One Month in Thailand and Cambodia: The Itinerary

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