Visit Thailand: Top 4 must-see attractions
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Thailand is such a beautiful destination with so many places to see and things to do, that when you start planning the trip, you are going to have this dilemma: where to go, to the south or the north? In my opinion, it is a hard decision to make, because the two areas are so different and offer a unique perspective of Thailand.
In the northern part, you will be enveloped by culture, with temples located in the middle of the forest at a high level, you will be surrounded by nature and a lot of natural parks and historic ruins. The southern part has gorgeous beaches and coral reefs and amazing islands.
In my opinion, you can’t visit just the south and miss out on the essence of this country, but at the same time, it’s a shame to not enjoy pristine beaches and glorious seashore landscapes.
When I planned my trip to Thailand I knew that I wanted to make the most of my two-week vacation. Thus, I split my visit into three main regions: Bangkok, the Northern part and the islands.
Here is a list of the best places you need to visit in Thailand:
Bangkok
The capital of Thailand is a very fascinating and vibrant city and a “must-see” type of destination. With plenty of things to explore and see, the capital of Thailand will amaze you with all its complexity. You will encounter areas that are realms of culture and historic landmarks and also places with modern architecture and skyscrapers. You will pass rich areas that are an abundance of wealth and prosperity and very poor and badly maintained ones, maybe in the same hour
The unique temples and luxurious palaces will emerge you in the culture of this country.
If you are a big fan of shopping, you can’t miss out on one of the largest outdoor markets in the world, Chatuchak Market. You can spend a whole day roaming this frenetic market. The prices are very affordable (I can call them even cheap), so it is recommended you leave some free space in your luggage.
I bought dresses, pants and beach outfits. Even if the quality isn’t that great, the cheaper prices make it worth it. I mean, if you visit Thailand, you should dress accordingly, with colorful and loose clothes that make you blend in with the whole picture.
My husband and I had a lot of fun buying clothes, dressing up and matching our outfits. For us, that shopping day was part of the Thailand experience.
When the night comes, the city starts buzzing with vibrant nightclubs, cocktail bars and live music. You will easily get lost roaming the streets at night and feeling the city’s vibe.
No matter your travel goals or style, Bangkok is going to be a surprise. By day, you will visit temples, and historic landmarks, buy clothes, drink fresh juices squeezed directly in front of you on the street and explore the city in a Tuk Tuk. At night, you can party like the locals.
Chiang Mai
If you want to see a different side of Thailand, put Chiang Mai on your itinerary.
Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand and it’s home to approx 300 Buddhist Temples. This region is rich in culture, lush jungle, stunning viewpoints and delicious Thai food.
From day one of our arrival, I was fascinated by Chiang Mai by all the beauty and authenticity that this place has to offer. You can do so many things here, regardless of your travel style or plan, you are going to find something for your liking. Although, I highly recommend you try out everything that Chiang Mai has to offer.
You can go from hiking through thick tropical mountains and chasing waterfalls, to exploring remote villages and enjoying coffee straight from a family coffee plantation. You can visit spectacular temples, caress an elephant or witness unique and wonderful views that will make your heart skip a beat.
Regarding visiting elephant sanctuaries, please be mindful of it. Do your research and choose a sanctuary that is actually rescuing, saving and caring for the elephants. Sadly, there are a lot of companies that are abusing elephants for profit. Please don’t support this bad tourist custom and choose a great cause to spend your money on. I had an amazing day visiting elephants in Chiang Mai and wrote an entire article about that memorable experience. You can check it out here.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a spiritual person, don’t miss out on visiting Buddhist temples. Some of the most popular are Doi Suthep Temple, Suan Dork Royal Temple, The Grand Pagoda Temple and many more.
During my visit to Chiang Mai, I learned so much about the Thai people and their culture. I was fascinated by their way of living and by their faith which had so many similarities to the Christian faith, even if we are speaking of two extremely different religions. I guess we aren’t so different after all.
If you are a shopaholic for souvenirs (like my husband, but don’t tell him I said that), there are a lot of night bazaars for you to spend money and collect memories. I have to mention that Chiang Mai is way cheaper than Bangkok. So, now is the time to buy all those gorgeous dresses.
Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai is located on the border with Myanmar and Laos (The Golden Triangle). Similar to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai is a beautiful and authentic part of Thailand and an absolutely must-see.
Again, there are so many things to see and do in this region. One of the well-known attractions in this area is the White Temple, but this is not the only thing you need to have on your itinerary. On that note, the whole concept behind this famous temple it’s so fascinating, but more on that in another article.
If you are a tea lover, you can visit the beautiful Choui Fong Tea Plantation. You can also head to the mountains, chase gorgeous waterfalls, visit the Black House (such a creepy place, I loved it!), explore the night bazaar and visit the famous Blue Temple.
Famous islands like: Phuket and Krabi
You can’t visit Thailand without putting one of these magnificent islands on your itinerary.
No matter what island you chose, you can find many activities to do, based on your travel desires. We visited Phuket and took two boat trips to see other islands like James Bond and Phi Phi islands. Also, during those day trips, we saw monkeys and went snorkelling and kayaking.
Of course, you can visit beautiful beaches, swim and have fun at the beach. We did it only for one day because we got sunburns (like REALLY bad sunburns). We got a fever, couldn’t sleep, our skin was inflamed, yeah, those were some horrible times.
Anywaaaay, use sunscreen, don’t go to the beach when the sun is too hot and you’ll be ok. We didn’t do all that and basically acted as a bunch of noobs 😂.
I plan to write extensive travel guides for every place mentioned in this article and also describe our two-week Thailand itinerary. So, please be tuned for that 😁!
I hope you find this travel guide useful. As you can see, there are so many things to do in Thailand. It is such a complex and wonderful country that will amaze you every step of the way.
