Dec 12, 20198 min read

Thailand & Cambodia

Updated: Mar 8, 2020

November 2018

A little throw back here! I loved going back through all of our honeymoon plans & videos from Thailand & Cambodia to put this together. I have had so many inquiries about our trip which is actually what primarily inspired our blog!

We loved traveling to the other side of the world to experience a new culture and adventure together. Our journey included Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi Island, and Chiang Mai in Thailand and Siem Reap in Cambodia. I tried to plan for this trip as much as possible in advance, but found that aside from hotels, much of what we did could have been planned there. And in fact our itinerary was very fluid and changed every day. I recommend going with a list of things you want to do and try to clump them based on location. Allow yourself some extra days to spend more time doing the things you enjoy in particular. I also want to share some of our favorite places & experiences and give you some tips for best navigating Thailand!

Check out our other pages for our FULL itinerary & highlight video!

Bangkok, Thailand

The Best Eat

Sky Bar Bangkok: cool experience, great views, very expensive - famous from The Hangover 2 movie
Thipsamai for Pad Thai

Street food! Chinatown had the best. Don't be afraid to eat from the street vendors. All of our favorites were from street carts: Moo Ping (pork skewers), Kluay Tod (fried mini bananas), Poh Pia Tod (spring rolls), Moo Grob (crispy pork)
Mango Sticky Rice
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Rooftop Bar at sala rattanakosin: great views across the river at Wat Arun
River Dinner Cruise: very fun experience, great food & entertainment!
Caution - Thai food is very spicy!

Must Do, Must See

- Jim Thompson House: a Thai-style teak house built and designed by American entrepreneur Jim Thompson

- Thai Massage: get a different massage every day! Very affordable. Services include: foot massage, oil massage (similar to Swedish style), Thai massage (deep tissue acupressure with assisted yoga), Aloe Vera massage, etc. There are massage spas everywhere and most were clean, safe, and affordable. So Thai Spa was recommended to me by a friend for a more Westernized option

- Bangkok Art & Culture Center

- Temples: wear comfortable shoes that are easy to take on and off. You must remove your shoes before entering all temples

Wat Arun
Grand Palace: both men and women are expected to wear full length pants. Women must have shoulders covered - shawls are not acceptable - must be a t-shirt or cardigan
Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha): one of our favorites, impressively large monument
Loha Prasat: off the beaten path, very quiet and peaceful
Wat Saket (Golden Mount)

- Muay Thai: aka Thai boxing, very famous in the area, we however did not get a chance to attend an event

- Lumphini Park: walking distance from Central World mall

- Shopping:

Icon Siam: largest mall in SE Asia - an unbelievable experience!! First floor is based off traditional Thai markets, subsequent 6+ floors include apple store, BMW dealership, food court, Prada, and so much more! Of note, there was a free river shuttle from River City area when we were there - consider this when planning transportation
Siam Center
Central World
MBK Center: one of our go-to spots for negotiating deals

Chatuchak Weekend Market: (Open Saturday–Sunday from 9am to 6pm, Friday from 6pm to midnight) large market >8000 stalls, clothing/food/flowers/art, come ready to negotiate prices!
Flower Market: best to go at night, after 8pm, apparently best around 2-3am - we went with the night
Floating Market: Damnoen Saduak is the best known from the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, but as a result the most touristy - this is the one we ended up doing. It was a cool experience but very touristy, and expensive. Of note, it is also 100km to the West of Bangkok. I recommend looking into alternative options.

- Night food tour: this was recommended to us by a friend and we had a blast! We usually don't like guided tours however this was great and included a variety of foods from various locations including Thipsamai Pad Thai, night flower market, and Rooftop Bar at sala rattanakosin with tuk tuk ride included

- Madame Tussauds Museum & Sea Life Ocean World: We had some extra time in Bangkok and decided to add this to our adventures - bought a package deal to include admission to both wax museum & aquarium

Tips & Tricks

Transportation:

River taxi: we bought a day pass for the orange boat, we took it from Sathon Pier to Wat Arun
Sky train: easy to use - one way or day pass, we used it to get from Lebua hotel to Siam Center area
Tuk tuk: a very fun experience in Bangkok! Do it a few times, often overpriced, best for short distances
Metered taxi vs Grab: if you can get a taxi to run the meter and not just pay a flat fee for a trip, this is the best deal you will find in the city! However, most of the taxi drivers know its a steal and since you are a tourist, they will likely offer you an overpriced flat fee and argue with you when you ask to run the meter. A few drivers ran the meter but most refused - it became very frustrating and we even got out of a taxi while at a stop light because the driver wouldn't run the meter. We often used Grab (similar to Uber) instead of taxis - we found the rates were better, the drivers more friendly, and you can pay via credit card through the app instead of using cash for taxis

Places to Stay:

Royal Princess Larn Luang
Lebua tower hotel: from the Hangover 2 movie

Siem Reap, Cambodia