Thailand

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Thailand was just WOW! It was the trip that I didn’t know I needed. It was my husband’s first trip to Asia, my third after China and Singapore. We decided to go during the Songkran festival, the Thai New Year in April, and it was honestly the most fun I’ve had in my life! During the festival, there is a country-wide water fight where children and adults take to the streets with water guns, hoses, and buckets to spray any and everyone is sight. There is dancing in the street and just a bunch of good vibes. We were fortunate enough to experience the water fight in both Bangkok and Phuket.

We flew into Bangkok after a layover and enjoyed the big-city portion of our trip! The Asoke area is booming with business and entertainment. Sukhumvit Road sort of feels like the Vegas Strip and is where is best water fight in Bangkok is. Day one we explored the Wat Pho temple, walked to the Tah Tien Boat Pier (5 minute walk) and rode the hop-on hop-off Chao Phrayat Tourist Boat to the Icon Siam Mall,  which boasts high-end shops, an indoor food market and several restaurants (it’s also a great air condition break). At night we went to one of the world’s largest outdoor market, Chatchak Weekend Market where we had a delicious street food dinner. Day two we had a floating breakfast in our hotel pool, explored the famous Yaowarat Road, took part in the wild water fight and cleaned up quickly for our most expensive meal – a rooftop dinner at Octave before an early flight to Phuket.

Phuket is also a wonder with a smaller beach-town vibe. Now, Thailand is super affordable and you can have an amazing trip for pennies on the dollar but we decided to splurge on what turned out to be my favorite hotel in the world! More on that below. My husband has a college friend who lives there so we had personal tour guides. We saw more Temples, ate the best food at local restaurants, saw the Big Buddha and had the craziest Songkran water fight on the famous Bangla Road on Patong Beach (bustling with bars, restaurants and clubs – this is also were we saw a fire show). We enjoyed a beach day at Kamala Beach where we got traditional Thai massages. We loved exploring Old Phuket Town where the vibrant colors reminded me of Cuba. It’s the perfect place to shop or buy souvenirs since the prices weren’t the jacked-up for tourist. Once again the food  was amazing! All-in-all, Thailand is a must visit!

A Candid Cost Calculation:

Accommodation – As mentioned, Thailand is very affordable. You can definitely do Thailand on a budget or you can splurge for luxury. We did a little bit of both. Bangkok is a big city and you will mostly likely spend most of your day exploring. If you are to choose a budget hotel, this is the city to do it in, since you may not spend as much time in your room. Nonetheless, Bangkok has countless incredible hotels. We really enjoyed the Asoke neighborhood and stayed at Hotel Clover Asoke. I loved their floating breakfast overlooking the city (albeit not a private pool like the Maldives). That kept us close to fun nightlife with a short ride to other attractions. Since the prices were so affordable, we stayed in their top room so we’d have more space.

We splurged in Phuket! I wasn’t intending to spend much on hotels in Thailand until I saw the 5-⭐️ Jungle resort, Keemala Phuket. We were going to do the smallest room here, with a private pool but once again decided to splurge on the treehouse accommodations, and it was nothing short of breathtaking! While we did explore Phuket, we were much more open to slow mornings, private pool dips and relaxing in our own private space. This is easily one of the most amazing hotels I have ever stay at. We also loved their rooftop bar and dining options.

Food – I loved the food in Thailand! It reminds me of the way I should be eating in my daily life – natural, clean and absolutely delicious. Make sure to try a mix of street food from street vendors, markets or on Yaowarat Road. You may want to splurge on a fancy restaurant of two – but let’s be honest. It’s mainly for the vibe & photos. Your hotel can recommend a place close to you in Bangkok, which is a fairly big city. When it comes to the actual food, I found the mom & pop shops to be the best happy medium between street and upscale. They were always my favorite meals. My absolute restaurant in all of Thailand was Tu Kab Khao in Old Phuket Town. It was an upscale mom & pop shop, recommended by native friends of the area. I ate the deep fried fish with soy bean sauce and ginger… and I’m still dreaming about it!

Transportation – Make sure to download the “Grab” app, which is the equivalent to uber. This was our main mode of transportation when not walking or taking the hop-on, hop-off boat mentioned above.

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