From feeding and bathing elephants to squeezing us five travelers into a tuk tuk zipping through the hectic streets of Bangkok, there wasn't a dull moment spent in Thailand. This was the most memorable trip of my lifetime, due to the magnificent group I traveled with and the vibrant culture present with every corner turned.
Our trip took place during the end of March of 2019, with plans to travel to two countries during our time in Asia. We would be heading to Thailand for a week and then fly to China to explore for a few days.
Here is the travel squad - together we ventured half way across the world 🌎 Pictured from left to right: Ali, me, Subhan, Danny, and Rita.
The Itinerary
Exploring the cities of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi and Phuket!
Bangkok
We began our travels through a direct flight from SFO → Beijing → Bangkok. Needless to say, we were absolutely exhausted after a full day of airports, planes, and time zone differences - a whole 14 hours ahead of us West Coasters!
The hotel:
We stayed at The Key Premier, a four star hotel located in a friendly neighborhood with markets, shops, and public transportation close by.
The hotel had an outdoor pool, bar, and restaurant located on the rooftop, with a panoramic view of the city -
We were greeted into the lobby with a few friendly employees who offered us drinks. It appeared to look like orange juice, but tasted like water with a fruity mixing powder. None the less, it felt refreshing amidst the unfamiliar humidity and we gulped it down quickly.
As we got settled into our rooms, Rita went to find her phone charger to plug in her iPhone before bed. She frantically began sifting through her luggage, unable to locate it. Suddenly, more panic set in as she realized her laptop and its charger were no where in sight either. She had forgotten these valuables at the security checkpoint in Beijing during the connecting stop to head to Bangkok, as she was in a frenzy to make that flight. We tried locating numbers and emails to contact lost and found at the Beijing airport, and we luckily got a reply the next day letting us know her items were secured at the lost and found (phew!). Luckily, we would be heading right back to China within the week for the next leg of our trip.
The Tuk Tuk
We woke up the next morning and sat perched on the rooftop of our hotel, enjoying an all you can eat breakfast. Then, we headed out to explore the capital city. We took a metro line to get us deeper into the site seeing areas and then befriended a local who flagged down a tuk tuk driver, telling him to take us to a specific destination for a boat tour, which would also get us closer to the Grand Palace. We looked at one another concerned how we would all fit in the tuk tuk, which is a common, small mode of transportation in Thailand. The five of us somehow squeezed aboard, and our driver showed us the time of our lives, as he sped up and weaved in and out of lanes. I felt the warm air against my skin as we all gripped on to one another and laughed harder than we ever had.
To give you perspective, here we have the driver taking the photo of us, and Subhan snagged his seat just for the picture. During the drive, the five of us were all seated in the back!
Chao Phraya River - Boat Tour
As we exited the tuk tuk, we walked towards a woman sitting at a table in the shade who collected our money and led us towards a private boat on the Chao Phraya River. Along the way, we saw views of the city and passed by several temples and various neighborhoods -
The Grand Palace
After the boat tour excursion, we were dropped off close by to the Grand Palace, which is an area of worship and history. I strategically wore a jumpsuit romper that would cover both my legs and shoulders due to the strict dress code for entering holy grounds. Luckily, there were plenty of locals selling the popular elephant pants, and tourists were purchasing them left and right, including members of our group. There was a woman out front of the gates, granting people permission or denying them into the palace based off their clothing. After everyone was re-dressed, she allowed us entrance.
The details of each building were so intricate, filled with patterns of gold and mosaic pieces -
The Grand Palace sure was grand 😜
Following our fun day of exploring, we headed back to the hotel to check out and stuffed our luggage in a large van. Our private driver would be taking us to a more rural and nature centered area called Kanchanaburi, which was a two and a half hour drive away.
Kanchanaburi
During the trek to Kanchanaburi, we got a taste of how the locals really drive. The steering wheel is on the right side, rules of the road are almost non existent, and motorbikes had multiple people dangling off the sides. People weaved in and out of lanes without flinching, and lanes were hardly acknowledged. We gripped onto one another and burst out laughing on multiple occasions where we thought we were going to crash. Our driver got a kick out of seeing how stunned we were with this, as it's standard! He was a pro driver and got us to our destination safe and sound.
The hotel:
We arrived to the Royal Riverkwai, a 4 star hotel based in a private and serene area in the darkness of the night. We were greeted with a now familiar orange juice drink, while we checked in. Surrounding us in the dimly lit lobby were plenty of geckos and flickering torches with fire.
The hotel had an outdoor pool, a common dining area outside, and large garden space -
Elephant Haven
This was my favorite day of the trip! You will need to book this activity in advance, as tourists from all over the world plan for a similar experience.
We woke up early and energized, as we enjoyed a delicious meal provided by our hotel. It's quite common for breakfast items to include rice, pad thai, and chicken, in addition to more traditional foods such as eggs and scones at the hotels. The Elephant Haven van came to pick us up directly from our hotel, where we were greeted by our driver, three Norwegian men in their early 30's, and a German woman.
We arrived to the sanctuary, where the elephants were already enjoying bamboo. The day began with an information session, where a woman told us stories of the abuse the elephants endured due to tourism before their arrival to the haven. There were about 10 female elephants, all elderly and some had gone blind due to repetitive hitting 😭
We began with a forest walk, where we joined the majestic giants side by side. (only the elephants with clear vision joined us for the activities)
We had the most memorable tour guide of all - a local who kept shouting "Don't worry, be happy!" He encouraged us to get closer to the elephants and really embrace the experience. He would also frequently say "West siiiide!" and throw up the sign. He mentioned that a former tourist showed him this. We nicknamed him Jungle Roy. After the forest walk, we made our way back to the main site, where we prepared food for the elephants. We mixed ingredients together and formed sticky treats, as well as sliced watermelons to feed them.
Here we are with Jungle Roy!
It was then our turn to eat. The staff had prepared a tasty meal for us to enjoy. Following the lunch, it was time to bathe the elephants! We took them into a mud pit, where we slathered their course skin with the wet dirt. The elephants were ecstatic, as it helps cool them down. Next, we headed towards the river, where the elephants washed off.
We joined them into the water, splashing and removing the remains of mud off of them.
Afterwards, we headed back towards the campgrounds, where we concluded the most lovely day. The overall experience was so memorable. The staff was incredibly engaging, the itinerary was a blast, and spending quality time up close and personal with the elephants was a once in a lifetime experience. We snapped a group photo before saying goodbye.
Erawan National Park
The next morning, we ate breakfast and checked out of the hotel. We loaded our luggage into a private van, where our driver would be taking us to Erawan National Park. We had a few hours to explore all of the scenic waterfalls before having to head back for the 3 hour drive to Bangkok, where we would be boarding a flight to Phuket for the next part of our trip.
As we entered into the park, we spotted a chameleon changing colors in the tree up above us. This was the first sign that majestic beauty lay ahead 🦎
As we made our way into the park, we heard the loud boom of a large tree branch that rattled the floor behind us. We looked up to find a monkey grinning at us mischievously from the tall tree above. Luckily, the tree branch didn't fall on our group or the family with a small child that was behind us. Be on the lookout for the monkeys here! They like causing chaos 🙊
The national park consists of 7 different levels of unique waterfalls. There is a hiking trail that will take you to each tier.
Level 2 is a great stop because it's the most spacious. The pool wasn't too deep, so definitely kid friendly! You could spot the monkeys stealing snacks and tree hopping. There were plenty of silver pond fish there to greet you. Careful - they may nibble 🐟
My second favorite tier was level 3, a few minutes away. This was a large pool that felt a little deeper and colder, due to the extra shade. Make sure to come wearing a bathing suit and water shoes! It made for easy access in and out of the waterfalls and for hiking the trail.
We hiked upwards on a dirt path, exploring the rest of the waterfalls. This park visit was a highlight of the trip, as we enjoyed our time spent in the tranquil pools, surrounded in the jungles of Thailand.
Phuket
After a 3 hour drive to the Bangkok airport and a quick flight, we arrived to another area of Thailand called Phuket. Known for its fun night life and stunning beaches, we were excited to explore!
The hotel:
We had the most hospitable hosts while staying at the ACCESS Resort & Villas, a 4.5 star hotel located near Karona Beach. They were all so friendly and very helpful with providing us with drivers and booking us activities.
All rooms are based side by side, with a balcony that gives you direct access into the pool. The pool also has a bar, where you can swim and enjoy a delicious drink and appetizers. Breakfast was served each morning in the common dining area.
Longtail Boat Tour
We woke up early with the intention to find a boat tour to the James Bond Island, but all bookings were sold out. As a piece of advice, many tours must be reserved at least the day before. We chatted with the concierge, who told us that since we couldn't do a speedboat tour this day, we should book it for the next. We made our reservations for the following day to visit the Phi Phi Islands, but were curious how we could spend the day we had ahead of us. He made a few phone calls and we had a plan!
Bon Island
A driver picked us up, taking us to a beach where a private longtail boat was ready for us to board. The crew consisted of a child who hung out at the front of the boat and a man at the back end. We would be island hopping 🏖
After a 10 minute ride, we pulled up to Bon Island - it felt like the beginning of a Survivor season (shout out Jeff Probst!) There was a restaurant on the beach where you could grab a drink and relax, and they offered chairs for rent if you wanted to get comfortable.
I wanted to snap a few photos by the boat we had just taken, so I hopped into the ocean water. I suddenly felt my legs stinging and quickly glanced down, seeing very small, clear blobs. They turned out to be little jellyfish! Not too far off from the shore, I spotted a very large, orange jellyfish. Subhan was in close proximity to it, but he quickly realized the dangers that floated close by and swam back to shore for safety. If you look in the photo above, you can spot a dark circle in the middle right! That's the jelly 🐙
We explored the other side of the island and took a dip for snorkeling. As I was observing, I felt a sharp pain in my upper right thigh and looked to see a little fish had bit me! Not long after, my brother Danny got bit by a sea slug 🐌
Bon Island was a personal favorite of mine due to the remoteness and stunning ocean side views.
Coral Island
Our boat came back to take us to the next stop of the longtail tour. We arrived to Coral Island. Similar to the previous destination, they had a restaurant and bar for enjoyment. Right by the bar, there were several toucans picking on bananas that lay ripe in the tree. I had seen Toucan Sam in the flesh!
Enjoying a delicious Thai dish —— ! the boys claim it was one of the best meals they had while visiting!!
There was a cute hammock like piece on the beach that we each enjoyed sitting in.
Our longtail boat came back around for us after an adventurous time exploring the islands. Our driver picked us up from the original drop off location and brought us back to the hotel, where we got ready to go out and explore the night life.
Patong
The best way to describe Patong is it resembles the red light district of Amsterdam mixed with Las Vegas. There was a surplus of people walking through the strip, seeping into the night clubs and bars. Loud music blared through the streets and women danced provocatively in the windows. Locals aggressively tried to sell tickets to a ping pong show, which are notoriously known in Phuket. Don't be deceived by the title - the show isn't people actually playing the sport ping pong 🏓😣
There were locals also selling scorpions on sticks to eat. We saw a European group stop to buy some. As they took a bite, they screamed in disgusted triumph 🦂
Phi Phi Islands Speedboat Tour
We woke up bright and early to head to the location of the Phi Phi Island Speedboat tour. The day began with an information session from a woman named Millie, who suggested we take a dramamine due to the choppiness we would encounter. Water shoes were required to board the boat, as many of the stops we would be visiting had sharp coral and rocks present. There was a shop where tourists could purchase these shoes, along with any last minute forgotten necessities.
We sat in the back of the boat, inhaling the salty air. Millie was both our tour guide and DJ, blasting music through the stereo. Our first site was Viking cave, where we admired the hidden gem from the boat.
The next stop of the tour included snorkeling. As the boat came to a halt, it rocked back and forth, causing extreme motion sickness for the faint of heart. Millie handed out life vests, as the water would be deep. We hopped in and I was in absolute awe at what lay below. Coral reefs that were deep purple, hundreds of sea urchins, and colorful fish swam around.
We had a bit of a scare, as Rita fell victim to the sea sickness. Millie was a pro and very helpful, as she splashed fresh water on Rita's head and gave her a water to sip on. After we got moving again, she luckily started feeling more like herself.
The groups on our boat would be splitting up - half of us would be getting dropped off to Ko Phi Phi Le for lunch and swimming, while the other half would go to Maya Bay. We enjoyed an all you can eat inclusive lunch, then went to the beach to snorkel and lounge. The color of the water was unreal, resembling mint chocolate chip ice cream.
After our lovely time at this beach, our boat came back to get us, where we swapped places with the other half of our tour group. We stopped at Monkey Beach, where we observed the monkeys swinging from tree to tree, stealing food and beverages from the tourists. The water was crystal clear, with large rocks surrounding the shore.
We spent our last evening enjoying our hotel pool, gift shopping and eating a traditional Thai dinner. We cheers'ed to the close of exploring one country and onto our next 🥰
