Thailand II

I always travel in a sustainable manner and love to discover beautiful boutique hotels and Thailand was no exception.

Thailand also known as the land of a thousand smiles is full of wonders and mesmerizing Nature. There is so much to discover in Thailand that I had to return. This time, coming from Cambodia, I set out to explore Koh Mak and Koh Kood , two beautiful islands near Thailand’s border – and I’m so glad I did. 🏝️

 

When to go

November until February is the best time of the year to go to this area of Thailand for good weather. From July to October it’s rainy season and best to avoid. ☀️

 

Religion

The majority of Thai people follow Theravada Buddhism, in which it is believed individuals are responsible for their own enlightenment.

 

Getting there

We traveled from Cambodia to Thailand, booking the entire journey from Siem Reap through 12GoAsia. This service is really helpful, as they arrange all the necessary transfers, ensuring a smooth trip from start to finish (including pick up at the hotel!).

We were collected from our hotel and taken by bus to the Cambodian border. However, when we got there some important person was visiting and we couldn’t pass through. We had to wait for a couple of hours, but once we finally crossed the border, another van was there to pick us up, despite the delay. Everything was well organized – we informed our driver in Cambodia about the situation and he kindly waited with us. Afterwards we switched to another bus and then waited on a small cafe with two very nice ladies until it was time to head to the boat. We had no Thai Baht, but one of the ladies arranged for a guy to take me on a motorbike to the nearest ATM for a small amount, so all good. 😊

 

Koh Mak

Koh Mak is paradise on Earth. As we arrived, the scenery felt like something straight out of a movie: pristine beaches, swaying palm trees and the sense that the island had stopped in time. 

 

 Where to Stay

Koh Kood (Ko Kut)

After one night in Koh Mak we took the boat to go to Koh Kood, the nearby bigger and beautiful island.

We arrived by boat and again a driver was waiting to take us to our hotel. We stayed in a hotel near mangroves, with a beautiful setting, but it was hard to move around, since the street that led to the main road was in a really bad shape. Considering we wanted to explore the island, we ended up renting a motorbike (although none of us had experience riding one). It was great that we could do this through the hotel, but we kind of had to demand helmets, since at first the hotel said they didn’t have any available. Riding a motorbike with no experience can be dangerous, so we drove really slowly and we had no problems, although curves can be a real challenge! 🛵

We arrived in the afternoon and so we stayed at the hotel for the rest of the day. It had a wonderful beach a few meters in front: Khlonghin Beach.

On the next day we took the motorbike and went on to explore the amazing beaches Koh Kood has to offer. We decided to start on the North of the island, the farthest away from where we were, and then go through the coast all the way to our hotel again, since we didn’t want to risk driving at night.

Secret Sunset Beach

This was the first beach we visited on the day and it’s breathtaking arriving at such wonderful places, warm and super transparent water, not many people around, clear sand, and the sun shining.

Khlong Han Beach

Beautiful beach with a beautiful palm tree, great for photographs!

Ao Noi Beach

This beach has big stones making it look beautiful!

Klong Chao Beach

This beach is near a small center, we went here after grabbing something to eat.

Bang Bao Beach

We’ve stayed on Bang Bao Beach for sunset, there was a bar there with music, it was a great choice!

 

We took the next day to enjoy and relax!

Where to eat

Since our hotel had breakfast and dinner included we just went out to eat in one place: the Koh Kood Mermaid Boutique & Cafe, the food was really good!

 

Nearby these islands there is also another one: Koh Chang. We opted not to go there since all reviews said it was a louder island, more with a party vibe, with many people.

 

Bangkok

After such amazing days, we went back to Bangkok to catch our flight home. We’ve stayed there for one night and since our flight was early in the morning the following day we still had one day in the city. I had been in Bangkok before and so we took the chance to visit WFF (Wildlife Friends Foundation).

Wildlife Friends Foundation

This is a rescue and recovery center with a veterinary hospital, caring for a wide range of animals. From elephants and tigers to monkeys and bears. People here are respectful and do have animals best interests in mind, so if the animals don’t want to get closer there is a chance you won’t see them. We really enjoyed our visit and I highly recommend it! It’s both educational and eye-opening as you learn the animals’ individual stories and the challenges they still face nowadays.

They also explained us about breaking the elephants spirits, which is what is done to young elephants to make them obey humans. It is despicable, so please never ride an elephant or go to places where they are pinched or the humans have hooks to make them obey.

This is an amazing place to visit, as not only you get to see these animals (ideally we wouldn’t need these kind of places and they would all be free but since we do, we might as well do it right and help where we can), get informed and help them!

It is always good to contribute where we can when we get the chance to visit these beautiful countries.

 Where to Stay – Boutique Hotels

We’ve stayed in a lovely boutique hotel in Bangkok. It was a wooden house, typical from the old days, with many plants, cats walking around and lovely hostesses. It is located in quiet area, facing the river. The breakfast was delicious and we got help in every enquiry we could possible make!