By chance I came across this place; researching where I could stay for a long weekend. About a two hour drive from Bangkok, Thailand’s biggest and oldest wildlife rescue Center, Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand has recently opened rooms too, so that you can stay right at the park. I didn’t really know what to expect, but this place was simply amazing.

As soon as you arrive, you see the elephants. They live in a huge reserve, and from the dining area and main lodge you have an excellent view of them doing their elephant things. There are also gibbons swinging and calling, especially in the morning, their haunting cries an interesting alarm clock!

My room was set away from the main area, down a jungly path. And I had my very own elephant pair for company. These two girls share a separate large area because they don’t get on well with others (all the Ellies were rescued from horrible situations), and I could see them from my room, bed, balcony… so magical. Especially at dusk when they would walk quietly, like giant grey ghosts, their silhouettes under the moonlight.

So my room was great, besides the elephants outside. Large, clean and the downstairs is open on the sides with lots of comfy chairs and tables. And I had a darling cat for company the whole time, who of course, I called Ellie. She loved sitting with me all day! I also loved spending time at the quiet pool from where you could watch the main elephant herd all day, which was amazing, and it was so peaceful, just surrounded by birdsong.

I also did a tour of the rescue Center. This was an informative experience, at times difficult, hearing the heartbreaking stories of all the animals. There are over 800 animals here, and I got to see gibbons, deer, macaques, bears, tigers, otters and more. It is amazing that this place does so much for them, and they have a safe place now to call home. We also had Sausage the dog keep us company, jumping on the cart to come along on the tour! All the dogs at the Center were really sweet too.

The weekend flew by. I had some unforgettable experiences, and magical moments. I highly recommend visiting this place if you’re in Thailand. Not only will you enjoy it, but all the money goes toward helping more of these sweet animals have a second chance.

Practical Stuff

Getting here- it is about two hours from Bangkok and they can organise transport to and from the city, as well as from Hua Hin, the largest city in the area. From Pattaya I arranged a private taxi.

Staying- you can do day trips, but I highly recommend staying at least one night to enjoy the magic of the place. The name of their lodge is I love phants and you can book it via their website which I’ll add at the bottom. My room was the best!

What to do- definitely join their full day tour, and you get to end by feeding watermelons to the elephants. Then enjoy the pool, the views and the utter peace. You can also volunteer here, if you have more time.

When to visit- I came in October in rainy season but we didn’t have any rain and the temperatures were pleasant.

The Wildlife Friends foundation Thailand is an amazing NGO and they have lots of things you can support them with even if you can’t visit, including adopting an animal or donating. You can see that all on their website, as well as booking a tour or a stay at the Center.

http://www.wfft.org

http://ilovephants.org

Chiang Mai. Ever since those 2016 Pinterest days I’ve wanted to visit, after seeing those photos of elephants playing in the river backdropped by forest clad hills, and mysterious temple complexes and waterfalls. This city in the north of Thailand has always been on my bucket list. I travelled there towards the end of the dry season. The waterfalls were just gentle and the ground was drier, but it was still beautiful.

Flying in, a peachy haze seemed to enshroud the city as we landed at sunrise. It was only a short taxi ride to my hotel, a place that’s also been on my bucket list for a while, Proud phu fah Muang. Why? Because their rooms are just beautiful. White and light wood, huge, and the best bit, a swing AND a hot tub on the balcony, overlooking the forest and hills! As you can imagine, I spend a lot of time out there, relaxing.

But also, exploring. The hotel has bikes you can borrow for free, and it is surprisingly bike friendly around the area, there are bike paths and it is quiet, not like other Thai cities. In general, it was such a peaceful place. Birds singing, monks walking quietly, flame of the forest trees everywhere, blossom…

I visited the biggest temple complex here, Doi Sathep. There’s many steps to climb and a good view from the top. The drive up here, winding through the hills in a baht bus is also exciting. From there it’s easy to visit some of the waterfalls and there are different paths to hike. It was so hot I just did a short one, but it was very peaceful.

The best thing though was a visit to Elephant Nature Park. This place also was on my bucket list since the Pinterest days. The kindest place for elephants. A huge expanse of land for them to roam and be safe and not have to be tortured by people anymore. Their stories were heartbreaking; blind, beaten… but they have this safe haven now and people who love them. If there’s one thing not to miss it’s this when you visit Chiang Mai. You spend a half day there, walking close to them but never touching them, and get to learn all about them. Watching a group walk back along the river at golden hour was so magical. And the van ride there and back is lovely too, through the wild mountains.

On my final day, I stumbled upon a temple complex that no one had heard of. With old buildings like those at Angkor, and monks sweeping dry leaves, it was the perfect place to stroll and contemplate life. the same day I also found a local restaurant where you could get good food for such low prices it was no wonder there were queues for tables. The fun of travel, finding these little places.

I really loved Chiang Mai, and I hope I can visit again one day.

Practical Stuff-

Getting here- Chiang Mai has an airport with mainly domestic flights. It’s best to connect here via Bangkok.

Where to stay- I highly recommend the hotel I stayed in, and make sure you book a room with a hot tub. They don’t cost much more and it’s totally worth it for a unique staying experience. They also serve the best coffee at breakfast with non dairy milk!

Getting around- you can use Grab and Bolt, like other parts of Thailand for taxis and motorbike taxis. Biking is also possible in a lot of the area.

What to do- definitely dedicate half a day to Elephant Nature Park and support their amazing work! Also pop into some temples, do a hike or two and just enjoy the nice atmosphere of the place.

When to visit- tricky one. I visited at the tail end of the “burning season” when there is a lot of air pollution, sometimes so bad the airport closes. When I visited there was some haze but no worse than I’ve seen before elsewhere. The days were very hot though, and sunny. Avoid the rainy season if you can, Chiang Mai can flood badly and the roads can become impassable. November and December are probably the best but most expensive!

It’s the dream, isn’t it? I’ve poured over thousands of articles in glossy magazines of these idyllic islands. And when I found out they are only a four hour flight away from Thailand, I knew I had to go. After you arrive in the capital Male, a bat will take you straight to your hotel. It’s a very unique airport; you literally have a jetty attached where all the boats pull up.

I was staying at Centara Ras Fushi and got picked up by their own speed boat. It had squishy white leather seats and whisked us across the water quickly. It was only about 20 minutes to the hotel. Most hotels here take over their own little island, or atoll. Mine was just the same. A tiny pin prick of sand in the Indian Ocean. And the best bit? My room was the traditional over water villa. So I could literally walk down steps into the sea, and spend all the day watching sea life go by beneath my porch.

Days here are simple. You wake up, watch the sunrise and pale blue skies grow brighter from your porch, maybe take a morning swim in the sea. Breakfast at the restaurant in the main part of the island, amongst the palm trees. You can swim from the beach, or straight from your villa. I spotted a ray, parrot fish and countless other kinds of fish just around my own villa! And every afternoon they would feed sharks who would come and swim right up to the jetty. Not huge ones, but epic all the same.

Of course, you have to go snorkelling. I went on a snorkelling trip with a guide from the hotel. The reefs were beautiful, just teeming with life. So many different kinds of colorful fish, clown fish, needle fish, all just twirling over the sloping reefs. And I even swam with nurse sharks! This was an incredible experience. Literally surrounded by plenty of these huge sharks was something I’ll never forget. And sting rays too.

And just to top it all off, I went on a sunset cruise on the traditional Dhoni boat. We went dolphin spotting and were lucky enough to see several of these beautiful animals. They rode close to the boat, twirling and dancing for us.

All in all, The Maldives was an experience I’ll never forget.

Practical stuff

Getting here- Male is served by most airlines. From there, most hotels will arrange a pick up service, either by speed boat or sometimes by seaplane for the further islands.

Where to stay- My hotel Centara Ras Fushi was a good choice. Lovely bucket list rooms over the water, knowledgeable guys at the dive Center to take you snorkelling or wildlife spotting, and a good location just a short speed boat ride from the airport.

What to do- as much or as little as you like! People often worry they would get bored here. You can literally spend the whole day just watching the different fish swim underneath your villa. Having said that, I’d say anymore than a week would be too much.

When to go- I went in February which is technically dry season, but we did have some rain the first two evenings. It was quite epic over the sea, and didn’t disrupt much, and the rest of the time was lovely. Any time of year be prepared for sudden storms, and wear tons of sunscreen. The sun is so sharp here, as I found out the hard way 🙁

Another new country, to start the year. To Laos, a beautiful, off the radar place with lovely people, beautiful nature and a lot to do. I squeezed this into a weekend too, from Thailand. I flew to the capital Vientiane, and from there, took the two hour drive north, to Vang Vieng. I didn’t see too much, as it was late at night, but when I woke up the next morning, it was one of the most magical sights.

Stepping onto my balcony at the Silver Naga hotel, you could see hot air balloons suspended in the air, the sun rising over the river, green hills and a pale blue sky. I took a jog by the river, watching monks quietly making their way, dogs sleeping, local kids eating breakfast. We took an open sided van to explore.

Heading into the countryside, surrounded by towering peaks covered in jungle, buffalos grazing the fields underneath. Dust from the gravel paths rising up. It was like nothing I’d seen before. We stopped at the entrance to a hike. It was easy at first, just a bit steep. Then suddenly it got harder until we were having to haul ourselves up over rocks and gullies, using jungle vines and bamboo to support us. I wanted to give up, a few times, but somehow made it to the top.

So glad I did, because the views were unreal. Just nature. Mountains, hills, green, brown. Nothing else. So beautiful. After resting we had to make the long trek down, which was even more terrifying. But I did it, and was quite proud, it was not easy and definitely the hardest hike I’ve ever done. From there we drove to the blue lagoon. It was a nice place to rest and have lunch. And then, a peaceful afternoon by the hotel pool, watching boats on the river and a few more hot air balloons, when the sun set.

The next day we took a boat, and had a river tour. These long, narrow boats chug sedately along, and it feels wonderful out there, between those towering karsts of green. Buffalo come down to drink and swim, and we can get up close to them. Kids play in the river, and wave, and try to splash us. Old ladies wash the clothes, men fish quietly… like turning back the clock, to simpler times.

We then went to one of the fanciest hotels around, for a drink, the Vang Tara. If you get a drink or meal here, you have access to their private rice paddies, which are magical. There’s a long path through them, backdropped by those mountains. And if you’re really lavish you can stay the night. Maybe next time…

Practical stuff

Getting here- Vientiane has a small airport and you’ll most likely have to connect here via Bangkok. From there, it’s about two hours to VV. Our hotel organised a transfer.

Where to stay- I liked our hotel, The Silver Naga, right on the river, nice pool, and they can organise tours and transfers. Just a note though, their soundproofing of the rooms is bad.

What to do- so much! Definitely do some hikes but be prepared, they are tough. Also take a boat tour, visit the night market, the lagoons, even hot air ballooning.

Getting around- the central area is walkable, and otherwise the hotels can arrange transport.

When to visit- usually I’d say the rainy season for cooler weather and less crowds but this time I’d say the start of the dry season. Everything is outdoors and the hikes would just be dangerous in the rain. January is a great month because it is dry but still not that hot.

I really liked Laos! Hope to come back one day and maybe try the hot air balloons…