| My first trip to Thailand was the rare holiday where my expectations and my experience aligned perfectly. I doubled-down on all the top “American lady goes to Thailand” things: I stayed at the Bangkok Mandarin Oriental, had dinner at the chef’s table at Michelin-starred Gaggan, lost my mind laughing during a tandem Thai massage (I’m giggling remembering how absolutely rigid I was as the therapist tried to manipulate my uncooperative limbs), took multiple river ferries to visit temples along the Chao Phraya river, weaved my way through jam-packed streets to taste all kinds of street food and watched a traditional Thai dance performance.
Later I flew to Phuket to live out my White Lotus dreams at Trisara (though season three takes place at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui), where I did some five-star sitting around and took a boat trip through the Phi Phi islands. I wandered around Phuket Town, where I ate a chili-laden fried fish dish with such fiery heat my mouth is still recovering.
This is a long (maybe obnoxious) way of sharing all the joy and exuberance from this inaugural trip to Thailand. IFYKYK, and if you don’t, you can quite easily find out. So go! | | | | | Senior Director of Content | | | A Cali-raised Brooklinite, I'm a food-obsessed travel writer/editor who is happiest in a hotel bathrobe, getting lost in a new place or floating in the sea. | | | Thailand's magical mix of history, culture, food, nature and fun put it at the top of many must-visit lists. Here are a few articles to help you plan a trip. | | | Make time for Thailand in 2025 | It's time to spring forward to planning your 2025 travel. Our partners at EF Ultimate Break, who specialize in group trips for 18- to 35-year olds, are unveiling 13 new Thailand itineraries in time for Black Friday. On top of those deals, you can also save with their budget-friendly Essential trips to Asia, where you'll bunk up in shared, hand-picked accommodations. These won't last long, so book now to get up to 35% off*. | | | | *EF Ultimate Break is a partner of Lonely Planet. We may receive compensation when you purchase through select links. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by our partners. Exclusions and terms apply. | Photography by: Pakin Songmor/Getty Images, Matteo Colombo/Getty Images, kittisun kittayacharoenpong/Getty Images, Patryk Kosmider/Shutterstock, Sean Pavone/Getty Images, Athikhom Saengchai/Lonely Planet, loveyousomuch/Shutterstock, christianthiel.net/Shutterstock, iSweetRiver/Getty Images | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
