After spending 30 days in Thailand, I experienced a good taste of what the country had to offer. From the bustling city of Bangkok to the culturally rich mountain towns of the north to the beautiful jungle islands of the south, Thailand has amazing destinations for the perfect getaway.

Before we dive into what I consider to be the 5 MUST visit spots in Thailand, I have to say I loved just about everywhere I went in the country. Every city, town, and island I went to had amazing food, fantastic people, and breathtaking views. This list is also from the point of view from a solo traveler and I’m sure someone wanting a more “upscale” vacation would have differing opinions on their favorite spots. But if you’re looking for an experience of a lifetime, make sure to check these spots out:

5. Bangkok

Bangkok should definitely be on the start of everyone’s trip to Thailand. Whether it’s just for one day, one week, orrrr you end up moving there permanently it is a MUST see. From the hectic streets to the bustling night life, Bangkok has it all.

In Bangkok you’ll get your fill of temples, shopping, and partying. Here are some must do’s while visiting:

Temples:

• The Grand Palace
• Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
• Wat Intharawihan (105 ft/32 m tall Buddha)

Shopping:

• Floating Markets
• Night Markets
• Plenty of malls too!

Partying:

• Khao San Raod
• Roof Top Bars
• Red Light Districts – Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Patpong

NapPark Hostel:

I only stayed at one hostel while in Bangkok and I can’t suggest it enough. NapPark is right next to all the action. With a 5 minute walk to Khao San Road, the partying is right next door. However, for someone (like me) who wants to get a good night sleep after the fun, this is the spot! The staff is super friendly and love to get to know the travelers staying with them. Their rooms are clean, quiet, and the beds are quite nice! I loved my stay here so much I decided to stay at NapPark AGAIN at the end of my trip. I’d highly suggest you check it out!

Now, while I was in Thailand, I only spent a few days in Bangkok (which I personally found was enough). But I know plenty of people that spent weeks and even moved to Bangkok permanently.

If you want to learn more about my time in Bangkok Days 1-3 of my 30 day Thailand adventure capture everything I did at the start of my trip and Days 29 & 30 add a few more extra fun things I did at the end of my trip!

Blog posts: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 29, Day 30

If a big bustling city is your vibe, then this will be the perfect destination for you! While in Bangkok, beware of tourist traps and tuk tuk scams. It is a very walkable city and if you’re not up to brave the heat try using rideshare apps like Grab or Bolt (make sure to try out a GRAB scooter ride, hold on tight)!

4. Kata

When you think of Thailand, you probably first think about Bangkok… but then you start thinking about Phuket! Now Phuket is known for it’s CRAZY nightlife of nightclubs, cabaret shows, etc. but that’s Patong, Phuket. So if that is not your vibe, I highly suggest this lesser known part of Phuket — Kata.

Kata is a beach town, just south of Patong, full of shops, great food, and a lovely beach! On top of that Kata is known as the best surfing in all of Phuket!

Surfing:

• I took a surfing lesson on Kata Beach which I’d highly recommend. It was 1000 Baht ($28) for 1 hour. But you could also rent a surfboard for much cheaper if you want to teach yourself or already know how (I want to say around 200 Baht for 1 hour).
• Kata Noi Beach — this is the spot you want to hit for serious surfing! I didn’t end up checking it out myself, but I was told this was where the good waves were at. I’ve heard it gets pretty crowded but that it’s still a wonderful time!

Buddha Hike:

Kata is also home to The Big Buddha, a 148 ft (45 m) tall seated buddha that overlooks all of Phuket! You can hire a cab to drive you up or take your moped, but I highly suggest taking the hike up to it. Unfortunately the hike leads to a road that takes about another 10 minutes to walk up. But the hike itself leads to some spectacular views, is challenging and steep, and has some lovely wildlife along the way!

Night Market:

The Kata Night Market is located at the north side of Kata Beach. This market is jam packed full with food vendors, clothing vendors, and of course all the knickknacks you could possibly want.

Food:

My favorite spot to eat in Kata was 45 Thai Time. If you’re on a budget and looking for great Thai food, you need to check this place out! It was by far the cheapest meal I could find in Kata and definitely bang for your buck (Baht?). The staff was quite friendly and it’s in a quieter part of the tourist town which allows for a nice escape while eating. AND it’s right next to the hostel which I stayed at which was quite convenient.

Hostel:

• Sleepy Station — When I went to Kata I was on the lookout for a quiet (non-party) hostel and Sleepy Station was the perfect place! It was a 10 minute walk to the beach, very clean rooms and bathrooms, a nice kitchen area with dishes and other amenities, and was very lowkey! I still ended up meeting a couple people while I was staying there too.

Blog posts: Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19

Now Kata (along with most of Phuket) is on the “pricier” side compared to Bangkok and towns/cities further north. So if you’re on a budget, prepare for this. I only stayed for a few days for this reason but I really enjoyed it!

3. Railay Beach

Want to stay in one of the most BEAUTIFUL secluded beach towns in Thailand? Railay Beach was not on my radar prior to going to Thailand, but after one of my friends told me it was her favorite spot in the country I had to check it out!

When most people visit Krabi, Thaliand, they will stay in Ao Nang and then take a day trip to Railay Beach. However, I decided to just stay in Railay Beach and I’d highly suggest you do the same! This gorgeous beach town has everything for budget and non-budget travelers, from affordable hostels to fancy beach resorts.

The beaches are just absolutely breath taking as well and has multiple beaches to explore.

Island Tours:

One of the fun activities to do in Railay is to take a island hopping tour! For 1000 Baht you can hop on a tour to the 4 beautiful islands that are just off the coast of Railay. These tours usually include snorkeling, food, and of course drinks!

Rock Climbing:

Railay is known for it’s rock climbing. Now I didn’t personally do it, but I met plenty of people who had done it and also watched a lot of tourists do it as well! The rock climbing is right on the beach and sometimes (depending how adventurous you want to get) you can free climb over the water! There’s everything from just a few climbs to full day excursions.

View Point Hike:

Railay Beach has my 3rd favorite viewpoint hike in all of Thailand. I want to start with a warning though, this hike is more like a rock climb without a harness, so please use extra caution on this one! But if you’re an adventure seeker this one is for you! This climb scales up a jagged rock wall which leads to a short hike through a jungle and eventually leads to an amazing view that is the picture above! If you’re feeling extra ambitious, there is also a lagoon that you can climb down to on the opposite side of the cliff. This is just as steep (if not steeper) than the climb up.

Phra Nang Cave:

Probably one of the most interesting caves you’ll see in Thailand, the Phra Nang Cave (or the Princess Cave) is a sacred place home to offerings from boatmen and fisherman. These offerings come in a shape that I’m not 100% sure I can show on this blog post BUT I’d highly suggest you go and take a look yourself!

Hostel:

Social Quarters — This hostel was the cheapest when I was in Railay but also… it was completely empty except for me! The hostel itself was very clean and exactly what I needed for my stay in Railay. On top of that, it’s owned by Blanco, which has a hostel right next door, and you can participate in all of the Blanco activities and also have access to their pool and bar! Now if you want to stay in Blanco you’ll have to climb up a number of flights of steep stairs. But Social Quarters cuts out all that walking (which gets pretty traitorous after a long night out).

Blog posts: Day 21, Day 22, Day 23

Railay Beach will take your breath away and I encourage you to at the very least take a day trip! I personally stayed for a few days and enjoyed it all, but it was very rainy since I went in August. However, even in the rain the beauty of this beach town shined!

2. Koh Tao

The race between #2 and #1 on this list was VERY close, but Koh Tao is a place you HAVE to visit when you travel to Thailand. I fell in love with this island almost instantly and I’m sure you will too.

Koh Tao is probably most well known for it’s very cheap PADI scuba diving certification, however there’s so much more to enjoy outside of that!

Beaches:

The multiple white sand beaches scattered across the perimeter of the island are breathtaking. Here are some I’d recommend that you visit:

• Sairee Beach
• Freedom Beach
• Shark Bay

There’s also Mango Beach, however, this one is a bit of a challenge to get to and I didn’t personally have an opportunity to go to it!

View Point Hikes:

Koh Tao is home to my 2nd favorite viewpoint hike in Thailand but has a couple different ones to go explore!

• Mango Viewpoint — This short viewpoint hike is more of a viewpoint hangout vs a hike but it still leads to some spectacular views. If my memory serves me correctly, you have to pay a minimum of 20 Baht to enter or just buy something from the lovely lady at the little stall at the base of the viewpoint (if you just pay the minimum she’ll give you a banana). But once you get to the top you’re welcomed by an amazing view with multiple hammocks and platforms to hang out on!
• John-Suwan Viewpoint (my 2nd favorite) — This is another hike that is more of a climb, but worth the sweat and effort! This steep climb takes you to one of the most gorgeous views I have ever seen (pictured above). It costs 50 Baht to enter this part of the island but this entrance fee also covers the fee to enter Freedom Beach! And after a hot sweaty climb, you’ll be wanting to relax at the beach.

It didn’t make the list but my favorite viewpoint hike was the Bottle Beach in Koh Phangan. The hike to the beach is spectacular but the viewpoint hike waiting for you once you get to the beach is incredible!

“Secret” Sunset Bars:

On top of beautiful viewpoints on hikes, there’s also some amazing sunset bars that offer unbelievable views of the sunset. Here are some that are scattered across the island:

• Secret Bar
• Sunset Bar

… creative names, I know.

Hostel:

I stayed in the Revolution hostel while staying in Koh Tao. I really enjoyed my stay there and met some awesome people! The volunteers and staff were super friendly and most of the events they put on were a blast! We played sunset soccer/football on the beach which was so much fun! It was right next to Sairee Beach as well which made for some easy beach days. I heard some people complaining about their rooms or showers, but my room was perfect and so were the people in my dorm!

Motor Biking:

Koh Tao was one of the most fun places to motor bike around. The winding hilly roads were a blast and in the gorgeous island weather it was amazing! However, it is also a very unsafe place to motor bike (some say the most dangerous in Thailand). Since this island is heavily populated with tourists, there are a lot of drunk drivers and unskilled drivers riding around. As long as you pay attention, wear your helmet, and know that this is a possibility you should be fine. I did hear of previous accidents and saw a few while in Koh Tao that were not a pleasant site. Please use caution when riding around a motor bike (anywhere in Thailand).

Blog Posts: Day 24, Day 25, Day 26

Koh Tao needs to be on your list! I loved it so much that I’m planning on spending much more time there in the future… maybe even get my PADI while I’m at it!

1. Pai

This is hands down my favorite spot in Thailand. This hidden gem was one I had absolutely never heard of before arriving in Thailand. But every solo traveler I met who had been said it was a MUST stop. I’m so glad I listened to them because it was the place I spent the longest amount of time in on my first 30 day trip to Thailand!

Pai is a mountain town 3 hours to the North-West of Chiang Mai. This small town has a beach town feel but is very high up in the mountains. When you arrive to Pai you are dropped off in the center of the town on their walking street. This walking street is full of food vendors, shops, bars, restaurants, and hostels! I walked up and down this street more times than I can count and never got bored of it!

Excursions Around Pai:

On top of the amazing walking street, Pai is surrounded by some spectacular activities and adventures!

• Kho Ku So Bamboo Bridge
• Mo Paeng Waterfall
• Wat Phra That Mae Yen (Big White Buddha)
• Nam Lod Cave
• Pai Canyon
• Santichon Village
• Waterfall Hikes

If you want to learn more about these excursions I’d highly suggest you check out my daily blog posts from my 30 days in Thailand! I have some awesome photos of all these excursions and go into detail on my thoughts about them!

Restaurants & Bars:

There are plenty of restaurants/bars in Pai to try and explore but there were a number of places that stood out to me that I had multiple times!

• Gyoza Queen
• Baanpai Restaurant
• Sugarcane Home
• Sunset Bar

The price of food in Pai is insanely affordable, which I think is one of the many reasons backpackers love to stay here! The food is also incredible and I can’t wait to stay in Pai again for even longer and experience it all again!

Hostels & Bungalows:

• Revolution Pai — I stayed at this hostel for multiple nights and enjoyed every second of it! The rooms and showers were very clean and the people were awesome! The hostel is just a few minute walk to the walking street and is within walking distance of just about everything you need! They also have free dinners every night which they didn’t advertise on their HostelWorld page, but it was very good and helped save some money! There is a pool at the hostel… but it isn’t the best and no one really used it. The hostel is also right next to the river and has some nice areas to sit and relax by it.

While in Pai I stayed in a few bungalows with a friend of mine! Both of these locations were absolutely gorgeous and I would highly recommend you checking out either (or both)!

• Butterfly Hostel — this bungalow is right next to a beautiful rice field and has a great view of the Big White Buddha!
• Romantic Time Mountain Resort — these bungalows are secluded and very quiet! I was sick during my stay here and it was a perfect place to relax and enjoy the nature around it!

Blog Posts: Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

Pai was such a wonderful town to stay in and I really really hope you give it a chance when you visit Thailand!

On top of that, I hope this article was the kick in the butt you needed to go and explore the wonderful country of Thailand! If you have any questions feel free to comment on this (or any post) and I’ll try and get back to you as quickly as possible!

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