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6/29/18 - Bangkok

We spent our morning searching for places that had Thai pancakes (which was surprisingly difficult?!?!) and we eventually settled for crepes, haha. We went to the Grand Palace and walked around for a while. Then, we went back to the hostel to get our bags and we took a taxi to our fancy hotel :). We checked in and then went right to the pool where we relaxed and had some lunch. After a few hours, we got dressed and went to Siam Square and got our nails done and then took the train to a different neighborhood to walk around the night market. The night market was packed and super overwhelming, so we didn’t stay there for very long. We took the train back to our hotel, where we contemplated going out but decided to just get room service and go to sleep because we leave tomorrow morning :(.

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6/29/18 - Koh Lanta & Bangkok

We only had our bike until 11:00 AM, so we woke up early and headed to the southernmost point of Koh Lanta where there is a national park. We stopped on the way for breakfast and then made our way to the park. We walked around, saw some monkeys, climbed to the lighthouse, walked on the beach, and went on a swing over the ocean. It was amazing! And so beautiful. Koh Lanta has a really cool combination of beach, towns, and jungle, so it’s like the best of everything all in one. We came back to our hotel, walked along the beach, and had lunch at the hotel restaurant. After lunch, we spent like three hours at the pool. We could not have had a more beautiful day. The sun was out, it was super hot, and there was no one else there! At 4:00, a van came to pick us up and take us to Krabi Airport, and we even had the van all to ourselves! We got to the airport pretty early, so we got something to eat and sat a chilled until we were able to check in. The flight to Bangkok was easy and short, and when we arrived, we took a taxi to our hostel. We decided to get a super basic place for tonight so that we can splurge and stay somewhere fancy for our last night tomorrow :).

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6/27/18 - Koh Lanta

We got up and had breakfast at our hotel which was amazing since the restaurant is right on the beach. After breakfast, we rented a motorbike and talked to this sweet guy at the front desk for like forty minutes. When we left, we got some gas and then drove across the island (we’re on the west coast, we drove to the east coast) where the Koh Lanta Old Town is. We got some lunch at this restaurant on the water and enjoyed their swings on the pier for a bit. We walked around and did some shopping and then drove up to the mangrove forest at the northeast corner of the island. We walked around the forest for a while and then drove back to the hotel. On our way back to the west coast, we stopped at a beach a few minutes away and laid on the sand for a while. Then, we came back to the hotel and hung out by the pool for a bit and relaxed in the sun (we really are so lucky! The weather originally said it was supposed to be stormy, but we’ve had all sun!). We went to go get massages in town and then drove to this tiny restaurant in the jungle called Chill Grill House for dinner. The guy at the restaurant was super nice and the food was delicious. It also was hilarious on the scooter because the road was barely paved and it was just hilarious, not to mention the guy was nervously watching us try to make it down the road. When we got back to the hotel, we watched some Netflix and went to bed.

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6/26/18 - Railay Beach & Koh Lanta

We got up early to pack and check out of our hotel. Then, we got Thai pancakes for breakfast which were incredible! We headed over to the rock climbing shop and got all of our gear. Then our guide walked us over to the rock climbing walls a bit further into the jungle. Along the way, we passed some monkeys, including a monkey carrying her baby on her stomach which was cute. We spent about three hours climbing various routes. Outdoor climbing is significantly harder because you don’t have the color coded rocks like you do in the gym. You just have to kind of try things out to figure out the best route up. We met some other Americans and an Indian girl who were also climbing. There were some routes that were super challenging, but Katie and I made it up every route that we attempted! It was really fun and felt like a major accomplishment as climbers ;). After climbing, we went back to the hotel to get our swimsuits and then we immediately went into the ocean because it was crazy hot. We laid on the sand for a while and then got dressed and got some lunch. We walked to the pier to catch our 3:00 longtail boat to a different pier, where a mini van picked us up to take us to and island called Koh Lanta. The ride was about three hours. Once we arrived, we checked into our room (our hotel is incredible by the way, but we also couldn’t see much because it was dark, haha). We walked to a nearby restaurant called Soul Kitchen which is right on the beach. We got some food and drinks and then walked back to our hotel. It was pitch black out and pretty stormy which was a little scary, but we had our umbrellas for protection against any vicious creatures (apparently the monkeys on Koh Lanta are fearless and will come attack you for your bags). There were also soooo many frogs, so the street was filled with all of these frog noises, thunder, and the random scooter or car that would pass by. When we got back to our hotel, we watched some Netflix and went to bed.

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6/25/18 - Railay Beach

Today was nice because we didn’t travel at all! We’ve been on the move so much, which was intentional so that we could see everything, but it’s also been tiring. So it was nice to stay put. - [ ] We got breakfast in town at this cute place on th water with little cushions for seats. Then we walked through town and popped into a few shops, including a rock climbing studio that’s going to take us outdoor climbing tomorrow! When we got back to the hotel, we were planning to swim, but it started to rain and was super windy. We also wanted to do stand up paddle boarding but it was unsafe because of the waves :(. We ate some lunch and then decided to make a makeshift hot tub in the bathtub of our room haha. Then we sat in the “jacuzzi” and watched Netflix while it was raining outside. We eventually made our way back outside when the rain stopped and we walked along the beach for a bit before having dinner at a Thai restaurant in town. After dinner, we walked around a bit more and then stopped at a bar where we both got “Strawberry Coladas” which were to die for! We went back to the room and passed out early. Somewhat of an uneventful day but it was super relaxing and so enjoyable :).

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6/24/18 - Krabi & Railay Beach

We got up early and had breakfast at the coffee shop across from our hotel. We walked to the pier and got on a long tail boat that took us from Krabi to Railay Beach, which took about twenty minutes. When we arrived in Railay, we walked to our hotel and checked in. The room wasn’t ready yet, so we put our bags in storage and went to the pool. After spending some time at the pool and the beach, a giant storm came in and it started pouring, so everyone was taking cover in the lobby and restaurant, haha. Once the rain cleared, we were taken to our room which is totally beautiful. Got some lunch and then were picked up for a boat tour that would take us to seven nearby islands. Throughout the door, we got off the boat at different islands, spent time at the beaches, and snorkeled. At one of our stops, we were fed a delicious Thai barbecue dinner. We got back on the boat for one last stop — snorkeling with bioluminescent plankton!! It was pitch black outside. You couldn’t see any of the islands or rocks and everything just looked pitch black. Of the forty people on the tour, Katie and I were two of the four people who decided to night swim, haha. After swimming for a bit and seeing the plankton, we were taken back to Railay and walked back to our hotel. We stopped at the restaurant for a drink and then came home to shower and sleep.

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6/23/18 - Chiang Mai & Krabi

We checked out of our room early and went to a little family bakery next door for breakfast. They even gave us an extra chocolate croissant as a little gift when we paid! So cute. Then, we spent the next couple of hours visiting a few local temples. The temples in Thailand are unbelievable. The details and decorations are so intricate and there was clearly so much attention and effort put into them. At one of the temples, a group of students was there praying with a group of monks. Many people sat around to watch and listen. The service was beautiful. After visiting the temples, we walked through town to the Women’s Massage Center, which supports female ex-prisoners by training them in massage therapy and providing them with a job to help get them back on their feet. They were so kind there and the massages were amazing! We then took a tuk tuk to get some lunch and then we headed to the airport. We had a flight to Bangkok, then a flight to Krabi. When we arrived in Krabi, we took a shuttle bus from the airport to our hotel, which is called “Just Fine Krabi” (haha) but it is far from just fine! It’s so nice!! And our room is massive! We put our bags down and then headed to the night market which was totally packed and also had this huge stage where people could go sing karaoke to everyone that was there. We stopped into a little restaurant for some food before heading back to the hotel and going to bed. Tomorrow we go to the beach!

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6/22/18 - Pai & Chiang Mai

We got up and get dressed and took our scooter into town for breakfast at this adorable garden restaurant. We were planning to walk around and shop, but a lot of the shops were still closed. So, we decided to get Thai massages :). $5 each for an hour Thai massage! Amazing! After massages, we went to pack up our stuff and check out of our room. We spent some time admiring the hotel receptionist’s baby and then headed back into town to explore and get some food before catching our bus back to Chiang Mai. We stopped into a funky cafe for tea and cake and then went to the bus station. Our bus was significantly more crowded than the one to Pai, but it wasn’t horrible. Once we arrived in Chiang Mai, we stopped at a restaurant for a snack before walking to our hostel to check in. We dropped our stuff off and then went to dinner in the old city. After dinner, we went to a couple different bars around town and definitely got a feel of the Chiang Mai tourist versus Thai local night life feel. This was our last night in northern Thailand! Off to the islands tomorrow :).

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6/21/18 - Chiang Mai & Pai

We got up and packed up our stuff and then had breakfast at our hotel. Then, we were picked up by this bus service, Aya, that was taking us to a town called Pai. When we walked out to the street, there was a songtheaw, which is a type of taxi that they use a lot in Thailand. It’s basically a pickup truck, but they put benches around the border of the bed of the truck so that people can sit there. This was how we were getting to Pai?! Pai is three hours away and the road has something like 760 turns or something crazy. In my moments of panic, we drove for about five minutes and arrived at the bus station, where we boarded a nice charter mini van. Thank god, haha. The ride to Pai wasn’t bad. Definitely a lot of turns, but could’ve been worse. Pai has become pretty touristy, but is known for being a quiet hippy town. Lots of yoga, kombucha, dread locks, meditation centers, etc. and the scenery is gorgeous. When we arrived in Pai, we went to our hostel to check in. It was super cute! It was up in the mountains and felt super jungle-y and our room was like a cabin. We dropped off our things and then went back to the front desk to rent a motorbike! Katie drove us into town where we got lunch at this cute local Thai food restaurant. After lunch, we drove to the Pombok Waterfall, which is one of the multiple waterfalls people visit when they come to Pai. We did some swimming and Katie climbed up this ledge to jump off into the pool. We also met a few other tourists from the US who we chatted with for a little bit. It started to pour, so a lot of us stood in this little cave nook for a while, hoping it would die down, but it really didn’t. So eventually, Katie and I just braved the rain and walked back to our scooter to take it back to the hostel. We showered and changed and relaxed in the hostel for a little while. I wasn’t hungry yet, so Katie decided to eat some of the goldfish she had bought a few days before that she had left in the room when we went to the waterfall. She reached her hand in the bag to grab a handful, and as she went to throw the handful into her mouth, she realized she was also holding a lizard that had made its way into the bag!! Before she accidentally put the handful into her mouth, she threw it onto the bed and freaked out for a while before taking the lizard outside. So scary! After relaxing for a while, we headed back into town to explore the walking street which has a ton of street food carts, bars, and shops. We got some dinner at another cute little Thai restaurant and then went to a bar/cafe for a drink. Then we took a taxi back hope and went to sleep.

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6/20/18 - Chiang Mai

What a magical day! We got up and had breakfast at our hotel. Then, we were picked up in a van with a group of other tourists to head to the Elephant Nature Park with our guide, Aeh. In Thailand, there are a lot of elephants that are being used in inhumane ways, such as circuses, elephant rides, elephant shows, and logging. The ENP’s mission and purpose is to rescue elephants from these abusive situations and bring them to their sanctuary park, where the elephants are able to live freely and without being abused. They invite tourists to come and see how the animals are living, feed some of the friendly ones, and tour the grounds of the park. The money that the tourists spend on their entrance tickets goes to helping preserve the park and purchase elephant food. So, we took the hour and twenty minute drive from Chiang Mai to the park. When we arrived, our guide walked us through a few expectations and then she took us to feed two of the elephants. After feeding the elephants, we went on a walk to see some of the park. The park houses around seventy elephants, but also water buffalo, dogs, and cats. While we were walking, a water buffalo started to walk towards us. We couldn’t tell if it was being friendly or mean, but Katie being her risk-loving self decided to find out. The water buffalo ended up gently ramming her with its head! Luckily she didn’t get hurt and she had a good laugh, but it was very unexpected. We walked over to see some of the elephants and we got to take some pictures. Aeh also showed us where the dog shelters are. There are over 500 dogs that they house at the park. Most of them are from when Thailand had massive flooding in 2011 and many families could not take their pets with them when they tried to escape. After walking around for a bit, we got to eat lunch, which was this incredible buffet of tons of Thai options. We also got to socialize a bit with some of the other people in our group. One couple was from Paris, and two American people were traveling solo. After lunch and hanging out, we took another walk around the park and we got to see some of the elephant families that had babies!!! One of the families had twin three-year-olds, and the little girl elephant thought it was hilarious to run away from her family and run towards the groups of people in a total playful way, not a mean way. And then when an elephant handler would try to come and lead her back to her family, she would run the other direction. She was like a little toddler avoiding a time out or something. I couldn’t stop cracking up. It reminded me of a little kid on a playground. After our day at ENP, we took our van back to Chiang Mai. When we got back to our hotel, we showered and headed to a vegetarian restaurant nearby for dinner which was sooo delicious. We then walked over to the night bazaar where they had a ton of shops and little carts and markets, so we walked around and did a bit of shopping which was fun. Katie practiced her Thai language skills from when she studied abroad here and also her bargaining skills, haha. After walking around for a while, we popped into a craft beer place for a drink and then headed back to go to bed.

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6/19/18 - Siem Reap & Chiang Mai

We got up pretty early and got dressed to head out on our temple adventure. We had breakfast at the hotel which was pretty good and then we met the tuk tuk driver outside. Side note — our hotel here was $23 total (so 11.50 each) and included free breakfast AND free transportation to and from the airport.... amazing!!) First, he drove us to the store where we needed to buy our ticket pass to enter the temples. Then, we talked about which temples to go to and we planned out which order we were going to visit the temples in. We first arrived at Bayon Temple, where there were very few visitors and it was super quiet. We walked around and took some pictures. At one point, we stumbled upon a mama cat and a baby kitten, so we stopped for a bit to pet them for a bit :). We also met a girl from Portland, OR who had just been in Thailand, so she gave us some suggestions. After Bayon, we went to Ta Prohm, which is famous for this huge tree that grows within the middle of the temple. This temple was significantly more packed because it is famous for having been featured in the movie “Tomb Rider.” Regardless is the crowds, it was beautiful. It was also much bigger and more spread out than Bayon, so we spent more time there walking around and exploring. Lastly, we went to Angkor Wat. Upon arriving, we were approached by a local tour guide who asked if we wanted to hire him to show us around the temple so that he could tell us about the history of the temple. We agreed, which we were so grateful for. He told us all about the background, architecture, religious affiliation, and other historical information as we walked around the whole temple. We also walked up to the top of the tallest tower, which is a place of worship, so it was quiet and everyone was silently praying and walking around. After spending about an hour and a half exploring the temple, we were on our way out and we saw some monkeys!! We met back up with our tuk tuk driver and headed back into Siem Reap. He dropped us off at a vegetarian restaurant near our hotel where we had lunch, and then we went back to our hotel to check out. Shortly after, we took the tuk tuk to the airport to get ready for our flight to Chiang Mai. We had a layover in Bangkok where I got a Thai iced tea (obviously) and we soon boarded our flight to Chiang Mai. Finally in Thailand! So exciting! We took a cab to our hotel which is so nice! After putting our things down, we walked around town and popped into a few shops and markets. We have a long day tomorrow, so we went back to the hotel fairly early to shower and go to bed.