I decided to travel to Thailand and Cambodia for a month after graduating from college. It was an incredible decision, and I’m so glad that I took a month in between school and work to travel to the other side of the world. Planning a month long trip, though, no matter how fun it was, was certainly a bit of a daunting task, particularly for a country I knew little about.

Here I’m sharing our itinerary and the things we did. See my other posts, for some of my favorite places and some of the things I would’ve done differently. If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, I hope this helps!

Days 1-4: Bangkok, Thailand

• Arrive in Suvarnabhumi Airport.
• Travel to hotel via taxi: New Siam Palace Ville.
• Visit the Grand Palace.
• Avoid getting scammed.
• Explore and eat all the foods in Chinatown.
• Take the water taxi.
• Visit and enjoy a meal at the Talingchan Floating Market.
• Climb the Golden Mount and take in the Bangkok skyline.
• Travel to Don Mueang Airport for an Air Asia flight to Chiang Mai.

Days 4-11: Chiang Mai, Thailand

• Arrive at Don Mueang Airport.
• Travel to hostel via songthaew: Hotel Lantern House Backpackers.
• Enjoy dinner on a river cruise.
• Eat classic Chiang Mai food at Khao Soi Khun Yai (and avoid passing out).
• Explore the food stalls at Wororot Market.
• Grab a bite or a drink and go shopping at the Night Bazaar.
• Feed and bathe elephants at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (In this post, I explain why you should not go there and should instead visit Elephant Nature Park.).
• Take a songthaew (or hike) to the top of Doi Suthep at sunset; listen to the monks chanting and take in views of the city below.
• Find the famous woman with the cowboy hat; eat her food for dinner.
• Become a master Thai chef and eat more food than you can at the Thai Farm Cooking School.
• Try Burmese food at The Swan Burmese Cuisine.
• Drink Thai beer along the Ping River.
• Explore the Sunday market.
• Haggle the rate with a tuk tuk driver to take you to the airport.

Days 11-15: Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

• Take an Air Asia flight to Surat Thani.
• Arrive in Surat Thani and pay too much money for a taxi ride to the hotel: Khao Sok Silver Cliff Resort.
• Take in Jurrasic Park-type views on the drive.
• Hike around a rainforest older than the Amazon.
• Explore the local town on bikes.
• Swing from a rope into a nearby river.
• Climb up to the nearby monkey cave temple and feed the monkeys bananas.
• Watch bats sleep in a cave.
• Take a day trip to the Cheow Lan Lake – boat past limestone karsts, visit the floating bungalows, trek with a guide through caves and across waterfalls.
• Avoid the leeches!
• Explore the sights and sounds of nature in the jungle cabin.
• Take a bus to Phuket.

Days 15-21: Phuket, Thailand

• Arrive in Phuket.
• Take an extremely overpriced taxi from the bus station to the hotel: Chanalai Romantica Resort, Kata Beach.
• Relax on the beach.
• Rent kayaks.
• Take a snorkeling trip to Ko Phi Phi.
• Try Muslim food at Pak Su Muslim Food Halal.
• Take a taxi to the Phuket airport for an Air Asia flight to Siem Reap.

Days 21-25: Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Arrive at the Siem Reap airport.
• Obtain tourist visa in airport with a passport photo and $30 USD in cash.
• Find prearranged tuk tuk driver to the bed and breakfast: The Rose Apple Boutique Bed and Breakfast.
• Explore Cambodia’s French history at La Boulangerie-Café.
• Attend a show at Phare, the Cambodian Circus.
• Visit the world’s largest religious monument, Angkor Wat, for three days – do the two loops and explore hiking north of the complex.
• Cool off at the Gelato Lab and in the hotel pool.
• Party on the Pub Street.
• Grab drinks at The Yellow Sub and enjoy Beatles music and paraphernalia.
• Walk along the river to see the bats hanging from the trees in the Royal Gardens.
• Try Cambodian cuisine at the Cambodia Traditional Chef.
• Explore the stalls at the Angkor Night Market and the Siem Reap Art Center Night Market.

There you have it! That’s a taste of our itinerary and some of the things we did and places where we ate.

Happy traveling!

Mikala