Our Thailand Route: How We Traveled South to North In 2 Months

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Thailand is a unique country even compared to others in Southeast Asia: it has great roads, many airports, cellphone coverage almost everywhere, exceptional healthcare system, and a noticeably “Western” identity in the tourist areas. The route that we took through Thailand is ideal for couples, long-term travellers, and first-time backpackers who want to experience Thailand in all of its glory. By balancing adventure with comfort and affordability with flexibility, we made sure that we still had enough time to truly soak up the culture and learn a thing or two along the way.

Our route took us 60 days (8 weeks), starting in Bangkok, we moved slowly through 4 Thai Islands and the turquoise waters of Khao Sok National Park, volunteered on a coffee farm in the mountains outside of Chiang Rai, ate our way across Chiang Mai and explored the waterfalls and monasteries around Pai before our journey came to an end.

We traveled by plane, bus, van, and motorbike and managed to absolutely smash our budget goal by 20% without compromising on the things we really wanted to do and see – including getting our PADI certifications, training Muay Thai, and indulging ourselves in the occasional massage.

Want to steal this route for your own trip? Keep reading — or reach out to us directly if you want help building a version tailored to your budget, pace, and travel style.

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QUICK SNAPSHOT BOX

Here is a quick snapshot of our trip

Quick Snapshot

Category	Details
Total Time	59 days / ~8 Weeks / ~2 Months
Travel Style	Comfort & adventure
Budget Range	Budget-conscious ($80/day total)
Best For	Couples, nature lovers, first timers, & slow travellers
Transportation	Planes, buses, vans, boats & motorbikes
Pace	Slow-paced
Would We Do It Again?	100% YES
Biggest Lesson	Ferries in the Gulf of Thailand can be BRUTAL

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MAP

You should absolutely embed:

• Google My Maps
  OR
• Wanderlog maps

This becomes one of your biggest differentiators.

People LOVE visual routes.

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ROUTE OVERVIEW TABLE

Our Route at a Glance

Stop	Nights	Why We Went
Bangkok	4	Transportation hub, legendary food and temples
Krabi	4	Launch pad for Thai Islands in Andaman Sea
Koh Jum	3	Relaxing vibes & Christmas Holiday
Koh Lanta	9	Beaches, monkeys, restaurant selection
Krabi	2	Transit to Thai Islands in Gulf of Thailand
Koh Tao	4	PADI Certifications
Koh Samui	2	Famous island, really big with loads to see and do
Khao Sok	2	Floating bungalow and jungle tour
Phuket	1	Flight from islands to the North
Chiang Rai	1	Transit to Volunteering Opportunity
Doi Mae Salong	14	Volunteering on Akha Coffee Farm
Pai	4	Mountain vibes and cooler air
Wat Pa Tam Wua	3	Experience days like Buddhist Monks
Chiang Mai	4	Food, Old Town & Mountain Views
Chiang Rai	1	Transit to Laos

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Bangkok

Quick Snapshot

We spent 4 nights in Bangkok as our introduction to Thai culture, food, and temperature. This city is MASSIVE and unlike anything you will find in the Western world.

Why We Chose It

We chose to spend 4 nights in Bangkok because it was our point of entry into Thailand (and the rest of Southeast Asia), and for its lore as being the backpacking hub of the world. From cheap street food and massages, to world-class rooftop bars and malls that feel like their own cities – Bangkok has it all.

What We Loved

Find amazing food for cheap on every corner – some of our favorites were “Ann” – Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai, Nai Ek Roll Noodles, Phorn Stewed Beef/Pork Noodles, Uncle Tai Coffee, and of course, the world famous K. Pannich for mango sticky rice.

Chinatown for the street food vendors that came out at night where we ate some of the most delicious food at extremely affordable prices.

We also loved Wat Pho (the reclining Buddha) and Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) for photos and an introduction to Buddhist temples (of which Thailand has PLENTY).

Artist House in West Bangkok for more relaxed vibes and coffee while watching the long-tail boats buzz past.

Bangkok’s Flower Market for a place off the beaten tourist path, but full of color and life.

What We Didn’t Love

Khao San Road was wildly overwhelming and hectic to walk down once. But only once is enough. We certainly were not going to be the people getting a foot massage there while bars blast their music at concert-level decibels. Not exactly our idea of relaxation. 🫣

The brutal urban heat & the size of the city walking anywhere basically impossible, and things are not very close together. Grab rides everywhere add up quickly.

Best Things We Did

We got all of our travel vaccinations at a private hospital in Bangkok and saved thousands of dollars versus getting them in our home countries!

Enjoyed slow-bar coffee by the canal at Uncle Tai Coffee.

Explored the city and bought any food that interested us from local vendors.

Used the $1 river transportation to navigate the city via the river.

Where We Stayed

We stayed in Rambuttri Village Plaza hotel, near Khao San road but away from the chaos – Rambuttri is quieter, cleaner, and a lovely launchpad into the rest of the city without the headache of being in the beating heart of the backpacker scene.

How Long We’d Recommend

We recommend 3 or 4 nights for first timers, longer if you are returning to Bangkok and looking to get off the tourist path.

Would We Return?

100% yes we will return to Bangkok again to continue eating the spectacular food, conversing with the locals, and feeling the pulse of the city as the sun sets and people set up shop on the sidewalks.

We would definitely go back to see Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium to watch Muay Thai! We skipped this because it was $45 per person, but later we heard from other backpackers how amazing it was compared to all other Muay Thai venues in the world and regretted our decision to skip it on the basis of cost-saving.

Krabi

Quick Snapshot

Our flight from Bangkok to Krabi was only $50/person, and saved us 13 hours of driving down mainland Thailand. Krabi is one of two launchpads (Phuket being the other) into the Thai Islands in the South Andaman Sea.

Why We Chose It

Before we came to Thailand, we had been slowly making our way across Europe from September to December. By the time we hit Istanbul in Europe’s far east and faced the sleeting rain and frigid temperature, we knew we wanted to be on a Thai Island for Christmas. To do that, we needed to pass through Krabi as a way of getting there. Krabi is way less touristy than Phuket, and we were meeting family who were also vacationing in Ao Nang so it just made sense for our route.

What We Loved

We loved how Krabi is integrated into the surrounding limestone karst landscape and jungle.

We were meeting up with family in Krabi, and we decided we would go to Railay Beach for the day. Railay is accessible by a $5 long-tail boat and feels like its own little island with a variety of beaches, restaurants, and even a viewpoint hike. These beaches like Phra Nang (one of the most beautiful beaches in the world) and Railay West are really nice but busy. We really enjoyed making the 15-minute walk from the end of Railay West to see Tonsai Beach for sunset beneath the limestone cliffs and rock climbers.

Wat Tham Suea (aka Tiger Temple) is a trek up 1,260 stairs to a temple above the clouds. At the top, you will find loads of monkeys and an amazing view of Krabi.

Khlong Muang Beach was the unsung hero of our time in Krabi. Very few tourists, sunsets dripping in orange and purple while long-tail boats anchor for the night – this beach is excellent for swimming, walking the white sand, and is only a few minutes away from Ao Nang but feels like an entirely different world.

What We Didn’t Love

Emerald Pools we drove about 1 hour for the Emerald Pools which were beautiful in their own way, but overpacked with tourists, expensive, and had been converted from natural spring pools into cement swimming pools.

Ao Nang Beach & Night Market underwhelmed us. Maybe our expectations were too high because we were SO excited for Ao Nang after everything we read online. When we arrived to the night market on the first night, we found prices way higher than what we had previously seen in Bangkok, quality much lower, tourists everywhere and loads of western food that seemed to be sitting out for a bit too long. Ao Nang beach was also just a tiny sliver of sand that we didn’t even bother trying to make into a beach day after we discovered Khlong Muang just a few minutes up the road.

Best Things We Did

Only footsteps from our beloved Khlong Muang beach, The Best Restaurant for amazing green curry and coconut shakes.

Tonsai Beach & Khlong Muang Sunsets – watching the sunsets from these beaches were some that we will never forget.

Kuan Nom Saow Sunset Restaurant we came here for a wonderful (and affordable) breakfast, but we were stunned by the view and can only imagine how incredible it would be for sunset.

When we passed through Krabi for a second time to go to Koh Tao, we stayed in Krabi Town where we rented bicycles, took them across the river (50 THB/ $1.50 per bike) by long-tail , and cruised around the local fishing village Koh Klang for a day where we were the only tourists and even enjoyed a lunch hanging out over the mangrove in a hammock.

How Long We’d Recommend

While it is a significant transport hub to the Thai Islands and is home to beautiful nature and sunsets, we would generally recommend 2-3 nights in Krabi itself, or less if you are only passing through to break up transit.

Koh Jum/Koh Pu

Quick Snapshot

Koh Pu and Koh Jum are the same island – the north, more mountainous side is called Koh Pu, and the south is called Koh Jum. It is a tiny, majority-Muslim island with very few tourists and only 2 main roads.

Why We Chose It

At this point in our trip, we had been in Istanbul and then Bangkok back-to-back and we knew we were going to want some R&R, as well as some peace and quiet over the Christmas holiday spent away from our families. Koh Jum was affordable and gave us the opportunity to enjoy a Thai island without feeling like we were getting ripped off by locals who were sick of tourists.

What We Loved

The people on this island were some of the nicest we have ever met. Everyone was so friendly and willing to help us.

Cute beach bars dot the entire island, and the locals actually dance and sing with the tourists in these spots which made us so happy.

The food was also really solid at a number of “halal” restaurants!

The hike up Koh Pu Mountain, through rubber forests, and up along a rocky ridge gave us awesome views of the surrounding islands and sea.

What We Didn’t Love

This island is quite small and after only a few nights we had seen the whole thing multiple times.

Best Things We Did

Rock Bar made entirely of drift wood and rasta vibes, this is an amazing bar for a beer, sunset, and reggae music.

How Long We’d Recommend

It depends – if you’re looking to zen out on some of the quietest beaches in all of Thailand you could stay up to 1 week.

For most people who want to experience this smaller island before going to a larger island like Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi – 3 nights is plenty.

Would We Return?

After our time in Koh Jum and other islands in Southeast Asia, we can say we would potentially return to this small but unique island if we wanted relaxation and quiet nights, but most likely not because spending 4 nights there afforded us to see the most of the island on our first trip.

Koh Lanta

Quick Snapshot

Koh Lanta is known for its long beaches, laid-back atmosphere, and great value for money compared to some of the other Thai islands.

Why We Chose It

Long beaches, laid-back vibes, and great value are three of our favorite things. After we ate at every restaurant on Koh Jum in just 5 days, we took a quick 40 minute ride across a channel into Koh Lanta for more variety of beaches and restaurants.

What We Loved

Koh Lanta does not try to be something that it is not. We felt that no matter where we went, we were only ever a few minutes from the beach. Nothing feels forced and we did not feel the “tourism herd” mentality that many other islands offer. Just laid back vibes, relaxation, and beaches everywhere.

What We Didn’t Love

We had heard amazing things about Koh Lanta’s Old Town full of Chinese-inspired wooden buildings, so we took the motorbike there one night to get dinner. What we found were a lot of restaurants that felt a bit overdone for tourists and prices to match. We walked the Old Town for about 30 minutes before deciding that we didn’t need to spend any more time there.

On the way out of Old Town, though, we discovered an accurately named restaurant called “The Restaurant Beside 7Eleven” where a grandmother with her daughter and granddaughter run a tiny kitchen cooking up authentic and delicious food at a great price. We highly recommend stopping by their kitchen if you do decide to visit Koh Lanta’s Old Town.

Best Things We Did

Kayaking with monkeys with Lanta Kayaking tours – they bring you through the mangroves and alongside a macaque colony where the monkeys are safe and friendly. We even had one jump onto our kayak, sit on Harry’s leg, and take our sunscreen 🤣

Sunsets at Long Beach this beach is long, the sand is soft, the water is the perfectly clear and refreshing, and the sunsets – well, you need to see at least one for yourself.

Mon Hashery eating in the parking lot of a convenience store sounds like something we would never want to do. Until we discovered Mon Hashery, the young Muslim lady who cooks up piping hot Thai cuisine for unbeatably affordable prices and serves them with a smile. Pro Tip: Buy a beer in the convenience shop and order a bowl of curry or crispy pork with rice, thank us later!

Where We Stayed

Hippie Trail this no-frills budget bungalow is located on the northern coast of Koh Lanta where things are much quieter. We enjoyed our stay, the privacy, and felt we got a good deal, but it would not be for everyone especially people who need AC.

Hub of Joys Hostel (across from Long Beach) was clean and comfortable, included a free breakfast, and was directly across from one of the most expansive beaches in Koh Lanta (and all of Thailand).

How Long We’d Recommend

We would recommend 3-7 nights for people looking to soak up the most of this island.

Would We Return?

100% yes.

When we go back we would like see Mu Ko Lanta National Park at the end southern tip of the island which we didn’t make it to during our last stay.

Koh Tao

Quick Snapshot

Koh Tao is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand with a disproportionate amount of dive schools. With an unofficial meeting point of backpackers from all over the world at the Sairee 7Eleven, Koh Tao (which means Turtle Island) is also home to amazing diving and snorkelling where visitors often sea turtles (pun intended) and sometimes even whale sharks.

Why We Chose It

Koh Tao is among the most affordable places in the world to get a lifetime scuba-diving PADI certification. Both of us being ocean-lovers, this was an imperative bucket list item for us during our travels. After researching various dive schools in Indonesia, Philippines, and Koh Tao – we found the most reputable school that worked for our budget (Scuba Birds in Koh Tao) and we started arranging our transportation to this tiny island in the Gulf of Thailand.

What We Loved

Gemini Dumplings for Szechuan tingly dumplings and the mushroom gyoza.

We thoroughly enjoyed Long Thai for red curry rice with crispy pork at extremely fair prices.

Scuba Diving with Scuba Birds ($270 per person for PADI Certification) at Koh Nang Yuan, where the water is crystal clear, tropical fish pack the reefs, and there is even a shipwreck to dive around.

What We Didn’t Love

Koh Tao is one small island, and thus down by the pier and the main beach (Sairee) feels very crowded.

Our Ferry Ride from Surathani to Koh Tao was supposed to be 2.5 hrs on a high speed catamaran. Instead, it took 4.5 hrs and the boat was being thrown around so viscously that even the crew was getting sick. Needless to say we didn’t fare well (pun intended) and stepped off the boat with all time low blood sugar levels. Pro tip: Take Dramamine/motion sickness medicine before you get on the boat (you can usually find it at 7Eleven for around 5THB or $0.25 per package) and make sure you have something in your stomach.

Koh Tao is definitely a backpackers destination, so for us as a couple who typically enjoys quieter beaches and bars, Koh Tao felt a little rowdy. We found most bars packed to the gills with 20-23 yr olds drinking, especially on the nights when they do the Bar Crawl (which we would probably just sign up for if we went back because it’s inescapable).

Best Things We Did

Scuba diving and earning our PADI certifications 🙌🏽 If you aren’t into diving or snorkelling, you can probably skip the logistical headache (and nausea) of getting all the way to Koh Tao.

Where We Stayed

Mae Ya Resort was an incredible resort on the largest mountain in Koh Tao. We splurged one night here as a Christmas Gift from Julie’s parents (thank you so much Orla and John 🫶🥹). We had our own private pool and a ton of privacy on our back patio, amazing views of the jungle overlooking the windward side of the island. If you are looking for a romantic couples stay on Koh Tao, this is a wonderful option.

How Long We’d Recommend

3-4 nights. Long enough to do your PADI certification, probably not much longer.

Would We Return?

Possibly, we would return to do more diving in good weather, but it is a long commute and we would definitely take motion sickness medicine beforehand!

Koh Samui

Quick Snapshot

Koh Samui is Thailand’s second biggest island, really feels like a floating city. But the island itself is home to an airport (USM), waterfalls, massive beaches, view points, temples, big night market, fishing villages and enough 7Elevens for the entire country. Famous for its stunning and seemingly endless beaches, coconut groves, and rainforests – Koh Samui has something for everyone.

Why We Chose It

We stopped in Koh Samui our way back to mainland because it broke up the ferry journey which we were traumatized by on the way into Koh Tao (it ended up being flat as possible).

Best Things We Did

Rent a motorbike and check out the Red Temple, Fishing village, and Night market.

Trying the homemade Coconut Ice cream thay can be found at various restaurants around the island. Often served with coconut shavings and roasted peanuts on top – this island treat changed the way we think about ice cream.

How Long We’d Recommend

If you are flying into Koh Samui’s USM airport or passing by on the way to Koh Tao, 1-2 nights for transit stopover is plenty of time to see the night market, Choeng Mon Beach, and Na Mueang Watefall.

But, being Thailand’s 2nd largest island – take 3-7 nights if you want to actually explore this larger island on motorbike and you will not regret it.

Would We Return?

Now that we have seen it, probably not. Would opt for next door Koh Phangan instead which we have not been to yet.

Khao Sok National Park

Quick Snapshot

Khao Sok National Park is incredible. Cheow Lan Lake is a flooded forest dammed into a beautiful turquoise lake, surrounded by ancient rainforest older than the Amazon full of monkeys, gibbons, elephants, hornbills, and even tigers.

Why We Chose It

We decided to visit Khao Sok National Park because it is an iconic destination in Southern Thailand and it gave us a break from all the beaches on the islands. We also love seeing wild animals, and really hoped we would see gibbons or elephants while in Khao Sok but unfortunately we saw neither. Plus, the tour we booked was affordable and great value so it kind of checked all the boxes.

What We Loved

We loved sleeping on our floating bungalow – watching the sunset over the mountains and the mist rise off the lake in the mornings. We also loved how our tour took all of the thinking out of it for us – from cave tours to wildlife safaris, all we had to do was get on the boat from our floating bungalow and they did the rest.

The price – for around $80 each, we got transport to and from the NP, entrance, our own private bungalow, all of the tours offered, and all of our food covered. We thought this price was very fair.

What We Didn’t Love

While we were extremely pleased with the overall experience, the itinerary for Smiley felt so jam packed that we didn’t have too much time to enjoy just relaxing at our bungalow and kayaking around the beautiful lake. If we went back, we would skip the hike in the morning to just enjoy our last few hours at the bungalow.

The smiley tour offered a wildlife safari, but there wasn’t too much focus on actually seeing wildlife. We took long-tail boats to a couple different parts of the lake and killed the motor, but we didn’t see elephants or gibbons unfortunately which we had been excited for.

Where We Stayed

Smiley Hostel and Floating Bungalows, including their 2D1N tour onto Cheow Lan Lake.

How Long We’d Recommend

1-2 nights in the park, 1 night in the town for logistical purposes

Would We Return?

Yes we would definitely return to Khao Sok National Park, but next time, we would look for a tour more focused on wildlife viewing.

Doi Mae Salong

Quick Snapshot

Doi Mae Salong is the main “city” in this region north of Chiang Mai city. Further into the mountains, you will find coffee and tea farms galore in an area of Thailand with many indigenous people and also strong Yunanese/Chinese influence.

Why We Chose It

Through a wonderful app called Workaway, we had arranged volunteering on a coffee farm, cafe, and hotel. If we hadn’t been doing the volunteering, we may not have ever come this direction – but that is the beautiful thing about volunteering: it gets us off of the path everyone else seems to walk, and onto the path that makes sense for us.

What We Loved

Truly authentic way of life with amazing food, views, and weather. These mountains in Northern Thailand are misty and magical, and we are so grateful we had the opportunity to stay here for two weeks.

Where We Stayed

Akha Mudhouse is an authentic homestay in Ban Loi Lo perched on a hill overlooking a valley with incredible sunrises.

How Long We’d Recommend

1-2 nights for most tourists, or a day trip from Chiang Rai. Stay longer if you are interested in volunteering

Pai

Quick Snapshot

Pai is a mountain town turned backpacker paradise. Surrounded by rice fields, rivers, waterfalls, and hot springs – Pai is truly unique in Thailand. Famous for laid-back vibes, great hiking, sunsets, and coffees.

Best Things We Did

Hua Chang Waterfall. Down past the rice paddies and across a red dirt road that eventually turns to river is that start of this hike that takes about 2.5 hr each way and crosses the river dozens of times.

The free Pai Hot Springs: Mueang Paeng Hot Springs where people boil eggs in the hottest pools – even more enjoyable after a long hike and before sunset as the air starts to cool off.

Tipsy Tubing in Pai was something we were not expecting to enjoy as much as we did. We aren’t too big into partying, but the energy is chaotic and not strictly limited to college students – 100+ people floating down the Pai River is really fun. Music playing, people dancing and laughing and swimming, the vibes were high and we appreciated that aspect. When most people continued the party at 5 PM, we continued our evening with a nice dinner in town.

We took a local bus to Wat Pa Tam Wua, an active monastery about 2 hours north of Pai where we hit the reset button on our mental, emotional, and physical frames of mind. This monastery is open to everybody and includes food and accommodation, but the minimum stay is 2 nights. We stayed 3 and that was plenty. The living situation is minimal – sleeping pads on the floor, the routine starts early and is centered around chanting and practicing meditation with Vipassana Buddhist monks. We spent our free time raking the grounds and arranging the marigold flowers. This experience is not for everyone, but we both felt clarity after leaving and are happy we made it a part of our journey. We are going write our own blog on our full stay here, so stay turned to learn more.

Where We Stayed

Ban Nam Hoo Bungalows at the edge of town – beautiful little bungalows in a peaceful setting only 5 minutes from town by motorbike. We highly encourage staying outside of town for a better sense of the stunning nature around Pai – from stargazing, slow mornings in the rice fields, and a more authentic way of life. Plus, on the outskirts of town we got great value.

How Long We’d Recommend

2-5 nights depending on your preference for the mountains, coffee, and backpacker vibes.

Would We Return?

Yes definitely – there are more hikes we would like to do, and many more sunsets we would love to watch set over the Pai Canyon.

Chiang Mai

Quick Snapshot

Thailand’s cultural capital of the North, situated beneath mountains with a perfectly square Old Town surrounded by ancient walls and a moat. Chiang Mai is much less chaotic than Bangkok, is slightly more affordable, and has a slower pace of life than most cities in Southeast Asia.

Why We Chose It

In addition to being the main transportation hub for the North of Thailand, Chiang Mai is home to many incredibly delicious and affordable (even Michelin rated) restaurants, local coffee brewed by talented baristas, and a bar scene that seems to prioritize music and ambiance over raves (although you can definitely find both).

What We Loved

We loved the slower-pace of life and the walkability of Chiang Mai’s Old Town! Walking the perimeter takes about 90 minutes but we found it relaxing and with plenty of shade to stay out of the sun. Chiang Mai also has amazing cafes, restaurants, street food vendors, fruit stalls, and shaded benches every couple of feet – so walking the city is one of the best ways to get the local feel. Chiang Mai, for us, seemed to be the perfect blend of a city focused on maintaining cultural identity and the conveniences of found in most modern cities.

What We Didn’t Love

This place seriously has so many restaurants that we found making a decision difficult! Also, we had wanted to go to the famous Sunday Market SO bad that we especially made sure we would be in CM on a Sunday, but due to elections the entire thing was closed while we were in town.

Best Things We Did

Muay Thai class at Hive. As beginners we were a bit timid going into a Muay Thai class, but Hive did a great job teaching us technique, making us feel comfortable, and coaching us through a solid workout. At around $10/person we thought this was unbeatable value

Walk the ancient walls around the Old Town. Arranged in a near perfect square around and surrounded by a moat, taking 90 minutes to stroll these 13th century ruins with a morning coffee was much more peaceful and interesting than we thought they would be. At each compass point you will see the unique characteristics of the gate facing that direction and notice the distinct nearby neighborhood to each gate.

Night market there are many night markets in Chiang Mai, but we really enjoyed the one at the South Gate where we drank our body weight in Passion-Mango smoothies for only $0.60 each, and tried some delicious Khao Soi stalls.

North Gate Jazz Bar located right next to the North Gate, this Jazz Bar had 3 musicians holding down the stage and keeping the whole venue buzzing. The ambiance is that of an old saloon with an upstairs balcony that looks down into the small “stage.” Close quartered, standing room only, and all about the music – we spent longer here than we thought we would and we were happy about it. We really enjoyed the music, the vibe, and the energy.

CMU campus & lake. We never thought about Chiang Mai being a college town. But at the foot of the mountains and encompassing a walkable lake, Chiang Mai University offers a perspective of the city that is different than what we found in the Old Town where tourism is rampant. Walk the lake and stop in a nearby market for great deals and delicious food.

Cowboy Hat Lady has been serving succulent pork knuckle (Khao Kha Moo) from atop her step stool behind her street stall for over 25 years, despite the fact that she only looks about 30 years old. She is extremely sweet, dedicated to her food, and famous from Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. She sets up in late afternoon at the market across the river from the North Gate, and is usually open until she sells out. A small plate costs less than $2 and it is worth every penny. Make sure you add the spicy chili vinegar from the tables behind her stall.

“Thipparo’s Khao Soi Kitchen” – ข้าวซอยครัวทิพรส

There is a story with how we stumbled upon this Khao Soi Kitchen which remains the best that we have had. We were walking with our full packs to Chiang Mai bus terminal to get a bus out of the city. When we arrived, we learned that we had walked 4 km in the wrong direction to the incorrect bus terminal. We decided to walk to the correct bus terminal as a way of seeing more of the city, and get some lunch on the way. As we strolled by Thipparo’s Kitchen, we saw locals streaming in from all directions as the lunch hour kicked off. This peaked our interest. We investigated and sat down to try to braised beef Khao Soi and could not believe how delicious it was and for a truly fair price (around $3 per bowl).

Kanomjeen Sanpakoi is a small restaurant operating in a mini cafeteria – go in hungry and order the Nam Ngeaw & Khao Gan Jin for sure! Michelin since 2020, extremely affordable, and worth it in every way.

We have tried countless vegetarian restaurants since we started traveling full time but they all mostly pale in comparison to May Kaidee vegetarian. Harry usually hates tofu but he even enjoyed the crispy tofu served up at May Kai Dee, where they do not compromise on quality or flavor. A small kitchen in a quiet side street with limited seating, try to avoid the dinner rush or you could end up waiting.

How Long We’d Recommend

Chiang Mai is the kind of city that we talked about “what it would be like to live here” as we explored by foot and motorbike.

There is so much to do and see the vibrant energy is contagious.

We could see ourselves easily spending 2 weeks (or more) here, but for first time travellers, we would recommend

2-4 nights.

Would We Return?

We would definitely return to see Wat Phra Singh, 15th-century Wat Chedi Luang and the sticky waterfalls.

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ROUTE LOGIC

Our route logic was designed to move generally in one direction with minimal doubling back on itself. Starting in our entry transportation hub: Bangkok, going south, doing the islands, then going directly to Chiang Mai, doing the mountains, and finally ending in Chiang Mai as our exit transportation hu

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What Worked Really Well

The blend of islands and mountains worked great, plus spreading out the cities allowed us to prevent getting fatigued from the bustle and hustle of city-life.

Another thing that worked in our favor was doing the south first allowed us to get the most expensive part of our trip out of the way, so that when we were in the more affordable north we could save money as needed.

What We’d Change

If we were to go back and do it again, we would do a more wildlife focused tour in Khao Sok and definitely spend some time exploring Phuket – Thailand’s largest island. Then, up north, we would likely spend more time in Chiang Rai exploring the famous White and Blue

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Who This Route Is Perfect For

This Route Is Great For:

• couples
• long-term travelers
• first-time backpackers
• food-focused travelers
• people balancing comfort and budget

Who This Route Is NOT For

This Route Probably Isn’t For:

• luxury travelers
• people trying to see everything in 10 days
• nightlife-focused travelers
• ultra-budget backpackers