Ten Days in Thailand: My First International Trip
When it came to planning this trip we first decided what areas of Thailand we wanted to visit and where we would stay. Then we purchased our domestic flights and the different excursions we wanted to go on while we were there. I’m going to break down this trip by province. Here we go…
Bangkok
We arrived in Bangkok around 11:45 pm and caught a taxi to The Rembrandt Hotel. The hotel was by far my favorite when it came to cleanliness, decor, customer service, and dining options. After checking in and showering we turned in to prepare for our full day of touring Bangkok. Complimentary breakfast at the Rembrandt was the best of the trip with traditional thai dishes, omelette, waffle, and fresh fruit stations. We met our tour guide Gene in the lobby of our hotel. He was very knowledgeable, patient, and helpful. We visited Wat Arun, Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, and street markets. We utilized pretty much every form of transportation from taxi, boat, tuk tuk, and the metro rail. The temples and palace had a strict dress code for women, your shoulders and knees can’t be showing, so pack accordingly.
Our first night out in Bangkok we went to LongTable a sultry restaurant/lounge which had a rooftop pool and bar with breathtaking views of the Bangkok Skyline. Our drinks and food were delicious and the staff was very patient and hospitable.
Chiang Mai
In Chiang Mai we found ourselves at our most adventurous and full course meals of the most treacherous mosquitoes. Our flight to Chiang Mai was delayed which gave me my first experience in an airport lounge which was divine! I plan to look into gaining membership in priority pass once my traveling becomes more frequent.
When we finally arrived in Chiang Mai about 3 hours late we were met by rain. We checked in to the De Chai, a small but stylish hotel, and headed to a local restaurant, Tong Tem Tho for my first taste of Pad Thai.
Our second day in Chiang Mai we woke early to pouring rain. We had our complimentary breakfast in the dining room where I tried Nutella on a warm croissant for the first time. Our tour guide Mr. Ti met us in our hotel lobby where we traveled by car up the mountains to Doi Suthep Temple. It intermittently down poured on us as we explored the temple.
We then headed to Tiger Kingdom which I had no intention of participating in but my mind quickly changed. I was so invigorated by the trip thus far and thought to myself, ‘when’s the next time you’ll get a chance to be this close to a tiger?!’ Our motto for the rest of the trip was, “why not?” I’m so glad I didn’t let fear overtake me because it was nerve wracking but thrilling being next to the white and Bengal tigers!
After Tiger Kingdom we headed to the orchid farm where Mr. Ti said there were over 250 species of orchids there as well as a butterfly farm. Our last leg of the tour was my absolute favorite, the elephant sanctuary! We fed and hung out with 4 adults and 1 baby elephant! Being a woman of Delta this was always one of my dreams! The elephants took a liking to us and seemed to be sad to see us leave because they quickly followed after us. It was a long tiring day but was so rewarding.
We returned to our hotel showered and got cute for dinner at Why Not Italian Kitchen and Wine bar (how fitting)! I was torn between the spinach and cheese ravioli in a walnut cream sauce and the spinach and cheese tortellini in a Parmesan cream sauce. I ended up getting the tortellini my favorite pasta and it was delicious paired with a bottle of Rosé! A perfect ending to an eventful day. We then ventured around looking for the night market and did some shopping before getting monsoon type torrential downpours. We quickly ran for a tuk tuk soaking wet and got to De Chai ready for some much needed rest.
The next morning we woke to a beautiful sunny day and headed to brunch at Rustic and Blue a cute and cozy cafe. I ordered a Chai Tea Latte and the Scrambled eggs with heirloom roasted tomatoes and toasted sourdough. We took one final stroll in our Chiang Mai neighborhood then headed to the airport. We were told that the rain was even heavier in Phuket which was very discouraging. Our trip unfortunately unbeknownst to us coincided with the last week of Thailand’s raining season . We vowed to make the most of the experience and pray for better weather once we arrived.
Phuket
We touched down in Phuket to humid rainy and overcast weather. Annoyed and tired we settled in to our hotel and decided to grab some dinner at a local restaurant for more Pad Thai and Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice.
After dinner and a nap (thanks to the ‘itis’) the rain turned into a trickle and light mist so we decided to explore Bangla road. This had to be my favorite night out in Phuket. We ended up seeing and hanging out with the talented Jean Ellie from Insecure and many other young black travelers and had an amazing time! It was almost like a tribe moment we saw people who looked like us and were super duper hyped to find a bar that played some of our hip hop favorites!
The next day the sun was out and we took full advantage by hitting Patong Beach which was steps from our hotel. We were surprised by how many vendors were on the beach as well as their insistence on selling us something. That was one thing I found a bit annoying because someone came by every 2 minutes it seemed like. I also picked up on the vibe that everyone knew we were Americans so they tried to hustle us like, “ oh you got moooooneeey!” It then started to rain so we returned to our hotel showered and decided to go the sky bar lounge in our hotel to check out the pool and come up with a plan for dinner.
The next day we were blessed with more sunshine and we hit the pool for the first time before we went to breakfast. The infinity pool had gorgeous views of Patong Beach! I felt like I was on top of the world seeing so much natural beauty!
After our time at the pool we decided to have another beach day and venture out to Kata Beach. This beach area was more relaxed and seemed to be more for families. The beach was beautiful with a more extensive shoreline. Y’all know I had to take full advantage of these views and get these flicks off!
Later that night we got dolled up and headed to the 9th Floor restaurant that had skyline views of Phuket. I ate an amazing Lamb Ragout paired with a delicious Sidecar! Since Bangkok we hadn’t had luck with restaurants making great drinks so we were finally happy to have bomb drinks at a gorgeous dinner.
The next day we woke up early to grab breakfast before heading to the Phuket pier and marina for our boating tour and snorkeling trip to the Phi Phi Islands! Talk about beauty! We had an amazing time and with all that sun despite my reapplication of sunblock I got sun burnt! This was my first time snorkeling and I had a wonderful time once i got over my nerves. It felt great being out in open water and being able to see all of the colorful fish and coral!
Our last day in Phuket we ventured out to Wat Chalong and Big Buddha. If we thought we had breathtaking views before boy were we wrong. Another jaw dropping temple. It was breathtaking viewing the artistry and attention to detail in all of the temples we visited. Everything was so ornate and magnificent.
Thailand gave me more than I could have imagined. I had a lot of first and thrilling experiences on this trip. I am so grateful for this moment in time. I got to witness God’s creations and wonders close up! I was able to immerse myself in another culture learn bits of a language and view pure beauty. I swallowed my fears and ignored my doubts on this trip. I made my first international trip happen and now I can’t wait for more!
Where to next? Where do you plan on visiting? What experiences are you longing for?
Here’s my Vlog of the trip! Make sure you subscribe to my Youtube Channel as well!