Our Seven Must Sees in Thailand for Couple Travelers

Thailand has been aptly called the land of enchantment.  It is a paradise for couple travelers.  Thailand tempts couples with its vibrant cities, white sandy beaches, and adventure at every turn.  With so much to do and see, how do you decide what to do?  We are here to help you avoid this fight.

Bangkok Royal Palace

Bangkok Royal Palace

The Grand palace of Bangkok

The crown jewel of Bangkok, Thailand has to be the Grand palace.  It is not to be missed.  The palace complex is a collection of former and current royal residences, Buddhist temples, and statues that give the feel of the power and majesty of the kingdom.  The reclining Buddha is a work of art that glows with a golden sheen.  We spent the lion share of a day walking around the grounds.  A helpful audio guide is available when you purchase you tickets.  There are guided tours available and candidly, we wished we have forked out the “Thailand bahts” for one of those.  We are not convinced that the audio tour gives you all of the interesting details.  We ended up with more questions than we had answers by the end of our tour.  Be aware that the dress code for the palace is strict.  Do your homework on what is and is not allowed. If not dressed appropriately, guards will make sure you have extra clothing to wear.  Getting there: take the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin Statio on the river, then jump on a river taxi heading north.

 

Ride an elephant

Elephant Safari

Elephant Safari Adventure

What visit to Siam would be complete without a jungle trek atop an Elephant?  Yes, it is a little touristy.  But you have to do it!  The unforgettable adventure of sitting atop one of these massive animals tramping through a jungle is a must.  We were offered views that looked like something out of Jurassic Park.   The gentle sway of the elephants gait is a great excuse to clutch your lover closer.  Our safari’s midpoint was at a watering hole that allowed us the chance to cool down in a pond.  The elephants got into the mix as well.   A word of caution.  Please do your research on which elephant trek adventure to take.  Some operators mistreat their animals and run their business in a manner that causes harm to customers and animals.

Hike in Khao Sok Jungle

One often overlooked area in Thailand is located halfway between Bangkok and Phuket, the Khao Suk National Park.  The Kao Sok Jungle is the perfect couple travel adventure!  This collection of 300 square miles (738.74 square km) of dense lush rain forest is dotted with deep lakes and enchanting waterfalls.  The flora and fauna, is second only in our experience to the Amazon.  You have a number of different options for accommodations near and in the park, everything from a bungalow right on a remote lake to a tree house (read about our tree house stay here.)   The park offers self-guided day hikes to some of the most breathtaking vistas our eyes have ever seen.  Seeing the mist hanging over the lush canvas of the rain forest canopy, set to a back ground of karst mountains is difficult to describe.  Simply amazing!   If you are particularly adventurous, take a night hike and see the jungle come alive at night!  Obviously we strongly recommend a guide for this undertaking.  Getting there:  If you are staying in a Phuket or Krabi resort, there are a number of mini buses that will pick you up and deliver you to one of the forest camps.  A great resource about mini buses from other locations is available at wikitravel.

Thailand beaches

The Beaches of Krabi

Island hopping out of Krabi

Take our advice on this one.  Skip the long line of sun seekers headed to Phi Phi.  Rent a boat for you and you lover and go island hopping!  We are strong proponents of staying in Krabi over Phuket.  It is much more quaint, affordable, and candidly more beautiful.  Along the beach are a number of iconic wooden boats with their brightly colored streamers.  Barefooted captains are ready to whisk you away to your own private paradise.  We made the day of it and visited 4-5 beaches, many of which we had all to ourselves.  Would we trade this for a crowded space on Phi Phi?  NO WAY!  Getting there: take a walk down the beach in Ao Nang, Thailand and negotiate the best deal.

Thai Seafood

YUM!  Dinner at Lae Lay Grill

Dinner at the Lai Grill

We have saved the best for last.  Perched in the hills above Krabi, overlooking the ocean is one of the best restaurants we have found in our wandering, the Lae Lay Grill (www.laelaygrill.com).  Thai Cuisine is renowned worldwide for its distinctive spices and flavors.  Lae Lay pairs that tradition with the bounty of fresh seafood available in Southern Thailand.  The final part of the equation is a crew of some of the most capable and comedic cooks.  The open kitchen is part of the entertainment.  Get the seafood sampler to share, a pineapple full of fried rice and a cool libation to wash it all down.  We capped our visit to Krabi with this dinner and with the view of the sunset, we will never, ever forget that meal.  Getting there: Give them a call and they will pick you up from a local hotel or take a tuk tuk to 89 Moo 3, Ao Nang, Krabi Town, Thailand 81000.

Golden Bhutta

Reclining Budda

North to Chiang Mai

We rarely write about a place that we have not been because we want to be able to field questions and give reader’s our candid opinion. Unfortunately,  we haven’t been to Chiang Mai so we rely on ourr blog-BFFs that have been there many times.   Lets start with an overview of the area with Tieland to Thailand (First Impressions of Chiang Mai).   To capture the vibe of Chiang Mai, the Globetrotter girls really capture the highlights: (Things we love about Chiang Mai)  In an effort to present both sides:  Adventurous Kate offers the pros and cons (Chiang Mai is Not for Everyone).  Getting there: From Bangkok it’s a 70 minute flight, or 11 hours by bus or 12 hours by overnight train.

This should get you started!  Check out Thomson flights and book your Thailand flight today!

 

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7 Responses to Our Seven Must Sees in Thailand for Couple Travelers

  1. Brandon November 29, 2013 at 5:30 pm #

    Thanks this is great!

    Anne and I are going to be traveling Asia for all of 2014 and we just added a few things to the list… Khao Suk National Park and Island hopping around Krabi :)

  2. The Fighting Couple November 29, 2013 at 5:51 pm #

    You guys will have a great time! We are so jealous. Please let us know if we can help in any way. Cheers!

  3. Sand In My Suitcase November 30, 2013 at 9:07 pm #

    From Krabi, we went to Koh Lanta for a few days – loved this island. We would go back in a heartbeat!

  4. Chris & Angela TielandtoThailand December 2, 2013 at 12:07 am #

    We are very thrilled that you guys included our post about Chiang Mai in your list. We greatly appreciate you sharing our blog with your readers!

    We will be sure to indulge at Lai Grill in March when we visit Krabi with Angela’s parents. Thanks again for everything, and best of luck!

  5. Chris April 7, 2014 at 12:08 am #

    My wife and I lived in Chiang Mai for six months (just moved from there, actually) – there’s plenty to see and do, especially if you enjoy getting off-the-beaten-path. Doi Suthep is easily the most well-known tourist attraction, but the insect museum is also fun… Then there’s the hell temple…

    The blog’s got them all, actually – most of what’s been published in the past couple of months has been in or around Chiang Mai =)

  6. Arthur Warren June 26, 2015 at 7:12 am #

    other must see in Thailand is Phuket Fantasea which located in Kamala beach, Phuket. Phuket FantaSea show was absolutely amazing. It is one of the best shows in Thailand! You shouldn’t miss it. Super highly recommend. It’s a great place for a couple.

  7. Surender January 23, 2016 at 4:13 am #

    Thailand is a paradise for couple travelers, It’s true.

    Thailand is a beautiful country with white sand beaches and awesome waterfalls that makes it more romantic, the most exotic and exciting honeymoon place also. Nice post!