Hi fellow travellers, we are the travel couple Kasia and Simon. Welcome to our Thailand travel guide. We both grew up in different countries. Kasia comes from a small town in Poland called Swidnik and Simon grew up in Saint-Nom-la-Breteche which is a small town not too far west of Paris.
Both of us love taking adventures and we have visited many places in our lives. There was no doubt that our honeymoon was going to be our next big adventure, but this time we would share it together. Neither of us took photography courses. We just treat photography as a hobby.
We love capturing memories and over time have invested more time and money to create better photos. Certainly, we will cherish these photos forever. Instagram was our biggest source of photography inspiration. We began to push ourselves with photos and we think it paid off.
Catching a Last Minute Flight to Thailand
This was not the first time either of us had travelled to Thailand. Simon had been there on his first backpacking trip a few years ago and both of us had visited numerous times on our seven month backpacking honeymoon.
Six Months in Thailand on the Amnesty Visa
This awesome trip to Thailand was for six months because of the extension we got due to the Amnesty Visa. Once we arrived, we made our way to the island of Koh Chang in Trat before they stopped all domestic travel.
This was our home during the lockdown which lasted over two months. Once the restrictions were lifted, we made our way back to Bangkok where we spent a month. When internal travel was well and truly back, we headed down south to the beautiful islands and then back up to Bangkok.
We then rented a car for a month and drove around Northern Thailand. This was before ending our travels on the island of Koh Chang for a week. Eventually, we had to fly back home to the UK. All in all, it was a fantastic trip full of surprises, ups and downs, and beautiful destinations.
Our Favourite Place in Thailand: Koh Lipe
It’s hard for us to choose a favourite place because all of Thailand is amazing. But if we were pressed, we would go with Koh Lipe. The island is beautiful – the water is crystal clear and everything is relaxed. If you want to know more you can check out our blog post dedicated to Koh Lipe.
Thailand Travel Guide: The Buzzing Bangkok
We loved Bangkok this time around because of the lack of tourists at all the main tourist sites. It was like we were the only foreigners there when we visited the Grand Palace and we never had to push past the crowds of people to get the shots we wanted. There was something lovely about it.
Other than that, there are so many unique places to visit that we never got bored. The Airplane Graveyard was a highlight. Although they have removed the smaller plane next to the main plane which was disappointing. Our favourite spot was Wat Sam Phran (Dragon Temple).
Thailand Travel Guide: Exploring the North
In the North of Thailand we visited Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Pai. We wanted to check out Phu Chi Fa on the border of Laos but unfortunately bad weather meant it wasn’t worth visiting. Chiang Rai town itself is just like any other town but the main reason to visit is the amount of temples!
The most famous temple is the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun). However, the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten), Black House (Baan Dam Museum) and Wat Huay Pla Kang were just as good and definitely worth visiting too.
Pai is a super laidback town with a hippie vibe. There is a big white Buddha on a hill that is beautiful but tough to walk up in the sun. Remember to bring some water or head there early in the morning if you plan on going.
We visited the recommended wooden bridge in Mae Hong Son but it was a little bit underwhelming. The wooden bridge in Pai itself is much better. Another highlight was Pai Canyon which was an awesome spot explore before watching the sunset over the surrounding peaceful landscapes.
Thailand Travel Guide: Islands in the South
Because of the pandemic some of the smaller islands in the south were impossible to gain access to due to the lack of ferries. Nevertheless, we still managed to visit Koh Phayam, Phuket, Koh Yao Yai, Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe. Overall, we spent about a month and a half in the south.
As mentioned earlier, Koh Lipe was definitely our favourite destination and we wouldn’t hesitate to go back there again! We highly recommend it.
Thailand Travel Guide: Amazing Food Scene
We have always loved Thai food. So much so that we cook a lot of it at home. Our favourite dishes that we ate in Thailand were Penang Curry, Pad Kra Pao and Green Papaya Salad. We tend to just find street food when we are travelling as it is cheaper and more often than not extremely delicious.
However, there are a few places that we would recommend. Baanmai Restaurant on Lonely Beach in Koh Chang was where we ate most of our meals in lockdown. Cafe del Sunshine a little further down the road does the best Panang Curry that we have had in all of Thailand.
In Bangkok, there was a little street food stand that we found on Phayathai Road just outside the Union Language School. It had some of the best Pad Kra Pao and grilled pork neck that we have ever tried. Just delicious!
Thailand Travel Guide: Best Accommodation
When we backpack we tend to stay in cheaper places such as guest houses and home-stays. However, every now and then we do like to splash out and stay in a nicer place that is still a reasonable price. Our favourite hotels were Elephant Bay Resort on Koh Chang and Castaway Resort on Koh Lipe.
We loved the Castaway Resort so much that we kept extending our stay on the island for it. Sometimes you’ve just got to keep a good thing going!
A Hidden Gem of Thailand: Three Whale Rock
Our favourite memory in Thailand was taking the drone to Three Whale Rock in the Bueng Kan province. After seeing photos of it, we decided to take a detour from our route just to be able to see the rock formations.
It was definitely worth it as the drone shots we got looked beautiful. The rocks look like a family of whales: a mother whale, father whale and baby whale. It looks like they are swimming together in a sea of green. You can walk on the two bigger rocks to get some stunning views over the edge.
What you Need to Know Before you Go
Thailand is one of the friendliest and most welcoming places we have been to so no one should worry about travelling there. Everyone should realise that this is a place to haggle. If someone quotes you a price for something you can barter and bring down the price quite significantly.
Also, Thailand is a big country but if there is something you want to see that is a little out of the way then it’s definitely worth making the extra effort to get there because you will not be disappointed! The transport system is fantastic and you can arrive by train, bus or even by internal flight.
Thanks for reading our Thailand travel guide. We hope it has provided you with some inspiration, practical tips and revealed some hidden gems that you will add to your bucket list. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like more information on this amazing country!
