BKK, one of my favourite cities. And I’ve been here so many times, I feel I could really do with sharing the best things to see, do and where to stay. Whether you’re just here for a stopover en route to somewhere else, or you are spending a good few days, there’s a lot to squeeze in.

River boats

The Chaophraya river that flows through the city is Bangkok’s lifeblood, and no visit here is complete without chugging along the river. There are many boat tours that will take you along the river, from where you can see the famous temples, floating market and stilted houses. You can also take a hop-on-hop-off boat ride and get off to explore the temples and sights. And, if you’re clever, stay at a hotel that has a free shuttle boat, and do it all for free! The best time is after dark, when the whole city is lit up- it is really magical!

Temples

There are a lot of large temples in Bangkok. You could try visiting them all, but you will likely just exhaust yourself in the heat. If you’re going to see just one, make it Wat Arun the beautiful temple of the dawn. The whole thing is covered in intricate designs and it truly is a beautiful place to spend a few hours admiring the architecture. The rest of the temples, just enjoy them from a boat ride.

Malls

Trust me, you will need the AC breaks. For bargains, try MBK Center. For glamour, Siam Paragon or Icon Siam. For something in between, Central World is a good option.

Parks

Lumpini park is easy to access with the BTS Skytrain, and is the city’s green lung. Spend a couple of hours strolling in the shade, watching old timers do tai chi and look out for monitor lizards swimming in the water or resting in the shade of the trees. One visit we saw thirty of them! They let you get quite close, too.

Rooftop bars

The Lubela tower was where The Hangover was filmed, and their rooftop bar is free to enter, you just pay for drinks. The views from the 64th floor are epic at night. We had a great time there and it is not too busy, so dress nice and take a lot of photos!

Khao San Road

That infamous road. If you really want to visit, go around sunset, and walk first along the large street that leads to the Grand Palace and the emerald Buddha, to glimpse these buildings from outside. There are a lot of decent restaurants here, so you don’t have to go wild, if you don’t want to.

China Town

Bangkok’s China town is a must visit, for the chaos and color, and the old school houses and restaurants. Wander through, laugh at the names (Yoo Fishball, anyone) and then find yourself at Mother Roasters a hidden away cafe with great coffee and adorable cats. If you visit the area around Chinese New Year, you’ll get to see dragon dances, and everyone decked out in red and gold.

Bang Kachow

Just half an hour away, this cute suburb is the perfect place to rent a bike, and spend a sunny day pedalling past the old colonial style houses, over little bridges, and past palm plantations, reminding yourself how things would have been, back in the day. Stop at any of the cute cafes for a drink, and explore hidden paths to waterfalls and temples.

Wat Sam Phran

An hour out of the city, this is the famous bubblegum pink dragon temple which looks like something out of a movie. You can climb through the dragon to the very top, not for those with claustrophobia, but a cool experience, and the grounds are huge so you can easily spend a few hours there.

Disco tuk tuks

Tuk tuks are a fun and handy way to get around, any time of day, but are funnest at night, when the drivers put on rainbow lights and blast crappy pop music from their speakers. A uniquely Bangkok thing to do, get a ride back to your hotel in one of those.

Asiatique

This outdoor shopping area comes alive in the evening, with hundreds of stalls and shops selling everything you can imagine. There are loads of places to eat, places to get your nails done, and board a dinner boat cruise, if you want to. Or just sit and watch the chaos, and the lights along the river.

Further afield- Ayuttheya

About an hour north of the city is the ancient city of Ayuttheya, which is like a mini Angkor Wat. You can visit as a day trip, or stay a night, which is what I did. There are tons of temples and stupas to explore, and there is the famous fallen Buddha head. It is well worth spending a couple of days here; the town is also nice and not at all touristy, with a huge night market and hawkers.

The best hotel

I think I’ve stayed around six times. But I love Chatrium Riverside Hotel. Huge (and I mean huge) rooms which even have a kitchen, huge balconies, a beautiful pool area that you can easily lose a day to, a free shuttle boat, gym, a restaurant with lovely breakfast buffet by the river, what more do you want?

Getting around

Boats, the sky train, Grab taxis, tuk tuks, many options. You can walk too, just be prepared to sweat, a lot.

When to visit

I have literally visited at all times of year, and the weather is more or less the same; very hot, very humid. Rainy season brings epic thunderstorms in the afternoon that are fun to watch from your balcony. Chinese New year is a vibe but very busy. Spring is probably the quietest, but Bangkok is never very quiet. Long story short, any time of year is fine!

I hope you enjoyed this guide! Let me know if I missed anything, or have any recommendations. I did write in-depth about a Bangkok stopover a few years ago, just type Bangkok into the search on this site and you’ll find it 🙂 much love x

Planning a visit to the more famous islands in Thailand can be a bit daunting. When to visit? Where to stay? Which ones are just filled with young partying backpackers? What is there to do besides the beach? Don’t the rains fall at different times on different islands? Is it expensive? And the biggest question- which one should I visit?

Enter- Koh Samui. One of the favourites, it’s easy to see why. There is a real mix of people here. Yes there are some who come to party especially when the infamous full moon party is on on neighbouring Koh Phangan. But mostly it’s full of families and others who just want a fun island escape.

Getting here is easy from Bangkok, or even from Pattaya! I flew directly from the latter. And the airport is possibly one of the cutest you’ll ever see. It’s all outdoors, covered by roofs and the chairs are rattan, there are flowers everywhere… it puts you in the island mood the minute you land. And you can be at your hotel in less than ten minutes from the airport too. One of the nicest beaches is just a short ride away, and there are lots of hotels along it. Mine, Baan Had Ngam was perfect with spacious rooms and a nice pool, restaurant on the beach and located on the far end of the beach, so it was always peaceful.

The sea was so calm you could just float for hours, and in the middle of the day, walk out far, almost reaching abandoned beaches on mysterious uninhabited islands. It was so clear you could see every ripple far below, silvery fish, and the sea grass swaying as you passed it.

And beyond the beach? Koh Samui is made for exploring. Koh Samui is actually called coconut island in Thai and as you drive around it is easy to see why. Long and thin, swaying in the breeze, there are coconut trees everywhere, lending the whole place a decidedly sleepy, tropical vibe. We did a ride around the island one day, stopping at different beaches and viewpoints, and temple complexes. My favourite was the red temple; the whole thing really is ruby red.

And we also drive to the other side of the island , across windy hill roads where the sea would sparkle blue on the horizon. And we took a long tail boat from there across the sea, small islands appearing as we went, all shrouded in a morning mist. We stopped at Pig Island, a vanilla colored speck of sand in the sea. The beaches were almost empty, and so beautiful they were dreamlike, and the water so clear and warm. And the best bit? Piggies! Lots of cute black pigs who call this place home, and coexist here with a lot of dogs. Very unique. From there the boat man took us to another uninhabited island and stopped offshore for snorkelling. It was like swimming in a fish tank; hundreds of rainbow colored fish and beyond the aquamarine sea and the lush green of the jungle tumbling onto the abandoned bone white beaches.

There are lots of local places to eat near the hotel, and the vibe is relaxed and the food is nice and cheap. It’s a good place to sit at the end of the day, sunburnt and tired, but content, and plan your next trip to this special little island.

Practical Information

Getting here- as I said, you can fly here from Bangkok or a lot of other cities in Asia, too.

Getting around- Grab doesn’t work very well here, so best to ask your hotel to arrange transport.

Where to stay- my hotel was great especially since it was so close to the airport and had access to a lovely beach.

What to do- definitely do a trip to Pig Island for the unique experience to hang out with piggies. The snorkelling nearby that is included is also amazing. I booked the trip with Get your guide and it was really good. Also hire a driver for the day to see all the sights around the island.

When to visit- Koh Samui is one of the drier islands, but still try to avoid the monsoons from June to October, if you can. We visited in May (shoulder season), and the weather was nice.

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The most under the radar Thai island ever. I almost don’t want to write about it, and keep a it a secret. But anyway… here it is, a guide to the Thai island daydream you’ve always had.

Maya and I visited Koh Samet on a whim, one weekend in March. It was the middle of the hot season; long, cloudless days and blazing sun. We got a taxi from Pattaya to Rayong and from there, a speed boat to the island. The sun was starting its daily descent, casting golden light across the sea as our boat sped across the waves.

Once on the island, we took a baht bus to our hotel, Vongdeuan Resort. We could see straight away that this was a wild place. Most of the island is protected nature reserve and you drive through thick jungle where tree branches slash against the open truck and the air is alive with the calls of birds and the croaks of frogs and crickets.

By the time we got to the hotel, the sun was setting. We dashed to get changed and hurried into the sea, as still and warm as bath water. The sunset around us was all lavender and pink, against the silvery sea and the dark green of the jungle clad hills behind, as fairy lights twinkled back over the by the hotel. I always find this a magical time of day, especially in the tropics, and even more so, paddling in the ocean.

We also got to know a litter of puppies! There were a few semi stray dogs that lived around the hotel. All very sweet: Peaches, Sausage, Mama and her litter. We spent a lot of time picking up those weeny puppies and hugging them, and watching them play in the sand. One of the best parts of our stay for sure!

Early mornings we would walk or run on the beach and take a first swim in the sea. Then we would have breakfast overlooking the beach and sea. One morning, we took a baht bus around the island, stopping at different pretty beaches. The sand here is so white and unspoilt, back dropped by the deep green of the jungle. And hardly anyone else around. We also went to a viewpoint, and on the other morning, we went sea kayaking. This was an amazing experience since the water was so still we could paddle far out, and the water is so clear you can see right down to the corals below.

We would spend the middle of the day just sitting in the sea, or lying in the shade on the sand. And by evening we would enjoy the sunset and then take a baht bus for the wild ride into the little town, where sunburnt folks browsed little stalls and we would have dinner at one of the feet in the sand little restaurants.

It was an idyllic way to spend the weekend. The simple, carefree Thai island vibe of many years ago, one not many people get to experience anymore. Koh Samet is a sleepy, simple, unspoilt place, and we both fell in love with it.

We are already planning our next trip back.

Practical Information

Getting here- The closest airport is Bangkok. From there it’s about a 2.5 hour drive to Rayong to get a boat to the island. Boats only take about 15 minutes to cross.

Where to stay- Our hotel The Vongdeuan Resort was basic but had a cute room and a beautiful beach as I described, as well as a nice restaurant. Can’t ask for more! For something more fancy, the Ao Prao resort is a good option, although the sea on that side of the island is not as calm.

Getting around- Baht buses are the only way, really. These are expensive so try to limit their use. It’s not really safe to walk as the roads are windy and very jungly.

What to do- the beauty of this island is the lack of major things do. Come to switch off, unwind, play in the sea and relax.

When to visit- the dry season would always be my recommendation for an island holiday, especially when taking boats etc and being outside all day. But this island is not as affected by the monsoons as those in the south of the country so you can always take a chance in rainy season too.

Thanks to Maya for the photos and company x

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