Thailand Guest Tour: 8 Days Holiday Itinerary

As a popular travel destination in Southeast Asia, Thailand is well known for its Buddhist culture, beautiful scenery, and welcoming people. For our first trip to Thailand, we got to experience the diversity of the country. We traveled from the bustling city of Bangkok to the chilling hill-tribe village Chiangmai, and the gorgeous island of Koh Samui.

Bangkok: Temples, Markets, Thai food and Nightlife

• Day 1: Golden Palace, Long Tail Boat Cruise & Wat Arun Sightseeing
• Day 2: Floating Market, Golden Palace, Wat Phra Kaew & Train Market
• Day 3: China Town & ICON SIAM

Our first stop in Thailand is Bangkok, the capital of the country. We stay here for 3 days. When we were in Bangkok, we visited several temples on the first day, where we learned some history and culture of the country. On the next day morning, we hung around some local markets, such as the floating market and the train market, where we had a glimpse into the local people's life and tasted authentic Thai food! As a busy capital city, Bangkok also owns grand shopping malls, distinctive streets, and plentiful bars, where we could have fun during our stay.

Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Arun

We would say that one of the must-do in Bangkok is to visit the temples. 95% of the Thai people believe in Buddhism. And the temples, also called wats, are the spiritual core of Thai people. They go to the wats to pray for good health, fortune, and wealth or seek advice from the monks. Therefore, if you want to know more about their religious belief and history and experience the peaceful atmosphere, you cannot miss the wats.
There are hundreds of temples in Bangkok. Wat Phra Kaew, which is named the temple of the Emerald Buddha because the Emerald Buddha is enshrined in the temple, is regarded as one of the most sacred and important places for Thai people. It is inside the Grand Palace, where you can see various cultural connotations of Buddhism, including the pagodas, statues, and murals. During our visit, we appreciated the beauty of the architecture and learned about some Thai kingdom's history that is associated with the buildings inside the Grand Palace.

Wat Phra Kaew

What made our visit special was that we got the chance to worship the Emerald Buddha with the flowers we purchased at the local flower market as residents would usually do. And with the guidance of our tour guide, we tried meditation inside the temple. She led us to find our inner peace and taught us how to connect with the Buddha so that the Buddha can hear our wishes and make them come true.
After visiting the grand palace, we took a long-tail boat to Wat Arun, which is located on the other side of the Chao Phraya River. Along the way, we saw lots of local houses that are built on the river. We were impressed by Wat Arun, whose style is really special in the sense that it is decorated with colorful ceramic shards and glazed tile pieces. We also tried on traditional Thai costumes in Wat Arun and took lovely pictures.

Food and nightlife

Thanks to our tour guide, we were able to try varieties of authentic Thai food throughout our journey in Bangkok. For instance, the Pad Kra Pao (minced pork with basil), Gaeng Keow Wan (green curry), local snacks, and fresh seafood literally satisfied my stomach. It was a fantastic experience to eat lots of street foods, trying to taste the most authentic Thai flavor. We also walked around Iconsiam, a large and fancy shopping mall in Bangkok. If you are not comfortable with street food, this is the right place for you because there is a large indoor floating market inside, where you can try tons of Thai cuisine from different regions of the country. Some stores in the mall offer great riverside views of the city.

Fresh seafood

To enjoy the nightlife in Bangkok, there are bunches of options, such as markets and bars. We had a great time relaxing with the astonishing city night view from a bar built on the rooftop of Banyan Tree Hotel.

Some travel tips

Mind the dress codes when visiting the temple (e.g., no bare shoulders, no shorts, and no shoes inside the temples).

Plan carefully regarding the travel time due to heavy traffic in the city.

Chiang Mai: Cooking Class and Elephants

• Day 4: Night Markets & Old City
• Day 5: Elephant Park
• Day 6: Cooking Class

Chiang Mai is located in the North of Thailand. Hence, you can enjoy cooler weather and see more trees and mountains in the city. While walking along the streets, you can feel a relaxing and laid-back vibe, which is quite different from the hustling ambiance in Bangkok. Chiang Mai is famous for its ancient temples and vibrant markets (with good food and delicate handicrafts). It also offers signature cooking classes as well as tours that provide tourists with the chance to interact with the elephants.

Though visiting great temples and lively night markets in Chiang Mai are remarkable memories for us, we think that the tour of an elephant park was even more unforgettable and was a highlight of our entire journey.

Elephant Park

During the tour, we fed both the adult and the baby elephants with bananas and sugar cane. We made dietary supplements for those giant animals with sticky rice and other nutrient ingredients. And we also walked with them in the jungles and bathed them in the water. More importantly, we learned some basic knowledge and habits of the elephants. We heard the stories behind each elephant we met. We felt that these magnificent creatures are just like humans since their personalities and behaviors are also shaped by what they had experienced in the past. Though we could not do much in terms of preserving the elephants, we still believe that the high-quality time we spent with the elephants is much more meaningful than watching elephant performances or simply taking a picture with them.

Some travel tips

• Prepare insect repellent when visiting the elephant park, and bring swimming suits/ an extra set of clothes if you want to bathe the elephants.
• Come on Sundays if you want to experience the largest night market in Chiangmai (the Sunday market).

Koh Samui: Beaches, Watersports and Fireworks

Koh Samui is a small but charming island in the Gulf of Thailand and has seen exponential growth in its tourism. It has stunning oceans, beaches, and natural rocks and is covered by green tropical trees. It can easily access some islands nearby, which provide superb snorkeling and diving points. It is also one of the largest producers of coconuts and durians. Hence, Koh Samui is absolutely an attractive destination for beaches, watersports, and tropical fruit lovers!

Traveling around Koh Samui

Since Koh Samui is small in size, it only takes around one hour to drive around the entire island. We first dropped by Lamai to see the Hin Ta- Hin Yai (the Grandfather and Grandmother Rock). Then, we stopped at Nathon to shop around the food market and took delicious local snacks and fruits with us to a nearby place to enjoy the marvelous sunset. It was so healing to watch the sun setting slowly and brushing the sky into romantic red and gold and to listen to the sound of the waves applauding and hugging the shore. With the soft light of the sun, the shadows of the mountains from the distance appeared faintly at sea level, making me feel at peace. At night, we headed north to a beachside bar in Bophut fisherman's village to watch a fire show to end the day.

Koh Samui Sunset

Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan

The islands around Koh Samui have lots of well-preserved snorkeling points. We participated in a join-in snorkeling tour to Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan. (Some tourists in the boat told us that it is also worth visiting Ang Thong National Marine Park). In the snorkeling points in Koh Tao, we were amazed at the different kinds of marine life. We saw beautiful corals and colorful fishes, and we were also lucky to swim with a giant turtle! After lunch at a beachside restaurant, we headed to Koh Nang Yuan. We first climbed up to the high point of the island. The view was extraordinary. The sea was exceptionally blue and became greener when it got closer to the beach. Accompanied by the strong sunlight, the surface of the sea shined as if it were covered with millions of diamonds. After we got down from the high point, we could choose to snorkel to the Japanese Garden, a tiny but lovely littoral cave, or simply chill on the beachside.

There are some beautiful islands except Koh Samui in Thailand, for example, you can choose to visit Koh Puhket instead of Koh Samui for your last 2 free days in Thailand.

Some travel tips

• Sunscreen is a must to prevent you from getting sunburned!
• During summertime, there are showery rains that come unexpectedly. You may also bring rain gear with you.

  Memorable 8 Days in Thailand

Overall, the entire trip was pretty well arranged. All the tour guides were so professional and kind. The arrangement can be flexible depending on our needs and weather conditions. We were so happy to see a multifaced Thailand during the 8 days. Probably the most regretful thing was that we could not stay in Thailand for a longer time!