Itinerary - Thailand Beach Life Winter: Bangkok, Krabi and Koh Lanta

Air flights to/from Italy are not included in the package, so you can decide where to leave from, at what time and with the airline you prefer... This is to give you maximum freedom of choice!

Check-in at the hotel in Bangkok and welcome meeting. We all meet in this city which is somewhat of a symbol of South East Asia, with chaos reigning supreme in the streets, the traffic, the horns and the markets where they sell a bit of everything. The first impact will be intense , but in the meantime we will become familiar with it in the best possible way: let's start with the food! With which dish will we kick off this journey - also culinary! - discovering Thailand? Let's take a guess: pad thai for everyone!

Since the markets are one of the most characteristic places of this city and of Thailand in general, this morning we reach the Railway Market, a market that is literally crossed by the tracks. When the train arrives, the sellers simply move the goods and the curtains that are used for shade - the train passes and then everything goes back to the way it was before! After seeing the train pass by food of all kinds, if we have enough time, we move onto the klongs, which are nothing else than the canals that were used in the past for the transport of goods and people, as well as for organizing real floating markets. On board the typical long-tail boats we thus discover another face of Bangkok - which is not surprisingly nicknamed the "Venice of Asia".

After a quick lunch we set off again and say goodbye to Bangkok once and for all. If we have time, we move to Phetchaburi City. We are here for a specific reason: after the chaos of the capital we are ready for a little peace, and we look for it in the Tham Khao Luang Cave*. This cave, inside which we find a Buddhist sanctuary, is made incredibly suggestive thanks to the sun's rays that filter through the ceiling. Here we will also be able to make our first acquaintance with the famous little monkeys that are found almost everywhere in places like these in Thailand - will they be friendly? We continue to today's final stage: by dinner time we are in Hua Hin, where we can reach the night market and finally taste some street food. Will there be fried grasshoppers? But above all: will anyone have the courage to taste them?

Today is our last day on the mainland: tomorrow we will reach the islands of the Gulf of Siam for a few days of pure relaxation - but first we have to tick a few lines off the list of things to do during a trip to Thailand. First item to cross off: visit a Buddhist temple; the majority of Thailand's population is Buddhist, so there are temples all over the country. Hua Hin is no exception and Wat Khao Takiap is one of these extraordinary Buddhist temple complexes on the "Hill of Chopsticks" south of central Hua Hin. It is one of the city's most recognizable temples, located on a 272 meter high hill that juts out into the Gulf of Thailand and is visible from the coasts to the north and south. Second item to cross out: meeting some monkeys - spoiler: we will reach Wat Khao Takiap on foot and we will meet several of them along the way!

Third item to cross off the list of MUST HAVEs for a trip to Thailand: visit at least one national park! Well, here we are: Sam Roi Yot National Park is the park for us. The Khao Sam Roi Yot Nature Park is the most important in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. Founded in 1966, it is located halfway between Bangkok, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Hua Hin. Despite this proximity to the capital, Khao Sam Roi Yot is one of Thailand's national parks least known to tourists, making it perfect for those of us who want to discover little-exploited corners of Thailand. After visiting the park we set off again to reach Chumpon: sea, we're coming!

Krabi: a jungle of limestone rocks that rise like sleepy giants from the sea. Poetic, right?! And in person it's even more beautiful but... we have to get there and let's say it's not just around the corner!

Now, as regards the bus trip from Chumpon to Krabi, let's arm ourselves with a good playlist and give free rein to the social animal within us: with a bit of music and a chat the time passes much faster! And as the landscape changes from arid plains to lush tropical forest, we might find ourselves immersed in an engaging conversation or exchanging travel tips with the backpacker sitting next to us. Ultimately, when the bus stops in Krabi, we may feel like we've just passed an epic test. It was all part of the adventure!

Today the day has finally arrived to take a breath and immerse yourself in the first taste of the sea! Here is the perfect opportunity to decide: beach or... boat? In fact, there will be the possibility of setting sail on an epic adventure between 4 Thai islands!

Tab Island, a bit like a double surprise, is made up of two islands joined by a strip of sand. And then there's Kai Island (or Chicken island), a rock formation so bizarre that it looks just like the head of an ostrich or a chicken! But wait, there's more! A picnic on the beach on Poda Island, with white sand and crystal clear water populated by a myriad of bright fish. It's like being inside a National Geographic documentary!

And let's not forget the afternoon: a visit to the Phranang Cave and the beach of the same name, perfect for a refreshing dip or to tan like lazy lizards on the sand.

Welcome aboard this journey to the island of dreams, Koh Lanta! Today we board the ferry like daredevil pirates in search of hidden treasures (or at least a fantastic day at the seaside). The departure is a mix of excitement and impatience: the engines roar, the waves open up before us and the wind caresses our faces, as if nature itself was whispering: go guys, go conquer Koh Lanta!

And what's better than enjoying this trip with our new best friends? We can exchange jokes, plan the adventures ahead and share the joy of being on our way to one of Thailand's most incredible islands. Let's not forget to take a look at the horizon: we might spot dolphins jumping in the waves or mysterious islands emerging from nowhere. And when we finally hear the gentle rocking of the ferry approaching the coast of Koh Lanta, we will know that it is time to disembark and go to the hotel. The afternoon will be completely relaxing: beach, sea and beer at sunset!

This morning we wake up in this paradise and we have the whole day at our disposal. We can personalize it by organizing the activities that interest us most with the support and suggestions of our coordinator. One of the ideas, after having had breakfast, is to go and discover Koh Rok, located about 45 minutes from Koh Lanta: it is a true tropical paradise and one of the most beautiful and uncontaminated islands in all of Thailand. The two small islands, called Koh Rok Nai and Koh Rok Nok respectively, are separated by a narrow stretch of sea, protected thanks to the establishment of a marine national park and left absolutely virgin: no accommodation is possible on the island, not even a bungalow. The colors of the sea are amazing, as is the very white and soft white sand, while the interior is completely occupied by tropical jungle. A few meters from the shore there is an enchanting coral reef with beautiful corals and abundant underwater fauna. Food and water must be brought with you, there are no refreshment points. So, what do we do? Shall we go on this adventure?

Koh Lanta, in addition to being beautiful, is also very close to the very famous Phi Phi Islands - yes, the ones from the film with Leo and yes, they can be reached with a comfortable boat excursion ! Let's go?! Aboard our shared speedboat, an epic journey awaits us through the crystal-clear waters of Thai paradise.

Our first stop? None other than the iconic Maya Bay, the same postcard beach that makes you want to put on a gold swimsuit and look for Leonardo DiCaprio (or at least a selfie to post on Instagram)! But it doesn't end here, because the adventure continues with the discovery of the mysterious Viking Cave, where we might come across hidden treasures or... who knows, maybe some lost Vikings!

And after having savored every moment of this adventure, we return to Koh Lanta, with a smile on our faces and the desire to continue exploring: we can always rent bikes and go looking for the best spot for a sunset worthy of this day.

The time to abandon these wonderful islands has already arrived, whoever is sad, raise your hand! Today is dedicated to returning to Bangkok: we will take a ferry that will take us back to Krabi and from there we will move to Trang where, around 5pm, we will board the night train that will arrive in Bangkok early in the morning. After all, it wouldn't be a real Weroad without at least one night train - local experience guaranteed!

There are always places in a city that should not be missed. This is why in the morning we will take a walk among the temples of Bangkok and then continue to Wat Pho, with its gigantic reclining golden Buddha, and Wat Arun, on the other side of the river - to reach it we will take a small boat trip. Known as the “Temple of Dawn,” it has a timeless atmosphere that instills profound peace.

In the afternoon we have some free time and it will be a good opportunity to do some shopping before returning home. At the end of the day, a combo of incredible local experiences awaits us: a street food tour of about three hours - we eat Thai food! - through the streets of Bangkok, not on foot, but on board the iconic tuk tuks. We will have with us a local guide who will accompany us on this tour in which we will have the opportunity to try some of the typical dishes of the local cuisine and which will end in a stylish bar in the city while sipping a delicious drink. What better occasion to retrace the adventures we had together before saying goodbye?

Time to say goodbye: goodbye Thailand! See you at the next WeRoad!