As we researched countries to add to our first trip to Asia, we were blown away by the stunning pictures of Thailand. This country, which is about the same size as the state of Texas, has become a hot spot for backpackers largely due to it’s affordability. It’s known as the “land of smiles” and thanks to its friendly locals, you’ll definitely leave with a smile on your face. Whether you’re looking for relaxation, adventure, culture, or just good food, Thailand has it all! We absolutely loved Thailand and as you read on we’ll uncover all the fabulous reasons why!

Beachin’

If you’re visiting southern Thailand, your number one priority should be its beaches. Our resort, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, is located on the peaceful Bang Tao Beach on the west coast of Phuket island. Strolling along this beach we encountered many delicious local restaurants and Thai massage huts, both of which we enjoyed throughout our stay. Some of our favorite meals were on the sand less than a ten minute walk away. All of the Thai food was absolutely delicious, especially when accompanied by a breathtaking beach sunset, cold cocktail, and unique dessert. The Thai messages, on the other hand, were a bit more aggressive than we’re used too. Those Thai women are incredibly strong and pack a lot of pressure into a 300 baht ($10 USD) hour-long body message!

In addition to our resort’s beach, we visited Karon Beach, Patong Beach, and three different beaches on a Phi Phi Islands tour. We also heard wonderful things about Surin beach, Ko Tao, and Ko Samui from other travelers but did not have enough time to experience them all ourselves. Karon beach is known for its squeaky sand and family friendly atmosphere. We savored some tasty pad thai, papaya salad, and Chang beer as we people watched. Then we went to Patong beach and were shocked by the crowds and countless shops and bars. This beach center has infamous full moon parties and Thai boxing fights. However, it was much too chaotic for our taste. It’s hard to imagine what this place is like during the high season!

Phang Nga Bay

We prebooked a tour to explore the Phang Nga Bay called “Hong by Starlight” with John Gray Sea Canoe company. A taxi bus picked us up in the morning and drove us to Ao Po pier where we boarded and set sail. On the way, we enjoyed a light lunch as the crew explained our agenda for the day. Groups of two were paired with a guide who would paddle their sea canoe in and around the mystic caves of the Andaman Sea. We went through “Bat Cave” and “Oyster Cave” to explore beautiful inner lagoons with rock faces covered in topical trees. These hongs (rooms) were home to cute little crab eating monkeys, mudskippers, and numerous birds. After the caves we enjoyed free time swimming and paddling the canoes ourselves. Then it was back on board the big boat for a fabulous dinner and to make our traditional Kratongs. We decorated our float with flowers, candles, and incense sticks and then paddled out with our guide once more to release our lit Kratong with a prayer. Our Kratong floated gracefully inside the dark cave among millions of glowing bio-luminescent plankton which made the whole experience feel even more magical. We’ll be talking about this enchanting day for the rest of our lives.

City Sights

Along with its beautiful beaches, we chose to stay on the island of Phuket because of its many sights around the city. We hired a driver for a day who took us to all the popular places and beaches. We started with a visit to Wat Chalong Temple. This is the biggest and most extravagant temple on Phuket island. Many visitors offered prayers, flowers, water, and coins at the feet of golden Buddha statues in hopes of receiving good luck. Incense were lit and firecrackers sounded inside a hollow structure. It was a very unique cultural experience to witness. Next we rode up to see the Big Buddha on a hill overlooking the island. This gigantic statue is still under construction, but you can walk all the way around the base and even underneath it. They have many trinkets for sale to help fund raise for the project’s completion. We bought a small golden heart which we signed and tied to a large bell in front of the statue. Perhaps one day we’ll make it back to see if it’s still there!

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Asian elephants are an iconic animal throughout Thailand, and many tourists seek out ways to interact with these gentle giants. We did a lot of research to find a place that treats these animals humanly. The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary serves as a retirement community of sorts for elephants that have been overworked and mistreated in the logging and tourism industries. As guests of the park, we got the opportunity to feed the elephants their morning breakfast and learn all about them on a hike through the grounds. The elephants all seemed very happy and were accustomed to interacting with the routine visitors. Our favorite part was watching them swim and spray each other with water from their trunks.

Phi Phi Islands

Island hopping is an extremely popular thing to do and there are many different tour options including day trips, overnight excursions, speedboat tours, and longtail boat rentals. We chose to do a multi-island day trip by speedboat with Phuket Sail Tours. They left Phuket earlier than most companies to beat the island rush and didn’t overcrowd their boats. After about an hour boat ride we reached Phi Phi Lei Island, home of Maya Beach, which was made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Beach”. The water color was indescribably beautiful, and the sand was so fine and soft we would have loved to stay here all day! But because of these desirable features, the beach was lined with boats and already getting packed with people. After a dip in the warm ocean, we boated to our next stop Phi Phi Don Island. We enjoyed snorkeling a few hundred feet from the shore and were impressed with the variety of fish we could see swimming among the coral. Ashore on Phi Phi Don, we had lunch that was included with our tour and briefly walked around to look at the hotels. Following lunch, we had one more snorkeling excursion before going to Bamboo Island. This island had lots of tiny shells which made the sand a bit more coarse, but we took the opportunity to lay out in the sun for an hour before journeying back to Phuket.

Compared to our Phang Nga Bay island trip, Phi Phi Islands had a much different look and feel. There were more beaches and snorkeling opportunities here, but also more boats and people. Overall, we are glad to have seen them both in their unique beauty!