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Travel Guide and Tips: Bangkok

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Bangkok is the bustling capital city of Thailand. Filled with temples, floating markets and the popular Khao San Road, it's a crazy city to be in. 

Things to do

Khao San Road

This is the backpacker haven of the city. Head here if you're looking for something gear towards tourists. You can find bars, restaurants, hostels and local stands selling pad thai and insect here. There are tons of souvenir shops selling clothes and trinkets. 

Floating Markets

The area around Bangkok has tons of floating markets. Some will be bigger or more authentic than other. Amphawa Floating Market is a popular one to visit. To get there, you'll need to take the BTS to Victory Memorial. Catch the mini-bus there to get to the market. It costs 160 baht and takes around two hours to get there. From here, you can join a boat tour to see the market. 

The Grand Palace

This if for all you temple junkies. As the previous home to the Kings of Siam, the Grand Palace is now a popular attraction in Bangkok. Spend the day walking around the numerous different sections. 

Entrance fee is 500 baht. Remember to dress respectively (shoulders and knees covered)! 

Sky Bar

For all you wanting to live it high, literally. Made popular by The Hangover, Sky Bar is one of the highest rooftop bars in the world. The drink prices are pretty steep though. You don't need to buy a drink to access it. You can just head up to see the view. 

Siam Square

This is the perfect place for shopaholics. Siam Square has different malls within it. We mostly stuck to MBK Centre, since it has both tourist stalls and shops that locals use. Explore the different floors to find an abundance of clothes, electronics and souvenirs. If you head outside, you can find neat food trucks as well! 

Where to Eat

Soi Rambuttri

This street is parallel to Khao San Road and is filled with street vendors. Head here for slightly cheaper prices. We were just happy to find a place that sells Khao Soi! 

Where to Stay

At Home Guesthouse

Located near Khao San Road, At Home Guesthouse has reasonable prices. For 600 baht, you can get a private double room with A/C, fan and ensuite washroom. It's clean and they offer towels with the room. 

Happy Travelling! 

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Travel Guide and Tips: Pai

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As a small town in the countryside, there's tons of adventurous activities to do in Pai. 

Things to do

1) Pai Canyon

Located 8km south of Pai, the canyon is accessible by scooter, biking or by hiring a taxi for the day. The canyon offers picturesque views of the mountains. Be careful, as it has steep 50 metre drops on either side. The best time to visit is at sunset! 

2) The Land Split

The Land Split is a unique spot, not because of the attraction itself, but for the hospitality you'll receive from the owners. The moment you walk in, they shower you with fruit, snacks and drinks all for free. You can just leave a donation in the box for them! 

 The tourist attraction was created in 2008 and 2011, when the land split 11 metres deep, making it unsustainable for farming. 

3) Waterfalls

There are two main waterfalls in Pai.

Pam Bok Waterfall: You can ride a bike, rent a scooter or hire a taxi to get there. Many go to swim the falls. Just note that it does dry up if there hasn't been too much rain. Also, the Land Split is along the way to this waterfall.

Mae Yen Waterfall: Take a 4-5 hour hike (round-trip) to this waterfall. The hike should take you up the river to the falls. 

4) Natural Hot Springs

Located south of Pai, the hot springs are great on a cool morning or evening. There is a 200 baht entrance fee. 

5) Wat Pra Tat Mae Yen (Temple on the hill)

East of Pai is the Temple on the Hill. Climb up the 300 or so steps to the top to see the big white Buddha. You can get a great view of Pai from the top! 

6) Other Activities

There are other activities like fishing at Pai Pirahna Fishing Park, visiting the Memorial Bridge or taking cooking lessons. 

Where to eat

Night Market

Every night, there's a night market along the main street in Pai. It's really hard to miss. There's a ton of carts that offer different foods, snacks and drinks. Try the cart with the tea in a bamboo cup!

Where to stay

Happy House Pai

We stayed at Happy House in a private room which was fine. Just know that roosters will caw in the morning. The washroom is not great. It's better to use the one that's upstairs. The common has couches and a pool table. 

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Travel Guide and Tips: Chiang Mai

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Located in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is a popular tourist destination. From digital nomads to adventurers, there's a tons of things you can do. 

Things to do

1) ELEPHANT CAMPS

One of the most popular attractions in Chiang Mai are the elephants. While there are many different camps to choose from, not all of them are ethical. Please make sure to do some research and choose one that treats their elephants well and doesn't offer elephant riding with saddles. Elephant Nature Park is well-liked and gets booked quickly. However, we went with Ran-Tong (Save and Rescue Elephant Centre). 

2) GRAND CANYON

About 17km away from the city centre is the Grand Canyon of Chiang Mai. It's a man-made quarry where many visitors go to cliff jump. The Tuang Thong Canyon View restaurant there offers wifi. You can get there by renting a scooter, hiring a red truck for the day or biking there if you're adventurous. There is an entrance fee of 50 baht per person.

Please note that we heard the quarry water is dirty. It can also be unsafe to swim in, so proceed with caution. 

3) Maya Mall

For a 20 baht red truck ride from the city centre, you can visit the city mall. You can find a mixture of western stores and other tourist stores. We went there for their movie theatre (SFX CINEMA Maya Chiangmai - check here for movie times). Make sure to choose the (E) for english movies with Thai subtitles. 

4) Massages

Massages are fairly cheap in Chiang Mai (140 baht+). There are many spas you can choose from, low-end to high-end. They all offer a variety of massages, so you can choose the type that suits you. We went to Lila Thai Massage, a centre run by ex-inmates. 

5) Night Market

This was probably our favourite part of Chiang Mai. The night markets runs on Saturdays and Sundays (on different streets). Vendors fill the street with stalls of food, clothing, trinkets and western-influenced souvenirs. It's really fun just to walk the streets, pick up some grub and check out what everyone is selling. Just note that it gets really busy. 

6) Temples in the City Centre

There are many temples spread through the city centre that you can visit. You can easily spend a whole day wandering about and checking out every temple.There are three major temples located within the city centre. Our favourite Wat Chedi Luang. Just make sure to wear respective clothing (shoulders covered, no revealing tops and nothing showing above the knees). 

7) Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

This is probably the most popular temple in Chiang Mai. Instead of taking a red truck taxi all the way up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, you can turn it into a half day hike. If you do the hike, you can also see Wat Phra Lat temple (no entrance fee). 

Once you reach Wat Phra That, there is an entrance fee of 30 baht per person. It's heavily tourist-friendly, so keep that in mind. 

8) Doi Inthanon National Park

It's located about 2 hours away from Chiang Mai, so it's a bit harder to reach. The best way to get there is either by renting a car/motorbike, going with a tour or you can hire a red truck for the day. The park houses the tallest mountain in Thailand, has waterfalls and temples to see. There's a 300 baht entrance fee. 

9) Other Activities

Chiang Mai offers other things to do like watching a Muay Thai match, cooking classes or visiting the waterfalls. 

Where to eat

Chiang Mai Gate

Chiang Mai Gate is where all the locals eat. Around 6 p.m., the vendors will set up their carts selling a variety of Thai food for a cheap price. Shop around to pick a place that you like. They usually have tables and chairs, so it works similar to how a regular restaurant works. 

There's also a cart selling fruit shakes for 20 baht! 

Thapae Gate

The area around Thapae Gate has a ton of restaurants to try out. There's a mix of both Western and Thai restaurants. Since it's a restaurant, it'll cost a bit more than street food. But you'll have more options. There's a cart that sells rotee and crepes. 

Where to stay

Teeraya Boutique Guesthouse

Located outside the square near Chiang Mai Gate, the guesthouse has Wi-Fi, a swimming pool and clean rooms. 

 

Day 3: Alone in Bangkok, Cee's Edition

Cee made it to Bangkok safely and accidentally explored the city while trying to get to me at the airport.

She made a feline friend, visited a public park, and got lost in the infamous Khao San Road for hours. Unfortunately, commuting was near impossible with Thailand celebrating a huge holiday and country wide "Bike for Dad" event in honour His Majesty the King.

To be continued!