Asia has been calling my name for longer than I can remember. I wanted to experience that feeling of being so far away from home and out of my comfort zone. Thailand especially intrigued me because of the exotic culture, year-round warm weather, hundreds of islands, and strong dollar conversion rate!
The Flights
We booked five flights and one ferry. In total, all transportation to and from Asia, and within the Islands, we spent $972!
San Francisco –> Hong Kong –> Bangkok
We had been watching flights to make sure we got the best price within the time frame we wanted. Flying out of San Francisco or Los Angeles, you can typically find the best deals to Asia since they’re major hubs. Prices would fluctuate by tens and even hundreds some days! We had to be slightly flexible and leave a few days later than planned to save a few hundred dollars. Looking back, I’m so happy we added those extra days because seeing everything you want takes longer than you plan for! We found that December 27th- January 9th was the best price and the best way to maximize our holiday and paid time off. I bought my flight on July 1st, 2017, from United Airlines. With taxes and fees, it came out to $654 round trip!
Bangkok –> Ko Samui
We booked all the flights to the inter-Thailand islands on November 3rd, 2017. The trip from Bangkok to the island of Ko Samui was $157 total on Bangkok Airways. We used Google Flights to find these and booked the cheapest option!
Ko Samui –> Phuket
For this leg, we found that a ferry was the cheapest option. Since Ko Samui is on the east and Phuket is on the west, it was a 45-minute ferry plus a 6-hour bus ride. If you’re not limited with time, I’d highly recommend this option! The bus was air-conditioned, stopped halfway for dinner, and not to mention it was incredibly cheap. We booked through Ferry Samui and it was only $24 total.
Phuket –> Bangkok
The flight from Phuket back to the mainland of Bangkok was $42 total on Air Asia. They’re one of the low-cost, no-frills airlines in Asia. Again, we used Google Flights to find these and booked through Expedia.com!
PHX –> SFO & back
Flying out of SFO, you never know what to expect with the fog. They constantly cancel and delay flights, so I booked through Southwest since it was a reliable option at an affordable price. I made sure to get the earliest flight out of Phoenix to give myself ample time. This meant having a 4 1/2 hour window before the international flight. My friends took later flights out of Phoenix to San Fransisco, and they were delayed. One of my friends missed her flight entirely to Bangkok. Make sure you have ample time if flying internationally! I redeemed points for my PHX to SFO flight, so I only paid the $6 in fees, and it was $89 for the way back. So it was $95 total for my roundtrip flight. Not everyone has points racked up, so I would budget extra money if not! I used Google Flights to scan for the cheapest options, and then, I booked directly through Southwest.com.
The Itinerary
One of my favorite parts of travel is planning and getting excited about it before. There’s a reason I travel to each place and want to make sure I can go to the famous landmarks, iconic sights and eat at all the best restaurants. When you’re miles and possibly oceans away from home, the last thing you want to say is, “so…. what should we do today?” That’s why it’s beneficial to have some plans. It doesn’t have to be hour by hour; it can be as simple as a list of the places you want to go and the restaurants you want to eat. If you like more of a structured plan, your itinerary can be grouped by location and day. Another great reason to plan ahead of time is to maximize your time! Often, the places you want to see are spread out, regardless of they’re just in one city. If you plan ahead and map out where things are, you’ll spend less time getting from place to place and more time enjoying being there!
Some view travel planning as an overwhelming and daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! My research usually starts with Pinterest or Google. I look up “best things to do/see in (insert place here)” or “places you can’t miss/hidden spots/local favorites in (insert place here)” they usually lead to helpful articles and my research branches off from there. I also read a lot of travel blogs! Some of my favorites are Two Wandering Soles, Live Like It’s The Weekend, Dan Flying Solo, and The Blonde Abroad. I’ll also use more well-known sites like Nomadic Matt, Lonely Planet, and Thrillist.
The most important part of starting to plan is to figure out what’s most important to you and make a plan around it. For example – Is it saving money? Staying in one place? Traveling to several places? Eating at the best restaurants? Having a lot of time to relax? Once you figure that out, it will be easier to formulate a plan that fits your travel style. Google Docs is the best when it comes to planning trips so that you can share with everyone, and they can add their input. Our itinerary was super detailed, but it helped us stay organized and hit everything we wanted to see!
The Lodging
Since we had a group of seven, we figured Airbnb would be the best option. We booked them at the end of August, so about four months ahead of time. At first, we wanted to do Airbnb’s on each island we went too, which was about four different spots. We decided it would be too much of a hassle, so we decided on two Airbnb’s. One was central to the Eastern islands and one to the West. This way, we could make day trips without having to pack every day. I would highly recommend doing this to use time most efficiently.
Chaweng Modern Villas
Dec 27- Jan 3
4 nights, 7 people, $79 each
We stayed at the Chaweng Modern Villas on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. It was a beautiful, quiet villa overlooking a jungle. The property manager, Pierre, was very prompt at responding. The only difficulty we had was getting cabs because it was about a 10-minute drive from the Chaweng downtown area and was on a steep hill. Because of being a little remote, we had to pre-arrange taxis. The locals were helpful and would call us taxis when we needed them.
The Haven Lagoon Condos
Jan 3- Jan 8
5 nights, 7 people, $94 each
We stayed at the Haven Lagoon Condos in the middle of Phuket. The location was perfect because it was walking distance from a ton of restaurants, food stands, massage places, etc.! It was also right by the Malin Plaza Market, where we ate for pretty much every meal because it was so cheap and authentic. The only downside was it was pretty small. There were two bathrooms for seven people, and that didn’t give us much room. We didn’t spend much time there, and for the price, we were happy.
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