Note: We had a visitor in Thailand! I’ve added Rhonda’s responses to our standard questions to get her perspective of the two weeks she spent traveling with us through the country.

Statistics

Days: 23. We arrived in Thailand on March 23 and departed April 14.

Cities: 5. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Lanta, Krabi, and Phuket. (Although to be fair, we were really only in Krabi and Phuket for 1 night each, staying near the airport both times due to early morning flights the next day).

Apartment Rentals: 0.

Hotels/Hostels:9. We stayed at Sleep Withinn, Lamphu House, and Ruamchitt Plaza in Bangkok; Natlen Boutique Guesthouse in Chiang Mai; Pinky Bungalows, Golden Bay Resort, and Selamat Lanta Resort in Koh Lanta; No. 7 Guesthouse in Krabi; and Nai Yang Place in Phuket.

Modes of Transportation: 8. Airplane, taxi, Uber, water ferry boat, BTS, tuk-tuk, walking, scooter.

Q&A

What was your favorite site or place that you visited?

J: The Mu Ko Lanta National Park at the southern tip of Koh Lanta. The whole experience renting motorbikes, driving south, buying gas on the side of the road, playing in the waves, the rainstorm on the way back – our trip down to the park and back was such a fun day.

L: The island of Koh Lanta. It was the perfect type of place – quiet enough that it’s not considered a “party town” but yet there are still enough bars, restaurants, and shops that we didn’t get bored. The island is beautiful and filled with beaches, which I loved! We saw one of the best sunsets of our trip here and got to experience Songkran, which was exciting.

R: I really liked the city of Chiang Mai, which lent itself more to exploring the city streets; it wasn’t so large that it was overwhelming trying to decide where to go. We got to see more of daily life and get to know how the Thai’s live.

What was the biggest surprise you had during this time?

J: How much fun I had on the streets of Bangkok. I’m typically not very extroverted and don’t like crowds, but I enjoyed myself a lot walking around our neighborhood in Bangkok. It was fun to see the different street stalls and architecture of the city.

L: How much I didn’t love the food. I had expected to really like Thai food and while there were a few dishes that I discovered and ordered repeatedly, overall I found it to be too spicy and the dishes all too similar for my tastes.

R: I think it was getting to meet a monk. In Chiang Mai, we were able to chat with a monk at the Wat Chedi Luang temple. They are such an iconic part of Thailand yet more approachable than I had expected. I learned that they are able to pursue their own interests whereas I had thought they all had to follow the same regiment all the time.

What was the lowest point for this part of the trip?

J: It was when I hurt my back in Chiang Mai. Unfortunately I don’t remember as much about our last couple days there, because I was on pain pills that left me feeling fuzzy. Lana and Rhonda went out one day by themselves so there were things I didn’t get to see and do while I was there.

L: Saying goodbye to Rhonda when she left was hard, although I don’t know if I’d consider that a low point since her visit was a highlight. Jon hurt his back while in Chiang Mai and we went to a doctor in Bangkok, which prohibited us from doing much for a few days until he was feeling better. He also got a cold during our second stay on Koh Lanta, which meant that we didn’t go scuba diving or snorkeling, which were two activities I really wanted to do. Not that it was his fault either time, but I wish he would have felt better so we could have done a little more.

R: The realization that when I got away from my job, it still stressed me out so much that I couldn’t relax and take a break from it. I had gotten so wrapped up and involved in my job that I had forgotten how to step back and be myself. It was a wake-up call for me that I had lost my work-life balance and wasn’t able to enjoy myself the way I should. Also, my last day in Bangkok, I laid out by the pool and didn’t put on any sunscreen. I went home looking like a lobster!

What was your favorite food or meal that you had?

J: There’s street pad thai, which is always a winner. However, my favorite meal in particular was the pad thai that I made during our cooking class. It was the best I’ve ever had, if I do say so myself!

L: Although I said that overall I didn’t love the food, there was one dish that I discovered and fell in love with. I had it on our first day in Chiang Mai and ordered it frequently for the rest of our time in Thailand. It’s called Holy Basil Chicken (Pud Ga-Prao Gai Sap in Thai) and is what it sounds like: stir-fried chicken and holy basil served with rice. One of the restaurants where I ate it had a fried egg on top as well, although that was unique. I made this dish during our cooking class and ordered it multiple times during the rest of our stay!

R: Definitely my favorite food was everything that we made during our cooking class, especially the mango sticky rice because of the brilliant colors and fresh mango from the yard that we were in. I loved it!

What would you change if you were to do it again?

J: I wouldn’t have stayed on the ‘party’ section of Rambruttri street for a few days before Rhonda arrived and it was really loud and noisy, not very relaxing. I was much happier down the street where we stayed once Rhonda arrived. I did like the neighborhood – it was safe and there was a lot to see and do. I just preferred the quieter section of the street for our hotel.

L: I would have planned a little more time on Koh Lanta, both with Rhonda’s visit and when Jon and I returned after she left. Both times, we could have cut a day off our time in Bangkok and added it to Koh Lanta. If we would have had more time with Rhonda there, we could have done a snorkeling trip together which would have been a lot of fun.

R: I would have selected a hotel that was further away from the touristy area of Bangkok. I would have preferred somewhere with more locals so we could have seen the everyday life of the city. I would have also taken a quick crash-course in the language next time I travel somewhere different. It bothered me to not be able to communicate and be polite to the Thai’s.

What advice would you give someone doing a similar trip and route?

J: Try to visit different regions of the country. There’s a big difference between the urban life in Bangkok, the islands in the south, and the temples and mountains in the north. There’s quite a big difference when traveling to different parts of the county. The country has a lot to offer so it’s worth visiting multiple regions.

L: Select lodging that is quiet, has A/C, and is a place where you can retreat and relax. I found this to be true throughout all of Asia, as it was very hot and usually more chaotic on the streets than what we are used to. It was nice when we had quiet, cool places where we could spend a couple hours in the afternoon to escape and rejuvenate.

R: To sign up for a language class! Pick a few different regions or cities to give you a variety of the country you are visiting rather than staying in one place. It gives you a good overview of the country instead of only seeing one type of city or region. I’m really glad that we got to see a few different places.

What is the best memory that you’ll carry with you?

J: It’s kind of weird, but it was in Koh Lanta when Rhonda left our table because she got mad. Lana and Harry stayed, but I went after Rhonda and we talked and drank a Mai Tai together. I was happy that I got to cheer her up and we had a private moment just between us to hang out together.

L: This is easy – it’s the entire two weeks that we got to spend with Rhonda! I was so happy that she came to visit and we had a great time with her. I treasure the memories that we made and the time we spent exploring a completely new country and continent together! If I have to select a specific memory, there are two that I have that stand out. One is the day that we spent on Koh Lanta with Rhonda and Harry, riding scooters around the island, beach-hopping, playing in the waves, and getting caught in the rain. The other is the day that Rhonda and I went out by ourselves in Chiang Mai while Jon stayed in the room; we visited temples, stopped for a drink at Lana Coffee, chatted with a monk, got manicures, and did a little shopping. Both days were so much fun – I wish I could relive them!

R: The cat café! I also liked our tuk-tuk ride in Bangkok, although it was kind of scary too. We did so many things that it’s difficult to choose!