Wat Bang Thong is a temple complex in Ao Leuk, Krabi, a few kilometers from Phang Nga with a new temple/pagoda called Wat Maha That Wachiramongkol under development. This Putthakaya-style temple is said to be one of the highest golden pagodas in Thailand, but there is very little information out there on the internet. When we drove from Phuket to Krabi not too long ago, we decided to stop by and check it out.
Phi Phi is a group of stunningly beautiful islands between Phuket to the west and Krabi to the east. Phi Phi Don is the largest island and the only inhabited, and Phi Phi Leh is the one that put Krabi on the map since The Beach featuring Leonardo Dicaprio was filmed here in 1999.
The islands can be reached by boat from both Phuket and Krabi in an hour and a half to two hours. We have previously traveled to Phi Phi from Phuket, and most recently we took a ferry from Krabi Town. Ferry crossings from Krabi Town to Phi Phi Don operates four times per day at 09:00, 10:30, 13:30, 15:00 and costs 200 baht if you purchase the ticket by the pier.
We stayed one night at Phi Phi Don as our main goal was to visit Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay early in the morning to avoid the crowds. Below is our Phi Phi journey in pictures.
Baan Mon Muan is a resort with ten super cozy houses built in traditional Lanna-style situated next to a vegetable farm 1,250 meters up the mountain in Mae Rim just north of Chiang Mai. It’s such a peaceful atmosphere up here with a wonderful staff who will make every effort to fulfill your requests. The mountain view is fantastic and even if you don’t plan to stay here when in Chiang Mai, I recommend coming here to try out their restaurant with high-quality food.
Doi Inthanon National Park two hours southwest of downtown Chiang Mai is part of the Himalayan mountain range with Doi Inthanon as the highest mountain in Thailand peaking at 2,565 meters above sea level. You can drive all the way up to the summit passing several attractions including Wachirathan Waterfall, The Royal Twin Pagodas, and the Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail. We decided to do the trail first when we had the most energy.
Last year we visited Chinatown in Bangkok for the first time and had an amazing food experience which I also wrote about on my blog. This year we decided to come back, and although it was not quite as good as last year, it was a lovely evening spending many hours just walking around taking in the atmosphere, ordering something to eat whenever we felt for it. Below is what we ate.
After a fun night in town, my wife and I ended up at Soi Cowboy which were located close our hotel in Sukhumvit. I don’t have much experience of red-light districts, but I have learned that Soi Cowboy has a more easy-going, laid-back atmosphere than other famous red-light districts in Bangkok. The 150-meter long strip with pink-red-purple ultraviolet lighting and loud music is packed with go-go bars and girls in revealing clothes standing outside trying to attract customers. It’s a fun place for adults, and it should be on your list of places to see in Bangkok.
Like previous years I have put together a little video of our vacation. The video shows only a fraction of everything we did; I filmed very little in Chiang Mai, and I didn’t even touch my drone — just like in Bangkok. But when we hit the south, I started to get the right feeling.
