MY FIRST TIME IN THAILAND
STAY:
Chai Lai Orchid, Chiang Mai
Chocolate Box Mint Hotel, Bangkok
EAT:
Chai Lai Orchid Cafe
Chiang Mai Breakfast World
Daifa Lifestyle Cafe & Restaurant, Chiang Mai
Printa Cafe, Bangkok
do:
Play with the elephants at Chai Lai Orchid
Experience the Loy Krathong and Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai
Have a spa day at The Home Massage and Spa
Visit the temples in Chiang Rai
Wear traditional Thai clothing at the temples in Bangkok
Take a cooking class with Siamese Cookery House
Visit a rooftop bar in Bangkok City
Visit Icon Siam Mall
*For more details on my trip here, read below the gallery of photos!
Hi! This was my first time traveling solo again since Korea! One of my dream bucketlist activities was to visit Thailand during the lantern festival, called Loy Krathong and Yi Peng Festival. This is a unique Buddhist celebration that happens in Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong are the floating lanterns you release in the waters of Thailand while Yi Peng are the floating lanterns. I was able to experience both!
I was only in Thailand for about five days, 3 days in Chiang Mai, and 2 days in Bangkok.
I landed in Bangkok and I immediately took a flight to Chiang Rai, and from there I had a personal driver take me to Chai Lai Orchid in Chiang Mai, which I believe was an extra service that Chai Lai Orchid offered.
I spent my 3 days here in Chai Lai Orchid in a bungalow with a queen bed. I wasn’t able to stay in the larger open bungalows where elephants could greet me in the mornings but I am definitely going to be back here soon. The beauty of this property initially sparked my interest in staying here, but I made my final decision to stay here because of their impact in rescuing elephants and combating human trafficking. I loved everything that they stood for. I also loved how remote Chai Lai Orchid was. It was away from the city and I enjoyed this authentic experience. Chai Lai Orchid also had amazing food. They have a restaurant for breakfast or snacks whenever, and this also served as the “front desk.” At the entrance, there was a bridge you had to walk across as well, and there was another restaurant there that served THE BEST pad thai and thai tea.
However, because my main mission was to experience the lantern festival, I had a driver drive myself along with others into the city so that we could experience this. I believe the morning we went into the city, it was quite early so I was able to eat breakfast and lunch at some amazing places. I even experienced a light massage at a luxe spa! I’ll list everything above for reference.
Overall, the lantern festival was breathtaking. There was a lot of people, as expected, but there was equal opportunity to experience the lanterns around the city. The temples were also beautiful at night. There were a lot of activities along the street where you’re able to make your own lantern, candles, etc. I chose to buy mine because of time but next time I’d love to make my own.
From Chiang Mai, I took a bus to Bangkok. I was not planning on this but because my flight got overbooked, I had no choice! Thankfully I was prepared for this. The bus ride was 8 hours long I believe which was insane but it was a smooth ride, and we were fed delicious food! We also had stopped by for snacks and what not.
In Bangkok, I stayed at Chocolate Box Mint Hotel. This was near the middle of the city and a couple blocks away from Siam, so everything was easily accessible. Restaurants, the subway, etc. I highly recommend this hotel. The service is amazing and the interior is modern, minimalist, and definitely on the more affordable side, despite all the luxe amenities. This hotel included breakfast as well, which was delicious. You’re given a menu of options to choose from, so if you’re vegetarian or vegan, they were able to accommodate.
I only had 2 full days in Bangkok. My first day I took a cooking class with Siamese Cookery House which took up most of my day. We met our chef at a subway entrance and from there, we walked to the market where we were given the task to look for ingredients for the dishes we were going to make! We were also educated on the process of how tamarind paste was made as well as grated coconut.
From the market, we took TukTuks to the cookery house. We had a full walk through to cook each dish and it was the most exciting and fun experience i’ve had in a long time! We made Tom Yum Soup, Pad Thai, Red Curry, and Mango Sticky Rice.
The next day, my last full day in Bangkok, I had booked a full day photoshoot with a top photographer through AirBnb. We were taken to temples, and to Icon Siam Mall. Included with my photoshoot, I was able to dress in traditional Thai clothing and was blessed by a monk with a bracelet. It was quite the experience.
Overall, my time in Thailand was short but sweet! I can’t wait to visit again.