Asia,  Thailand

The Complete Travel Guide to Thailand

Endless temples, elephant sanctuaries, white sandy beaches, floating markets, and cuisines like nowhere else in the world. These are just a few of the things you’ll experience when visiting Thailand. Dare I say you’ll fall in love with Southeast Asia and the friendliness of its people and it will leave you wanting to return time and time again.

In this complete Thailand travel guide, I will show you an overview of the experiences we had when touring Thailand for the first time. It will be broken up day by day to show how long we spent in each city and the order in which we traveled.

Important note: We booked this entire trip through a travel agent, so everything was fabulously organized by Cruise Planners – Tropics & Beyond. All transportation, hotels, and excursions were included in our package. However, SE Asia and Thailand are easy to travel by motorbike, bus, and taxi/tuk-tuk. With a little bit of planning and researching on your own (and this Thailand Travel Guide), you too can have an awesome trip!

Day 1: Milan, Italy to Bangkok, Thailand

At the time we left for our trip, we were currently living in Italy. We scored round trip flights from Milan (MXP) to Bangkok (BKK) via Emirates for $197 combined using our credit card points! I highly recommend flying with Emirates — it’s a nice airline with excellent entertainment and food. Our layover was in Dubai and from Dubai to Bangkok, we flew on our first double-decker airbus!

Use skyscanner to find your next flight deal here: Skyscanner Weekly Deals

Upon arriving in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, we were greeted by our tour guide and traveled straight to our hotel – Ibis Bangkok Riverside – which is located along the Chao Phraya river. The hotel was nice with an outdoor pool, ATM, and restaurant. Given time to explore on our own for the rest of the day, we visited the well known ICONSIAM, a mall just down the street from our hotel. This isn’t just any mall though. Inside you’ll find floating markets and street food along with top name brands like Gucci and Tiffany’s. It’s an excellent place to spend half a day as the AC is on full blast inside. My favorite part of the mall was the lighting, lanterns, and the multiple decorations hanging from the ceiling.

Ibis Bangkok Riverside as seen from Chao Phraya River
Our hotel as seen from the riverside
ICONSIAM a luxury mall in Bangkok

We had our first Thai Milk Tea at Pang Cha inside ICONSIAM, and it is still to this day one of the best ones I’ve had. I also tried my first Pad Thai (fried noodles) at Pad Thai Aree. It was spicy but so flavorful topped with shrimp. After dinner, we walked outside by the river and found we had walked into the opening ceremony of the “Iconic Candle Festival“. We stuck around for a while to watch a fascinating performance for the International Mask Festival later in the night with performers from Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Northern Thailand. We had no idea what they were saying, but their dances were incredible and we were mesmerized by the abundance of color and costumes.

Thai Milk Tea in ICONSIAM Bangkok

I felt so alive being at this festival on our first night in Bangkok; hearing the sounds of the drums and music from the different countries and their dancers. We watched the entire festival and ended the night with the fountain light show performance, which is perfectly timed to music. It was an excellent first day in Bangkok.

Where to stay: Ibis Bangkok Riverside
Address: Click to go to Google Maps

Day 2: Bangkok, Thailand

Traveling 100 km outside of the city, we first visited a coconut farm where we were shown the production of coconut products like oil and butters. Interesting fact: a lot of people use the coconut shell to plant orchids in because it helps to keep the plant moist and healthy. There was a beautiful orchid garden right next to the coconut farm!

coconut production process

The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market was our next stop. Hopping on an exhilarating narrow long-tail speedboat, we were driven through the canal and past villages, coconut trees, and shops on the water. The best part was when our driver would go really fast and it would make me giggle like a little kid. We arrived at the market where locals sell their products in flat-bottom boats. A little time to shop and some milk tea was the perfect end to our morning tour before we returned back to the city.

Taking a ride on a speedboat to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
View of the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market from above

In the afternoon, we decided to find a river cruise to explore more of Bangkok down the Chao Phraya river. It was a short walk across the bridge to the ferry terminal here where we easily found the Hop On Hop Off boat. It took us all the way down the river past The Grand Palace and its sacred Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Wat Pho Temple for only 120 Thai Baht total (~$4). We also saw Wat Arun Temple with its steep steps and Khmer-style spire. I’m so glad we decided to do this because we were able to catch a glimpse of the temples from afar while avoiding the crowds.

Cruising down the Chao Phraya River on hop on hop off boat in Bangkok, Thailand
skyscrapers and a Bangkok landscape, travel guide to Thailand

We settled on dinner at a small cafe, Bangkok Cafe, where they had great mojitos and Kao Pad (fried rice made with shrimp paste) before turning in for the night.

Where to Stay: Ibis Bangkok Riverside
Tips: There’s a 7-Eleven within walking distance from the hotel that’s perfect for grabbing snacks and drinks

Day 3: Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand

We flew on Thai Smile from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and when we landed, it felt as if we were in a completely different country. The landscape was drastically different and we couldn’t see any skyscrapers. It took us only 15 minutes to be transferred from the airport to our hotel, which was in an excellent location and within walking distance of Old Town Chiang Mai. Our 5-star hotel, Holiday Inn Chiang Mai, sits along the banks of the Ping River.

For the rest of the day, we had free time to explore on our own. The old city of Chiang Mai promised to be fascinating with diverse architectures, cuisines, and shopping. Taking a tuk-tuk into town only cost us 100 Thai Baht (~$3.30) and it dropped us off right outside the moat. We walked around exploring the gorgeous temples (including Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Duang Dee). Wat Chedi Luang, the site of a formerly massive pagoda, was unfortunately destroyed in the great earthquake of 1545. Wat Phra Singh, the lovely Lai Kam Chapel houses the revered Phra Singh Buddha image. We also stumbled upon a beautiful park at the edge of the Old Town, Nong Buak Hard Public Park. There were bridges, fountains, and areas to relax on the grass by the pond. This was one of our favorite places in the city.

Nong Buak Hard Public Park bridge and coconut trees in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Nong Buak Hard Public Park in Chiang Mai Thailand

We tried dinner at The Good View, which has an excellent location and view by the river, but I would recommend street food. A recommendation from a follower on Instagram (@bubu_backpacks) suggested we visit Chang Phueak Pork Leg Rice, which was once featured on Anthony Bourdain’s show. You can get “a plate of goodness” for about 50 Baht (~$1.64)!

Where to stay: Holiday Inn Chiang Mai
Address: Google Maps Link

Day 4: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thai Cooking School was one of my favorite experiences in Chiang Mai. Prior to this, I’d never done a full cooking class. It was great to be able to shop for our ingredients at the local market with our teacher and learn the different vegetables and fruit (Asian fruits and veggies often look very different compared to American ones). At Baan Hongnual Cookery School, we made vegetable soup, green curry with chicken (Gaeng Khiew Waan), Thai fried noodles (Pad Thai), and deep-fried spring rolls (Por Pia Tord). From start to finish, we had complete control over our cook stations and had the opportunity to learn from the most incredible teacher, Ampon.

baan hongnual cookery thai cooking school in chiang mai thailand

The cooking school is top-notch and has everything you need — a beautiful garden where they grow their own herbs, WiFi, restrooms, and assistants to help with clean up and/or cooking if needed. We were sent home with a fantastic recipe and cookbook from Ampon herself.

With full bellies, our tour guide, Jum, and our private driver took us about an hour up to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep to visit one of the biggest temples in Chiang Mai. The sacred temple has a challenging flight of steps flanked by beautiful Naga Serpents. You can also take a lift up to the top by purchasing a ticket first. There’s a famous white elephant story surrounding the location site of the temple, which is why you’ll see many white elephant statues around the temple. From Doi Suthep is also a great view of Chiang Mai. Surrounding the temple are dragon fruit and durian trees, which you can see up close. (Fun fact: durian fruit are often forbidden in hotels and other places due to their smell being extremely potent).

wat phrathat temple doi suthep chiang mai thailand
  • doi suthep temple chiang mai thailand
  • thailand travel guide temples tour
  • view over chiang mai thailand from lookout at doi suthep national park wat phrathat temple
  • wood carvings at doi suthep
  • thailand temple architecture
  • chiang mai white elephant thailand
  • jack fruit tree thailand chiang mai
challenging stairs flanked by serpents to wat phrathat temple in chiang mai thailand

After our temple tour, we relaxed at the hotel and then sought out a place to eat. We found a small local restaurant, Supatra Thai Food, next to our hotel that had delicious food.

Where to stay: Holiday Inn Chiang Mai

Day 5: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Trekking through Doi Inthanon National Park and visiting the rain forest was another one of the highlights in Chiang Mai. After driving about 1 hour outside of the city, we started the morning by visiting the highest point in Thailand at 2,565 meters in Doi Inthanon National Park. Just across the street is Ang-Kha Nature Trail. Birds were whistling over our heads as we admired the abundant vegetation and wooden walkways. It was like we had just stepped into a fairytale. Moss covered every surface. The 340-meter looped boardwalk took us about 20-30 minutes and I saw the highest trees I’ve ever seen before called Needlewoods. This forest is often referred to as a cloud forest because it literally sits so high in the clouds and is always wet or rainy.

highest point in thailand outside of chiang mai in doi inthanon national park

Just down the road from the hiking trail is the Twin Pagodas, which face each other from a short distance. They were built by the Thai Airforce in honor of their Majesties King and Queen for their 60th birthday anniversaries. Surrounding the pagodas are beautiful gardens and you can take the stairs or the escalators to the top of each. It was cloudy at first, but the pagodas beginning to peek out of the clouds was a photographer’s dream!

Lunch was at a local restaurant (ร้านป้าแก้ววชิรธาร) with a view of the Wachirathan Waterfall. It poured down rain on us the entire time, but I thoroughly enjoyed devouring a meal of fried chicken, fried pork with chili sauce, sticky rice, and veggies — all while listening to the raindrops on the banana trees. The waterfall was empty when we visited, but we were able to see how massive and impressive it was.

Tip: you’ll want to wear good traction shoes here because the steps are very slippery from the waterfall spray.

Wachirathan Waterfall in Chiang Mai Thailand
Wachirathan Waterfall in Chiang Mai Thailand

By the time we drove to our next destination, the rain had cleared and we had perfect (but very humid) weather to start our hike along the Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail. Hiking in Thailand was incredible and I highly suggest adding it to your itinerary when visiting. Throughout the forest of pine trees, we spotted lizards, snakes, and caterpillars. Vegetation grew abundantly – although not as much as the rain forest. Bamboo trees were everywhere, which the village people use for a variety of things like construction and food. The waterfalls along the way offered up a chance to cool off during the hike and there were plenty of people swimming. We soaked our feet and rested a bit while snapping a few photos to commemorate the spot. The once opium fields had been turned into beautiful flower fields with canopies covering them. The flowers are most frequently sold to those who visit temples to bless the spirits.

Historical side notes: Thai people used to be major opium producers. The King and Queen of Thailand tried to save them from the addiction so they replaced opium plants (poppies) and turned them into coffee, flower, and fruit farmers in the 1990s.

This trail was perfect because it wasn’t touristy and we hardly passed anyone, besides at the swimming hole, the entire time. You have to have a hiking guide to go with you, so we had our guide (Jum) plus the hiking guide with us. They can be hired on the spot at the beginning of the trail. The path was sketchy at times with bamboo ladders that you had to crawl down or bamboo steps and bridges that may or may not have been very sturdy, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The best part was when we arrived at an opening in the trees and the landscaped turned to terraces of marigolds and rice fields. It was everything I had dreamed Thailand would look like.

Rice fields of Thailand

The guide described a bit of the rice-growing process before we proceeded to the Karen tribe village – a tribe that practices organic farming and lives in accordance with nature. We had the chance to grind our own coffee using the beans picked from coffee plants nearby. Mae Klang Luang Coffee along the trail allows you to do this tasting for free.

Our 4 km, 2-hour hike in the Thailand heat was fulfilling and exhausting, and we napped hard on the 1.5-hour trip back to the hotel. Later in the evening, we settled for going to the same local spot as the previous night, and tried new dishes this time!

Where to stay: Holiday Inn Chiang Mai

Day 6: Chiang Mai, Thailand

We spent the entire day at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary feeding, bathing, and swimming with Asian Elephants. It was truly an experience that I’ll never forget. I felt so many emotions being that close to these massive animals with so much personality and wisdom.

Our visit to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary was one of the top things we did on our entire 23-day trip through Asia. So much so that it deserves it’s own blog post entirely. You can read about that full-day adventure here and enjoy the YouTube vlog here or below, and then return to this Thailand Travel Guide!

asian elephant ear

Tips: wear a tank top or light shirt to go underneath the traditional Karen throw, bring a change of clothes, bathing suit, towel, and plenty of sunscreen

Since we were pretty exhausted from our full day with the elephants, we enjoyed the international buffet in our hotel. It was definitely a 5-star meal with everything from roasted duck and ribs to sushi and gourmet desserts. It was a wonderful last day in Chiang Mai for us.

Where to stay: Holiday Inn Chiang Mai
Address: Google Maps Link

Day 7: Chiang Mai to Phuket, Thailand

Our flight didn’t leave until later in the day, so we were finally able to sleep in a bit and enjoy our last breakfast at Holiday Inn Chiang Mai. We were sad to be leaving this incredible place. It surprised me how much we enjoyed it here – from the activities we did to the cost of food and transportation. Being so close to the mountains and also located right next to the river was nice. Within 2 hours you could be at a rainforest, jungle, elephant sanctuary, or a hiking trail. There were many beautiful temples all over Old Town and throughout the mountains. Local markets were easy to find and 7-Eleven’s were easily accessible (these are like the go-to convenience store in Thailand to buy super cheap drinks and snacks). Also, the locals spoke decent English and the sunsets were killer.

It also helped that our tour guide for Chiang Mai, Jum, ended up being fantastic. She was knowledgeable and very friendly, but also let us have our quiet moments and time to explore. We parted with her at the airport and flew Nokair from Chiang Mai to Bangkok (DMK).

Nokair is a very low budget airline with terrible AC and we only received a very small water bottle throughout the flight. It’s not the most comfortable flight by any means, but it fits a tight budget. Landing in DMK, we headed straight for the Miracle Lounge (thanks to our Priority Pass) which was very nice. They had sushi, spring rolls (my favorite) and lots of fresh food, plus iced coffee!

Our flight continued to get delayed, which apparently is a thing for Nokair, but we finally arrived in Phuket around 9 pm. Our guide was waiting for us and gave us a few bits of information along the 45-minute route to our hotel, Novotel Phuket Resort, where we crashed after a full day of traveling.

Novotel Phuket Resort in Patong bay Thailand

Where to stay: Novotel Phuket Resort

Day 8: Phuket, Thailand

Today’s itinerary included a Phi Phi Island Tour by Speedboat. We were picked up by the speedboat company, Island Dream Exploration, and transported to the Marina. The tour company has a nice area where they serve pastries, coffee, and tea while you wait for the rest of the group to arrive. The boat holds a max of 30 passengers, so the groups aren’t too large. Snorkeling equipment was handed out, including flippers, and we all marched down to the boat. At this point in the day, the weather wasn’t the best, but also wasn’t the worst. It was drizzling slightly but we figured it would clear up by the time we made it to the islands.

Halfway along the boat trip to Phi Phi Island, it began pouring down raining and the boat rocked back and forth violently. Everyone was getting soaked from all angles. A few minutes later the tour guide for the day, along with the captain, announced that because of the rain and severe wind, the boat was unable to continue toward the islands. It wouldn’t be safe to approach the beach with the high wind speed and the weather was too dangerous. They offered their sincere apologies and took us back to the marina to wait for our drivers to shuttle us to our hotels. Refunds or exchanges were handed out. After some researching, we decided to take a refund and get our money back since the weather for Saturday didn’t look too promising. We had wasted almost an entire day out on the water anyways and were pretty disappointed at missing what promised to be a great day of snorkeling and seeing some iconic landmarks in Phuket.

I add all this in my Thailand Travel Guide to most importantly say that we knew the risks of traveling to Asia during the rainy season. We were lucky that this was only the first time that a tour had been canceled due to bad weather. The rainy season in Thailand typically runs from May/June – October, with August – October being the wettest.

Upon returning to Novotel Phuket Resort, we ate a delicious lunch at the on-site restaurant. They have a well-ranged menu with everything from Thai to American and Indian food. We decided on swimming afterward despite the light rain and the chilly pool water, but it was relaxing and the three pools were a great place to hang out at. The hotel is nestled on the hillside overlooking Patong Bay.

Swimming pools at Novotel Phuket Resort in Thailand

It’s important when you’re traveling for such a long time and on the go so much, to give yourself some relaxation time. After four full days in Chiang Mai, we were really feeling drained. The rest of the afternoon was spent napping, walking along the beach (Patong Bay) located right near our resort, and ordering room service.

Where to stay: Novotel Phuket Resort

Day 9: Phuket, Thailand

We were given an entire free day in Phuket with no tour guide or driver. Just a day to ourselves to explore! After sleeping in and enjoying a late breakfast at the hotel, we waited until the rain passed before finding a beach further up the coast that promised to be more peaceful. Surin Beach was everything I had read it would be – serene, clear blue waters (unlike Patong Bay), and less touristy. It took us about 20 minutes to reach the beach from our hotel in a tuk-tuk, which cost a steep 500 baht (~$16). We caught sight of some food stands before we got to the beach and decided to have lunch there before heading out to the ocean.

Surin beach in Phuket Thailand

This was one of my favorite meals during our entire trip – and that’s saying a lot! I had roasted corn, fried rice with shrimp (they used this seasoning that I am itching to find again) and mango sticky rice! It was hands down the most flavorful meal yet.

Mango sticky rice Thai Dessert at Surin Beach

The waves in Thailand are not to be taken lightly. They will break and completely wipe you out if you’re not careful or strong footed. Stephen swam and body surfed for a long time while I enjoyed sitting on the beach reading my book.

It didn’t take long for the rain to find us again and we could spot it coming from a mile away. The dark clouds looming over the distant ocean was eery but made for some incredible photos. We stayed just a little too long and ended up hightailing it down the road in the pouring rain to find a tuk-tuk.

waves of thailand, surin beach phuket
thailand waves at surin beach phuket
Storms rolling in during rainy season at Surin Beach

On the drive back to the hotel, we passed an elephant riding camp that just broke my heart. I was super upset to see the reviews and the elephants up on the hill chained to the trees. *Please don’t book tourist places like these*. It was almost as bad as the reviews for the Phuket Zoo. I recommend staying away from there as well!

Back at the hotel, we played volleyball in the water for a while and attended happy hour at the “Herring” Bar. Dinner is easy to come about in Patong Bay with numerous food stands. We ate at a small stand with great rice, spring rolls, and sipped on super cheap cocktails for our last night in Phuket. The walk from the hotel to downtown is about 10 minutes and is nice at night when it’s quieter. Take the route along the beach and you’ll see swings, hammocks, and playgrounds/benches to sit at and enjoy the beach.

Where to stay: Novotel Phuket Resort
Tip: Their concierge is super helpful when it comes to booking tours!

Day 10: Phuket to Koh Samui, Thailand

Before we dive into Koh Samui, let’s do a quick recap about our thoughts on Phuket: We enjoyed a different kind of travel in Phuket where we didn’t have a tour guide and had the chance to travel on our own for one of the first times in our trip. On the other hand, there were lots of out of pocket expenses and Phuket was way more expensive than Chiang Mai. In Chiang Mai, we paid for a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride for 100 baht ($3) and in Phuket, a 20-minute ride was 500 baht ($16). I think things would’ve been better if the weather had cooperated, but with rainy dreary days, it puts a damper on things. Patong Beach, right across our hotel, had dirty water with plastic and trash. It was also very touristy.

I saw too many elephant riding places and not enough sanctuaries. Fantaseas – a common amusement park/theme show – literally has dancing elephants in it. Animals aren’t treated humanely there or at the Phuket Zoo after doing a lot of research on the two places. Would I visit it again? Yes, but not during the rainy season. Surin Beach was a favorite for us and I recommend visiting the off-the-beaten-path beaches when in Phuket.

Looking forward to escaping the rainy weather and seeking sunshine, we awoke early and had a fantastic breakfast at Novotel before checking out. Our flight with Bangkok Airways was a prop plane! I love flying with them and find their flights so pleasant. On every flight, we were provided with drinks and lunch or pastries. The view of the islands from above while coming into Samui was gorgeous. I’m so grateful to have had a window seat for this flight.

Koh Samui as seen from Bangkok Airways flight

Koh Samui Airport was AMAZING. It looked nothing like an airport and instead more of an island resort. As opposed to the awful stuffy buses that usually transport us from the airplane to the airport, we rode on a nice little airy train. I loved Koh Samui immediately!

We were picked up by our ICS Travel Group guide and driver and brought to the hotel, OZO Chaweng Samui. Arriving that early in the day meant it wasn’t time to check in yet, so we changed into our bathing suits and headed to Chaweng Beach. The water was clear and a beautiful turquoise blue!

Chaweng Beach Koh Samui Thailand

The pool was lively and crowded with many guests enjoying the sunshine. The beach was full of sunbathers and vendors walking around selling coconuts, jewelry, and souvenirs. Right next to the hotel was a nice sports place where you could rent jet skis, paddleboards, kayaks, and even go tubing or banana boating. Stephen decided to try paddleboarding for the first time – which was quite funny out in the ocean with zero instruction. He did manage to become successful at standing up on it and enjoyed his one hour of physical activity (for 300 baht ~ $9). I, on the other hand, soaked up the sun (but remembered to put lots of sunscreen on because the sun is super strong in southern Thailand!).

The hotel restaurant serves fantastic drinks and we split a calamari appetizer while we waited for our room to be ready. For dinner, we walked into downtown Koh Samui. It was lively, definitely not as touristy as Phuket, and there was so much going on. There were food stands and rolled ice cream, jewelry shops, and clothing stores for great prices. I got a henna tattoo and Stephen tried his first rolled ice cream! We really enjoyed walking around Koh Samui at night, and it was only a short distance from our hotel.

Where to stay: OZO Chaweng Samui
Address: Google Maps Link

Day 11: Koh Samui, Thailand

After our boat trip got canceled in Phuket, we had Koh Samui to look forward to and were crossing our fingers for great weather. And excellent weather is what we were handed!

A driver from the boat company, Lomlahk, picked us up at our hotel and it was about a 30-minute drive to the Lomprayah Samui Maenam (Pralan Pier). Upon arriving, you follow the signs for the tour that you are going on for that day. We got in line and gave the lady at the window our voucher and received a colored bracelet that signified the type of tour – ours was snorkeling with lunch. We sat in a waiting area outside under the shelter, where they served light breakfast items and juices until they called our bracelet color (orange).

The tour boat today was a much nicer one than the boat we had ridden in back in Phuket. Every seat faced forward and you could see out on all sides. The tour guide also spoke much better English and even though the boat was full, it was a perfect sized group.

Speedboat tour to Koh Nang Yuan near Koh Samui Thailand

It was a 1.5-hour boat ride to Koh Nang Yuan island. Along the way, they handed out our snorkeling gear (fins excluded) and water bottles multiple times. Our tour guide went over our itinerary for the day and some background about the islands. He pointed out Koh Tao, a destination we would be returning to later, and I swear the rock formations looked just like elephants from far away. I stayed glued to the window the entire time enjoying the blue waters and the other boats and fishermen we passed, while others drifted off to sleep from the gentle rocking of the boat.

We arrived at the island and unloaded from the boat onto the dock. Shoes and fins are prohibited to be worn while in the water because they can damage the coral. The island also discourages people from laying on beach towels directly on the sand, as they have had problems with a decrease in the beaches and the amount of sand each year. They ask that you sit on the chairs to prevent sand being taken off the island. We still saw people wearing shoes in the water, and in fact, you could hear them stepping on coral while we were snorkeling.

I’ve been snorkeling in what I thought were some incredible places – Sardinia and Croatia. Nothing I’ve ever seen compares to snorkeling in Koh Nang Yuan. The water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom. I saw many fish that I’ve never observed before. Silver long sword looking fish that swam along the top of the water. Cerulean fish that hovered around the coral. Huge puffy fish that sat near the bottom. Sea urchins with sticks half a foot long! Schools of fish swarmed us and weren’t frightened or scared off by us. We swam and snorkeled for a long time before having to return for our specified lunchtime. Lunch was buffet style with lots of our favorite things – like rice, pad thai, and curry.

Koh Nang Yuan Thailand snorkeling scuba diving and bathing

After lunch, we chose to go to the other side of the island where the water was even bluer than the previous side (if that’s even possible). The water was very warm but we didn’t spot any sharks, thank goodness, although I did spot some scuba divers below!

Our time on Koh Nang Yuan seemed to fly by. We were given three hours to snorkel and then had to return to the boat by 1:50 pm. The last stop would be at Koh Tao in a spot they call Rock Bay. We parked in the middle of the cove and were given the opportunity to swim, float, or go snorkeling (but in a designated area). As the water was 6+ meters deep, it was difficult to see much in the assigned snorkeling area. They claimed if you were lucky you could spot small sharks here. Thank goodness I didn’t get lucky!

The boat ride back didn’t take long and we were shown to our vans to be taken back to our hotels. We freshened up and changed before walking downtown. I seriously loved the island vibe of Koh Samui. The waters were gorgeous, there was great swimming, and many things to do. I wish we had had more time at our hotel that sat directly on Chaweng beach with such beautiful white sand and clear blue water.

The night market we decided on had lots of places to choose from for dinner. Cocktails and all of our favorite food items were eaten on our last night in Thailand: fried rice with shrimp, pad thai, spring rolls, and mango sticky rice to top it off. We had an excellent day and ended it with a fantastic pink and purple sunset as we walked around Koh Samui enjoying the many merchants between henna tattoos, hair braiding, massages, and the band playing in the square. Koh Samui left us with fantastic memories and an excellent last night in Thailand.

Where to stay: OZO Chaweng Samui

Day 12: Koh Samui, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia

The following morning we were up with the sun and witnessed our first sunset of the trip before catching an early flight to our next country – Cambodia!

Sunrise at OZO Chaweng Samui at Koh Samui Thailand

I hope you’ve enjoyed my complete Thailand Travel Guide including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Koh Samui. This itinerary can easily be modified to spend more or less time in each place and to fit your budget needs when it comes to traveling. If you loved this and found it helpful, please give it a share, leave me a comment below, or subscribe to my mailing list to see more in the future! Stay tuned for the next posts to include Cambodia and Vietnam.


The Complete Thailand Travel Guide via Outside This Small Town Travel Blog, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui #travel #thailand #southeastasia #phuket #bangkok #kohsamui #thailandtravel
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