You’ll be taking planes, trains, and buses, jetting from one city to the next!

With only two weeks and the desire to see as much as possible, I packed a lot in our Thailand trip. After experiencing (and sometimes enduring) it all, these are the top things that I recommend you see and do if you have a limited time in Thailand.

Beach – Jump off from Phuket

It’s likely you chose to come to Thailand because the beautiful beaches caught your eye. As you’re researching which beaches and islands you want to go to, note how touristy (read: busy and crowded) it is and the time it will take get there. Island-hopping will cut your time short quickly if you’re visiting multiple places in Thailand. Koh Phi Phi is the most popular island and I also hear amazing things about Krabi and Koh Sumai. For our trip we stayed on Phuket, and you can read all about those beaches here.

Patong Beach

Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) – Chiang Rai

This modern temple was incredible! It may seem a little controversial and strange, but the thoughts behind the temple’s creation are interesting. I booked a day trip to see the White Temple in Chiang Rai because we didn’t have enough time to stay overnight. It worked out well. I would recommend hiring a private car to take you there and back on your own time. Check out this post for all the details about visiting.

Temples – Chiang Mai and Bangkok

Wherever you go, you’ll likely run into a temple in town. Buddhism is the predominant religion in Thailand and beautiful, ornate temples are plentiful. You’ll find many in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. In Bangkok, the most popular temples are Wat Pho and Wat Arun.

Elephant Nature Park – Chiang Mai

It was a treat to get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures! Elephant Nature Park is an elephant sanctuary that takes care of elephants that have been abused. You’ll be able to walk with them, feed them, and learn all about elephant history and life in Thailand. No riding here! See the post and video about our experience at Elephant Nature Park here.

Scuba Dive – Similan Islands

The Similan Islands are a group of 11 islands in the Andaman Sea off of South Thailand. They’re known for scuba diving. Taking a liveaboard is a great way to dive multiple sites since you’ll be living on a boat and hopping from island to island. Check out our liveaboard experience here.

Yee Peng Lantern Festival – Chiang Mai

We timed our trip to see this cultural celebration! They have changed the official events because of its popularity, but there are unofficial spots where people gather to release lanterns for the holiday. It is a spiritual event, focusing on letting go of the bad. It was so cool to see and experience this event in person. It happens in November for a few days around the full moon. See the post and video about our experience here.

Food – Chiang Mai and everywhere

One of the best things about visiting Thailand is the abundance of incredible food! We got our fill of pad Thai, tom yum soup, curry soup, papaya salad, and more! In most of the big cities, you’ll be able to find food tours to experience the city’s best restaurants and cooking classes to learn how to cook the cuisine. Be sure to look at my travel guides for Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket to get a restaurant list! Check out my best things to eat and drink in Thailand post to see the different dishes you can enjoy.

Itinerary

Not sure how to split your time in Thailand? Here’s what we did for 12 nights in Thailand. It’s hard to squeeze every experience into a short time. If I could go back and change what we did, I would have scheduled time to visit beaches on islands but that would have required adding more days to the trip!

Day 1: Travel
Day 2: Arrive in Bangkok at 11 pm
Day 3: Chiang Mai
Day 4: Chiang Mai
Day 5: Chiang Rai (day trip)
Day 6: Chiang Mai
Day 7: Phuket
Day 8: Liveaboard
Day 9: Liveaboard
Day 10: Liveaboard
Day 11: Phuket
Day 12: Bangkok
Day 13: Bangkok
Day 14: Travel and arrive home

Have you been to Thailand? What activities do you think are must-dos?

P.S. The Thailand fun doesn’t stop here! Check out all my Thailand posts here.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Best Things to Do in Thailand + Itinerary appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

WHY VISIT PHUKET?

THE BEACH! Phuket is a good jumping off point if you want to visit the beautiful islands of Thailand. If you want to stay on Phuket Island, there are many beaches with varying types of visitors. Phuket is also the place to party in Thailand.

QUICK TIPS

• Research your beaches to find a place that fits with your desires and activities. Each beach has different atmospheres.
• After you land at the airport, immediately go to the taxi line if you don’t have a pre-arranged ride. The line grows quickly. It is a set rate at the taxi stand to where you want to go, usually around 500 baht.

Patong

WEATHER

The best time to visit Phuket is October to March when it’s not so hot and drier, though high temperatures are close to the 90s year-round. We went in November and we saw at least one rain shower in the afternoon.

Kata Beach

GETTING THERE

The main airport is Phuket International Airport (HKT). It is in the north part of the island, so you’ll likely need to take a taxi for at least 45 minutes (and about 500 baht) if you’re heading to beaches in South Phuket.

GETTING AROUND

Red open-air tuk tuks are available. Flag these down as you see them. Negotiate a price.

WHICH BEACH?

• Patong – This place was CRAAAAAZZZY. Crazy. Since Phuket was only going to be a quick stop for our scuba diving liveaboard, I didn’t research much. So we found out just how crazy Patong is IN THE FLESH. If you want to drink and party, this is the place. Go to the beach in the morning and then get ready for a night of partying on Bangla street.
• Kata – This place was much chiller than Patong. The beach and city are smaller and filled with families. There are plenty of restaurants.
• Surin – This area is less touristy but filled with luxury. You’ll see lots of mansions and high-end resorts.
• Kamala – This area is also less touristy and welcomes many older visitors.
• Karon – Less busy and developed like Patong but still popular with tourists.
• Khao Lak – If you want to skip Phuket, Khao Lak is 37 miles north of Phuket Island. Our scuba diving shop was located here and we got a quick feel for the place. This seemed like a walkable area to stay.

But if you really want the best beach experience in Thailand, you’ll need to visit some islands. Krabi and Koh Samui are two. Check out this list of the best beaches to visit.

Kata Beach

WHERE TO STAY

You won’t have trouble finding a place to stay in Phuket, hotels are plentiful and at a good price. Before you book, check the hotel’s proximity to the beach and busy areas to make sure you are comfortable and able to get a good night’s rest. We stayed in two different hotels while in Phuket.

Palmyra Patong Resort (Patong) – I liked that this hotel was close enough to walk to the main street (Bangla) but far enough away from the nightlife. The rooms are nice and the staff is friendly. Our room was spacious and had a balcony. They also have a fantastic restaurant.

Chanalai Garden Resort (Kata) – This place is a maze! A front desk agent led us to our room and we took multiple flights of stairs and at least two elevators to get there. It was such a long journey that when she shut the door behind her, we looked at each other and laughed about how we might never find the hotel entrance again. So, you’ll get exercise for your legs and your brain if you stay here. Despite that, they have a great pool deck, a plentiful breakfast buffet, and exceptional rooms.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK

Our time in Phuket was surrounded by hectic travel days, so we ate at our hotels’ restaurants and quick eats as we were walking around. Still great Thai food though!

Here are some recommended places I had on deck in Patong and Kata:

• Kaab Gluay
  58/3 Phrabaramee Road, Patong, Phuket
• No. 6 Restaurant
  186 Rat-u-thi- road, Patong, Phuket
• Patong Seafood Restaurant
  98/2 Thaweewong Rd, Patong, Phuket
• Home’s Food Thai Food
  87/2 Tayna Road Kata Beach, near Easy Rider Pub
• Mom Tri’s Kitchen
  12 Kata Noi Road, Kata No, Kata, Phuket Tel: +66 76 333 569
• Re Ka Ta
  3rd Street Cafe & Guest House 92/15 92/15 Khoktanod Road, Kata Beach
• Mac-chiato House & Cake Box
  48 Thalang Road, Muang Phuket

If you’re a craft beer fan, be on the lookout for Phuket’s Full Moon Brewworks on drink menus around town.

WHAT TO DO

Beach
You came for the beach, right?! Sit out and enjoy the sea, sand, and sun! You’ll also be able to find day trip opportunities to nearby islands with more pristine beaches. Walk around to different tourist shops or ask your hotel concierge for options.

Kata Beach

Bangla Road – Patong Beach
I hear Bangla and I laugh because wow, that is one interesting place. I would say its energy, action, and alcohol consumption are similar to 6th Street in Austin or Bourbon Street in New Orleans with a Vegas flair. You’ll find cheap drinks, ladyboys, and promoters trying to convince you to come to their ping pong show. If you want to know what Bangla is like, check internet videos. If you find yourself on Bangla, I recommend popping in the lower-key bar at the beginning of the street by the Patong Beach sign where you’ll hear some cover bands.

Scuba Dive
We stopped in Phuket because it was the jumping off point for our liveaboard. Scuba diving was one of the best things we did in Thailand, and you’ll be able to find more opportunities in Phuket. Read more about our scuba diving liveaboard experience here.

Cultural Sights
If you want to see some cultural sights, go check out Wat Chalong and the Big Buddha statue, which are in two different places. The statue gives you a 360-view of Phuket because it sits on a peak.

Phuket wasn’t my favorite place on our Thailand trip, but I’m glad we experienced it. We had some good memories there and it was the gateway to our incredible scuba adventure.

What’s your favorite beach you’ve ever been to?

P.S. The Thailand fun doesn’t stop here! Check out all my Thailand posts here.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or Snapchat (@wanderlustanita). You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Phuket, Thailand Travel Guide appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

We did a lot of bucket list activities in Thailand, like walking with elephants and being a part of the lantern festival, but if I could go back and do anything again, it would be scuba diving. It was my first time diving in the ocean!

When we were planning our trip, Boyfriend had recently come back from a week-long liveaboard in the Bahamas and wanted to do something similar in Thailand. With our limited time in Thailand, we decided to do a three-day liveaboard.

What is a Liveaboard?

We lived on a small boat for three days and scuba dived 3-4 times each day. “Dive, Eat, Sleep, Repeat” was the motto we lived by each day. There were 19 total guests, five instructors, four crew members, two cooks, and one captain. We all shared three bathroom/shower rooms. The guests and instructors ate together on the dining deck. Boyfriend and I shared a tiny room with two twin bunk beds and a little bit of walking space. We lived in our bathing suits. It was a no frills and all fun experience. We like to call it “summer camp on the water!” We followed a posted schedule every day and dove in groups.

Our group of 19 guests was from all over the world, and it was fun learning about their lives and diving history. Our liveaboard hosted divers of all experience levels, and even had two divers who completed their Open Water Certification (the first diving certification you can earn) during our trip.

Diving Similan Islands

The Similan Islands are a group of 11 islands in Southern Thailand off Phuket. They are known for their wildlife and unique architecture. We hopped from island to island throughout the day, diving at different sites. The most famous site at the Similan Islands is Richelieu Rock. We sadly missed this site on the three-day liveaboard, so make sure your trip includes it!

Before every dive, we met on the deck for a dive briefing. The head dive instructor briefed us on the route we would take, what we should expect to see, and any issues we should be aware of underwater. Then we got ready and jumped in two groups at a time. Each group was about four divers to one instructor. Each dive was about 45-60 minutes.

We saw an abundance of wildlife, including eels, octopus, manta rays, a variety of fish, coral, and anemone.

Some of our dive sites included: Koh Bon West Ridge, Elephant Head Rock, Christmas Point, West of Eden, East of Eden, and Anita’s Reef. We also did a night dive. It was terrifying at first, being in the dark ocean, but we surprisingly saw a lot of things!

Our final dive was a wreck dive at Boon Sung Wreck. It was very murky, but it was cool seeing the different creatures living in the wreck.

Beach Excursion at Similan Islands National Park

We were near the Similan Islands National Park after one of our dives, so we did a beach excursion. We hiked up to the peak to see the breath-taking view. (Side note: if you’re on the mainland and have the option of coming here for a day excursion, don’t do it. As I’ve read and seen, a two-hour speedboat trip to a crowded beach is not relaxing.)

Khao Lak Scuba Adventures

We were aboard the Manta Queen 5 liveaboard by Khao Lak Scuba Adventures. They were awesome! The boat was in tip-top condition, the buffet meals were plentiful and seconds-worthy, the instructors were knowledgeable, and the crew was energetic. This was my first and only liveaboard experience (so far), but from comparing it to Boyfriend’s previous liveaboard in the Bahamas, this one was more structured (set dive groups) and the boat was nicer (individual rooms instead of one room with multiple bunks). They also do scuba diving day trips if you don’t want to do a liveaboard. I would definitely recommend Khao Lak Scuba Adventures if you’re looking for a liveaboard in Thailand.

Quick Tips

• I took Dramamine (motion sickness medicine) before we left the port and the second morning, just in case. I didn’t want to risk it. Once you get sea sickness, you’re in for a miserable time.
• If you don’t like living in small spaces and sharing small bathrooms, a liveaboard might not be for you.
• You don’t have to do every dive, but it’s definitely worth it. We did four dives on two days and three dives on the last day. It sounds like a lot, but it was surprisingly not exhausting.
• It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, but you do need to at least have an open water certification. For our liveaboard, they checked our certification cards and put us in groups of similar experience.
• Gear: all of our equipment (wetsuit, BC, regulator, fins, mask, tanks, weight belt) was a part of the package though we did rent a dive computer each, which I think is absolutely necessary when diving.
• If you’re diving in Thailand, be sure to dive Richelieu Rock.

Here’s a video of our experience. We saw so many cool creatures!

Have you ever been scuba diving or on a liveaboard?

Considering a liveaboard? Visit Liveaboard.com to explore destinations.

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