Thailand: The Land of Smiles – Part I Bangkok, Koh Phi Phi & Phuket

Thailand has been a destination on my Travel Bucket List for years. I actually can’t even remember the exact moment I decided I wanted to go to Thailand, I’ve just always known I needed to visit this place.

So, when I was planning my 4 month trip..Thailand was a guaranteed MUST stop.

Lloyd is a very good friend of mine who I met while working at Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse a few years back. I was STOKED when he decided to book a flight and meet me in Thailand for my first 2 weeks there (I know my mom was also relieved as well).

Our plan was to meet in Bangkok and stay for a couple nights, then head to one of the islands for a bit and then up to Chiang Mai for a week before Lloyd had to go home. All we had booked were our first 2 nights in Bangkok and 4 nights in Chiang Mai. The rest was all up in the air, which for me, was terrifying! I’m a planner, this is totally out of my comfort zone..but when in Thailand right?

Bangkok

Bangkok really is something else and I truly believe that everyone should experience it at least once in their life. Something about the hustle and bustle of the city really makes you appreciate home.

Our first and only full day in Bangkok was spent exploring the many temples the city is home to. We hired a tuk tuk who drove us around for 2 hours and took us to 3 temples. Then we hired a taxi who drove us around for the rest of the day, took us to the Golden Mountain Temple, Wat Pho & Wat Arun. He also took us to this restaurant on the pier for lunch. There were NO tourists and it was delicious!

Koh Phi Phi

The next day, we decided to fly to Krabi and then take a ferry to Koh Phi Phi for a few days to get our taste of the island life. Besides a bed bug experience the first night and a little rain on and off the entire time we were there, Phi Phi is beautiful. We did a private Longtail boat tour with Mr. Chet (came recommended on Trip Advisor) which was definitely the highlight of our time on the island.

Our boat trip started at 7:30 am, where we headed straight to a lagoon to swim and relax for an hour before heading to Maya Beach. This had to be the highlight of the day. We were completely alone, the water was like glass and you could see to the bottom. It was stunning. Lloyd, who doesn’t swim, even got in the water for the first time EVER! It was so perfect.

Following the lagoon, we went to Maya Beach. For those who don’t know, Maya Beach is the famous beach where the Hollywood film “The Beach” was filmed, with Leonardo DiCaprio. Had the beach not been littered with garbage due to the wind and the throngs of tourists, it would have been a lot nicer. But it was one of those things you have to see.

Following Maya Beach, we headed for lunch. Mr. Chet took us back to the lagoon, but this time, to the secluded beach that was nearby. No one was there but the two of us, and we enjoyed our fried rice and freshly cut pineapple (all provided by Mr. Chet) and watched boat after boat sail in and out of the lagoon. We were so grateful that Mr. Chet took us to the lagoon first thing in the morning so we could have it all to ourselves.

Next up: snorkelling! It has been quite awhile since I’ve been snorkelling, so I was a little nervous at first. Once I got over the initial panic when I saw hundreds of fish swimming around me, it was amazing! It also made me realize how badly I wanted to get dive certified!

Finally, we visited Monkey Beach for a couple photos with the cute little guys before heading back to the main island. It was an incredible day!

I also got a bamboo tattoo on Phi Phi Island! I mean when in Thailand right?

Phuket

Origially, we had planned to stay in Phi Phi for the whole week, but we really didn’t want or need to stick around for that long. On a whim we decided to take the ferry to Phuket instead, and we’re so glad we did!

We visited the Big Buddha. Then I got a massage while Lloyd hung out at the beach and then we headed to Bengla Rd with Chooch, Meg and Zoe, some girls we met at our hostel. Bengla Road was INSANE! I don’t even know where to begin…think of Vegas on steroids, and you have Bengla Road. It was crazy!

The next day we had to catch an early flight to Bangkok so we could catch another flight to Chiang Mai for the remainder of Lloyd’s time in Thailand.