12 DAYS EXPLORING THAILAND

Written By Lisa Devenny

12 Days Exploring Thailand

City, Jungle & Beach

Written By Lisa Devenny

This itinerary is packed with tips on what to do (and what to skip) if you prefer a balance of sightseeing, outdoor adventure and relaxation on your vacations.

We crashed our good friends’ honeymoon (with their permission, of course) and explored three vastly different areas of Thailand – the bustling city of Chiang Mai, the remote jungle of Northern Thailand and gorgeous beaches of Phuket.

Overall, we were impressed by how welcoming the locals were, surprised by just how bustling the cities were, and very satisfied with the affordable prices. Favorite part of the trip? The FOOD. Everything we ate – from Thai curry to fruit smoothies – was insanely fresh and flavorful.

 

WHICH AREAS TO VISIT

We decided our itinerary based on the fact that we wanted to see a few different areas of Thailand. The country itself spans a vast distance, so the landscapes in the north are far different than the south. Similar to our itinerary, I would suggest visiting one area in the north – either Bangkok or Chiang Mai – and at least one area in the south, such as Phuket or Krabi, so you get to experience a glimpse of everything Thailand has to offer.

WHEN TO GO

Thailand has a major rainy season, June through October, during which some outdoor attractions are closed or not as enjoyable. The hottest months are April & May, which could also pose some inconveniences for travel and activity. We decided to go in January to avoid those weather situations. The southern region was still incredibly hot and humid, but overall manageable. Another point to think about when deciding when to go is vaccine recommendations. During rainy season, mosquitos are more prevalent, so you might have to / want to get more vaccines, which can add up quickly if not covered by insurance. (See more about vaccine info in the Quick Tips section near the end of this blog.)

GETTING THERE

Not going to lie… the travel there and back was a little rough. Be prepared for the longest flights and travel days. If it’s in your budget to upgrade to a more spacious seat on the plane, do it. Also keep in mind the flights are expensive to Thailand, but everything else, like lodging and food, is super affordable! We flew Delta airlines and had a great experience, despite the lengthy flight. Our friends who we were traveling with flew Korean Air and had a less-than-amazing experience with an outdated plane and low in-flight meal quality.

  • Delta flight San Diego > Seattle (3hr)

  • Delta flight Seattle > Seoul (12hr)

  • Korean Air flight Seoul > Chiang Mai (6hr)

Our exact Itinerary

The quick facts

Click on the day/title in the list to see an overview of our day-to-day itinerary. In-depth details, map links, tips and advice about each island can be found in the next paragraphs.

    • Delta flight San Diego > Seattle (3hr)

    • Delta flight Seattle > Seoul (12hr)

    • Korean Air flight Seoul > Chiang Mai (6hr)

    • Arrive late

    • Check in to hotel

    • Explore the Old City

    • Tour temples

    • Stay in Chiang Mai

    • Thai Farm Cooking Class

    • Night market/bazaar

    • Stay in Chiang Mai

    • Monk’s Trail to temples

    • Thai massages

    • Stay in Chiang Mai

    • Mok Fa Waterfall

    • Hike ~4 miles in Hui Nam Dang jungle

    • Stay in mountain village wooden hut

    • Hike ~8 miles in Hui Nam Dang jungle

    • River crossing on bamboo raft

    • Stay in another mountain village wooden hut

    • Either ~3 mile hike or 2 hour bamboo raft

    • Elephant sanctuary

    • Travel back to Chiang Mai

    • Stay in Chiang Mai

    • Flight to Phuket (2hr)

    • Uber to Patong (45 min)

    • Hotel rooftop pool

    • Muay Thai fight

    • Stay in Patong

    • Luxury boat tour of Phang Nga Bay

    • Stay in Patong

    • Beach

    • Massages

    • Simon Cabaret Show

    • Bangla Road nightlife

    • Stay in Patong

    • Start the long journey home

Stop #1: Chiang Mai

Bustling city in Northern Thailand

While in Chiang Mai, be ready to stumble upon gorgeous temples around every corner. This city is bustling with a never-ending maze of mopeds, bars, Thai massage parlors, street vendors, tattoo shops, coffee shops and soooo many night markets. We opted for Chiang Mai over Bangkok because we heard it was a little more tame and manageable to navigate. We were overall so impressed by the energy of this city and tried to immerse ourselves as much as possible.

WHERE TO STAY - CHIANG MAI

I would recommend staying near or inside the Old City area. This area has everything you need and is walkable to different attractions, lodging and food. If you look at a map, it is pretty easy to spot the square shaped Old City because of the main boulevard that creates its borders. There used to be a tall brick wall and moat lining the edges to protect the city, but now only some stretches of the wall and a few historic gates remain.

Our hotel, The dustitD2 Chiang Mai, was in the perfect location to conveniently enjoy the biggest night market, just one block away. The hotel itself was pretty standard, but had everything we needed including nice amenities, clean rooms and a welcoming staff. Ask for an upgraded room or high floor if possible.

Our friends we were traveling with stayed at THEE Vijit Lanna in Chiang Mai, which is more of a boutique-style hotel. It has gorgeous interior design and attention to detail. It has a great location right on the main border road of the Old City.

WHAT TO DO - CHIANG MAI

  • Thai Farm Cooking Class: This was an AMAZING hands-on farm to table authentic cooking experience. With a small group of 8 people and a guide, we visited a market outside of town and then spent the rest of the day at a farm 40 miles outside of Chiang Mai. Our fun and energetic guide, Wass, walked us around the farm and explained different plants, encouraging us taste and smell them. Then we took the ingredients from the farm and cooked 4 different traditional Thai dishes in an outdoor kitchen with our guide’s in-depth instructions. Each of us got to choose from a list of options for each course based on our preferences. It was the BEST & FRESHEST Thai food I have ever had.

  • Get a Thai massage… or two. I highly recommend Makkha Health & Spa. It was right by our hotel and we noticed it right away because it was super CLEAN and luxurious with still amazing prices, compared to a lot of other ones that we saw which were a little sketchy. We did the 60 minute Traditional Thai Massage. If you have never experienced Thai style massage before, I would recommend just the light pressure option if given a choice.

  • Go on a scavenger hunt to see how many temples you can visit in one day. Like I mentioned, there are temples EVERYWHERE. If you walk aimlessly around the Old City you will stumble upon 5 temples every 20 minutes. Here are a couple favorites we saw:

    • Wat Jet Lin – big catfish pond in the back with walking paths

    • Wat Pha Lat – Immersed within the jungle of the mountainside right outside of town. Either take a cab up the road or walk the Monk's Trail to get there, like we did. If you continue on to Wat Phra That, I’d suggest hailing a cab and NOT continuing on the Monk's Trail, as it's straight uphill. Wat Phra That is very touristy. It has beautiful views, but is swarming with people.

  • Galae Restaurant – We were so glad we stumbled upon this restaurant on the edge of the city, sort of on the way to Monk's Trail or Wat Pha Lat. It had really delicious food and an amazing atmosphere with a big pond and gorgeous flower beds that go on forever.

  • Chiang Mai Night Bazaar - There are a handful of great night markets, but this one is far superior. It is a never-ending maze of vendors – food, art, clothing, souvenirs, etc. If you’re brave you can even try a grilled scorpion or frog! Make sure to check out the “food court” area, Ploen Ruedee Night Market, which has food and drink from all over the world and live music for entertainment.

  • See You Soon Cafe - This is the most adorable little cafe in the Old City with a tropical, boho aesthetic. They also have a boutique connected to the cafe that has some gorgeous handmade clothes and accessories.

Stop #2: Jungle Trek

Trekking the remote Northern Thailand mountains

On the next leg of our trip, we left the city and headed out on a 3 day, 2 night, ~15 mile guided trek in the Northern Thailand mountain area of Hui Nam Dang with a guide from the company Chiang Mai Trekking with Piroon.

To begin the adventure, we were driven 1.5 hours into the mountains in a covered truck bed with benches. We were then dropped off on the side of a dirt road with our guide and started our trek into the dense jungle. Along the trail, our guide, who grew up in the nearby villages, would pause to pick random fruit for us to try, carve elephant symbols into the tall bamboo stalks with a big machete, and chop bamboo to teach us how made cups out of the stalk.

We stayed on thin mattresses on the floor of wooden huts within the tiny, extremely remote villages of the Karen people. Our guide and the locals prepared incredible meals for us with almost every ingredient coming directly from their village farm. My mouth is still watering thinking about the most flavorful fresh pineapple we enjoyed with breakfast, lunch and dinner for three days straight. Eating those delicious, colorful meals, surrounded by good company in the middle of the Thai jungle will be a vivid memory forever in my mind.

Even as an experienced wilderness backpacker, this trek was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. It definitely brought me out of my comfort zone in some instances, but overall it was an incredible opportunity and very humbling in many ways.

As part of the trek, we had the opportunity to meet some of the elephants that live in a remote elephant sanctuary in the Hui Nam Dang mountains. They are the most majestic animals – so kind and peaceful. We chopped up sugar cane and banana tree trunks for them to snack on and got to help them cool off in a nearby river.

TREK QUICK NOTES:

  • Be prepared to bring a small day pack with clothes, toiletries, toilet paper, snacks and your own towel. The tour company provides all meals and bedding. You can leave your suitcase at their office in Chiang Mai while you’re trekking.

  • There are a bunch of companies who offer treks like this out of Chiang Mai, but I highly recommend using the company we used. We did our research and were able to read a bunch of reviews and see a lot of photos beforehand so we had some idea of what we were getting into.

  • There is also a 2 day, 1 night option or even guided day treks if you aren’t sold on the 3 day, 2 night trek

Stop #3: Phuket

Tropical beaches & lively nightlife

For the last leg of our trip, we headed south to the iconic Phuket peninsula. Surrounded by the most gorgeous blue-green waters, this tropical region has a bunch of different areas to explore and activities to choose from.

WHERE TO STAY - PHUKET

We decided to get the most authentic tourist experience and stay in the heart of the nightlife area of Patong. Our hotel, the Charm Resort was a good hotel with everything we needed plus a great rooftop pool overlooking the beach and bay. Our friends who we were traveling with stayed at Hotel Indigo which was more centrally located and a lot more modern and luxurious than our hotel.

There are a few other main areas in Phuket that have more of a luxurious, relaxing resort feel, such as the Kata Noi area, which our friends stayed a few nights. The hotels are more expensive, but it is more private, romantic and secluded than the bustling energy of Patong.

WHAT TO DO - PHUKET

  • One of our favorite days of the whole trip was the Luxury Boat Tour of Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island. It is a MUST DO. The boat stops three times – once for swimming in the bay, once for a guided kayak tour through the Hong Island Sea Caves, and lastly a long stop at James Bond Island for swimming and photo-ops. The company provides transportation to/from your hotel as well as lunch and dinner. Drinks on the boat were very reasonably priced. The staff was super welcoming and made it such a fun atmosphere. Sunset views of the bay from the boat were dreamy.

  • Grab some delicious smoothie bowls or chicken curry from Roxane Restaurant with views of the beach from their 4-story restaurant.

  • Escape the bustling streets at Let’s Relax Spa. The foot massage was so good, we may or may not have gone here twice while we were in Patong.

  • Be entertained by the ladies… of the famous Simon Cabaret Show.

  • Walk the infamous Bangla Road with crowds of people from all over the world to experience the one-of-a-kind nightlife that is Patong after dark.

  • Be immersed in culture and watch a traditional Muay Thai fight in the lively Patong Boxing Stadium. This region is where Muay Thai originated, so there is a huge following and hype around the sport.

thailand quick tips:

  • Make sure to look into what vaccines are recommended for your Thailand trip based on what time of year you are going and what regions you are going to. Talk with your doctor to see which you should get. Among a couple others, I opted to get the expensive Japanese Encephalitis vaccine to protect myself against mosquitos on the trek, even though it wasn’t rainy season when we went.

  • Download the app Grab, which is very similar to Uber, hail taxis or arrange rides with your hotel. I would NOT suggest renting a car or moped because the traffic is terrible and no one seems to care about rules while driving. For the three main excursions we went on – cooking class, trek, boat tour – transportation was included in the price.

  • Generally speaking, tipping is not customary in Thailand. It isn’t mandatory to tip anyone, nor do they expect it. That said, we still did tip some of our guides who were exceptional. But at restaurants, we usually didn’t tip.

  • I would recommend having an international plan on your phone so you can access google maps while exploring. Some of the roads get windy and confusing. Our international plan was only $10/day from AT&T.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and it helps you plan an unforgettable trip!

Traveling has always been an important part of my life. I love experiencing new places and being inspired by them creatively – the vibrant colors of Santorini, the lush landscape of Phuket, the quaint fishing towns in Alaska.

Although a travel blog doesn’t directly have anything to do with my graphic design business, Rockfish Design Studio, I started my travel blog to be able to easily share info and photos with anyone who asks for recommendations for destinations that I have traveled to.

Writing is something I genuinely love to do and has always been a creative outlet for me. And sharing helpful info with others has always been my love language. So it’s a win-win situation!

Cheers, Lisa

**All images featured are property of Lisa Devenny & Rockfish Design Studio. Please do not use without written permission.

Lisa Devenny
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