i originally planned to pack a 28 liter bag and knew that was really unrealistic so i opted for a 46 liter bag (Osprey 46L Bag https://amzn.to/2qhY35h). it's also important to bring a smaller bag for every day carrying items (Fjallraven 20L Bag https://amzn.to/2ICTXfo). while i normally like bringing my own water bottle, i didn't bring one along because it's recommended to only drink bottled water here.
for the plane ride:
Travel Pillow https://amzn.to/2qfmvFe
Silkworm By Robert Galbriath https://amzn.to/2qhhU4F
skincare/toiletries:
Tiger Balm https://amzn.to/2vkqvsY
Sun Bum Sunscreen https://amzn.to/2GZqvDX
tom's toothpaste https://amzn.to/37FvdzW
2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner
soap bar
travel toothbrush
clothing:
2x tank tops (i usually buy whatever is on sale at rei) https://bit.ly/2QSOAhW
2x shirts
3x dresses
prana pants (similar) https://amzn.to/2tvVimc
patagonia baggies https://bit.ly/2SWN4OG
2x bathing suits
chacos https://amzn.to/2FmxKCP
climbing gear:
five.ten rogues https://amzn.to/35qgTtm
friction labs chalk https://amzn.to/35rBe1w
black diamond chalk bag (similar) https://amzn.to/35qztS7
camera gear:
gorilla pod https://amzn.to/2Eve78K
go-pro hero 4 http://amzn.to/1TK35R2
go-pro floating mount https://amzn.to/2ENGO0Z
sony rx iii http://amzn.to/1QGacEI
and when in doubt, you can buy inexpensive clothing and things you may use there!
with everything we did in thailand, there's only a few things i would do differently.
plan ALL bookings ahead of time including flights and lodging. while it's fairly cheap to get around thailand and find accommodations, you will save so much more by booking everything ahead of time. we knew we were going to fly into chiang mai and fly out of bangkok and we identified all the accommodations in between, but getting from chiang mai to our other destinations we decided to "play it by ear". again, it wasn't a huge deal breaker but i'm all in the biz for saving money and because we didn't have good internet, it would have saved quite a bit of stress booking the flights in between
we stayed 3 nights in chiang mai and i didn't get to try enough coffee shops! we only got to visit 1 and there was so much more to explore
i know it's really unrealistic and seeing chiang rai would also have been ideal .. just means i have to come back next time!
if you're a beach person, stay longer in phuket. the beaches are truly magnificent and the quick in and out was too short of a journey for us
we took a ferry from phuket to koh phi phi and it's at least a 2-3 hour ride so pack your lunch and snacks! you can buy food on the ferry and if you have any particular food restrictions, highly recommend packing your food.
while i'm not about using toxic chemicals, i really recommend using deet products to prevent mosquitos. i had over 60 bug bites and could have been happy with a little less bites.
let me know about your recommendations in the comments below!
we stayed at serenity resort and hotel on phuket. up until this point i've never experienced such a beautiful location and villa (that's not much to say since i haven't stayed in many villas and i still think this one is stunning)
we attempted to go to the beach as soon as we arrived and unfortunately it was low tide so going to the beach here wasn't an option. we ended up eating lunch at the resort. compared to what we were eating in chiang mai, this place was by that definition on the "pricier" side, although still affordable according to american prices.
side note - gratuity is included in the bill already for those pinching extra pennies
@brittnissx3 // lemon drop cocktail at serenity villas
DO NOT USE THE TAXI SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE RESORT.
literal rip off. the only time i've ever felt scammed. we asked their taxi drivers to take us to the beach (which was probably about 2 miles south of the resort we stayed at). he literally didn't even take us to the pier/actual area and told us to go walk. uhm what? i remember paying a ridiculous price for the drive that wasn't even equivalent to the distance. i think it was like 20 bucks to go 2 miles. literally what the fuck.
we ended up grabbing another cab to go to nai harn beach. so glad we picked up and decided to go here. the area was kind of enclosed so the waves weren't super aggressive and we were able to sit on the beach with as many coconuts as we could consume.
@brittnissx3 // sunset nai harn beach
@brittnissx3 // sunset nai harn beach
@brittnissx3 // sunset nai harn beach
walking up for sunrise was totally worth it. so much tranquility when the sun is rising. the time difference totally helped and allowed us to get up so early.
@brittnissx3 // sunrise at the villa from the room at serenity villas
@brittnissx3 // sunrise at the villa at serenity villas
@brittnissx3 // sunrise at the villa
@molly_velasco // pool in the villa
take in the moment. the earth is beautiful
C A M E R A G E A R //
GORILLA POD https://amzn.to/2Eve78K
GO-PRO HERO 4 http://amzn.to/1TK35R2
GO-PRO FLOATING MOUNT https://amzn.to/2ENGO0Z
SONY RX III http://amzn.to/1QGacEI
T R A V E L E S S E N T I A L S //
Silkworm By Robert Galbriath https://amzn.to/2qhhU4F
Osprey 46L Bag https://amzn.to/2qhY35h
Fjallraven 20L Bag https://amzn.to/2ICTXfo
Travel Pillow https://amzn.to/2qfmvFe
Tiger Balm https://amzn.to/2vkqvsY
Sun Bum Sunscreen https://amzn.to/2GZqvDX
S U B S C R I B E // http://bit.ly/subbrittx3
Y E L P // http://tinyurl.com/yelpbritt
B L O G G E R // http://brittniss.blogspot.com
I N S T A G R A M // @brittnissx3
T W I T T E R // @brittnissx3
L O O K B O O K // www.lookbook.nu/brittnissx3
FTC: Some of these links are affiliate links which I make a small commission percentage through. You do not have to use these links, but if you would like to support me you're welcome to use them!
