travel

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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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Transit Guide: Bangkok to Koh Tao

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After battling the cold temperatures in Nepal, we decided to head to Koh Tao for the last leg of our trip. The small island is known for it's diving and snorkelling! 

This transit guide also gets you to Nang Yuan, Koh Sammui or Koh Phangan. 

How to get there

From Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), we ended up staying a night in Khao San Road, since we knew buses would leave from there. 

    When we went to a travel agency to book the ticket, we learned that they had two prices: 720 or 1100 baht. The 720 baht option leaves at 6:00 pm and you don't get there until the next day. The 1100 baht option leaves at 6:00 am and you get there for 3:00 pm that day. Realizing we wanted the convenience of getting there faster, we opted for the more expensive option. 

    We learned that it's expensive because only one company leaves in the morning: Lomprayah. You need to head to their offices on Soi Rambutti at 5:30 a.m. to check in. You'll get three stickers here: one for your luggage and two for yourself (number and destination). 

    At 6:00 a.m., you'll board the double decker bus and make your way to the pier. It's a non-stop journey, so make sure you pack snacks for the ride. You'll also get some water and a cookie half-way through the ride. 

    At around 1:30 p.m, you'll reach the dock to board the boat. Keep in mind, this is a large speedboat that gets very bumpy. Motion sickness pills are highly recommended. 

    There are four stops for the boat: Nang Yuan, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Koh Sammui. 

    How to get back to Bangkok?

    It's essentially the same way back. You'll need to book a ticket in advance. We booked ours at our guesthouse where we got a deal on the taxi back to the dock. 

    Just note that getting home is a lot more hassle than getting there. Once you reach the dock on the main land, you'll have to wait for your bus. The bus will take you back to Soi Rambutti. There will be one stop along the way for a food break. Unlike the way there, there will be no snacks provided this time. 

    Happy Travelling! 

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    Transit Guide: Koh Chang to Bangkok

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    Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand, and the most popular hub for transit. 

    How to get there

    We ended up booking a ticket from a travel agency for 500 baht, including pick-up and the ferry ticket. It takes around 8-9 hours to get to Bangkok. 

    We were picked up by a mini-van and taken to the dock to board the ferry. The ferry took around 45 minutes to reach the coast. Once we got off, we took the free shuttle to the main land where we waited for our bus. 

    You'll be given an option of taking a mini-bus or a big bus. The mini-bus is more uncomfortable, but you'll get to Bangkok faster than the big bus. Since it arrived earlier, we opted for the mini-bus. Just note that they wait until the bus fills up before it leaves, so we left a little late. 

    About half-way through, we had a short food and washroom break. We got dropped off by Khao San Road. 

    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.