With its intoxicating blend of historic culture, deep spirituality, world-class food, and drop-dead gorgeous resorts, Thailand has been at the top of our travel bucket list for years. It is the ultimate escape from the cold of the northeast US, promising nothing but warm, balmy skies. In November of 2025, we finally made that dream a reality. Even with a full three weeks to play with, the hardest part was narrowing down an itinerary. After pouring over endless route options, we decided to focus on a "greatest hits" tour of the country: Bangkok, the Golden Triangle, Chiang Mai, and the island paradise of Ko Yao Noi. Plus, because it was just a short flight away and too iconic to miss, we crossed the border into Cambodia for the ancient wonders of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat.

Bangkok

We began our journey in Thailand’s vibrant capital, staying at the Chakrabongse Villas. Built in 1908 by Prince Chakrabongse, this royal residence-turned-boutique-retreat sits directly on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Our Riverview Suite, made entirely of teak, was a tranquil oasis in the heart of a bustling metropolis.

Canals, Palaces, and Temples: We explored the Chao Phraya River and its meandering canals by boat, which offered a front-row seat to the city’s dramatic scale. It was fascinating to see the historic, intricate architecture of the Grand Palace and Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) standing in the shadow of Bangkok’s modern skyline and massive luxury malls like ICONSIAM. Exploring the palace’s shimmering gold stupas and the sacred Emerald Buddha truly brought the city’s royal history to life.
Floating and Railway Markets: Probably our favorite experience was visiting the century-old Damnoen Saduak Floating Market about an hour outside of Bangkok. On a boat with our guide, we passed so many vendors both on the shores and selling right from their boats. Our favorites were the made-to-order Pad Thai and mango sticky rice, washed down with an ice-cold beer bought from a beer boat! We also visited the nearby Maeklong Railway Market, which is famously situated over working tracks. It is a unique spectacle to see sellers quickly pack up their goods to let the train pass inches from their stalls—don’t worry, it goes super slow!—before immediately setting everything back out to resume business.
Bangkok After Dark: We zipped through the trendy Talad Noi district in an electric tuk-tuk for a progressive dining experience. It was the perfect way to discover funky bars and restaurants tucked away in the backstreets of old Yaowarat (Chinatown).

The Golden Triangle

From Bangkok, we flew north to Chiang Rai to enter the heart of the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. We stayed at the Four Seasons Tented Camp, an all-inclusive, safari-style resort that is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world—and it was truly amazing! The serene, secluded atmosphere was quite the contrast to the high-energy bustle of Bangkok.

Living in a Mekong Tent meant waking up to morning coffee on our deck with views of the Ruak River and the jungles of Myanmar. The experience here is centered on "My Elephant & I," an educational encounter where guests spend time with rescued elephants in their natural habitat, learning about their personalities, how much they eat (a lot!), and even cleaning them with hoses.

The highlight for us was the morning routine: every day, they bring the elephants down to the restaurant area for breakfast, and guests are invited to help feed them. Katie made a habit of ordering a fresh coconut to drink each morning; once she finished the juice, she’d feed the coconut shell to the elephants—a treat they clearly enjoyed! When we weren't bonding with our new giant friends, we ventured out on a long-tail boat excursion along the Mekong River, exploring local markets and the ancient temple of Chedi Luang.

Chiang Mai

A four-hour overland drive south brought us to Chiang Mai, the cultural heart of Northern Thailand. We stopped along the way to see Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple), a dazzling contemporary structure covered in glass mosaics.

In Chiang Mai, we stayed at 137 Pillars House, a stunning boutique hotel built around a restored 19th-century teak house that once served as the headquarters for the East Borneo Company. We enjoyed exploring the sprawling markets and temples, including Doi Suthep, where our guide led us in a truly moving meditation. Since food is such a huge part of visiting Thailand, we did a Vespa food tour and cooking class where we learned to make one of our favorite dishes of the trip: green papaya salad (Som Tum).

For a true immersion into Northern Thailand’s dramatic natural beauty, we took a day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park - home of the nation’s tallest mountain. We began by admiring the roaring, powerful cascades of the Wachirathan Waterfall before taking a short walk along the Ang Ka Nature Trail (also known as Michael’s Trail), a beautiful elevated path winding through lush, misty cloud forests. That was good training for our spectacular two-hour hike along the Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail. Trekking along the mountain ridges offered us jaw-dropping panoramic views of the valleys below, making the two-and-a-half-hour drive from Chiang Mai completely worth it.

But the absolute highlight of our trip—and the main reason we went when we did—was the Yi Peng (Lantern) Festival. We experienced it just outside of Chiang Mai in the neighboring town of Lamphun, as these sky lanterns are no longer permitted within Chiang Mai's city limits. We bought a lantern from a local vendor, lit the flame, said a blessing, and watched it ascend into the night sky alongside hundreds of other shining lanterns—a truly moving magical sight.

Siem Reap

From Chiang Mai, we traveled to Cambodia to witness the awe-inspiring ruins of the Angkorian Empire. Our home base was Jaya House River Park, known for its personalized service, complimentary daily massages, and lush pools and gardens. Siem Reap itself was charming; with a meandering river running through the center of town, it plays host to beautiful hotels, great restaurants, and some of the best boutique shopping of the trip.

The highlight of our time here was, of course, Angkor Wat. We departed our hotel at 4:30 AM via tuk-tuk to witness the sun rising over the world’s largest religious monument and to beat the intense afternoon heat. Even with that early start, the humidity was no joke—most people at the temple were already sweating through their clothes! It is a sprawling complex and a true architectural marvel.

We also visited several other temples, each unique in its own way, including Ta Prohm—the hauntingly beautiful ruin overrun by massive tree roots and famously featured in the Tomb Raider movies. After a couple of days of temple hopping, it was a welcome change of pace to take an oxcart ride through the quiet outskirts of town and visit a local Khmer family for a delicious, homemade lunch.

Ko Yao Noi: The Final Bliss

Our adventure ended with four nights of pure relaxation at Six Senses Yao Noi. Located on a secluded island in Phang Nga Bay, this resort is famous for its panoramic views of limestone karsts rising from the sea. We spent our final days finding the perfect balance between relaxing (swimming and sunbathing at our private pool) and a bit of exploration, including:

Island Hopping: We traveled by longboat to uninhabited lagoons, islands with monkeys, and a beautiful (though crowded) beach.
Culinary Immersion: We took a Thai cookery class at Mina’s, located in a traditional house overlooking rice fields.
Sustainability in Action: We toured the resort’s organic chicken farm (where the chickens listen to jazz!) and picked our own eggs for breakfast.

Back to Bangkok

For our final night in Southeast Asia, our trip came back full circle to Bangkok at 137 Pillars Suites. Tucked into the vibrant, upscale heart of Sukhumvit, it was the perfect stay for a whirlwind 24 hours. We squeezed in some serious retail therapy, checking off last-minute souvenir shopping, before escaping the city heat at the hotel’s rooftop infinity pool. Floating at the edge of the sky with breathtaking panoramic views of the urban skyline below was the absolute perfect way to end our journey before our early-morning flight home.

Reflections & Lessons Learned

The Two-Week or 10-Day Itinerary: If two weeks is all you have, start with three nights in Bangkok, fly north to Chiang Mai for three nights, then cross to Siem Reap for three nights before finishing with three nights at Ko Yao Noi and one final night back in Bangkok — thirteen nights, every major destination, no wasted travel days. The Golden Triangle doesn't make the cut on this version: the Four Seasons Tented Camp is extraordinary, but getting there adds a separate flight and a full itinerary of its own, making it better suited to a return trip. If you're working with ten days instead of two weeks, take the same route and cut Cambodia. Cambodia is a strong enough reason to come back on its own.
Transportation logistics can be a challenge: You’ll most likely start your trip in Bangkok. Getting to other towns and cities in Thailand typically involves a flight or hiring a driver. It isn’t advised to self-drive in Thailand, and public transportation between cities is not great. So, while there were some amazing, more out-of-the-way places that we would have liked to visit, logistically it didn’t make sense on our own. However, if you do a packaged tour of Thailand, that can be a good way to more easily access out-of-the-way places.
It’s hot and steamy! Thailand is hot, like seriously hot… and humid, too. We were there in October and it was steamy everywhere. Their “cool season” is considered to be November to February, but that is really just felt significantly in Northern Thailand, like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Bangkok and the southern beach areas (like Phuket) are consistently hot. It’s best to tour early or late in the day—relax in your hotel room or have a leisurely lunch during mid-day when it’s hottest.
Dress in appropriate clothing: Especially after hearing about the hot and steamy weather, you’re not going to like hearing this: long pants and sleeved shirts must be worn for sightseeing in the cities, assuming your visit involves a temple, which is pretty much always the case. However, if you wear lightweight fabrics like linen and lightweight cotton, it really isn’t that bad. Our advice: buy some clothes at the markets while in Thailand. They are reasonably priced, especially by American standards, and they are made for the hot weather, so they're very comfortable.
Food is spicy: Be prepared… Thai “spicy” and typical American “spicy” are two entirely different things. Many restaurants ask how spicy you want your food. We recommend starting with mild and, if you can handle that, working your way up. Katie is typically a mild/medium spice person; David is more medium/hot. Katie was sweating through many of her meals, even when “low spice” was requested! If you have a low tolerance, stick to ordering dishes like Pad Thai, which are naturally flavorful without the heat.

Closing Thoughts

Three weeks in Thailand and Cambodia flew by in a blur of gold-leaf temples, brilliant sunsets, and unmatched hospitality. What struck us most was the incredible contrast built into this itinerary: navigating the high-octane traffic of Bangkok one day, and sitting in the utter silence of a misty cloud forest in Doi Inthanon the next. Exploring Siem Reap into the middle of the trip gave us a profound appreciation for the ancient architecture of the Khmer Empire, while the peaceful shores of Ko Yao Noi provided a fantastic, relaxing note to end on. Southeast Asia has a way of getting under your skin, and we left knowing that we barely scratched the surface of what these beautiful countries have to offer.

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