I guess we all dream of packing a bag and just leaving once or twice in our lives and just enjoying life on a sunny beach someplace where the beer is cold and the sand is hot. Ever fancied Thailand?
Thailand was an absolute dream of mine, but at the time I wanted to pack my bags and jet off onto the sunset, I was also just about to quit my business and take the plunge in to corporate life. I knew this meant I had to let my hair down, just love every second and say yes to everything possible.
Flights booked and bags packed Bangkok here we come!
First stop Kho San Road for some authentic Pad Thai.
Bangkok what an experience. The streets were filled with food, fruit, drinks and life.
Settled in now time to explore…
As you can see I had big plans for Thailand.
We didn’t plan to do specifics but we had some destinations in mind. What we did at these destinations and when we got there wasn’t planned.
A spontaneous 5300 Thai baht later and our first venture was planned. 
- Floating Market
- Kanchanaburi to see Erawan Falls
- Raft house accommodation
- Train and taxi transfers
- Overnight sleeper train
- Bus ticket to Krabi
- All food for the 3 days included
Once we had booked our first trip we went off to explore Bangkok.
The Grand Palace was a beautiful place.
On the way from the Grand Palace back to the hotel we came across some market street stalls selling food and drink.
Mangosteen’s….oh my days! These small conker like fruits were incredible, pure white segments of juicy fruit inside. If you haven’t ever tried them it’s a must.
Drink in a bag anyone? Apparently a sandwhich bag filled with ice and a warm can of Fanta is a thing over there. I wanted to know why of course….it’s supposed to keep your drink cooler for longer, as if you were clutching a can of Fanta it would be warm in seconds in the temperature. Seems legit!
Adventure time
Our first adventure started with a minibus ride where we met some fantastic people who ended up being people we met up with along and throughout our trip. Erin & Tom from Australia, Michael & Marcus from Birmingham, and Nikki and Charlotte from Chester.
First stop the Floating Market, and what an experience….firstly you think your going to fall out of the boat and then you realise your on a boat with a few lizards.
Unusual but totally fabulous.
A long stream of market stalls just sat floating on a river edge with people making jewellery in front of your eyes, offering you coconuts with straws in, to the usual tourist trinkets you bring home. It was a beautiful place.
After a quick food pit stop we went on to the National World War II Museum, we crossed the bridge over the River Kwai, and then stopped off at Ko Sok waterfall.
The Raft House
The evenings involved the sweet sound of nature. You could hear the echo of crickets and geckos across the raft house it was so calming, not to mention the amazing breeze. The raft house was floating on an earey river of fog.
Breakfast on the raft house was scrambled eggs toast and pineapple…..not my usual combo but I’ll go with it.
Erawan Falls & Overnight Train
Erawan Falls has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. At 7 tiers high it is a sacred waterfall within Kanchanaburi National Park. It takes some climbing but the view and the crystal clear water is worth every step….beware of those sneaky monkeys and the fish that like to nibble dead skin!
On to the train journey which was a new experience as this was an overnight sleeper train. You have a train ticket with a bunk not a seat. It is around a 10 hour journey to Surat Thani and from there we would make our way to Krabi.
Beach life
Finally what we had craved after a few days of sightseeing…..sun, sea and beaches!
We had an explore of Krabi and had a bite to eat. Booked a flight from Ko Samui to Bangkok for the final part of our journey (forward planning).
Jumped a boat to Railay Bay for a relaxed day on the beach. Smoothies and fruit are all you crave here the heat is so much you just need it.
Evenings on the mainland
After having a day filled with beautiful sunshine, the evening breeze and shade was a retreat.
The atmosphere is so different from Bangkok. Very relaxed, laid back while still full of entertainment.
From street dancers, to pancake makers, to buskers filling the air with music, it was stunning.
I came across a gentleman carving what looked to be leather and his work was so incredible I had to buy one. It was elephants carved out of buffalo skin.
Elephants
This was a bucket list must! Up in the jungle of Ao Nang was an elephant sanctuary where you could feed them bananas and go in the water with them to cool off. Just the most unforgettable experience ever.
The elephants were super playful sucking water up and squirting us it was just surreal. Who ever thought….I’ll pop to Thailand for a water fight with an elephant.
I had never imagined sitting on an elephants bare back to feel like you were sitting on splinters. They were covered in hundreds of fine spikes hairs. Super amazing animals.
Hostel life
We were now on Phi Phi Island and in search of accommodation. Now island life is not meant to be spent in a swanky hotel…. let’s be low maintanance and stay somewhere we have a bed and a shower, after all how many hours out of the day are you in your hotel! ‘
Alena Dorma’ a 10 bunk hostel with a welcoming host Suchada Khamrot (nam for short).
What was only going to be one night here turned into three, we just loved the vibe. Our hostel bunkies were like our island family. Some of them had been there for weeks not wanting to leave. They ate together, partied together and, paid for the partying with a traumatic hangover soaking up the sun on the beach together.
Bamboo tattoo
One of the things on my bucket list was to get a bamboo tattoo. I was pretty intense practically interviewing most tattoo parlours on the island, but this one particular guy had so many reccomendations I wanted to wait for him to do the job. I chose ‘everything happens for a reason’ in Thai and had it down my ribs.
Now imprinted for life, we were good to go for the beach party.
Beach party life was out of this world. The atmosphere was indestructible. From rings of fire to fire limbo to the totem pole climb, it was just full of life.
Boat Trip
We decided we needed to island hop and do some exploring.
We hopped onto a long tail boat and set sail to Monkey Island, Maya Bay, Phi Phi Lee and the Viking Caves.
Maya Bay!….what can I say. Blue skies, crystal clear sea, white sand beneath your toes. What more could you need.
On Phi Phi Lee we did some snorkelling and kayaking. I have never in my life seen such beautiful creatures from yellow fish, sword fish, jelly fish and rainbow fish just beautiful.
I never knew fish like bananas?…
Now one place that I wanted to go and not just see, but experience was Phi Phi view point.
You can’t even imagine what it was like that tragic day for those who lost their lives to the Tsunami. To climb the climb and to look over the island I can only describe as a moment I will never forget.
Ready for some downtime
Ko Lanta green garden resort for a beach retreat.
The unspoilt nature of this tranquil place with it’s beautiful gardens and a sunset every night as the view, just breathtaking.
If your an active person like myself you will love this island. Bike rides, kayaking, scuba diving and snorkelling is all readily available here along with authentic Thai cooking classes. Great for some downtime as well as making the most of the offerings of the island.
Island hopping
Day trips are most definitely the way to see and explore and I can’t recommend this tour enough. 4 islands and 1 Bay all in one day.
Poda, Tup, Chicken, Sii (all islands) and Phra Nang Cave.
Poda island- jewel in the Andaman sea. Bamboo plantation and majestic rocky cliffs.
Tup Island- exotic tropical island ideal for snorkelling and a walk along the sandbank at low tide.
Chicken Island- local landmark named after the shape of its unique limestone jutting out of the sea. Inviting waters rich in corals.
Sii Island- perfect for snorkelling on the coral reef.
Phra Nang Cave- sercluded penisualur. It is believed among the villagers here that the spirit of Phranang (princess goddess) resides in this cave. This cave was manmade and was built for prayers of fertility. 
I want to mention our boat tour guide ‘Maz’. Maz is 33 and has a wife and four young girls.
Maz had dreams of travelling like most of us, only he has never earn’t enough to be able to do it, he barely makes enough to feed his family. His dream was to travel to Koh Samui which wasn’t far from where he lived but was too expensive for a family of 6, and on a daily wage of £25 plus tips.
Knowing some of Maz’s story everyone on the boat did a collection for him, we rallied around and gave him a huge tip….enough to get a ferry for a family of 6 across to Koh Samui….he cried!
Last few days
Starting with a transfer trip to Koh Samui on Valentine’s Day.
‘Samui beach resort’. I can’t tell you how nice it was to have a warm shower! Lovely beach front resort, it was like a retreat. Beautiful pool, staff were lovely, it was just what we needed.
Although the weather in Koh Samui was very windy it was literally a breath of fresh air.
A dip in the sea was not what I was expecting here.
Unlike all of the other islands and mainland we had been to walk where the tide was low and you could walk half a mile into the sea. Unexpectedly it was like falling off the face of the earth….it was a huge drop with waves taller than me (I know that’s not too hard as I’m 5ft and a peanut) but still they were high! So after feeling like you’d been spun through a washing machine it was apparent why the resort had a pool!
A chilled evening with a local band on at the hotel and a BBQ was just perfect.
Our adventure was just about over but there was one more thing to do on the bucket list…..The Full Moon Party!
Off we go to Koh Pangan.
Covered in body paint and armed with buckets of alcohol, it was time for a real ‘let your hair down, be a free spirit party’.
We managed to meet up with a few of our travel buddies we had met on other islands and partied the night away on the beach.
Mad rush to catch the 6.30am boat back to Koh Samui and on return our taxi to the airport was waiting…..now at that point you get the wave of….why didn’t I book an extra week….I don’t want to leave yet vibe!
So 3 weeks of travelling Thailand had come to an end.
5 planes, 1 overnight train, 11 Islands, 14 different destinations, endless tuk tuk and long tail boat rides, street food, elephant bathing, holding monkeys, snorkelling, kayaking, visiting temples, museums, bridge over the river Kwai, floating market, Erawan Falls, fire dancing, amazing beaches, Phi Phi view point, bamboo tattoo, meeting the most amazing people from all over the world. One full moon party, 58 sandfly bites and 16,713.09 miles later and I’ve had the most incredible experience of my life.
Would I reccomend Thailand?…Absolutley! 
So when one chapter closes another one opens.
I hope you have enjoyed my Thailand Journey. Thanks for reading. Sarah xXx
Schits & Giggles 