Travel Report: Winner of the We Love Thailand 2024 Campaign

Thailand Awaits: A Prize-Winning Journey Through Paradise

On New Year’s Eve, we received the amazing news: we had won a trip to Thailand from Thailand Magazine! A dream come true. What followed was an unforgettable tour filled with culture, nature, relaxation, and culinary surprises. From bustling Bangkok to the tranquility of Kanchanaburi, from ancient temples in Ayutthaya to the pristine beaches of Phuket – each day brought something new. We also got to know the incredibly kind Thai people. And – we are still Dutch, after all – the prices in the country are truly a relief. In this report, we’d love to take you with us, day by day, through all the highlights of our trip.

Thursday, March 13 – Off to Thailand!

Finally, the time had come: our prize trip to Thailand was about to begin! In the evening, we departed from Schiphol towards Bangkok with Eva Air. The excitement and enthusiasm made the long flight much more bearable – the adventure could begin! The flight was very comfortable, and we were served plenty of delicious food and drinks. With the complimentary earbuds for the entertainment system, there was a wide choice of movies, series, music, and games.

Friday, March 14 – Arrival in Bangkok

After a long but comfortable flight, we landed in Bangkok. At the airport, we quickly withdrew money and bought Thai SIM cards. Then, we took a taxi to our hotel. We checked into the beautiful Skyview Hotel Bangkok, where we could first acclimate. You immediately feel like a VIP upon arrival; the door is held open for you, and your luggage is taken care of. Staff are immediately ready to make you as comfortable as possible. We had a beautiful room! For the rest of the day, we took it easy: resting, enjoying the view, and letting the first impressions of this vibrant city sink in. That evening, we ate a delicious, authentic Thai Pad Thai at the adjacent Emporium shopping center!

Saturday, March 15 – Discovery Tour in Bangkok

In the morning, we had to wake up at 6 AM again because we were to be picked up at the hotel at 8 AM for a bicycle tour that had been arranged for us. That’s when we first experienced the breakfast room at Skyview Hotel Bangkok. It was beautifully decorated, and there was a huge selection at the breakfast buffet, both Western and Asian.

Afterward, the “The Other Side of Bangkok” cycling tour was on the program. For this, we were taken by Grab taxi to a spot where we crossed the river by boat to start the bike tour. We joined the Bangkok Jungle Oasis tour, which takes you cycling through “the green lung” of Bangkok. It was a beautiful way to get to know a different, less touristy side of the city. We cycled with a very fun English-speaking guide (Sugar) along quiet, atmospheric streets, a fish pond where feeding the fish would supposedly bring us “good karma,” local markets, and tasted our first real Thai street food. It was a wonderful first introduction to the culture and the people. It took some getting used to the heat, but we were given bottles of cold water very often. Fortunately, we didn’t cycle as fast in this heat as we do in the Netherlands 😉

Sugar made sure we lacked nothing! He even brought a spray for everything: against mosquitoes, against squeaky bikes, and to disinfect your hands.

After the bike tour, we cooled off by the hotel pool and stayed there for the rest of the day.

Sunday, March 16 – Cooking and Admiring Temples

The day started with a culinary experience: a cooking workshop at Blue Elephant! In the morning, we learned to prepare traditional Thai dishes – and, of course, taste them. We also went to a market to learn about local products. Afterward, we received private lessons on how to make delicious, authentic Thai dishes from scratch. When eating the dishes we had made ourselves, we had to get used to how spicy they were, but it was truly a fantastic experience. We’re going to try to put this into practice at home!

After this morning, we visited Wat Arun ourselves. A very impressive temple. We also saw many Thai youths there dressed in beautiful, traditional Thai clothing, posing for photos at this temple. Afterward, we went to Khao San Road and stayed there all evening.

Monday, March 17 – On to Kanchanaburi

After three days in Bangkok, we swapped the city for the tranquility of Kanchanaburi. We could arrange a driver through the hotel to take us there. On the way, we enjoyed the scenery, and I also slept a lot. A night out on Khao San Road really takes it out of you 😉 Once we arrived, it was wonderful to relax and catch our breath in this green environment. Our hotel in Kanchanaburi had a view of the Bridge over the River Kwai!

Tuesday, March 18 – Bridge over the River Kwai

We started the day with a visit to the famous Bridge over the River Kwai – impressive to see in real life. We had watched the movie just before our trip. Afterward, we enjoyed a relaxed afternoon by the pool. No obligations, just enjoying the peace. And listening to the characteristic loud Asian cooling bird sound! We miss that sound now.

Wednesday, March 19 – Caves and Temples

Today was dedicated to culture. We visited the Death Railway Museum with its adjacent cemetery by Songthaew. This was very impressive! Afterward, we were driven to the Dragon Head Cave Temple and walked up all those steps in the heat – a unique experience. Then, we drove on to The Tiger Cave Temple with a gigantic Buddha statue and beautiful temples! And at the end, we visited the Giant Raintree. This was, as the name suggests, a massive tree 😉

Thursday, March 20 – Erawan Waterfalls & Hellfire Pass

Today was all about nature and culture. We were picked up early in a large car by the same man who had driven us around by Songthaew the previous day. We went with him to an absolute highlight: the Erawan Waterfalls! We walked along the 7 waterfall levels and took a refreshing dip at the top among fish that gently nibbled at our feet (hehe). Afterward, we visited Hellfire Pass, an impressive historical site that made a deep impression. They even had a free Dutch audio tour there! It was truly terrible to hear what had happened there. Afterward, our driver took us to a station where we could catch the train that drove us back over the Burma Railway, also known as the “Death Railway,” to the Bridge over the River Kwai, near our hotel.

Friday, March 21 – To Ayutthaya

With a private driver, we departed for Ayutthaya, the old capital of Thailand. A relaxed travel day. At our hotel in Ayutthaya, by the river, we had a super large suite! It was a completely separate cottage with a beautiful view of temples across the river. We explored the nearby area and quietly drank a beer on our veranda, enjoying the view. In the evening, we went into the center of Ayutthaya and had a delicious meal at an authentic eatery. After dinner, we walked to a nearby night market and had a few more drinks there. It was very nice to see that this is also a very social and enjoyable event for locals.

Saturday, March 22 – Temples in the Center

We explored the beautiful temple complexes in the center of Ayutthaya. We also visited the tree where the Buddha’s head is embedded. The atmosphere here, despite the tourists, was calm and almost mystical. A great place to feel the history of Thailand. We had arranged with a TukTuk driver here that we would drive around all the temples surrounding Ayutthaya with him two days later. We also saw elephants walking with tourists on their backs. Although we find it terrible how these sweet and powerful animals are not treated well, we found it beautiful to see them walk like that. At the end of the day, I had my nails done at a nearby nail salon because the nail polish from home was peeling off. She spoke almost no English but quickly understood very well what I wanted and did a beautiful job. Afterward, we had some drinks in the center and also watched performances by Thai pop bands in a large, open cafe.

Sunday, March 23 – Relaxation Day

Since we couldn’t choose between the previous hotel and another hotel at home, we split our stay in Ayutthaya into two hotels. Today, we moved to the next one. The accommodation was less luxurious but beautifully designed with a large green garden filled with authentic Thai houses and a pond where you could even canoe. For the rest of the day, we took it easy and relaxed by the pool. After days full of impressions and activity, it was wonderful to unwind. The atmosphere at this hotel was perfect for that.

Monday, March 24 – TukTuk Tour of Temples

We took a TukTuk tour along the most beautiful temples outside the city center. A fun way to see more of the area and at the same time add a bit of adventure to our day. They were beautiful temples and giant Buddhas. After this day, we certainly felt that we had seen enough temples for this vacation.

Tuesday, March 25 – Back to Bangkok

Today, we drove back to Bangkok and checked into the beautiful Skyview Hotel Bangkok again. In the afternoon, we had lunch at the adjacent Emporium shopping center and in the evening, enjoyed a delicious Wagyu steak nearby. The hotel is located in a very pleasant neighborhood with plenty to do. In the evening, we enjoyed cocktails and the view from the hotel’s sky bar – a fantastic end to this transition day.

Wednesday, March 26 – Ancient City by Golf Cart

We spent the day at Ancient City, an open-air museum filled with replicas of Thailand’s most famous buildings. Because the park is so large (and because it was so hot), we rented a golf cart to drive around – a fun and relaxed way to explore the large park (and to practice driving on the left).

Thursday, March 27 – To Phuket!

We flew south: time for beach and sea! The flight with Bangkok Airways was comfortable, and thanks to lounge access at the airport, our beach vacation began right there. We could use massage chairs and enjoy the buffet. We even got food on the plane, even though the flight was only 1.5 hours long!

In Phuket, the Skyview Resort Phuket awaited us – again, a beautiful stay on a hill with a lovely view over the city and the bay. We got a two-room suite with a huge bathroom here! We were incredibly spoiled again! It even included one lunch, one dinner, and a cocktail.

We stayed by the pool for the rest of the day and got to know the friendly staff.

Friday, March 28 – Sun, Sea & Blue Elephant

Today, we were taken to the beach by the hotel shuttle. On Phuket beach, we rented a sunbed and umbrella, and people kept coming by asking if we wanted anything to drink, so it was super relaxing. Here, we heard the news that there had just been an earthquake in Myanmar that was also felt in Bangkok, and that a building under construction had collapsed. That was a shock for our friends and family, but because we had already bought a Thai SIM card upon arrival in Thailand, we could immediately let them know that we had just left Bangkok and hadn’t felt anything of the earthquake.

After a wonderful day at the beach, we concluded with dinner at the Blue Elephant Restaurant. When we arrived by Grab taxi, we couldn’t believe our eyes: What a beautiful estate with a magnificent colonial-style mansion! We were treated like VIPs again here. We truly enjoyed ourselves. Delicious, high-level culinary Thai food, a beautiful setting, and superior service – what more could you want?

Saturday, March 29 – Swimming and Relaxing

A day to do absolutely nothing. Just relaxing by the pool and chatting with the staff. What wonderful employees this resort has! We learned a lot about Thailand this week from Too, Tang, and Tammy. And Sunil, the acting general manager, also regularly came by to chat and see if guests lacked anything. Through Tang, we got an address for a tour that would take us by boat to various islands. A boat trip is something we want to do every vacation, so that was also on our bucket list for Thailand.

Sunday, March 30 – Phuket by Night

During the day, we had our laundry done, and I went to a pedicure at the bottom of the street. Afterward, we went for a drink on Bangla Road – Phuket’s main entertainment street. We stayed there until late at night. A vibrant contrast to the relaxed days before. To get back to the resort from Bangla Road, we took a TukTuk with neon lights and very loud music. That was a smashing end to the day!

Monday, March 31 – Adventure by Speedboat

A day full of action! We took a speedboat tour and explored various Similan Islands around Phuket. Crystal-clear water, white beaches, and beautiful views – an unforgettable experience. It was wonderful to be on the water, and the islands are truly paradises. Breakfast, lunch, snorkeling gear, and a bag with a beach towel were provided. It was a wonderful day.

Tuesday, April 1 – Last Day in Phuket

On our last day in Phuket, we looked for souvenirs, walked along the beach where a large cruise ship had just docked, and enjoyed a final drink on Bangla Road. Time to pack our bags, but first, fully enjoy this paradise. In the evening, we had a delicious curry at our hotel in Phuket and went to bed early.

Wednesday, April 2 – Back to Bangkok

Because we had to leave very early, the staff at Skyview Resort Phuket prepared breakfast for us to eat in our suite.

We flew back with Bangkok Airways (again very comfortable with delicious food en route) for a final overnight stay at the top-class Skyview Hotel Bangkok. When we arrived there, we heard that we had been upgraded to a suite on the 30th floor! When we arrived, we couldn’t believe our eyes: The suite was an entire apartment with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and large bathroom! And all so luxurious. Our expectations were once again exceeded.

We heard that unfortunately, due to the earthquake, we couldn’t do the skywalk at Mahanakhon on this last day in Bangkok, and that dinner at Rooftop restaurant Le Du Kaan also couldn’t go ahead. But instead, Riel from Thailand Magazine arranged for us to eat at the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Du! Wow, after all we had already received, this was again something that exceeded all our expectations and was a wonderful conclusion to this dream trip. Again, TOP arranged! We had truly phenomenal food. One dish even included 3 ants (much larger than those in the Netherlands, with wings) and ant larvae. This was quite a challenge for us. They still looked like insects. We ate these last of all 😊 Back at the hotel in the evening, we again enjoyed the beautiful view of the illuminated skyscrapers.

Thursday, April 3 – Back to the Netherlands

In the morning, we were taken to the airport by Grab taxi. We hated having to go home. We were both very quiet and a bit down. The return flight with Eva Air was also very comfortable with delicious food and drinks. This was a day flight, so we arrived back at Schiphol in the evening.

This trip was one to never forget. Thanks to Thailand Magazine, we visited places we might never have discovered otherwise, met people who touched our hearts, and made memories we will cherish forever. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity and hope that our report shows a little of how special this experience was for us. Thank you so much for this unforgettable adventure!