We’ve finally made it! The last day of my Thailand trip (not including travel home). To finish off my trip as much as I loved the beaches, I needed to get back up to Bangkok to be able to fly home. So after a delicious breakfast at my hotel on the beach, my hotel shuttled me to the airport to be able to fly back to Bangkok for one final day in Thailand.
I arrived at the Koh Samui airport and realized I might be in the most beautiful airport in the world. The island has set up their airport completely outdoors, with covered areas for seating, but otherwise completely open air. Even the tarmac looks surprisingly pretty with water features along the sides. I enjoyed snapping some photos, swinging on an outdoor swing, and even doing some birding before boarding!
They had a little trolley of sorts take us out to the tarmac to our plane. Once on board, I was startled because though it was a short flight (less than two hours) they serve a meal on board. It actually worked out well because it was getting close to lunch time.
Back in Bangkok I grabbed my bags and called a Grab Car to head back into Bangkok. I was once again staying at the same hotel as I had on arriving, the Lamphu Tree House. I’d had a good experience there so was eager to return.
I had planned to just drop my bags and get going, but thankfully was able to check in early. I therefore left my things and took off again.
I called a Grab Car to get me over to the Jim Thompson House Museum, something I’d really wanted to do in Bangkok and hadn’t been able to on my first stay.
James (Jim) Thompson was an American businessman who founded a silk company and apparently helped revitalized the Thai silk industry. He kept a house in Bangkok where he housed a lot of beautiful artwork and other antiquities. After his disappearance (yep the man simply vanished on a trip to Malaysia and was never heard from again), the house eventually became a museum.
At the house I was able to hop on a guided tour (the only way you can see the house) and enjoyed getting to see the beautiful museum. It was a fun experience and one I was very glad to be able to squeeze in during my time.
I stopped for a milk tea at the museum shop and enjoyed the beauty of the scenery before debating what to do next.
Once finished at the museum, I thought about catching a bus back to my hotel, but instead decided to walk and enjoy some more sights in Bangkok. As the afternoon was well underway it was unlikely I’d have time to do much else. And besides, the Bangkok heat was once again wearing me out.
I walked the two and a half miles back to my hotel, stopping from time to time to admire various scenery and absorb more of the Bangkok atmosphere. It is such a huge noisy dirty city, but it does have its charms and I enjoyed simply exploring them on my own.
At the hotel I had a little pool time before heading out for my last Thai meal. I simply went to the place right near my hotel as it had good reviews and was cheap so I didn’t have to withdraw anymore baht before I left. The place was called The Family and was set up along the canal. I opted to have some Pad Thai to finish off the trip and watched as the sun set along the canal.
I flew home the next day, once again enduring the 3 hours to Taipei and then another 14 back to LAX and one more flight to my hometown. It was an amazing trip I was so glad to be able to do. I’ll never forget the beautiful natural landscapes, incredible culture, delicious food, and much more than I enjoyed in Thailand. I definitely would love to return some day, but for now I’m content to have at least seen a little bit.
Stay tuned for future blog posts about my most recent adventures in South Africa!
Though I had wanted one day to relax on the beach, my next day what I had planned was to do some more adventuring. Which was why I’d booked a boat trip out to Ang Thong National Marine Park.
The Marine Park sounded incredible, so booking a tour was an easy way to get out there and enjoy it to the fullest. I booked a full day tour through Get Your Guide to be able to take a boat out to the park, do some snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking.
They picked me up with a van at my hotel and drove us back to the marina. The company even provided a light breakfast before we took off, which was good because we’d left early enough I wasn’t able to eat at the hotel.
The weather was perfect compared to the day before with sunny clear skies. The sea still felt a little choppy, but they provided some motion sickness tablets before we took off, so I didn’t deal with any nausea onboard.
There were probably thirty other people on the tour. We boarded a good sized motorboat and set off into the sea towards the marine sanctuary.
Our first stop was in a bay to enjoy some snorkeling. I’ve never had much luck with using my camera underwater in those protective cases, so sadly no photos from the snorkeling, but it was still a great experience. I saw lots of beautiful fish and enjoyed the calm waters to get to swim around and explore.
After a while I headed back to the boat to snap a few pictures and dry off. Most of the others began heading back onboard as well, so we did take off for our next destination.
The boat headed around some of the islands (the park is made up of 42). We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the dramatic limestone jutting out of the vibrant ocean waters.
At last we arrived at Mae Ko Island where we disembarked and took a short hike up the hill to get a view of the Blue Lagoon, a beautiful lake in the middle of the island. It looks stunning but apparently isn’t great for swimming due to snakes and jagged rock edges. Still the view was gorgeous and we enjoyed ourselves before heading back to the boat.
Once back on the boat we had another short ride before stopping on a sandy beach on the other side of the island. There we disembarked and had a lunch at a small picnic area. We had rice, vegetables, and some chicken. It was tasty and hit the spot after so much activity that morning.
There was a short break to enjoy the beach before heading back to the boat to head onwards to our next activities.
On the island of Ko Wua Ta Lap we were offered the chance to do some kayaking. Unfortunately the kayaks they had were all for two people, no singles. I asked the guide and he just said I could go with him, but as it was my very first time possibly kayaking I didn’t really feel comfortable possibly capsizing someone else. I’ve done rafting and canoeing, so probably would have gotten the hang of it, but it just didn’t appeal to me to not be able to try on my own or with someone I knew.
I instead headed over to the beach to do some swimming. The water felt great.
When our guide got back with the kayakers he led a hike up the Pha Jun Jaras Nature Trail, a steep climb to the top of the island for incredible views. I opted to go, though I trailed behind much of the group as it was a pretty steep climb. It was only five hundred meters, but the signs at the bottom estimated it would take an hour. I’m not quite sure how long it really was for me.
Still, the view from the top was spectacular and well worth being out of breath and very sweaty for.
Back at the bottom I bought myself some ice cream and a milk tea and enjoyed the beach for a bit longer before being called back to the boat. Onboard, we headed back to Koh Samui to disembark for the day.
We again met vans back at the marina which drove us back to our hotels. I had been the last picked up in the morning so was the first dropped off. It was still pretty early in the afternoon so I just kept my swimsuit on and opted to go enjoy some time by the beach and pool for the remainder of the day.
At long last, I did get cleaned up and went to find some food. I didn’t feel like walking quite as much after a busy day, so settled for a place a little closer to my hotel. It was called Super Chef Restaurant. I had some spring rolls, a mango smoothie, and I believe a chicken and basil dish. It was delicious and filling and the perfect thing to finish off a great day.
I definitely stopped on my way home to get some ice cream and enjoyed a relaxing evening on my hotel porch in the ocean breeze. Definitely a good way to finish off my time in Koh Samui.
I grew up with the idea that vacations were exhausting. Rushing to and from each attraction, going from place to place with hardly a moment to breathe. So it’s no surprise that I’ve sometimes craved that relaxing beach vacations I see others take.
My problem is that I’m cursed. No, I joke, but honestly it does seem like a lot of times when I set aside beach time on a vacation something goes wrong either with weather (I literally had a hurricane come in one year in Mexico) or illness, or something else out of my control.
This vacation was no exception.
I’d opted to end my trip along the beach (other than one last night in Bangkok to fly back home). I like beach endings to vacations as it often allows time for relaxation if you’re worn out from the trip.
I took a van out of the national park back to Surat Thani (the largest town in the area). There I caught a second van that took me to the ferry and then over to the island of Koh Samui. The drive was once again beautiful, stunning mountains and beautiful jungle.
I had asked my hotel to pick me up from the ferry, but there was some kind of miscommunication and the driver went to the airport instead so I had to catch a taxi. It was a little more expensive than the shuttle would have been, but nothing outrageous. Besides, Grab cars aren’t really available on the island, so it was pretty much my only option.
I stayed at Pico Samui, a boutique hotel on the beach. I arrived and settled into my room after the exhausting travel of the day.
I’d made minimal plans for the afternoon figuring I could spend time lounging at the beach or the pool. Instead it began raining right about the time I got my swimsuit on. So I snapped a few pictures and reluctantly headed back into my room to relax until dinner time with some tea.
Thankfully the rain did stop when I wanted to get food. I headed over to Fisherman’s Village, an area that used to be used for fishermen, but now is more of a walking street and night market.
I stopped at Aroy Dee, a restaurant slightly off the street that looked like it had good food even if it didn’t have ocean views. I had a pina colada, shrimp cakes, and some kind of stir fried glass noodles with vegetables and chicken.
After that I did a bit of wandering through the night market before deciding it was time to go back to my place for the night. The weather had cleared up some so I sat on my porch and had some ice cream to finish up the night.
So it was beautiful and sunny when I got up in the morning. I was actually already sweating just walking over to breakfast in my long sleeves and long pants (which was what I’d been instructed to wear to be more covered up during my jungle trek).
I had breakfast at the hotel: toast, eggs, and pancakes as well as some pineapple and some fruits I don’t know the names of, but ones that were clearly picked from trees right at the hotel grounds. Apparently the same ones the monkeys like to snack on when they come visit the hotel grounds.
Then I was picked up and driven over to the national park entrance. I paid my fee and then met my guide to go trekking. I was the only one signed up that day, so got a private tour. I would have preferred a group especially after the fun I had in Khao Yai, but I nonetheless wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to go into the jungle.
We started out on a nice wide flat trail. My guide pointed out lizards, insects, spiders, plants and more.
The trail then took us down along the river which was absolutely beautiful.
After a while walking on that trail we arrived at a little rest area with restrooms and a covered shelter. We took a short break and ran into a little dusky tree monkey there. He was clearly very comfortable with people, grabbing chips from the little snack stand, climbing on people, grooming my guide. He tried to bite me actually, so I gave him a wide berth after that and was definitely glad I’d been wearing pants so his teeth didn’t break my skin.
We took off again into the jungle, this time heading on a very narrow windy up and down trail along the river. It was very pretty. We saw some more monkeys: macaques and more dusky tree monkeys.
Probably thirty minutes along that trail it started to rain. I initially thought it would just be a sprinkle, but it became a steady downpour. I tucked my phone away in my dry bag I’d thankfully thought to bring as my pack for the day. I didn’t have time to tuck it in the little waterproof case since I wanted to protect everything else in my bag. Hence why my photos are somewhat lacking for the rest of this post.
The guide and I kept going. I think he and I both thought it would stop or slow down at some point, but just continued coming down harder and harder. The trail became pretty slippery in places and I went down hard on my bum in a puddle of mud at one point.
We stopped at a place along the river and the guide told me I could swim if I wanted. My suit was in my bag of course, and figured it wasn’t worth opening at that point. But as I was pretty much soaked from head to toe anyways and could use a chance to wash off some of the mud I went ahead and went in about waist deep. With the clothes on I didn’t feel comfortable enough actually swimming, but did feel nice to get some of the muck off my body.
My guide gave me some oranges to eat. I think it’s normally where he stops for lunch on the route, but as the rain was still coming down so hard there just wasn’t a good way to eat easily. He asked if I was okay going back a little early. The trails were really becoming hard and the wildlife just wasn’t able to be spotted super easily.
I agreed maybe turning back was for the best. So we started back along the trail, clambering up muddy inclines and carefully going down steep and slippery descents. I did get one leech on my leg, but it didn’t seem to break the skin before I caught it. Otherwise I was okay, even without leech socks on.
We stopped back at the shelter where the monkey was. My guide gave me some fried rice and eggs to eat and some pineapple he chopped up fresh. He then asked if I drank coffee. He made a fire and then a few minutes later brought me over some coffee in a little bamboo cup he’d made with a stir stick. I’d seen him chopping some bamboo when we stopped. I went ahead and tucked it away to take home as a souvenir.
After lunch we headed back down the trail, thankfully the flat and wide part that was easier to do. But even that had become super slippery and muddy. It had basically just become a pathway for water at that point.
We got back to the park headquarters and I just walked back to the hotel rather than waiting for a ride since we were early. It was very close, and honestly at that point I couldn’t get anymore wet than I already was.
At the hotel I showered with my clothes on to get all the dirt and grime off before taking them off to try to dry out. Everything actually was dry by morning other than my tennis shoes. Thankfully I wasn’t planning on doing anymore hikes or trekking so I figured I’d be fine with sandals and could let them dry out the next day.
I had a lazy afternoon on the deck of my place drinking some more coffee and admiring the birds and squirrels in the trees as the rain slowed. No more monkeys sadly, but it was still very beautiful and peaceful.
Again, my restaurant options were limited in the park area. Since I was disappointed with the Thai food I had the day before, I opted to get pizza instead at Chao Pizzeria. The location at least was beautiful right along the river. I had one with olives, mushrooms, ham, and artichokes on it. It was pretty good overall, definitely hit the spot after such a crazy day.
I then went back to the hotel for the night. It had finally stopped raining. I scanned the area for anything interesting as it was getting dark and saw a couple frogs but nothing else too interesting. Headed to bed, exhausted from the busy day, but ready to go on to some beaches and islands the next day.
It was a much less exciting day due to largely being a travel one, but I figure it’s still worth mentioning. My next destination was Khao Sok, another national park in the area famed for its beautiful landscape with dramatic limestone mountains and the oldest evergreen rainforests in the world. I’d arranged a van to take me there.
In the morning I ordered breakfast at the hotel (a little extra charge but figured it was worth it). Some eggs, toast, and sausage (though every time I had sausage in Thailand they were more like hotdogs, which was fine with me). Then I got a Grab car to take me over to the van station in town. The van picked me up and we drove for about three hours, stopping every once in a while to let people off at various stops. I was a bit surprised, as in Europe most buses I’ve taken that don’t have a bathroom will do a stop or two along the way at a rest stop or gas station. That didn’t happen, but thankfully it wasn’t a long enough drive to be a problem.
I just enjoyed listening to some podcasts and staring out the window. It was a very pretty drive, especially once we neared the park.
I arrived at the van station outside of Khao Sok. It was only like a kilometer and a half to the hotel, and the road was actually in decent condition, so I opted to walk.
I stayed at Khao Sok Jungle Huts resort, a little place with guest houses outside of the national park. At the hotel I was shown to my little jungle bungalow. It’s pretty cute, up on stilts with a little porch area. Mosquito net around the bed and AC, which are both good to have.
I scheduled a full day trekking tour the next day to go through the jungle looking for wildlife. But the resort didn’t really have anything else I could do for today. The lady at the desk suggested I just “relax” until tomorrow. But that’s not really my style. I asked about a night tour that evening, but she said it would be the same route the next day so she didn’t recommend it.
I was a little disappointed, but honestly figured it might be for the best.
I went and walked around a little bit instead, had some snacks and water. I used the hiking app I have on my phone (AllTrails) to see if there were any trails outside the park I could do on my own. There was one listed nearby that was short to the monkey temple. I opted to try that.
It was basically just following some dirt roads down to the temple. Not really a “hike” but it was a good opportunity to enjoy some wildlife, take some pictures, etc. Saw some monkeys along the way who got super close to me, but seemed uninterested thankfully. I enjoyed taking some pictures of them. They were long tailed macaques, so a different variety than the ones I’d seen earlier in the trip.
I arrived at the monkey temple and it looked like it was being repaired, and also wanted me to pay to go in. I just opted to look through the gate and snap a few pictures of some monkeys I saw before heading back.
I did a little more wandering down to the main gates of the park and exploring the tiny town, but eventually headed back to my place.
I had a leisurely afternoon having some coffee on the porch, and cleaning up from getting all sweaty on my walks, and then eventually went to find dinner.
Had some Thai food not too far from my hotel at Pawn’s Restaurant. Most of the food around the park area was European… I mean it’s a very touristy area so maybe they just assume that’s what people want. I went ahead and just had Pad Thai, and it was the most mediocre of the trip. Unfortunately in an area so dominated by tourists I think they can get away with not making the food quite as good and flavorful.
I had some pineapple fritters to finish off the meal which were delicious. It began pouring rain, but thankfully slowed down a bit around the time I was done eating. I headed back to the hotel to get an early night’s sleep excited to go jungle trekking the next day.
So I had a leisurely morning at my hotel in Chiang Mai eating breakfast and everything. I checked out and left my bags with the hotel. I had a flight in the evening to head down south to get some beach time, but I plenty of time to kill before going to the airport.
I decided I wanted to go to the temple up on the mountain, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The Spanish guy I’d talked to at the elephant sanctuary mentioned he’d hiked up but said it was a little slippery in places. I initially thought about hiking it. My phone said it would take about 2 hours… but since I no longer had access to a shower, I decided maybe that wasn’t the best idea to get super sweaty and gross.
So I figured, I’d get a ride up to the top and then walk down. Sounded like an easy idea.
The driver who picked me up immediately started negotiating about picking me up on the way back too, but I told him I was going to walk back. He was in disbelief, but told me I could just pay him 280 for the one way.
As we drove up the mountain, I wasn’t seeing any clear pedestrian trail. I think there is one, but it just wasn’t obvious. The road was very narrow and it didn’t seem good to walk up and down. It also had several long curves to get you up to the top, so was longer than the distance my phone was indicating. I decided to be smart and just not do that to myself.
Sure enough, the driver asked me a few minutes later if I was sure I wanted to walk down. I told him as it was further than I thought, yes I’d appreciate him taking me back. Could he wait an hour and would it be the same amount?
He told me he’d come back in an hour and a half. I thought he said yes to the same amount, but I think there was a miscommunication somewhere (yay language barriers). I had just enough money to be right at 600 baht, so a small tip on top for him.
Up at the temple I climbed the huge stairs up to the very top and wandered around. It was very pretty, very peaceful and had good views. I definitely didn’t feel like I needed an hour and a half, but went ahead and sat down for a mango smoothie and then looked around for some wildlife.
I went and waited where the taxi driver had indicated. The time he’d told me rolled around, and then five minutes, and then ten.
I noticed there were kind of open back trucks heading down the mountain that would take you to the downtown area for 100 baht. I gave him a few more minutes and figured I could take one of those if needed.
Thankfully, just about the time I was about to get one of the trucks, the taxi driver appeared, apologizing profusely for being late. He drove me back down to the town. Unfortunately, I guess because he’d waited he now wanted 800 for the round trip. I did not have that much in exact cash so had to just give him 1000 for the whole thing (about 30 dollars). I was pretty miffed, but just let it go. What could I really do?
I went ahead and found some lunch in the city, determined to make the rest of the day better. Had some fried rice and Thai milk tea.
Then I headed over to one of the museums I’d wanted to try called the Lanna Folklife museum. It was in an old city courthouse, so a fun building, and just gave an overview of the people who had lived in the area. It was originally the Lanna kingdom before Siam took over.
It was a good museum, fun building, good exhibits in English as well as Thai. But it didn’t take me very long. I’d planned to be back at the hotel around 5 to collect my bags and everything, but it was only about 2.
Looking online there was another museum not too far away (literally across the street), so I headed over there. This was the Chiang Mai City Arts and Culture Center. Essentially just a museum dedicated to the city itself.
Again, it was a good museum in a beautiful historical building. It was somewhat small, but overall I enjoyed it. I still had to time to kill, so I sat down at the museum coffee shop for an iced coffee. It actually was probably the best coffee I’d had the whole trip, so that was something at least.
I still had time so walked down to the 7 eleven near my hotel and bought some snacks. I wasn’t sure what options I’d have for dinner at the airport, so thought I’d at least make sure I had something (just wasn’t hungry enough for real food at 4 PM. I ate by the moat around the city and started noticing the traffic was getting pretty bad, so I figured I’d go ahead and head over a little earlier than I’d planned.
Got my bags and took a Grab car to the airport. Compared to most cities the airport is not actually not way out in the middle of nowhere, so the drive didn’t take super long even with traffic.
At the airport there were definitely limited dinner options so I had a ham and cheese panini just to get some protein and carb. I had figured the plane might give me a snack, but it actually ended up being one of those really budget airlines that makes you pay for everything. So thankfully I was not super hungry anyways and just skipped that.
We arrived in my next destination of Surat Thani about thirty minute early. I was very surprised by that, but I figured the process of getting my bags and using the bathroom and all that would take time. I figured I could maybe buy some water at a shop so I’d be set for the night (wasn’t sure what all would be available where I was), and could find an ATM and get a little more cash to be ready for the next day
However, bags came out within like 3 minutes. I’ve literally never seen baggage claim go so fast. I went to the bathroom, and came out into the lobby only to find the airport started shutting down after 8:30 PM. No water to be bought, no ATM in the immediate vicinity. However, it was just about when I’d told my hotel, Inn Khun House I’d arrive when I’d booked a shuttle service ahead of time so I started looking around.
No sign of anything in the lobby area. Went outside, no immediate sign of anything out there. The hotel had referred to it as a shuttle service, so I kind of expected an official “shuttle”. A lady working for the airport asked where I was going and tried to pass me off to a taxi driver. I turned him down and told him I already had a ride scheduled.
It was getting well past the time I’d said, so I went ahead and called the hotel to ask where I should meet them. My phone had terrible service and I could barely hear anything, especially in all the hustle and bustle of everyone leaving. All I could hear was the man telling me the price for airport pickup. I told him I’d already asked to be picked up, would that not work.
Unable to hear anything else I gave up and hung up. Started to call for a Grab car, but nothing was in the immediate vicinity.
At this point there were maybe ten people left outside the airport.
Thankfully, the hotel managed to message me on the booking app and say they could be there in 15 minutes if that still worked. They asked if I was okay, since I guess I sounded a little frazzled.
I agreed to wait the fifteen minutes, though almost everyone else was gone at that point.
Finally the driver did show up in a car and drove me back to the hotel. I guess he did remember scheduling but must have figured he didn’t need to be there right at the time I’d said figuring it would take time to get bags and everything. I actually had neglected to say what flight I was on, so he definitely didn’t know I was early, but even so apparently had just thought showing up late was okay.
Anyhow, I will say it was the one time the whole trip I was uncomfortable and wished I hadn’t been by myself. Definitely learned my lesson to not fly into small towns late at night even with a transportation plan in place. I’m just thankful it all worked out.
We arrived at the hotel. It was very basic but okay for the night. I turned in as I was super tired from the long crazy day, and just grateful to have arrived safely.
I’m attempting to get these Thailand posts done so I can update on my latest adventures. Most of them are thankfully written out just need to be edited and have photos added. Stay tuned for the last couple days about Thailand and then on to South Africa!
Day nine was actually my most unplanned day. Anyone who knows me is aware that my travel tends to be extensively planned. I not only book all my accommodation and transportation ahead of time, but often have a daily itinerary planned out.
However, day nine kind of ended up falling apart.
I’d booked a caving tour outside of Chiang Mai. But the night before I looked and realized I had accidentally booked the wrong day. I was able to cancel for no charge, but unfortunately by the time I realized, it was too late to book for the next day.
Therefore I woke up and had a day with nothing planned. Which actually was a nice change of pace.
I had a very lazy morning at my hotel. I let myself sleep in a little before grabbing some breakfast downstairs.
I don’t think I had any hotels with bad breakfast, but this one definitely stood out. They had a huge variety, both typical western fare of eggs, toast, yogurt, but also some pineapple fried rice, passion fruit, and some kind of Thai dessert (I never did find out exactly what it was but it was sweet and sticky, pictured below as the pink rose).
I had a leisurely breakfast, finding an app for my phone to be able to make my own walking tour of the city. I used GPS My City, which worked well for putting in destinations that looked interesting to explore and then looping them into a logical walking route.
Before I left the hotel, I also decided to make a plan for my afternoon. I decided to book a Thai massage.
Anyone who knows me well is aware I really am not a fan of touching. Only really close friends and family are allowed to even hug me. I’ll tolerate cuddling with a significant other, but most of the time I just prefer to have my own personal space bubble. For that reason, it has never really occurred to me to book a massage. But, it really was something I’d heard people speak highly of, and the prices were so low (about $10) that it was difficult to resist. Besides, Thai massage was supposed to be very different from traditional western style massages. I’d seen things that described it more like assisted yoga.
I planned to be back in the late afternoon to enjoy some time at the pool and then get ready for my massage. But in the meantime I was determined to take off and see as much of the city as I could.
I followed the route the map suggested, stopping at a few temples including Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Samphoe. I admired both of them, snapping pictures, reading a few signs and reading what the app had to say about each location.
I was a little surprised at the second temple to see a sign saying women weren’t allowed in certain parts. There was a sign explaining that it was to avoid the possibility of a menstruating woman entering the temple and thereby making it unclean. There was plenty else to see, but it was my first encounter with something like that before and it definitely had me surprised. There will always be some downsides to being a female traveler, and unfortunately this was one. Places that will never be accessible to me simply because I’m a woman.
I walked past the Tha Phae Gate and then onwards through a market and to a Chinese temple the Pung Thao Kong Shrine. It was actually fun to get to see the different styles of a temple built by those who weren’t Thai.
After that it was just more wandering, mostly admiring some very beautiful flowers. I stopped at Katam Corner, a remnant of a fortification wall from the 13th century.
Then it was over to Wat Sri Suphan, the silver temple. I paid a small fee to get in and then wandered around, admiring the beautiful shining temple apparently made of silver, nickel, and aluminum.
My final stop was Nong Buak Haad, a public park with beautiful flowers. I took some pictures and a little break, but then decided I needed to head onwards.
I was getting hungry and quite warm, so I decided to stop and get some lunch. I ended up at the Phordee Bistro and had chicken with cashews and a mango smoothie. Absolutely delicious. As I was heading out, I had one of the servers run after me because I’d somehow forgotten my phone. I definitely would have noticed pretty quickly, but I still was glad of the kindness in making sure I didn’t have to come back.
The day was getting later so I headed back to the hotel. I spent a little time in the afternoon in the pool before getting ready to head to the massage area.
I was led into a darkened room with a couple of massage tables and a couple of other people already in the middle of massages. I was given some loose clothing to change into and then brought over to a table.
What followed was one of the most painful experiences of my life. This small Thai woman started with some kneading. I definitely wouldn’t call it gentle. She made sure to work pretty much every part of my body. On top of more of a typical massage, she also did pull my body into some different positions, some of which were quite painful. Nonetheless, I persevered. I knew no massage would really be my thing, but this at least was something different and unique and I hoped maybe it would help me feel a little bit better the next day.
The masseuse did tell me I was “very strong” when she was done. I wasn’t quite sure if that was a compliment or she was remarking on me resisting her movements, but either way I thanked her and tipped her before changing back into my clothes and going back to my room.
I then headed out to find dinner. I ended up at a casual restaurant called Kat’s Kitchen. I started with spring rolls and a passionfruit smoothie before moving to a yellow curry. I was asked my spice level and asked for medium. I often don’t think of myself as very good with spice, but then I meet people who tell me things they find spicy that make me just laugh. So I figured medium would probably be just right and it was.
After that I did a quick night walk, going back to Katam’s Corner to admire it all lit up and then past a couple of the temples as well.
All in all a great day, but I turned in early to be ready for more adventures on the next one!
Day three of my Thailand adventure was my last full day in Bangkok before I’d take off elsewhere (I would have one final half day in Bangkok at the end of my trip, but it wouldn’t be quite as much time). So I was determined to make the most of it.
I again got up early and had a delicious hotel breakfast. I was not feeling quite as warm that morning for some reason, so I opted to get in a swim before taking off. Since the weather hadn’t cooperated the evening before, I was definitely craving some pool time.
After my swim, I took off for the day towards the river. My goal was to go to Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, which was on the other side of the Chao Phraya River and a ways down from there. I’d read one of the easiest ways to get there was to take the local ferry so opted to do that.
The ferry ended up being very easy to use. Bought a ticket from the booth on the pier and then hopped on when it arrived. It took me down the river a little further where I got off right in front of the temple.
I was realizing maybe I should have skipped the swim and taken off a little earlier. It was boiling hot out in the direct sun and there was limited shade around the temple.
Still, I wandered around and enjoyed the sights (and the complimentary small bottle of water) before stopping at a coffee shop nearby to refresh. I had a strawberry mango tea which was so delicious.
I could feel my energy fading in the heat. After all the walking of the day before my body just couldn’t quite handle it. I’d been wanting to maybe do a museum in the afternoon anyways, so I headed to the National Museum Bangkok. I took the ferry back across the river and then walked over, though I ended up running into road closures that made my route take longer. I was in Thailand right during the queen’s birthday, which is a huge to-do in Bangkok, so they’d closed off some roads around the palace.
Purple ribbons were everywhere to help celebrate the queen’s birthday
I actually ended up enjoying the museum pretty well. There were a couple of different structures on the grounds, a house and temple. It also had several different galleries featuring artifacts and art from Thailand. Feel free to peruse the gallery below.
The museum itself was airconditioned, though to get to different galleries you did have to walk outside. And I could tell I’d just kind of exhausted myself and was feeling a little dizzy and dehydrated after an hour or so.
Knowing I needed water and maybe some food, I opted to go eat at the museum café. Now, normally I avoid cafes at touristy spots other than for things like coffee or beverages maybe. But I definitely didn’t want to walk any further, and besides, I wanted to finish up the museum after I’d refreshed and wasn’t certain I could come back in after I left.
So I sat down at the cafe. It was outdoors, but shaded and had lots of fans. Honestly, AC is nice, but fans are really what you need when it is that hot and humid. The air circulation just feels so good and helps zap the moisture away from your body.
At the cafe I had Thai basil fried rice with chicken. It was actually super tasty. They brought the chilis on the side, but I went ahead and added them. The first two days I had been careful with my stomach adjusting so hadn’t indulged in much spice yet, so it was good to finally get to experience some of the heat Thai cooking is famous for.
I seriously was impressed by the food quality, especially because the prices weren’t super inflated like they sometimes are at tourist stops. I went ahead and had two bottles of water and an ice cream, and by the time I was done was definitely feeling much better.
I finished up at the museum, seeing all of the galleries. I was glad I’d chosen to refuel so I could enjoy the rest of the place. One of my favorite parts was the “garage” that housed some of the royal chariots which were incredibly ornate and impressive.
Having seen everything the museum had to offer, then walked back to my hotel to have another lazy afternoon by the pool. Honestly, I figured I should make the most of my pool space as the next two hotels I’d stay at wouldn’t have one.
After relaxing for a while, I headed back out to find some dinner.
I saw good reviews for a place called Steve Cafe and Cuisine on the water. The name made me chuckle a little, and made me think maybe it was overly touristy, but sitting along the river sounded perfect, and they had pretty good reviews.
So I walked over, admiring temples and other sights along the way.
At the restaurant I was asked to take off my shoes. In my research on Thailand I’d been warned some restaurants might do this, but I still was a little surprised at first. I stowed my shoes in a locker they offered and then headed in.
Barefoot I walked over to my table along the waterfront. Once again the restaurant was outdoors, but shaded and had good fans. And the views were lovely.
I watched as the sun sank down, though the sunset wasn’t great since clouds were starting to roll in.
I started off with a Thai milk tea, which was so refreshing and delicious. Then for my dinner I had the soft-shell crab with black pepper. I realized after ordering it I hadn’t tried soft-shell crab before, only traditional crab removed from its shell. I’m not a fan of eating things like shrimp tails (I know some people don’t mind it but it’s a texture that really bothers me). I was a little nervous, but I told myself to be brave, and that I wouldn’t know if I liked it or not until I tried it.
It actually was really delicious. The shell wasn’t quite as crunchy as a shrimp tail, though still probably not my first choice of texture. Still it was fun to try something new and it was flavorful and different.
Since the sunset wasn’t spectacular, I didn’t linger too long after finishing my food. I opted to walk back to my hotel. One of the roads I’d walked up on the way there was pretty deserted, so I was a little nervous walking in the dark. I took a different route, a little longer but sticking to more major thoroughfares. There were plenty of other people still out though, so at no point did I really feel unsafe.
At my hotel the weather was actually still behaving to my relief so I went for one last swim before concluding the evening.
Join me next time for more details of my trip, and my next destination… Khao Yai National Park!
Day two of my adventure in Thailand started with an early morning in Bangkok. I actually originally woke up at 4 AM (curse you jetlag), but did fall back asleep until 7, which was when I’d set my alarm for in the first place.
I headed downstairs to grab some breakfast. One criteria I almost always have in picking my hotels is that they have a breakfast available (preferably just included in the price). I actually am a person who really needs some sustenance in the morning to function on the regular. So when I’m out trekking it’s imperative I eat something.
My hotel had a nice variety of food, some more “Americanized” options like eggs, ham, toast. But also some rice and some kind of stir fried meat and peppers, which I found very delicious. Having filled up I felt ready to face the day ahead.
My first stop was the Grand Palace. My research before the trip had indicated it was a must see in Thailand. Hence making it a priority for the day. I had heard it was good to get there early, avoiding both the heat and the crowds. So I went as soon as it opened at 8:30.
The Grand Palace is essentially a large complex including the royal residence (Thailand still has a monarchy) as well as a temple, and some other structures. I went ahead and rented an audioguide to be able to get some more information as I walked around.
It was very warm in the sun, so I was definitely glad I’d gone early in the day, though I still had to stop and buy water more than once while walking.
I took lots of pictures so make sure to scroll through the slideshow below to get some views of the beauty of the Grand Palace.
I also took advantage of the museums in the complex while I was there. One was devoted to the temple and another called the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles was essentially devoted to the fashion worn by the queen mother. I enjoyed both, especially some time in the air conditioned buildings instead of the intense heat of the sun.
When I finished at the Grand Palace, I decided to walk over to Wat Pho, a nearby temple complex that houses the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
I walked around a bit inside the complex, admiring the various parts of the temple especially the enormous reclining Buddha (pictures just don’t quite do it justice). The temperatures were definitely rising though, so I opted to get some ice cream and water for lunch before deciding I needed a longer break in air conditioning.
My ticket to the Grand Palace also included a show called the Khon Thai Masked Dance performance. It was only available in the afternoon, so I hadn’t worried about it earlier. But now it seemed like a good option.
So figuring I’d already paid for it anyway and could use a break inside, I hopped on one of their open air trolleys to get over to the theater. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take my hat off and as we were driving it came flying off into the busy road. Of course, it wasn’t like I could easily ask the driver to stop so I could fetch it. So I just resigned myself to losing my hat. The good news was, I’d brought a backup one, not to mention I was sure I could find a cheap one elsewhere if I really needed.
At the theater, I headed inside and found a seat. For the next thirty minutes I watched various dancers perform. They did some dances showing the various time periods of Thai history, a couple showing off different regional dances, and also did a retelling of one of their traditional stories in dance form. All in all, very beautiful and enjoyable.
An example of what some of the costumes looked like
After the performance, I hopped back on the trolley to head back to the Grand Palace. They stopped to let some people out on the far corner of the palace, and I realized it was right near where I’d lost my hat. I figured it had probably been run over, but honestly, since I was in the area I figured I’d check.
As I scanned the road, I saw nothing, but when I happened to look off the road I saw a hat sitting on one of the posts that keeps vehicles off the curb. I ran over, and there was my hat in perfect condition.
A Thai man who had apparently either seen someone grab it and put it safely there or perhaps done so himself was delighted to see me get it. He smiled and said something in Thai, and I just grinned feeling so incredibly lucky.
The heat was only continuing to get more intense so I headed back to my hotel to enjoy the pool for a bit. I admired a few things along the way, but otherwise just went straight back. Definitely a good choice!
Government offices were decorated with white and purple ribbons for the Queen’s birthday, which was happening later in the week
That evening, I headed out to find dinner. I figured I’d venture down to Chinatown to do something different. I saw some good reviews for a fried noodle place not too far from Chinatown, so I headed there. The place was called Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai, and it had a Michelin award.
I decided to try something different and chose the fried noodles and shrimp. I also had a coconut beverage which was delicious. The noodles came out and I was not impressed. The shrimp didn’t taste very fresh to me. The fried noodles had a weird slimy and gluey texture underneath the crispy exterior. (I actually did end up having these noodles again later in the trip and decided they just aren’t really for me texture-wise). They also brought some kind of a sour soup that was okay.
I left the restaurant, initially thinking maybe I could walk down to more of the real part of Chinatown and walk around. But I was pretty tired out from the day, so I opted to instead to just walk past The Giant Swing, a tall red structure outside of a temple that used to be used for ceremonies. It wasn’t very far out of the way on my way back to my hotel.
I actually ended up being very glad I didn’t go all the way down to Chinatown as it started raining really hard. I was thoroughly soaked by the time I got back to my hotel, even with an umbrella.
I’d hoped to swim again in the evening, but sadly the weather foiled those plans (also doing some thunder and lightning… never a great idea in an outdoor pool).
With all of those adventures behind me I headed to bed ready for more excitement the next day.
Another year, therefore it’s time for another vacation. And for the first time since 2020 I’m finally doing another solo trip!
For those who don’t know, I’m a huge fan of solo traveling. While there are definitely advantages to traveling with friends, family, significant others, etc. I find that solo travel truly is a magical experience that I hope everyone can experience at least once in a lifetime. Maybe I’ll write a whole post about it in the future, but for now just know this is a journey taken, planned, and experienced by me alone.
So this year’s destination is… Thailand! I’ve had a couple people scratch their heads about that one. But let me explain the factors that led me to decide Thailand was the perfect destination to head to this summer.
Something new: I have done a large amount of travel in Europe. And while I do hope to do more in Africa and South America, I’ve been uncertain about venturing to either by myself (if any other solo female travelers have experiences in either please give me your tips), and Australia is expensive, far away, and can require a huge amount of time to get around. Therefore, a country in Asia was the logical choice.
Safe: as hinted at above, I wanted a relatively safe country, especially one where women have expressed they feel they can travel alone without too many problems. Sure, all travel involves risks (I’m sure you’ll hear me tell a couple tales along the way), but I do try to minimize risks where I can. I found a website dedicated to solo female travel that uses a couple factors to rank countries on their safety for women (US travel advisory, UK travel advisory, Global Peace Index, and actual women’s experiences). For those who have been so worried when I’ve mentioned Thailand, take a look at where the US falls on that list in comparison (hint it’s certainly not at the top of the list).
Affordable: Australia was ruled out largely because plane tickets tend to be outrageous, and prices in the country itself are pretty high. Thailand on the other hand was in the off season, is a cheaper country as it is, and I was able to find a good deal flying out late on Memorial Day weekend and returning midweek in June. I’ve heard some people say “chase the deal not the destination” and I think that is the perfect representation of how I often plan trips. It’s less to do with my dream bucket list, and more to do with what is affordable for me to try something new.
Something important to me: one hobby I’ve gotten really into lately is the study of nature, birds in particular, but also plants, arthropods, mammals, reptiles, etc. A number of years ago my family took a trip to Costa Rica, and it was one of my favorite trips ever, namely because we much of the trip was dedicated to seeing the wonders of the natural world and the amazing biodiversity available there. So, I was eager to go somewhere that might also offer those opportunities. Tropical destinations tend to work well for this, but especially ones that have established some amount of eco-tourism (natural parks, protected animals, etc), I visited Colombia a number of years back, and while there certainly is the same amount of biodiversity there, animals had been hunted for years and were therefore extremely cautious around humans. So while I knew there were all kinds of amazing animals not too far away, we saw very few. One of my biggest hopes in Thailand was to visit some of the national parks and see some of their amazing wildlife and plants.
So with those factors in mind, Thailand was my pick. And sure enough I found a good enough deal to decide it was worth doing.
But you’re going by yourself? Aren’t you scared? I’ve had a few people question me, and had more wishes of “safe travels” than I normally do. But the reality is I’ve had people question me almost every place I’ve gone. France? Terrorism. Colombia? Rampant crime! Greece? Drug use! And no, I’m actually not kidding. The few countries I haven’t had people say anything about are probably just ones people know next to nothing about (IE Croatia…).
At this point I’ve traveled to thirty countries, and four continents. Sixteen of those countries I visited by myself. So the reality is I’m an experienced traveler, I know what I’m doing, and I know how to be cautious.
So, I’ve spent enough time hashing over why I chose Thailand. Let’s breakdown day one.
Well… technically it’s day three? Because the amount of flying it took to reach Thailand had me there two days later. I did look, but I found no direct flights to Bangkok from the United States (if someone finds one, let me know so I can grumble about it). This meant I had to fly to another destination closer to Thailand and then to Thailand itself. And the more layovers you add, the longer things take. Especially when one of your flights (Los Angeles to Taipei) is fourteen hours.
I flew China Airlines, a new airline for me. All in all I give them a solid B+. They served decent food, had some good in-flight entertainment options, and all in all got me where I needed to be with very little hassle.
Regardless, let’s start with day one of actual travel beyond just flying and hanging out in airports. I arrived in Bangkok around ten in the morning. Not my favorite time to get started on a day of traveling after being jet lagged, but nonetheless it was the time I was dealt.
I got through immigration, and while waiting for my bag, went to grab my debit card to withdraw some Thai Baht (money) to have on hand. I’d heard most places in Thailand didn’t take credit card (this definitely proved true– only used it a couple times). As I went to grab my card, suddenly I couldn’t find it. I had a brief panic thinking I’d left it home, only to find it had slipped inside my immunization records. Relieved I took out some cash to have on hand, picked up my bag, and headed on my way.
Now to get to my hotel.
So normally with big cities I’m good at using public transport. I’ve become pretty expert at metro systems, and even some bus lines I’ve been willing to tackle. But it turned out the hotel I’d chosen was pretty far from metro lines or the sky train, so it meant I’d have to make a couple transfers, some of which would involve buses. It sounded like it would take a while, not to mention possibly be confusing, and challenging with luggage. So I did what I normally don’t do when I travel and treated myself to a ride.
Initially, my instinct was to go with a taxi, but unfortunately I had pretty big bills, and wasn’t certain if a taxi would be able to change them. I really wasn’t familiar with the money yet. And besides, there was an option I knew might be a little more expensive but definitely easier.
So I went with another choice. Essentially it’s like the Asian version of Uber, called Grab. I started trying to call for a car, but for some reason my credit card decided it was a time to flake out and not work in the app. I stood outside fiddling with it for a few minutes, but finally had to give up and go back into the air conditioned building to figure it out because even a few minutes of standing still outside in the shade was unbearably warm.
I’d been warned Bangkok was hot and humid, but my goodness people were not kidding. Definitely felt the warmest of any place I’ve ever been before.
Thankfully I did get my card to work and my driver appeared a few minutes later. I’d just gotten in the car and we were pulling away, when suddenly police were pulling my driver over.
I sat there in confusion as they pulled my driver away to go fill out some kind of paperwork. As my driver spoke almost no English, and I unfortunately do not speak Thai (I tried to learn a little but it is a HARD language), I had no idea what was going on. He returned a few minutes later with a paper in his hands. Best I can figure he maybe broke some kind of rule about where the Grab cars are allowed to be or how long they can wait and got a ticket? I’m still not certain. But he was heading in the right direction and otherwise seemed to be doing what he was supposed to (he had a great rating on the app too). So I just sat back, keeping one eye on the route map and the other on the window to enjoy the new city around me.
I arrived at my hotel around noon. I was staying at Lamphu Treehouse Boutique Hotel. Sadly not actually a treehouse (I mean I knew that going in, but still). It was a ltitle early for check in, but I figured if nothing else maybe I could sit for a bit or store my bag and go walk around. Thankfully, my room was ready so I was led up to the fifth floor and shown inside.
My roomViews from the hotelMe jet-lagged but happy!Hotel exteriorThought this was a cute touch!
The AC felt amazing, even more so when I opened the balcony door to step out and take some pictures. I was quickly realizing the heat in Bangkok was no joke.
Nonetheless, I had a half a day to kill, and didn’t want to spend all of it in my hotel. Initially, my instinct was to try to find a place with AC, but on second thought, most of those museums and such were further afield. And I wasn’t sure I was down for that either. I was wiped out from the long trip. So I figured… keep it simple, go get some water and something to eat. Hopefully use it as a chance to change out some baht for smaller bills to use later.
I looked for “grocery stores near me” and there was a 7 Eleven just a couple blocks away. So I headed over to that.
I then got my first experience with the joys of crossing Thai city streets.
An example of a busy Thai street
The street I was on didn’t have a crosswalk sign. So I figured oh well, just follow traffic that should work. Except even when cars weren’t coming one way, they were turning from the other direction. And even when lights were red, motorbikes seemed to still come through the intersection regardless. I stood there for a few minutes just waiting for things to be clear, feeling insanely nervous. Finally I caught a small break and I got across and headed into the store.
My family has always had a tradition in hot and humid places of getting a bag of some kind of chips and a drink. Honestly my appetite disappears when it’s really hot, and those two things kind of help replenish what my body needs when it sweats.
I also added an ice cream bar for good measure.
Heading out I debated heading back to my hotel, but part of me was worried I’d just end up crashing there, possibly even falling asleep and messing up my new sleep schedule. Okay, well I’d find somewhere outside to sit. Sure it was hot, but if anything it might help me adjust?
I started walking, not seeing much. Thought about just eating the chips while I walked, but remembered reading somewhere that’s kind of uncouth. And sure, I know sometimes I’m going to look like a dumb tourist, but when it can be avoided I do try to be respectful of others’ cultural norms.
So I looked on my phone and saw there was a park not too far away.
I headed in a beeline for that, stopping to take a few pictures of various things I thought were pretty.
At the “park” I realized it was actually more of a temple grounds. And I had no idea if eating there would be disrespectful. If I pictured going into a church and eating, that seemed incredibly rude (at least in most people’s views), so I opted to not do that.
Definitely looked more like a temple than a park!
I saw a man just sitting on a curb eating. But I kept walking, thinking I’d find a bench or something. Just a couple blocks later I gave up and sat on a little curb beside a canal. It was kind of dirty, but it worked, and I was able to eat my ice cream before it was totally melted.
When I was finished I looked at my map again. I figured I’d go with one of my original plans and go to the Golden Mount, a nearby temple with some good views of the city. It was very close by, which I figured would be good on a day I was jetlagged. I’d also seen it in several guidebooks.
At the Golden Mount I paid for my ticket and began the ascent up the steps to the temple. It’s quite a climb, but was well worth it for beautiful views and more. Admired the architecture, the serenity of the temple, and Bangkok itself.
I used the bathroom there and had my first experience with being asked to remove my shoes for a bathroom! They provide flip flops for you, but still kind of weird to experience.
Though the climb was great, by the time I got back down, my body was soaked in sweat. I knew I needed water ASAP, and definitely more than the small bottle I’d had for “lunch”. My face was feeling like it was burning, which usually means I’m beet red and people start worrying I’m going to pass out (not usually the case I’m just very Northern European in my heritage and the slightest heat really shows). Regardless, I was feeling kind of dizzy, probably a combo of the jetlag and heat.
So, reluctantly, I headed back to the hotel to cool down. I grabbed two large bottles of water on the way to make sure I was really hydrated. Back at the hotel, I put on my swimsuit and headed to the pool.
I spent the remainder of the afternoon just relaxing. It was definitely what I needed. I have a tendency to overexert myself traveling, I very often end up coming home with some kind of bug because my body is just so tired it can’t fight off germs anymore. So, determined not to have that problem, I went ahead and gave myself some grace to relax a bit.
Dinner time soon rolled around. And right about that time it started pouring rain.
I’d looked a bit on Tripadvisor to see what was nearby restaurant-wise, but wasn’t seeing a lot of options. Under normal circumstances I’d probably walk around a bit, but with the fatigue and the rain I opted to keep things simple. Tripadvisor did say there was a restaurant connected to my hotel, and it actually had decent reviews. Downstairs, however, there was no indication a restaurant was there. And sure enough there were a few signs in the lobby saying the restaurant had moved and pointing a little down the road. I hesitated, but eventually decided it was worth just getting some food so I could get to bed early and finally sleep (the thing I really wanted to do after such a long day).
I headed down the road with my umbrella and found the restaurant. I ordered Pad Woon Sen, a dish of glass noodles, egg, herbs, vegetables, and a protein of my choice (I did chicken). It was actually really good and hit the spot. I also had a mango smoothie, which was so refreshing.
Finally I headed back to my hotel and allowed myself to crash. I definitely was ready for a good night’s sleep in hopes of more energy the following day. I admired the views of the Golden Temple lit up in the rainy night from my hotel room before turning in.
Well, hopefully you’ll stay tuned for future adventures. The first day definitely was less busy after all the travel, but there is so much more I’d love to share with you if you want to follow along!
To Roam the Roads of Lands Remote 