My trip to Thailand in 2016 was, to say the least, amazing. Not only is it a stunning country, with beautiful waters, kind people, and delicious food; but it's also become very tourist friendly, and you can get away with speaking no Thai other than "hello" (sa-wa-dee-kap for men and sa-wa-dee-kaa for women) and "thankyou" (kab-khun-kab for men and kab-khun-kaa for women).
The single hardest thing about planning our trip was deciding where to visit and what to do during our limited 3.5 weeks. So here I'll be sharing my short list for the absolute MUST sees in southern Thailand.
1) Phuket
Phuket is amazing as a starting point for your trip. It has all of the offerings most people are generally excited for after a day-long plane ride. Phuket is home to beautiful beaches, exciting and bountiful night markets, and is a great place to rent a scooter and travel along the ocean (we traveled between nearby towns of Kathu & Patong). Kathu is a great place to stay as it's central to stores, restaurants, and street vendors- and is also home to Karon Beach (seen below). If you decide to visit Patong, I personally don't suggest Patong Beach (which we heard a lot of hype about)- the water isn't a nice blue like most other beaches we visited, and there was quite a bit of litter. Another great stop in Phuket is Big Buddha- which I've added to my list for our next visit to Southeast Asia.
2) Ton Sai Bay in Krabi
Ton Sai was arguably my favourite stay on our trip. We discovered Ton Sai kind of by accident- we were across the bay at Railay Beach for a day of rock climbing when we thought we would take a boat over and see what was on the other side. Once arrived, it seemed a lot quieter and like there was almost nothing going on. We asked the boat operator if he could take us back to Railay and he told us that was his last boat. Oops! We shacked up in one of two hotels on the island and decided to make the best of it and take a swim in the ocean. We ended up running in to a lovely woman we had met earlier in Ko Phangan- and she told us there was lots to do on this island- just past a gate behind the hotels! This turned in to a great night exploring the local pubs after our swim, and enjoying the great hippie/reggae vibe this island had to offer. The energy of this small gem was completely unique from any other place we've visited.
3) Ko Lanta
If you're looking for seclusion and open roads to scooter your heart out, Ko Lanta is the place for you. I like to think of Ko Lanta as Ko Phangan's relaxed & serene sibling. We spent a few days in a bungalow on the beach here, and had an amazing time, but for an adventure-hungry couple like us, we were also ready to move on to the next stop. This is a great place to rent a scooter if you're nervous, as the streets are quieter and more open than any other place we visited. If you decide to visit Ko Lanta, I definitely recommend Blue Andaman. It's right on the beach in a private bungalow, and has a great restaurant/bar on site (seen below), which is nice as I found Ko Lanta to be more secluded than other neighbouring islands. They also have a tattoo parlour if you're in to that (my boyfriend got his two finger tattoos here!)
4) Ko Phangan
Equally amazing, there's Ko Phangan- party island. There are parties here basically constantly... Full Moon, Half Moon, Black Moon, Waterfall Parties, Jungle Parties... Even if you're not in Ko Phangan for the full moon, there is NO doubt you will be able to find a place to get dressed up in glow in the dark paint and dance until sunrise. One important thing to keep in mind when party-going in SE Asia is their very strict drug laws. Despite what you may do when at home, it's probably best to steer clear of any drugs while visiting these areas. If you're visiting Ko Phangan for the Full Moon Party, you will definitely want to stay in Haad Rin! This is where the party is held, and you can easily get there by tuk tuk, or speak to your hotel as there's often a bus that will go by all the hotels/hostels in the area that can bring you right there, and back in the morning, for a fraction of the cost.
5) Ko Phi Phi
If you're looking for those crystal clear aqua waters seen in famous photos of Thailand, Ko Phi Phi is your place- specifically, Maya Bay. We found this to be one of the best spots for snorkeling, and there's a ton of affordable tours that run every day to Maya Bay and surrounding areas. Ko Phi Phi is also a great place to mingle with other tourists and enjoy abundant nightlife and (once again- but it's important) beautiful beaches. Do keep in mind when you're in this area that it is busy, and we found accommodations were a little pricier than most of the other islands.
6) Bangkok
When we were planning our trip to Thailand, one of my girlfriends told me "Don't even bother going to Bangkok!". Bangkok is not for everyone, but for me it makes the list- and here's why. Bangkok is busy, it's smelly, and honestly it's a little stressful. The streets are overcrowded and while we were there it rained (a lot). However. There is something about Bangkok that is definitely worth visiting. It's bright, it's genuine, and the traffic itself is a whole experience- after riding in a tuk tuk in Bangkok, you could survive anything else your trip throws at you! Bangkok also has an abundance of beautiful temples, such as Wat Pho (the leaning buddha), Wat Arun, and the legendary Wat Phra Kaew (the emerald buddha) which is built within the ground of the Grand Palace. We also found a great insta-worthy cafe in Bangkok called Kay's, which is great if you're missing Canadian/American style breakfast. An important note when in the city areas of Thailand is that it's respectful to cover up a little more compared to the more relaxed vibe in the islands. When visiting temples anywhere in Thailand (including the islands) you will be required to wear long pants and have your shoulders covered.
