Welcome to my Ultimate Thailand Guide from my 2018 backpacking trip!

Disclaimer: we did this trip right after graduating college, before starting jobs, on an extreme budget (~$40/day!) so everything you see will be the more budget version of the city. However, for the most part, these cities are super affordable regardless and I researched heavily before each stop and explored a ton in each city, so I really feel like this guide is a great start for travelers at any budget level! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

Accommodation: We stayed at 2 spots here in two different areas of town and loved them both!! We split the double room so only ever paid around $7 or $8 a night each, which is actually paying more than most people do in Thailand if you can believe it. If you want to be on the side of town more near the Night Bazzar stay at Makad Hostel. It’s more of an Airbnb and the owners are our age, so fun and sweet with great travel tips. Cute rooftop too.

If you want to be in the Main Square, we loved the Cozy Inn. It was recommended to us by others. Google it and you’ll see, it’s super pretty basic, clean and sooo cheap. Not a party place but in a great location and more of a hotel.

Food:

Kats Kitchen- cheap and delicious Thai food, some of the best we had.
Rustic & Blue- delicious breakfast and drinks. So good we went back twice. It had a cute hangout area and garden (I Instagrammed this meal!)
Tikky Cafe- cheap and delish
Ginger Farm Kitchen (so LA slash like that place in Barcelona everyone goes to for brunch) but adorable and has such a cute store built into it
See You Soon Cafe (cafe with such a cute clothing store inside as well)
Woo Cafe so cute and such good food. it’s a cafe/ restaurant/ concept store/ art gallery all in one
People recommend Riverside or Goodview (both next to Woo Cafe) but we thought they were just ok, but nice being on the water.
Coconut Shell

Bars:

On the Ping riverfront- the best ginger lemongrass mojito i’ve ever had, more speedy but great view to get a drink at
Johns Place Tapae Gate good to grab a drink on the roof it’s nothing fancy but cheap beers and bites with a view of the river
Mixology if you want an amazing and nicer craft cocktail- wills was like torched on fire on our table they do gnarly stuff
Ploen Ruedee Night Market - tons of bars and food stalls with live music- a good place to spend a night out if u don’t wanna club
More “clubby”: Pentatonic, Roots Rock Reggae and Zoe in Yellow are the main bar/ clubs area with it’s 2 walking streets with back to back bars and young travelers.

Activities:

Ploen Ruedee Night Market

Chiang Mai Night Bazzar (the building is near the Night Market but they are different)
Pa Nang Cooking School!! our favorite thing we did. She picks you up, takes you to a local market and teaches you about vegetables they use in Thailand for Thai cooking that we don’t have at home, then you shop for the produce. Then drive to her house and cook 5 courses including pad thai, curry, spring rolls and mango sticky rice (the last one escapes me) with enough to take home leftovers. She also gives you a cookbook with your recipes to take home at the end. Such a cool experience.
We did Elephant Jungle Sanctuary which was an awesome Makad recommendation and way cheaper than other ones we looked at. It is a totally ethical elephant sanctuary. For the $50 half-day they drive you out to a beautiful local village and you meet all the elephants, feed them, bathe them and jump in the river/ a waterfall with them. Then after the families of the tour guide and sanctuary workers make you a pretty lunch.
Baan Kang Wat my favorite spot a little Art Village outside of the main square basically a bunch of beautiful handmade shops with nicer scale items ($20 instead of $6) than what you see in all the markets there are 2 cute restaurants too we went to the Old Chiang Mai Cafe
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep beautiful the main temple on the mountains- take a 45 min taxi and it shouldn’t cost more than 80 baht per person they tried to rip our taxi bus off
Nimman is the trendy hipster district of Chiang Mai outside of the main square and a great place to wander
Lila Thai Massage Prapokklao: our Airbnb lady recommended it and it was $7 for a Thai Massage

Shopping:

My favorite part of this city such good shopping!!! Nussara an amazing store that is a garden as well and has a very homey set-up complete with a coy pond. I “splurged” and got the cutest jacket, all hand-embroidered with 100% linen and silk for just $70.
Go to Think Park and One Nimman (cool pretty hipster “anti malls” if you go to the Nimman neighborhood
Ploen market mentioned above and the night market
Ratchadamnoen Road walk along the whole thing it’s cool shops the whole way
Craft de Quarr
Patcharin Thai Silk
Lanna Volk
Woo Cafe shop and See You Soon cafe shop

KO PHI PHI, THAILAND

Ferry to Ko Phi Phi (45 mins, $11)

Bars:

Our favorite beach bar was Cocks - it’s colorful and cute and a part of the Beacha Hotel with a great view for sunset. If you get a drink you can go in their little pool overlooking the ocean
Ibiza Pool - check out their schedule online to see if they have music, if so it’s really fun and good people watching
Banana Rooftop Bar that plays movies and has buy one get one free buckets (don’t judge the buckets, they are part of the fun!)
Dubliner Irish Bar
Stockholm
Go to the beach around 8 for sunset and and Stones and Blanco has fire shows of performers to watch at night
Really liked getting a drink at sunset at Sunshine Bar (or Sunflower?) on the beach with a pretty view of the water

Food:

Papaya and Garlic 1992 are the best two in our opinion
PP Grand Arcade is a nicer environment and good view!

Adventure:

Hike to the Viewpoint (there is 3 in a row and the higher you go the more you see) it’s actually hard and a solid workout! There’s a cute cafe for a coffee or smoothie at the top.
Rent a party boat or fishing boat! We were recommended Bobs Booze Cruise or Blanca’s for more of a meeting people type of party cruise. We didn’t do this because we did a long-tail boat ride instead
Long-tail boat ride to more remote beaches (there are tons of vendors offering them, we grabbed someone on the main road who took us to a few coves around the point

Stay:

We stayed at PP Insula and loved it for a super affordable option! We didn’t want to do the hostel thing / the reviews said they all had bedbugs which is a hard pass, so this place was clean quiet and right in between the pier, bars and the beach. Our friends we were with Mary and Sam stayed at Panmanee Hotel next to us and theirs was good too!

AO NANG THAILAND

July 10th: Ferry to Railey (1 hour, $15)

We only spent one night here before taking the busferry to Ko Phangan! It was a good middle place to stop for one night that has a solid main street, restaurants and bars.

Restaurants:

Taj Palace: is good Indianfood
Get Rads: bar with huge drink list and fun atmosphere, the only real place to “go out” from our experience
Cafe 8.98: great breakfast and if you give them a review you get free coffee
Lion & Shark: very cute cafe, you have to climb up a ladder to get to
The Last Fisherman Bar: cute walk to this bar/restaurant along the water
Chang Bar

Accom:

Wake Up Aonang: this is where we stayed and it was AMAZING! Very modern, affordable, got our own room with our own bathroom and balcony for under $18 a night (which we split 2 ways.)
Kokotel Krabi Ao Nang: this is where Sam and Mary stayed and it was also amazing! Had the cutest cafe/bar where we got food/cocktail hour and has a slide going through the building so very hip and cheap as well under $18 for your own room
Whalecome Aonang Resort: we were planning on staying here before we got monsooned in at Ko Phi Phi, it looks great

KO SAMUI, THAILAND

We were only in Ko Samui for like 12 hours cause our night ferry got delayed to Ko Phangan so we had to stay the night, so I don’t have much but we stayed at a solid, simple hostel and went out and had a fun night! The nightlife was def more expensive (for our standards) on this island.

Bars:

Ark Bar: turns into a nightclub at night with dancers and fire shows and is soooo fun!
Elephant Beach Club

Accom:

We stayed at Casa Luna and it was all you need, a clean dorm for cheap with a hot shower and cute bar

Restaurants:

Casa Luna bar to pregame
We ate at P&T Hostel/Guesthouse and no complaints

KO PHANGAN, THAILAND

You can take a quick ferry from Ko Samui to Ko Phangan.

Make sure to rent scooters when you arrive and explore all over the island! We bargained them down to $150 baht for 24 hours of a scooter which is awesome. Just be very careful cause they can charge you for every scratch on it so take pics of it before you ride it.

Bars/Nightlife:

Haad Rin: where the Full Moon Party, Half Moon Party, Quarter moon etc is. We went to the Black Moon party and they are all full-on raves so not really my scene but if you are there during one that is definitely the place to be for that night. When there isn’t a moon party they have normal beach party at this beach
Slumber Party Hostel: weird but it actually has a fun bar to pregame at for backpackers and people our age, everyone there is our age/going out
Top Rock Bar: good for views
Amsterdam Bar: can buy weed here even though weed is super illegal in Thailand, one of our friends did and it was totally fine! Amazing views and perfect for happy hour/sunset and sit on cute Thai pillows and poufs
Three Sixty Bar

Accommodation:

We stayed at Goodtime Beach Backpackers because lots of people recommend, honestly didn’t love it... but it wasn’t horrible, it is very social and we met some people our age but it is more expensive than AirBnbs and had cold showers and is a little isolated

Adventures:

Scootering!! So fun here it’s easy and the roads are pretty safe and it’s cheap. It’s a pretty big island so you either have to scooter or taxi and taxis are much pricier. We scootered from the Goodtime all the way through the island and jungle to Bottle Beach and it was the best day.
- If you do this ^ stop at the tiny restaurant next to Jungle Flight Adventure Part for a beer overlooking the jungle
Bottle Beach
Ko Ma and Ko Ma Beach, you can walk along the sandbar to the little island, this is very close to 360 Bar and it overlooks Ko Ma Island and Mae Haad Beach
Coral/Salad Beach

Restaurants:

Mama Thai: Could not recommend this enough!!! We went back multiple times because it was so delish. Some of the best Thai food we had in the islands, order the pad thai or any curries.
Anutta Restaurant: best green curry I had… super random hole in the wall but it had great reviews and was on our way back from our day of adventures and was well worth it, super local Thai food
Vintage Burgers: We didn’t go to this restaurant but I just marked it because this whole street had cute shops/restaurants that are Italian, western, burgers, Thai, etc to choose from and it is a good place to walk around
Phantip Night Food Market

KO TAO, THAILAND

Ferry to Koh Tao ($15 and takes 1 hour). This place is the best!!!!

Accom:

Villa Seaview Garden: Our initial accommodation ended up being a nightmare (we discovered in the first 20 minutes and bailed out) so we “balled out” on an INCREDIBLE villa for $37 per person a night, with had a huge beach view balcony, 11 beds and 2 huge infinity pools. All for $37 per person and this is the most we spent on accommodation. It’s called the Villa Seaview Garden on Airbnb. 10/10 recommend.

Restaurants:

Coconut Monkey: can’t recommend this enough, we went there twice it has delish delish breakfast one of the best restaurants in the world in all of our opinion, Joe had an amazing veggie quesadilla that was to die for
Keaw BBQ: soooo yum. I had never been to Korean bbq, but its such a fun family-style meal, it’s off the beaten track and very delish
Zest
Whitening Restaurant: we didn’t go but heard good things from our Airbnb Lady and everyone we talked to
Blue Water Cafe & Restaurant
Marina Restaurant: a good spot in Sairee Beach for Thai food and more affordable food than all the upscale trendy places

Bars:

Sairee Beach is the party beach area at night
Fishbowl Beach Bar: this is the spot to go out!!
BND Beach Bar: next to it also fun
Savage Ko Yao: hostel with cool bar cafe and rooftop

Adventure:

Ao Leuk Beach: beautiful private beach, you have to pay 100 baht ($3) to get in but that includes a lounge chair and a drink and it’s well worth it, great body surfing beach with white sand to spend the day
We ate at Ao Leuk restaurant it’s a little pricier but has a beautiful view and is a bungalow built into the cliff
We stayed here which was AMAZING more expensive for Thailand standards (only spent $30 each a night lol) but so worth it https://m.facebook.com/Villa-Seaview-Garden-Koh-Tao-473097092729856/

KRABI, THAILAND

We really didn’t like this place but we had low expectations cause a lot of people don’t like it, its just very dirty and crowded and lots of traffic. Not much to do either, which is why on our way out to the islands we went to Ao Nang instead, but decided to do Krabi on the way back home.

Accom:

K.L. Boutique Hotel this is where we stayed and it was all you need for 2 people with your own room!
Pak Up Hostel this is where our friends stayed and it was great had a cool, outdoor bar and was in a good spot!

Food:

Chalita Bar & Restaurant: yum local Thai food
May and Mark’s house yum breakfast
Gecko Cabane Restaurant

THE END! Any questions, feel free to reach out in the comments or find my info in the contact section.

Vietnam is a gorgeous country and definitely unlike any place I had ever experienced. It is rich in beautiful culture, colors, history and food. It can be a lot for some people at first, and we ran into many travelers that were experiencing serious culture shock, but it is a country I every person should explore and experience in their life. Here is my full travel guide to Northern Vietnam and the spots we visited, loved and learned from along the way!

1st: Hanoi, Vietnam

2nd: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

3rd: Mai Chau, Vietnam

HANOI, VIETNAM

This is one of the main cities to fly into. It is a great home base if you are exploring northern Vietnam; we stayed one night in the beginning of our exploring the region, one night in between two weekend trips and one night on the way out of exploring and that was definitely enough. There is great food and definitely some cool bars and activities to see but other parts of Northern Vietnam should be prioritized if you don’t have tons of time.

Accommodation: We stayed in quite a few spots in this city but the only one I’d recommend and stay in again is the Hanoi Guesthouse Ma May. It was clean, cheap and in the perfect location of the Old Quarter. The staff were super nice and helped us book great weekend trips in neighboring regions too. If you don’t want to do the party hostel thing and are looking for something quiet and clean I’d definitely recommend it! Nothing fancy but all you need.

Food:

Cafe Nola: a must. This is an old apartment building with 3 stories of rooms to eat and hangout in. It’s full of antique couches, lamps and funky furniture. Make sure to explore the whole house and go up to the cute rooftop - it’s a great spot to get away from the craziness for a bit!
Hanoi Social Club: popular spot for yummy dinner and drinks. They have live music some nights.
Pho 10: a must. The best and cheapest pho we had in Vietnam.
Lutulata: This was a cute coffee and treat spot near the lake.
Banh Mi 25: A spot for bomb and cheap banh mi’s, best in town according to everyone we talked to.
Bún Chả Obama: a famous Vietnamese street food spot (where Obama & Anthony Bourdain ate).

Bars:

Polite & Co: a must!! We stumbled across this place on one night and wished we had discovered it sooner. Euro/ Parisian style bar with bomb drinks. Its definitely nicer and locals here are more dressed up, the boujee Vietnamese crowd. It’s a great place to get away from the craziness. Everyone smokes inside.

Pasteur Brewing Co: get the passion fruit wheat beer it may be the best beer i’ve had in a long time. This is a brewery that takes local Vietnamese flavors (like lychee, passion fruit, dragon fruit) and infuses them in the craft beer. Go up to the roof patio!

The Porch, Rock Store (more rowdy bars on Manay Street)
Beer Corner: kinda ratchet but very famous and a must see. It’s an intersection of all Vietnamese beer shops where everyone goes to drink at night in the street!

Shopping Streets: Hang Trong, Hang Gai, Hang Bac

Attractions:

Definitely walk around Hoan Kiem Lake during the day/evening. It’s beautiful and at night people all walk around the lake with drinks in their hands and there are street performer and music.

Let yourself get lost in the Old Quarter and shop around even though it’s chaotic, its part of the experience!

St Joseph’s Cathedral is a famous church in Hanoi. There was a Vietnamese movie being filmed there when we walked by which was cool to see!

Hanoi’s ‘train street’ is located between Lê Duẩn and Khâm Thin street, on Ngo 224 Le Duan, in the Old Quarter. Its a picturesque super narrow street (only a few feet wide) that people walk on and live on that is also a live train track. Only in Vietnam!

HA LONG BAY, VIETNAM

While you are in northern Vietnam, you will want to take a few days to explore Ha Long Bay. The region of Ha Long Bay & Bai Tu Long Bay are one of the 7 Natural Wonders in the world, and it shows. The best way to see it is by boat.

Boat options:

We took the IndoChina Junk and I can’t recommend it more! So awesome. Do either the Red Dragon or Dragon Legend. It’s not a party by any means, but very nice, clean, gorgeous rooms, affordable prices and has kind and hilarious staff. The package provides rides to and from Hanoi, kayaking, cave tours, visiting the floating market on Ha Long Bay and all food (every meal we had was at least 4 courses) included. We did the inclusive 2 day 1 night for $179 each.

The raddest part of all is that its the only ethical and sustainable tour company in Ha Long Bay. We picked up trash on our kayak tour and were given trash bags to help clean the beaches if we wished throughout our stay. The bay is growing more and more polluted by the minute, so visiting the bay with a company built around sustainable tourism is super important.

Castaways: this is the party option that people say is also super fun!

MAI CHAU, VIETNAM

This is a quiet, rural village inside a lush northern Vietnam valley called Hòa Bình Province. It is gorgeous, super green and has a very local vibe. This was my favorite spot on our trip through northern Vietnam. We took a bus from Hanoi here for a 1 night and 2 day stay.

Accommodation:

We stayed at Vinh’s Guesthouse (it’s on Airbnb) and had a beautiful view overlooking the rice fields! She spoke great English and has such good advice for adventures around the village and town. We had dinner with her family one night which was adorable.
Our New Zealand friends we met stayed at the Mai Chau Backpackers and said it was great too. It’s connected to the Sunrise Village Resort.

Activities:

This village is tiny so I don’t have that many rec’s except for to walk around the markets around Vinh’s house and let yourself get lost in the “shops and storefronts” (these are really tables in front of local’s homes) and talk to the locals.

Bike: Vinh has free bicycles for you and we biked everywhere that’s a must to either rent some or use hers. They also have lots of places to rent around the town. Biking around the ricefields is beautiful and a great way to cool off if its hot out like it was when we were there.
Market: theres a market every day in downtown Mai Chau where we got snacks and fresh fruit and people watched
Sunset Bar is a food spot, it’s hard to find and nothing special but has a nice view from the top!
Don’t eat at the Sunset Village Resort Will got food poisoning there lol
Go to the Go Lao Waterfall nearby early in the morning!