In 2007 my mother and I traveled to Thailand for two weeks. We booked a tour throughout the country with Gate 1 Travel. I stopped by a Gate 1 booth at the Travel & Adventure Expo and was able to find part of our itinerary (it has been a bit tweeked since 2007). The following is a sample Thailand itinerary:
Day 1: Leave the USA
Day 2: Arrive in Bangkok, Thailand.
Day 3: (Bangkok) City tour. Visit temples including Wat Pho (with the giant reclining Buddha), Wat Arun, and the Grand Palace & Wat Prakeaw.
Day 4: (Bangkok) Visit the floating market.
Day 5: Travel to Chiang Mai.
Day 6: (Chiang Mai) Spend day at Mae Sa Elephant Camp. Visit markets.
Day 7: (Chiang Mai) Visit tribes including Mae Salong Hill tribe.
Day 8: (Chiang Rai) Visit Sukhothai Historical Park.
Day 9: (Chiang Rai) Visit Mae Sai Border Town & Golden Triangle. You are able to see Cambodia and Burma. Also, visit Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple).
Day 10: Travel to Phuket.
Day 11: (Phuket) Take a boat to Phang Nga Bay, Lawa Island, Koh Pannyi Sea Gypsy Island (a village built on stilts in the middle of the ocean – AMAZING), and Koh Ping Kan (“James Bond Island” – “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed there).
Day 12: (Phuket) Take a speedboat to Phi Phi & Khai Islands (have you seen “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio? It was filmed there. Absolutely AMAZING).
Day 13: (Phuket) Spend day on beach. Rent some jet skis, shop, have fun and relax.
Day 14: Return to Bangkok and then to USA.
Some other notes for Thailand travelers:
- Shop! The markets and malls are amazing!
- Go to a nightclub. The nightclubs in Bangkok were the best I have ever been to.
- Eat lots and lots of Thai food.
- Get Thai massages. They are cheap and amazing.
- Bring respectful clothing if you plan to visit temples. In other words, bring pants or long skirts, shirts that cover your shoulders, scarfs, etc.
- Ride in a Tuk Tuk (taxi).
Enjoy Thailand! It is one of my favorite countries I have ever been to and I HIGHLY recommend it.
