Thailand Highlights
Five highlights from 50 days on the road
Thailand stole my heart. I know I will return here, many times, if I’m lucky. We spent 50 days exploring the country, and I still feel like I only scratched the surface. I haven’t been down south, I haven’t seen the beaches, and I only spent three days in Bangkok. There is so much more out there for me to explore, and I am already excited for when that day comes!
I could write forever about my Thailand experiences, but these five places stayed with me the most. While they were amazing to explore and arrive to via bike, it is very achievable to see them without one! Not all of them are major tourists hotspots either, they are just memories that will not leave my brain (and maybe never will)
If you find yourself thinking, what should I do in Thailand, these are just a few of MANY wonderful experiences you can have there. I have plenty more saved if you need recs. (Don’t even get me started on food, coffee, and markets… trust me, you aren’t ready for all the google pins I have saved)
Before you go:
Bringing patience and kindness is the best thing you can do, wherever you go. Thai people are incredibly patient and kind, so I promise you, behaving any other way won’t help. On this trip I also found that bringing a desire to learn, and being adventurous really paid off too!
One of our friends made a true effort to learn Thai phrases. It made such a difference! We learned things I would have never considered learning before, like “I’m full” or “this is delicious.” People were so excited we made an effort, and it led to a lot of laughs at restaurants and markets.
As far as being adventurous, I am referring to the FOOD. Try the food. If you don’t know the name, or all the ingredients, risk it. We had so many wonderful culinary experiences because of this.
If you are willing to do both of those you will have an amazing time no matter where you are!
My Top Five:
If you have the time, I highly recommend trying to visit at least one of these places. I couldn’t determine an order for these, because they were all incredible. Pick one (or all) and go for it! I pinned all of them on google maps too: Thailand Recs
Sukhothai - The first capital of Thailand, Sukhothai laid the groundwork for a lot of the country’s architecture, art and even language. Visiting the Historical City was a wonderful experience, and I really regret not spending more time there! It was stunning. The modern city is also fun to explore. We spent two nights in an Airbnb here and luckily timed our visit with the weekend night market. Sitting along the water, enjoying food, and admiring the temples was a great way to spend the evening.
I do regret not booking a tour for the historical city. I had assumed there would be more information provided on-site, and ended up having to learn a lot online after. I won’t spoil all the fascinating history, but there is SO much! Be smarter than me and book a tour!
Ban Rak Thai - Nested right on the Thailand/Myanmar Border, only a 1/2 mile from Myanmar, is a Chinese Village, Ban Rak Thai. It really surprised me. During the Chinese Revolution, soldiers and citizens fled and settled in that area. They decided to stay, and have worked hard to preserve their culture. It was such a treat to visit because it felt so different from the rest of Thailand. New food, new views, and new things to experience!
We had Yunnan noodles, fantastic tea, and enjoyed sitting along the water. It was beyond stunning and well worth the detour. We only stayed a night, but I think two would have been better! Our campsite was stunning, overlooking the water, but I think it would have been fun to try a “fancier” place too!
My photos don’t do it justice! The town itself is very small and can easily be explored in a day. We really enjoyed sitting along the water at sunrise and sunset. Next time, I am going out on a boat for sure! Thung Yung Homestay - This one was on our route when we did the Lanna Kingdom and came highly recommended. It was more expensive than anywhere else we stayed, but worth it. All meals, fun and views were included!
Even if you don’t stay here, do a homestay! We were given the warmest welcome by the owner, Ping, and his family! They fostered a truly incredible environment. I really didn’t want to leave. Between the experience, food, and views, it was worth the trip. He also does guided hiking and hunting tours, something I hope to go back to experience! (Once you see the insane hill you have to go up to get to it, you will be even more shocked that I recommended it, because I had to push my stupid bike up that thing)
Link: Thung Yung Homestay
Jungle Float Campsite - This one is a bit different than the others, due to the lack of amenities. It is very affordable, but they are still working on building up the business, so there isn’t much to offer.. except: elephants! Every review I read on google claimed elephants sightings in the morning, and we did too!
There are a lot of other places in the Mae Taeng District with elephant sanctuaries for guaranteed sightings, and more comfortable accommodation, but we loved our stay here. Being right on the river and seeing incredible wildlife from the tent is an experience that’s hard to replicate.
Link: Jungle Float Campsite
One of the six we saw outside our tent in the morning. Chiang Mai - We spent significantly more time in Chiang Mai than in Bangkok, and while both cities have a lot to offer, they feel completely different. Chiang Mai felt like it was created for me to enjoy. I loved the coffee scene, the old quarter, and the live music!
If you go, stay inside the old city. We booked an Airbnb there. Being enclosed by ancient walls and a moat, with temples sitting right next to bars and restaurants, is such a unique experience. We spent most of our time walking, wandering night markets, and catching up on lingering life admin.
While there, I had some of the best meals of my life. One of our favorites was at the famous Cowboy Hat Lady’s food stall! This stall was made famous after Anthony Bourdain visited while filming Parts Unknown in 2014. It is very much worth the trip. We also visited the largest street market in Chiang Mai, multiple times. I’m very thankful that both times we found ourselves in the city, it happened to be on a Sunday, making that possible. I could spend forever wandering up and down all of the streets, admiring the art and tasting all of the delicious food.
What more could you want from a city? I love Chiang Mai. I think I could live there.
Famous Pork and Rice Location: Cowboy Hat Lady
Sunday Night Market Location: Best Night Market
Honorable Mention:
Bike Camp - Our second night of the trip resulted in us staying at this incredible oasis that came to be a favorite. We ended up staying two nights because we couldn’t leave! Watching the scenery change as we were riding so that we could see cliffs and mountains was one thing, but then we got to camp at the bottom of those cliffs.
The owners run a hotel, a restaurant and the campsite (free for cyclists, wink wink, nudge nudge). They are also bike enthusiasts. We enjoyed exploring the area, checking out the local Hup Pa Tat cave, and relaxing in such a beautiful area.
Link: Bike Camp
Thailand has so much to offer, and I’m deeply grateful my bike carried me to these places. No matter how you get there, I hope you can find a way to experience them too.
What a great trip you had! I've saved this article for reference on my next trip to Thailand. I've been there twice, once en route to Myanmar, but I haven't covered the ground you did. I've always found Thailand to be the Land of Smiles, just as they promote it. Awesome people and sites to see.
We're definitely fellow travelers. What do travelers really need? More time to travel. I think you would enjoy a story I did on how Australians get more time to travel than the rest of us.
https://samo25.substack.com/p/why-australians-go-farther-in-life?r=1v6p0s
In your next visit I recommend you to go to Kanchanaburi. My favorite place in Thailand (until now) 💛 I live in Chiang Mai and last Songkran my boyfriend and I wanted to escape from the crowds (it gets crazy here during that time 😆), so we did a roadtrip to Kanchanaburi, and we made the most beautiful memories! What a gorgeous dream place! Even stayed in a floating cabin on the river. And everywhere we stopped the food was incredibly delicious 😋 Really recommend!