Thailand... A country that has become a popular travel destination for the Indians. And rightly so. With its serene beaches, amazing food, hospitable locals and Visa on arrival policy, Thailand offers everything to make it a Top Destination.
You may get multiple travel agents with customised packages as per your need. However, you will land up at crowded places, as the travel agents have tie-ups with same hotels. For example, if you are going to Phuket, your accommodation will be arranged at Patong Beach which is actually a mini-India. Better visit Goa as there is no point in visiting a foreign land when you can't explore the local beauty?
So, I am writing this blog for all travellers who are adventurous enough to explore Thailand on their own.
The places that we visited are as follows:
Day 1 - Ayutthaya (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Ayutthaya is 50 kms from DMK airport. We travelled by train from the DMK railways station. The trains are generally empty so we took a 3rd class ticket as it costed only 11 bht per person.
At Ayutthaya, we rented a tuk-tuk at the railway station but a better option is renting a bike (200 bht) and travel across this temple town. 5 hours is enough to cover this beautiful town of 12km diameter.
On reaching back to the DMK railway station, we had authentic Thai food just outside the station. It is the Best Tom Yum Soup till date.
Day 2 - Phuket (Stay in Phuket Town; Visit to all the beaches across the Phuket Peninsula – Rawai Beach, Promthep Cape, Yanui Beach, Nai Harn Beach, Karon Beach, Kata Beach, and Patong Beach)
We stayed in the Phuket Town as the Hotels are better and cheaper. The Europeans mostly stay here so the night markets are vibrant, and restaurants & street food are awesome.
We rented a bike (500 bht/day) by submitting extra money as deposit (depositing passport is a bad idea) and travelled across the peninsula Phuket stopping and enjoying the views from different beaches. Each beach is different and has its own beauty. The best part of this trip was journey through the hilly forest area. The continuous drizzling made our day.
If you are party go-er, then stay at Patong. I personally did not like Patong beach because it was very commercial and over crowded.
We booked the next day trip from a local travel agent by visiting a couple of agencies and getting the quotations. There are multiple agencies and have good deals as compared to booking online.
Day 3 - Phuket (Visit to Phang Nga Bay famous for James Bond Island and Phuket’s night market)
This day was amazing. An A/c tempo traveller picked us from the hotel and took us to the destined pier. A 50 seater motor boat was waiting for us. The upper deck had a buffet laid along with a smal dance stage. The cruise started.
This was the first time we witnessed the rock formations over the water body. The water was unending, pristinely clean and blue. The best part was the canoe ride through the caves into the lagoons. We were mesmerized by the sheer beauty and would love to go back again.
After visiting all the places, the cruise dropped us at Pier and tempo traveller to our hotel.
Day 4 - Phi Phi Islands (Ferry Ride to Phi Phi Island, Maya Baya to Krabi Town)
We had pre-booked our ferry ride to Phi Phi Island. It takes almost 2 hours to reach the islands from Phuket. As we reached nearer, the water colour changed to turquoise. We saw Maya Bay from a distance and understood why so many Hollywood movies have been picturised at that location.
We had brunch at the island and spent almost 2 hours in the refreshing water. The main beach provides a paranormic view over looking the Maya Bay and the bed is flat so we were able to walk a long way into the water.
The weather was so good throughout that the entire beach was full of tourists sun-bathing. As the day draw to a close, the lights at the shore added to the picturesque view. We boarded the last ferry to Krabi but would surely look forward to having an overnight stay at this Island the next time we visit.
Day 5 - Krabi (Speed boat ride to Ao Nang Beach, Railey Beach, Poda Island, 4 Islands where Kaho Na Pyar Hai was shot)
Day 6 - Bangkok (Sea Life at Bangkok Ocean World, Siam Mall, Patpong Market, Soi Cowboy, and Nana Plaza)
My wife and I had visited Thailand on our 2nd Marriage Anniversary. The entire trip of 2 people costed INR 92k including travel, lodging, food, Visa, etc., basically adding every single penny spent from the time we left our home in Bangalore, Karnataka to coming back home.
Guys, when you are planning, try to spend the maximum time in Krabi. We regret of spending the least time there.
This is a prologue and will publish the entire blog in parts. Please comment if interested to read more...