Thailand is probably one of my favorite Asia destinations. I can list so many reasons why I love this country so much and I would come back to visit in a heartbeat.
This is by far the most friendly country I have ever been to, and I have traveled to many well-known places such as Hawaii, Bora Bora, Maldives… etc.
Thailand is a country with a rich culture of food, religions, breathtaking beaches, beautiful landscapes, and so on.
BANGKOK:
Our first stop was a major city Bangkok. If you like good food, nightlife, or shopping then you are in the right spot. We had 3 days to stay here and I wanted to make sure I fully take advantage of everything this city has to offer. To be honest, you will need at least one week in each place in Thailand to get the full experience.
We are Gold Marriot members so we stayed at Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel. This was absolutely a great location and I highly recommend it. Here are a few reasons why. It’s located on the legendary Chao Phraya River with exquisite views. They offer a free river taxi from the hotel to the Iconsiam shopping mall which is only 5 minutes away. For those who are not familiar with Iconsiam. It’s the world’s best shopping mall where you can find all brand names like Hermes, Chanel, LV…. etc.
The Royal Orchid Sheraton hotel has the best breakfast buffet and Thara Thong restaurant inside the hotel is one the best restaurant in the city. We love the food and services.
On top of that, you don’t have to go anywhere to find street food. There are hundreds of street vendors conveniently located inside the mall. I had so much fun exploring the food there. You need to try their local crabs and lobster. It was so delicious. My mouth is still watering thinking about it.
When you think about Thailand, you would think about Buddhism. It’s about 95 percent population is Buddhist, therefore you will see Buddist Temples everywhere. Their temples here are unique and you would want to miss visiting them.
We visited all the popular Temples including Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Traimit, Wat Mahathat, Wat Intharawihan. I don’t have a specific favorite one. Each of the temples has a special touch to it.
The main way to get around is using Grab like Uber in the US but it’s very common for people in Asia to use this app instead. If you have never tried Tuk-Tuk in Thailand then you should at least try one. It’s a fun way to get around town. Tuk Tuk is Thailand’s iconic 3-wheeled taxi.
KOH SAMUI:
It’s a well-known island for popular resorts. It’s for people who are looking to get away from city vibes and truly experience tropical destinations. Koh Samui has a lot of stunning beaches and plenty of fun activities. From budget travelers staying in simple beachside bungalows to the wealthiest vacationers enjoying the luxury 5-star resort.
We stayed at the 5-star Melia Koh Samui Resort. This place is very beautiful and located in peaceful Choeng Mon Beach where you get private access to the beach. The resort provides exceptional facilities, world-class services, and a location near all the main attractions on the island.
We stayed in one of the boat suits and it was well worth it. The resort has two main restaurants. One will offer a daily breakfast buffet with a variety of food which changes daily and one located in the front of the beach with traditional Thai food. My favorite was the papaya salad and Fish Curry.
There are many beautiful beaches on this island. The most popular white sandy beach is Chaweng. It’s the main nightlife hub with bars and restaurants catering to every taste.
The Fisherman’s Village is a popular spot if you are looking for street food. Central Festival Samui for the shopping experience.
For activities, we went to Na Muang Waterfalls, Lami Overlap Stone. We didn’t book any tour, we just took a taxi to get there and they offer a round trip to take you back.
You cannot leave Koh Samui without eating at Supattra Thai Dining. This is by far my favorite restaurant in Thailand and the owners are very nice and extremely knowledgeable about their food and wine. You can tell they put so much love and detail on each of their plates. I highly recommend it.
PHUKET:
It’s the biggest island in Thailand which attracted many tourists from around the world including me. This island has been always on my bucket list for any reason. One of the main reasons is Phi Phi islands. They are easily on my top 5 beautiful beaches in the world along with Maldives and Bora Bora.
Phi Phi Le was featured in the Hollywood movie The Beach by Leonardo Caprio. The waters surrounding the Phi Phis Islands are filled with exotic marine life. It’s the best way for snorkeling.
We stayed at Four Points by Sheraton Phuket across from Patong Beach. This is the best location in town. It’s easy to access everywhere.
We booked a day tour to Phi Phi islands using Get Your Guide. It’s called Phi Phi Tour by Speedboat and Lunch Buffet. They offered transportation from the hotel and back and included a buffet, drinks, and snorkeling gear. The speedboat was much faster than the regular one. We stopped at Bamboo Island for swimming, and snorkeling, Ko Phi Phi Don for lunch, Monkey beach, Pileh Lagoon for more swimming, Viking Cave, and Maya Bay. The tour is around $100 per person and we had the best time of our life.
We celebrated my Husband’s birthday at Pru restaurant which is Phuket’s first and only MICHELIN Starred. It’s located inside the famous Trisara luxury resort. We had 7 courses of a variety of bold fresh flavors. If you want to impress your special, take them here.
Then we dined at Nitan, which is recently awarded for Michelin Guide’s Point View. The chef was the winner of Iron Chef Thailand. The food and presentation are absolutely delicious and pretty. if you love fresh local seafood then this is the place for you.
That will be all for now. I hope you enjoy my blog and I cannot wait to come back and visit Thailand again. Khob Khun Ka.
