayavadee, we passed two incredible value-based resorts located on Railay beach that we would recommend (and friends have stayed at them and give them the thumbs up). They are Sand Sea and Railay Village.
To-do: Rayavadee is situated in an area with access to two beaches, and the resort also has a beautiful infinity pool. With dining on site, there really is no reason to leave your first night. Simply enjoy everything the resort has to offer.
Day 5: Railay Beach
Wake up and fill up on the inclusive breakfast at the resort, the spread is unbelievable (and should be considering in the price per night)! Then spend the day at Railay Beach! Railay is accessible only by boat due to high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access, and is one of the two beaches Rayavadee has beachfront entry to. Rayavadee offers chairs right on the beach (most of the other hotels along the beach do as well). Spend the day lounging in the sun. You can grab lunch on the resort at Raitalay Terrace, or head down the beach towards the sandy lane lined with restaurants and shops. You will find Alex’s Kabobs down this lane! as well as many other casual beach dining spots with local cuisine. Keep in mind, if you head off the resort for food, you will find extremely affordable food options. While it is nice to dine in luxury at Rayavadee, sometimes it’s nice to save cash AND eat the local cuisine.
After your beach day, watch the sunset while sipping cocktails at the resorts happy hour and enjoy a massage on the house!
Day 6: Phra Nang Cave Beach
Spend the day at Phra Nang Cave Beach, considered by many as one of the top beaches in the world! Rayavadee is the only hotel with direct access to this beach and because of this it is very private and quiet during the morning and evening hours (tourists will arrive via boat during the early afternoon and will leave around sunset). We would normally take a walk along the 1/3 mile stretch of beach in the morning and would have the entire place to ourselves. It was amazing! One of the reasons that locals visit the beach is the Princess Cave, dedicated to the Goddess of fertility (very interesting décor can be found in the cave because of this).
We took advantage of all the activities offered on the resort - we went kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkeling on Phra Nang during our time at Rayavadee. After all this activity, we’d work up quite the appetite and coincidentally the long tail boats would all pull up for the day - offering delicious wraps, snacks and meals for a small price.
Day 7: Pool day
Spend today relaxing at (and in) the infinity pool! You can’t go wrong with this stunning view of Railay Beach.
For dinner, head down the beach and grab Indian food at Kohinoor. This meal was absolutely delicious. They offer authentic Indian dishes made by highly trained chefs from India. They also offer special Tandoor Oven Naan Bread, you cannot miss out on this!
Day 8: Relax wherever
Wherever you decide to lounge today, make sure to thoroughly enjoy yourself. This is your last day at Rayavadee!
Have dinner at The Grotto (or atleast happy hour) when else will you be able to enjoy dinner under an ancient limestone cliff…and with this memorable view?! If you decide to enjoy sunset dinner here, it may be a buffet barbeque, but either way, you need to make reservations ahead of time.
Day 9: Travel back to Bangkok
Say farewell to Krabi and head to the vibrant city of Bangkok!
Logistics: Take a morning flight from the Krabi airport to Bangkok, for a total flight time of 1 hour 15 minutes.
Accommodation: We stayed at The Peninsula Bangkok, a five-star luxury hotel on the riverside. This hotel is part of a chain of ten hotels in different cities throughout the world. The Peninsula Bangkok sits on the Chao Phraya River, with a water taxi running to the other side of the river every 5 minutes. The hotel has three different restaurants, a spa, fitness center and a riverside pool (pool bar with cocktails and light snacks!).
To-do: Settle into your luxurious, but reasonably priced, hotel and then venture out into the city. Take a shuttle across the river and grab dinner at Mazzaro, their Thai cuisine is spectacular! Finish the evening at Patpong night market, although touristy, it is worth a visit.
Day 10: Half day exploring Bangkok, Night flight home
On our last day in Thailand we arranged a late check out with the hotel. We spent the morning poolside and then ventured out into the city of Bangkok to visit temples and markets. Plus, one last meal at Mazzaro before heading to the airport.
We asked our friends Crayons and Carry-ons to give us all the details on the best restaurants in Chiang Mai - they lived there for a month, so they would know! Here is their list:
Authentic and Inexpensive:
Trendy:
Food Courts:
Night Baazar
Non-Thai:
Accha - Indian
Salsa Kitchen - Mexican
Street Pizza and the Wine House - Pizza
By Hand Pizza Cafe - Pizza
For information on our MUST-HAVES when traveling with the girls, check out our travel gear page!
We hope you found this itinerary helpful with planning your unique experience abroad.
As always, live presently and travel often!