Explorer’s Journal: Uncovering Thailand paradise with Destination Expert, Claudia
Sawasdee (Hello) from Thailand! It’s Claudia, Destination Expert at SA Expeditions here exploring the beautiful destinations of Southeast Asia. Throughout my journey, I’ve had the chance to experience tours SA-style, inspected hotels onsite, and got to know our wonderful guides. Join me on this adventure as I begin at the Land of Smiles!
The idyllic Koh Samui Island
After a one-hour flight from Bangkok, we made it to the charming island of Koh Samui – Thailand’s second-largest island! We arrived at our hotel for the next few nights. Hotel SALA Chaweng Samui is located at Chaweng Beach and is within walking distance of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and local markets!
If you have a free afternoon, there are plenty of things you can do. Here are some of my favorites:
Visit the local temples, such as Wat Plai Laem or Wat Phra Yai just a few minutes away with a free entrance - remember to cover your knees and shoulders!
Relax at your hotel and enjoy the beach. Most of them will offer kayaks and stand-up paddles for free use.
Go out to the local markets that come to life, particularly in the evening. You can taste local food and buy very affordable souvenirs.
Enjoy a massage at your hotel’s spa or venture around the multiple options around.
Exploring from sea to land
We started an early morning with our first speedboat tour to Angthong Marine Park. After a quick safety briefing and information, we made our first stop (1hr) to do some snorkeling.
Unfortunately, it was a rainy day so visibility was not great, but I was still happy to see plenty of fish and beautiful coral! Afterwards, we went to the lovely Mae Ko Island where we did a quick hike with beautiful views and a bit of beach time before having lunch.
Our last stop brought us to a nice kayak excursion, and later on a 45-minute hike to some very impressive viewpoints to end the afternoon! If preferred, you can also skip these activities and enjoy a relaxing time sunbathing, snorkeling, or swimming. We were back to our hotel in the afternoon to enjoy dinner and a cool fire show by the beach.
The following day brought out the sun and we were looking forward to our next full-day speedboat tour to Koh Tao and Nan Yuan Island. After 1.5 hours, we made it to Nan Yuan Island, a private island that offers a quick hike for great views and a perfect spot for snorkeling and diving.
Note that you cannot bring any plastic to this island, so make sure you carry a reusable bottle as you’ll have plenty of opportunities to refill it throughout the day. Bringing an underwater camera or waterproof case is highly recommended as you may want to take as many pictures and videos as possible, given the colorful fish and coral.
We then continued to Koh Tao for our lunch stop at a wonderful local restaurant. We then went to two different snorkeling spots where I saw some of the biggest coral I’ve ever seen! The tours rotate, so depending on the day, you may do snorkeling first, but everyone returns to the pier around 4 PM for a free evening.
My top three lodges in Koh Samui
Part of getting to know our destinations involves inspecting hotels to be able to recommend the best option for you and your trip! I was able to visit over 10 properties during my time on the island. While they were all amazing, these are my top three:
Six Senses – In addition to having a perfect and calm location with impressive views and beach access, I loved how sustainable this hotel was, generating almost no waste.
Banyan Tree – The best definition of luxury. This hotel has one of the best snorkeling spots on the island.
Peace Resort – Great option whether you just want a comfortable place to sleep or a Pool Villa.
In the end, I spent a total of four weeks in Koh Samui, exploring independently, familiarizing myself with locals, and continuing to work remotely. After my time on the island, it was time to go to Chiang Mai!
To the North: Chiang Mai
Upon arrival to Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand, we settled in at our hotel – Rachamankha, a lovely boutique property in Old Town. We decided to go for a quick temple visit, and as it was a Sunday, we couldn’t miss the Chiang Mai Sunday Market! I had never seen so many vendors and people together. If you are at all claustrophobic, you may opt to skip this or visit it around 5 PM before the crowd floods in. You can buy souvenirs, try some local dishes, or even get a foot massage.
Tuk tuk food tour
After a morning of free time, we were met by our guide Anne and our E-tuk tuk driver for a local treats tour. During our ride in the tuk tuk, we explored the city while learning a ton about local culture and tasting delicious dishes and new flavors!
Our first stop was by the canal where we enjoyed a local beer called Chang (which means Elephant in Thai) as well as some classic northern Thailand dishes. Our next stop was to taste the famous Khao Soi, a delicious soup from this area. We then had a taste of classic street food, along with sushi, fruits, and desserts.
Needless to say, we ended the tour with our stomachs full! Not only were we happy to try local dishes, but it was great to have someone explain further about each type of food.
A Traditional Lanna experience
The next morning, we transferred to our next hotel, The Rim Resort. After a relaxing swim in the pool, we were brought to our first introduction to the Lanna Culture that afternoon. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by our host who shared his family story and Lanna traditions. We then walked through the garden getting to know the local herbs.
After a quick appetizer, it was time for our cooking lesson! Learning about the ingredients helped us cook a total of six dishes, including dessert. The most rewarding feeling after spending quite a bit of time cooking is finally being able to taste the creation we made.
We made elephant friends!
On to the Sunshine for Elephants Sanctuary! Considering this is a place where you’re likely to get dirty, we were provided with a different shirt and pants. We started chopping some watermelon and bananas, and before we knew it, the beautiful and majestic Sri Prai and Ta Mon were ready for some fruit.
Elephants are kind and intelligent animals; they learn your feeding style quickly, and soon enough, we were ready to walk in the forest with them. After lunch, we made some rice balls for the elephants and fed them more snacks. Elephants eat on average 350lb per day, spending 80% of their time eating. Often times, they stopped during our walk to grab some bamboo leaves.
We ended the day bathing them in the river before saying goodbye to our new friends. It was nice to see them healing and enjoying life. Most elephants were used for work either in fields, circuses, riding, or tourism in the past. Luckily, nowadays that practice is less common and you can spend time with them in an ethical way!
Roaming the sacred Doi Suthep
Of the 2,000 shimmering temples that Chiang Mai holds, we decided to start the day by visiting the famous Doi Suthep via a cable car that takes you to the hilltop. Accompanied by our lovely guide named Tree, we received a blessing from a monk and were gifted a white bracelet as a symbol – although I received mine from an assistant as monks are not allowed to touch women.
We then continued by car to the starting point of our hike. We spent about one hour walking through the forest with little to no incline. The last 20-30 minutes were uphill, but having a private guide meant we could stop as much as possible to learn about plants and insects, or take pictures as a great excuse to catch our breath.
After lunch with a view, we began our descent through a local village and our local guide’s farm. We returned to a new hotel this time, the beautiful Na Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort, where we had also scheduled massages to end the day.
Reaching new heights
The next day, we headed west for two hours to visit Thailand’s highest point at 8,415 ft. above sea level along with beautiful views on a clear day. Depending on the season, this is a lovely region to do some light and longer nature walks. Our guide warned us it may get “cold” in the area, which we were actually excited about given the super hot temperatures.
We first visited the beautiful King & Queen stupas and gardens. Afterwards, we had a short nature walk where visitors can enjoy birdwatching and learning more about the plants in the region. During our later hike, we even saw waterfalls and some little critters, like frogs and a couple of snakes. After a quick stop to see the magnificent Wachiratan Waterfall, we returned to our hotel for a good night’s rest.
Khum Lanna: Thailand’s countryside
We packed our bags and headed north of Chiang Mai for 1.5 hours to Khum Lanna, a very special country lodge surrounded by orchards and rice fields. Upon arrival, we were met by our hosts who explained what the next three days would look like before settling into our room. After exploring the serene surroundings, we had our first cooking class where we made our own dinner.
The lodge has 12 cabins with private bathrooms and comfortable facilities. While the lodge has no AC, TV, or Wi-Fi, it's perfect for those looking for a cultural experience and time to disconnect. During our stay, we learned to cook papaya salad and Thai barbeque. We also learned about rice production, which is very important to Thailand and the north in particular. Khum Lanna’s motto is “Rice for Life”.
On our last day, we had an early start with a 5 AM wake-up call. We hopped on the bikes and visited the nearest town, temples, and market. We arrived almost as the market was wrapping up as it starts before 4 AM, but we were still able to see some vegetables and different types of meat. We had a quick “local coffee” that included egg and condensed milk – very popular amongst locals before returning to the lodge for breakfast.
Khum Lanna offers you the chance to see northern Thai culture, while also supporting the locals as they provide contributions to the markets, temples, and every stop we made during our bike ride. We had a wonderful time here disconnecting before heading to Bangkok through an overnight train. Taking the overnight train (which offers sleeper beds), can be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, try a new experience, and see some savings (hotel & flight!).
Bangkok: A must-visit city!
We met our guide Aor who happily showed us her city. We started the day with a visit to the main highlights of the city, including the Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha, some local markets, and other attractions. We toured the city “like a local” by using the different means of transportation, such as Skytrain, tuk tuk, and water taxi – that made all part of the fun! (Check out COO Riva’s family adventure in Thailand to have an idea of a family-style trip.)
During our time in Bangkok, we were also able to visit a Green Oasis in the middle of the city along the Khlongs (canals). Poomjai Garden was a very pleasant surprise as we encountered a very peaceful green garden, just a few minutes away from this impressive metropolis.
It was such a wonderful time traveling around the beautiful country of Thailand. After Bangkok, we continued to our next destination: Cambodia. Stay tuned!
Itching to explore Thailand’s natural beauty and awe-inspiring culture? Take a glance at our most popular Thailand Tours! You can even extend your journey and venture to Southeast Asia’s other wonderful countries. Talk to a Destination Expert to get started.
About the author: Born and raised in Peru, Claudia Cavero has spent her life sharing her liveliness and charisma as she studied, worked, and traveled to various destinations from the Americas to Southeast Asia. As she globetrots the world, Claudia brings her personal embodiment of the golden rule to every immaculate trip she designs with SA.