“Beaches, trains, sleepless nights and food delights”

After a short ferry and longtail ride from Langkawi (Malaysia) we arrived in Thailand to stay at the beautiful small island of Koh Lipe After a short ferry and longtail ride from Langkawi (Malaysia) we arrived in Thailand to stay at the beautiful small island of Koh Lipe

This was one of the most fun and straightforward border crossings that involved an immigration post right on the sand and a short 50m walk to our beachside accommodation

The snorkeling and diving in the Thai islands is magnificent! Crystal clear water, perfect temperatures and some beautiful coral and sea life The snorkeling and diving in the Thai islands is magnificent! Crystal clear water, perfect temperatures and some beautiful coral and sea life

We were lucky enough to hire our own longtail for the day purely so we could get this dashing photo of Tyce staring mindlessly at the horizon We were lucky enough to hire our own longtail for the day purely so we could get this dashing photo of Tyce staring mindlessly at the horizon

Carissa was thrilled to find a family of clownfish darting in and out of their soft coral (anemone) homes — real life Nemo! Carissa was thrilled to find a family of clownfish darting in and out of their soft coral (anemone) homes — real life Nemo!

The lady that helped us book our transfer from Koh Lipe to Trang (for our train journey to Bangkok) recommended a great restaurant just outside of Trang. We enjoyed a feast of popiah and deep fried pork leg The lady that helped us book our transfer from Koh Lipe to Trang (for our train journey to Bangkok) recommended a great restaurant just outside of Trang. We enjoyed a feast of popiah and deep fried pork leg

Another example of what happens when you commit to no flying for the trip is getting a 17+ hour overnight train from Trang to Bangkok Another example of what happens when you commit to no flying for the trip is getting a 17+ hour overnight train from Trang to Bangkok

We stocked up on food, water and settled in for the journey. This is as good as overnight trains get in the south of Thailand and despite a rough (and rather chilly) sleep we woke up to some lovely views of the countryside before arriving in Bangkok

After Carissa did some research we took a day trip to Ayutthaya just north of Bangkok After Carissa did some research we took a day trip to Ayutthaya just north of Bangkok

This 15th century city was once the capital for Siam (now Thailand) and despite being invaded by the Burmese multiple times there’s still many incredible temples and monuments to visit

Directly opposite Wat Ratcha Burana we stumbled upon an incredible cafe (and antiques shop) called “Boran” that served one of the most well presented, affordable and utterly delicious meals of the entire trip so far Directly opposite Wat Ratcha Burana we stumbled upon an incredible cafe (and antiques shop) called “Boran” that served one of the most well presented, affordable and utterly delicious meals of the entire trip so far

Wanting to learn some more about Thai cooking methods we enrolled in a morning class in Bangkok that started with a trip to the local market for our ingredients Wanting to learn some more about Thai cooking methods we enrolled in a morning class in Bangkok that started with a trip to the local market for our ingredients

We cooked (and ate!) tom yum, pad Thai, red curry and mango sticky rice. It was so much fun to learn how quickly you could cook these dishes with good preparation, great company and some simple ingredients We cooked (and ate!) tom yum, pad Thai, red curry and mango sticky rice. It was so much fun to learn how quickly you could cook these dishes with good preparation, great company and some simple ingredients

Next stop: Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai 🇹🇭

We’re opting for a day train (and a bed at the end) to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and are excited to finally get to the north and see what so many friends and family have been telling us about for years.

We’ve visited Thailand a few times before but having more time to explore the country has been a lot of fun and the food and people are just incredible.