Revisiting Thailand Solo: Phuket, Chiang Rai, Pai, and Chiang Mai
Just me and my elephant pals
Ah, Thailand: the land of spicy yet delectable food, friendly people, and indescribable landscapes. This unique country will forever have a special place in my heart, as it was the first country I’d ever visited and lived in outside of my home country!
I’d moved there in October of 2014—just months after I graduated college— with my then-boyfriend. For six months, I simultaneously taught English there at a private elementary school and discovered my love for international travel. During those six months, I went to several places within the country: Bangkok, Chonburi (where I lived), Kanchanaburi, Krabi (gorgeous area in the South with islands), Nhakon Si Thammarat, and Koh Samui (just one of the many glorious islands in the country). However, six months just wasn’t enough and, when taking that taxi to the airport with all of my belongings, I felt it. I wanted more. I needed more.
My class and I back in 2014 (hence the less-than-ideal quality)
For a few years afterwards, I’d traveled the world and lived in various places. My then-boyfriend became my ex and it was then that I could hear Thailand calling my name—and I could no longer ignore it. When we ended things, I was living and teaching English in China and it was there that I decided it was the time to return to my beloved Thailand. I mean, it was basically right next door!
During my winter vacation, I made a bee-line for two places on my first solo trip ever: Cambodia, a place I’d always wanted to visit for a plethora of reasons, and Thailand, a place I wanted to re-explore, but this time, on my own.
Thailand, Round Two
Here is the list of places I missed my first time in Thailand, but desperately wanted to see during my second tour of the country: Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Pai. And guess where I went?
To every, single one.
First stop: Phuket
I never went there because I’d thought it was too overrun by tourists, too overrated, too cramped, and too “Westernized.”
Upon arrival, I immediately saw that that was all true. Most of the areas I drove through from the airport to my hostel were crawling with clueless, drunk and/or hungover Westerners. Sadly, I was turned off and felt I’d made a huge error by going to Phuket.
Until I arrived at my hostel: Sleepy Station. The place exuded the vibe its name suggested: a prime chillin’ lawn riddled with gorgeous wall art, tiki huts, tables, sofas, chairs, and a small outdoor gym. But, it was also a perfect combination of a “party” zone— it even had an outdoor tiki bar with happy hour!
It was on that lawn I made various and great friends, with whom I still talk this day! My first day, I relaxed on the gorgeous beach with just one of these pals (obviously, it was the second thing I did after checking into the hostel!). The alarming number of tourists began to fade into the background while I melted into the natural beauty and uniqueness of Phuket and, as a whole, Thailand.
On the second day, another friend I made at my hostel and I rented a motorbike together, then cruised around the island— and had an absolute blast despite my absolute fear of motorbikes (obviously, she drove)! We drenched ourselves in the urban (eating plenty of fumes in bumper-to-bumper traffic) and rural (cruising through windy, mountainous roads canopied by tropical trees) areas of the island, then made the trek to the Big Buddha Phuket. A humbling experience, to say the least.
The third day, I was accompanied with a group of lovely friends I’d made to take a trip along the coast to do some very necessary beach hopping— and it was far more glorious than I imagined it could be.
That evening, however, put a damper on Phuket— and not just for me, but for our entire group. My four pals and I went to Patong Beach, specifically Bangla Road, which is notorious for excessive binge drinking, strippers, prostitutes, pickpocketing, dirty old men, and lady-boys. At first, we had fun while being there and experiencing the chaos. We split cheap yet strong buckets of cocktails— and yes, I mean buckets. (You haven’t been to Thailand if you haven’t had one of those dastardly things!)
However, by the end of the night, two out of the three girls in our group got drugged at one point or another. Fortunately, I was the one who didn’t get drugged, neither of the girls got taken advantage of, and we all made it back to the hostel safely in the end. But, we all learned one big, fat lesson: be goddamn careful, especially in such a sketchy place like Bangla Road!
The day following my massive hangover day, I went on a life-changing speedboat and snorkeling tour of Phi Phi islands with another fellow beautiful friend I made at my hostel—and made more friends on the tour! We visited Koh Phi Phi Don, or “Monkey Island,” went snorkeling in a random spot in the crystal aquamarine water, and island-hopped. It was one of my favorite boat trips of all time, to say the least!
I adored Phuket in general, though. As much as I didn’t care for the tourists or the drugging, I’m beyond grateful that I went because it turned out to be such a serene, scenic, and special place to visit.
Second stop: Chiang Rai
Me and the White Temple!
Since I knew I’d be partying quite a bit in Phuket, I strategically chose to fly to the north of the country to explore Chiang Rai next. Why?
Because of its supposed lack of tourists, peaceful ambiance, and abundance of magical yet unique temples.
I’ve been to plenty of temples. They all just tend to mesh together into one after awhile. However, the ones in Chiang Rai? Well, come on. Just look at the photos of the White Temple and Blue Temple and you can see why I found it imperative to go out of my way in order to visit these temples in particular!
I visited the White Temple with a friend I made at my hostel, which I thoroughly enjoyed because we both reveled in the magnificence and the intricacies of the temple and its grounds together.
But, the previous day, I rode a bicycle through the city, then wandered the grounds of the Blue Temple alone.
Oh, and afterwards, I went to a recommended cafe called Chivit Thamma Da around the corner to enjoy my absolute favorite drink I discovered in Thailand years before: iced green tea. With a serene view, of course.
Chiang Rai pleasantly surprised me. It wasn’t overpopulated by tourists (thank all the gods), was a quaint town nestled in the jungle, and was covered in a layer of relaxing vibes. I mean, it even had an adorable cat cafe called Cat ‘n’ a Cup! What’s not to like!?
Third Stop: Pai
When I made the trek from Chiang Rai, to Chiang Mai, then instantly to Pai, I wasn’t prepared for the windy road whatsoever. Fun fact: on the 3-4 hour minivan ride from Chiang Mai to Pai, there are 762 turns! Although it’s fun to know this fact now, it is not pleasurable to experience.
Fortunately, I didn’t get sick on the way, but it’s commonplace for people to do so!
I’d planned to go to Pai to experience a hippy haven and “party” because that’s primarily what you do in Pai. There are these special drinks called “mushroom shakes.” Normally, people tend to just eat “magic mushrooms,” but that’s not the way of it in Thailand. Instead, people mix them up in a shake and drink them!
As for me, I’m not comfortable taking drugs of any kind with strangers, so I didn’t indulge, but I did wander to the Paradise Hostel/Bar to at least check out the scene (and possibly people watch). The place turned out to be littered with psychedelic graffiti and people thoroughly enjoying their drinks and the art! It was unlike any hostel/bar I’d ever visited before! I’m glad I went!
The following day, I wanted to rent a motorbike in order to explore the gorgeous nature surround the town. However, as I mentioned earlier, I was too afraid to rent one and drive on my own. So, I hopped on the back of a motorbike with a cute boy (classic).
But, ironically, just 30 minutes into our exploring, we got into a motorbike accident, resulting in 6 stitches in my knee! (I’ll make a separate post diving more into that chaos at a later date—don’t you worry!)
So, instead of enjoying Pai’s to-die-for scenery and nature, I spent my time there drinking at my hostel (the Famous Pai Circus Hostel) and resting my knee.
Fourth and final Stop: Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai was a place that had been on my radar for literal years. It’s so popular in Southeast Asia that there are a documented 40,000 expats living there— which is actually an extremely underreported figure. It’s got everything: chill city “vibe,” all the life-altering cafes and restaurants, and gorgeous nature for exploration.
I went there specifically because a. I wanted to for the aforementioned reasons and b. to see my friends who were there for their honeymoon!
Yes, I absolutely crashed my friends’ honeymoon—and I don’t even feel slightly bad about it because we spent every moment together, from eating killer food items in packed street markets to caressing and walking with elephants in the Elephant Nature Park (which, by the way, was beyond awesome and I can’t wait to write more about it in a separate post)!
Oh, and they climbed up Doi Suthep, a tall mountain with a killer view of the city accompanied by a temple at the top, while I took a taxi with my bum knee and met them there. I hobbled up some stairs (only 309!) and may have hurt myself more and more with every step, but that was worth it, too!
My friends sadly left a day before I did, so I explored a bit of the city as much as I could. I wandered around a bit, read by the river and city walls, drank coffee at a cute cafe, and even enjoyed the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar later in the evening.
The Bazaar was a pleasant surprise as it was mainly just a large food court with a plethora of food choices with bars and live music! I made a couple of new friends there instantly, then sat on beanbag chairs with them, inhaling delicious food, drinking refreshing drinks, and enjoying the live band in front of me. I unfortunately needed to leave early that evening because of my early flight the following morning, but was beyond glad I went to the Bazaar after thinking I wouldn’t like it!
I’m sorry, but I’d be doing a huge disservice to the entire country of Thailand if I didn’t at least mention the food. Magically, it was far better than I remember it being! Here are just a few of my faves:
However sad I felt leaving Thailand, the warmth in my soul was palpable and undeniable. I’d done what I set out to do: re-explore Thailand in places I didn’t get the chance to visit the first time—and all on my own. Even though I got in a motorbike accident that resulted in a forever ugly scar on my right knee, every bit of the trip was worth it. Lessons on lessons on lessons! And, obviously, I can’t wait for my third trip!
