Backpacking Thailand Bangkok Chiang Mai Koh Yao Noi Koh Lanta

Backpacking Thailand: Round trip backpacking

3 weeks | January 2013 (high season)| backpacking | solo travel | round trip from Bangkok to Chiang MaiPhuketKoh Yao Noi Koh Lanta

Backpacking Thailand – solo travel

Because it was my first solo travel I watched out for travel mates from Germany before I started my trip – on the travel portal Thaiminator (German website) I found great travel companies. Read more about this experience in my blog soon.

travel guides: lonely planet Thailand and the rough guide Southeast Asia & Loose Reiseführer, Visa on arrival, many hostels, just book on Agoda.

Things to do in Bangkok

# Khaosan Road: have some drinks there
# Wat Arun: go there in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset
# Grand Palace: enjoy the gold and beauty
# enjoy a drink at the Lebua at State Tower
# visit the ChatuChak market (Saturdays)
# drive with the boat on the river (but take the local not the tourist boat)
…just enjoy the city

Backpacking Thailand: Flight from Bangkok so Chiang Mai
You can take a tuc tuc to the hostel, there are many places to stay, we stayed at the Britannia I can recommend.

Things to do in Chiang Mai

# Book a trekking tour in one of the agencies in the city. We booked a two days trip which was fun. The sport level is not very high, we visited a small village, saw rice fields and slept in wooden houses:

# We also booked a tour to the Wat Rong Khun, the golden Triangle in the north of We also booked a tour to the Wat Rong Khun, the golden Triangle in the north of Thailand and the Long Neck Village. It was a long driving and sitting in the bus and a really super touristic tour (good if you just want to out your head off) and I must say the visit of the Long Neck Village I also see a bit critical:

Flight Chiang Mai to Phuket: to save some time you can take a flight. In Phuket there’s not a lot to see, we met a funny sport group and did aerobic in the evening:

So we decided to leave the next day with a small boat to the wonderful island Koh Yao Noi (just ask at the hotel where the boat leaves).

Backpacking Thailand: KOH YAO NOI – don’t miss it!

It is a small island where you can get out of the trouble. The people are very relaxed and to go there takes just 1.5/2 hours from Phuket. There we stayed in a small hostel complex with beach view, the service is awful, but the price and location not so bad: Holiday Resort Koh Yao Noi

…but you don’t have to book a hostel in advance, there are many offers!

Things to do in Koh Yao Noi:

# hire a bike or an electronic bike and explore the island
# book snorkeling tour

# enjoy the food in the nice restaurants
# go snorkeling at the reef (in the north of the island)

Backpacking Thailand: Koh Yao Noi to Koh Phi Phi you ou can take the ferry.

Backpacking Thailand: Koh Phi Phi

There are many hostels, we booked in advanced because we wanted to stay the center.

Things to do in Koh Phi Phi

Go to a beach party and enjoy the breakfast at the beach in the morning!

Book the Maya Bay tour: you leave doing the day and arrive at the bay when the crowds are leaving. You have a nice barbecue at the beach and sleep under the stars. In the morning you can watch the baby reef sharks and eat a breakfast before the beach is full of tourists again. A wonderful experience! (and there is just one agency that has the license – maybe the reason why this tour is around 90 € now):

# Small hike to the viewing point view point tripadvisor and when you are on the top walk down the other side too „Rantee beach“. Wear good shoes and take some water, spent sometime at the beach and take the boat back to the main side: