» TRAVELING THAILAND »
Words and Photos by Katy Ravensberg
I have been to so many different western countries. I thought it was time to spread my wings and go to Asia! I have a handful of friends who went to Thailand recently and said it was absolutely beautiful and cheap. Also, I wanted a beach vacation. We went for 2 weeks, from June 29 until July 13. Trying to schedule a time we could all go was tricky. Two of us are teachers so we had to go in the summer. This isn’t the best time to go because it’s during Thailand’s rainy season. November to March is the best time to go because the weather is amazing; however, it is their high season. So it is extra busy and more expensive. We got a lot of deals since we went during the “shoulder” season. Each of us had our own “bucket list.” One of the girls REALLY wanted to get some R and R at a 5 star hotel. Another was determined to take a private boat to the islands and I really wanted to go climbing in Krabi. Needless to say, we did it all!
+ BANGKOK +
We flew into Bangkok and stayed a four nights. This is not my favorite city. It’s VERY crowded, chaotic, hot, and a little smelly. However, we stayed at the JW Marriott and it was very worth it because of their impeccable service.
On our first full day in Bangkok we went to Yunomori Onsen & Spa-- FAVORITE thing in Bangkok. This is a Japanese spa with many different baths that help you rejuvenate, relax, and breathe. It sounds strange but it was amazing. We also got a 2 Thai massage-- which was an experience and everyone who goes to Thailand should get one as much as possible. And all of this was only $34. Amazing.
One of the girls really wanted a suit and a dress made. They have tailors EVERYWHERE in Bangkok. Let me just say-- don’t do it.
That night we went to Above Eleven for drinks and dinner. It’s an awesome bar with a really cool rooftop and DJ. I recommend making reservations. We reserved a table at the corner overlooking the city but it rained that night so we had to sit under the roof. So sad because the table looked amazing! We had delicious sushi. After we went to Havana Social which is right across the street. It has this speakeasy vibe. There aren’t signs for the bar and you have to go through a phone booth to get in. There is great music and dancing. SO FUN!
We set up tour through the JW to see all of the temples in Bangkok. It was a great set up because we had a driver and a tour guide. We were driven all over the city in AC with waters and cool towels. We saw the Grand Palace, Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha), Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha), and the marble temples. It was quite a blur. We saw so many buddhas and temples. It was a long hot day and I think if I did it again I wouldn’t have done such a long tour in the heat. You have to make sure and cover your shoulders and knees. Plus you’re supposed to have closed toed shoes. Keep that in mind!
+ KRABI +
The next day we flew to Krabi. This was my favorite part of the trip! It took a LONG TIME to get there. We took a plane, van, and a long tail boat. It was such an adventure but so fun! Everyone who goes to Krabi should stay at the Railei Beach Club. It’s a “resort” with a bunch of houses that you rent out. If you book early enough, you can get a house near the water. We stayed at Baan Chang 26 (which means “Elephant House”). Each night, there is a hut out near the water that has a happy hour and they make the best drinks!! We went every night and had these special margaritas. Everyone sits on the porch, talking, listening to music. It’s magical.
+ PHRA NANG BEACH +
We also kayaked over to Phra Nang Beach. It was beautiful! Make sure you bring water shoes. There are a lot of rocks in the water.
On July 4 we booked a private speed boat with Andaman Private Speed Boat Tour. It was a great experience! We had Thai picnic on the Bamboo Beach and no one was around. We felt like we were the only ones of the white, pristine beach. This was one of my most favorite parts of the trip.
We also stopped at a few other islands. Don’t go to Phi Phi Island. It’s SO crowded and not worth it. Our guide was so much fun and very kind. Most of the Thai people we met were so great!
+ RAILAY BEACH +
The next day we hiked to the Railay Beach Viewpoint. This was more like a climb. We had to hold on to ropes as we climbed up the clay/mud incline. It was so steep, pretty hard, but amazing. I love a good challenge! It’s a must do. The view is amazing, too.
Watch out for monkeys! They are everywhere and are not afraid of you. I saw one jump on a girl and take her bar out of her hands! Also, we didn’t close one of our doors one day and while we were gone, the monkeys got in and ate ALL of our food. They destroyed the house. It was not a good moment. Keep your doors closed! Speaking of food… Railei Beach Club will have food ready for you if you order ahead of time. It’s an amazing feature!
Also, have the private chef come every night to cook for you. The restaurants are very good in Railay but the private chef cooks you fresh food. It’s super cheap and delicious! There is one spot that sells really good wraps on “walking street.” Railay is really small. They don’t really have cars-- just little motorized carts. You just walk everywhere and when you leave, you take a boat. The whole place reminded me of camp!
We went on a Krabi Nature and Culture Tour the following day. This is when we got to ride elephants. We were in a jungle deep in Krabi. It was so cool to go for a ride but it’s always questionable whether or not the animals are treated well. They seem like they are but you never know. It was amazing to ride them through the jungle! We also saw a cute baby. Afterwards, our guide tried to take us to the mangroves and to some temples but it was POURING. I’ve never seen this much rain. We begged him to take us back! So we went back to Railay Beach. I don’t recommend doing a full tour if you are going to ride an elephant-- or just don’t go during the rainy season :)
Our house wasn’t available for our whole stay in Krabi so we had to move hotels for our last night. It was OK, though because we went to a very nice hotel (Bhu Nga Resort and Spa) which is right next to the dock that takes you back to the Krabi. That night the rain never stopped so we got cozy in our hotel room, ordered room service and got a good night’s sleep. It was just what we needed after staying in house without AC and being so very active for a few days!!
+ KO SAMUI +
Next stop: Ko Samui. This is our R&R part of the trip. We stayed at Hansar Samui Resort. It was amazing. It’s a 5 star hotel with a beautiful pool looking over the beach. Our hotel room was gorgeous and we even had a big patio overlooking the ocean. Our first night there we went to “The Shack” and had some delicious food. The restaurant came highly recommended. We ordered a filet, rack of lambs, and scallops. It was pricey but worth it. Afterward we went to CocoTams which is this lively bar on the beach. You sit in bean bags on the beach, drink Changs (Thai beer) and watch the show. They awesome music and fire dancers. It’s pretty exciting!
Hansar has a really good breakfast with a lot of variety. It’s included so that’s a plus! The next day we just relaxed at the fancy pool. We had waiters, cushioned lounge chairs and a refreshing pool right outside our door. That night we went to Links. It seemed delicious. HOWEVER… two of us got violently ill.
+ NIKKI BEACH +
On a whim we decided to go to Nikki Beach. They are known for their Sunday brunches. They have music, dancers, DJ’s, and TONS of amazing food. Casey happened to have a connection with the chef. So we gave it a try. It was Bastille Day so there was a lot going on. We rented a bed near the pool and began people watching. It was so much fun and the food was VERY good. It was a really expensive day but worth it! Luckily it didn’t rain, either!
+ KOH NANG YUAN +
DAY TRIP
-- snorkel (we bought our own)
-- walk to viewpoint totally worth it
-- You have to pay for everything-- including chairs.
It’s SO crowded
We had to move hotels because Hansar didn’t have enough space for our entire stay.
So we went to Fair House Villas and Spa. They overbooked so we got bumped up and had a private home. It was gorgeous. We had our own pool and view of the ocean. That night we ordered room service and watched a movie. The next day we did spa treatments. Two of us got a facial and the other a massage.
Then we began our trek back to Bangkok. We stopped in Bangkok one night before our flight back home. We stayed at Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit Hotel. The rooftop is a really popular bar with beautiful views called Octave. It was raining (of course) so we didn’t get to enjoy it. We did go to their restaurant and had a wonderful dinner and wine to end the trip.
It was one of the best trips I have ever gone on!
