The Places in Thailand I’d Love to Go Back to With My Family

When I was 22 I spent 5 months travelling around the world with my boyfriend, and a month of that was spent in Thailand, which was incredible. Thailand really does offer so much; the beautiful beaches and islands, the amazing food, the exciting chaos of Bangkok, the relaxation of cheap massages and abundance of adventures to enjoy, and the wonderful culture to experience.

I would love to go back again one day; both to some of the places I have been before as well as some new ones.

Here are the places in Thailand I would love to go back to with my family…

Koh Tao

I absolutely loved Koh Tao when we were there, so much so that we extended our stay there and would have stayed even longer if we could have. I can imagine that it has changed a bit now, but when we were there it was a small and relaxed place, with a beautiful beach with colourful boats floating in the water and we sat on floor cushions eating at restaurants looking out over the beautiful clear water.

There was a narrow street with little shops to get souvenirs alongside restaurants and bars where we drank a few too many cocktails and jugs of beer. Every night we would visit the pancake man at the end of the street for the best banana and honey pancakes I have ever had.

We were so relaxed and happy when we were there, spending lazy days exploring or laying on the hot sand, and choosing between the beachfront bars for a drink or two sat on the beach before going back to our beach hut.

I would definitely choose somewhere slightly less basic to stay if I was there with my daughter, but it was perfect for us at the time and so cheap.

Chiang Mai

Another place in Thailand I have been to before, Chiang Mai is a mountainous city in Northern Thailand that is recognised as something of a cultural capital. It’s a small city, with a great atmosphere, and there’s so much to see and do in Chiang Mai. It is full of history, with temples to visit and beautiful architecture, and is a really nice place to just take your time and wander around.

I know Ava would love to visit the Elephant Nature Park; an elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre which provides a natural environment for elephants, dogs, cats, buffaloes and many other animals!

We had amazing fresh food in Chiang Mai, both from the wonderful night markets and restaurants with really cool surroundings and I would love to go back now and see if it has changed much.

Koh Samui

Another place we spent some time in was Koh Samui, a much larger island and Thailand’s second biggest. It is known as being more touristy than some of the smaller islands, but I never found it to be that way and I loved it there. It has beautiful wide stretches of sand, fringed with palm trees, and such a wide range of places to stay – from budget huts next to the beach to luxury resorts and spas.

We were lucky when we were there that a new luxury hotel had just opened up and so was a bargain price which we wouldn’t usually have been able to afford as backpackers! It was a beautiful place, and every evening we would stroll down the road to the night market, and enjoy fresh and tasty Thai food cooked in front of us for less than an English pound.

I’d love to go back to Koh Samui with my daughter and explore more of the island. Next time though, I would choose to stay in a villa with all the practical mod cons that we need as a family and the space to be able to relax and not drive each other too crazy! It would also be great to be able to cook our own Thai food in the villa whilst we were there. I’d love to make my favourite Massaman Curry with fresh local ingredients.

Koh Samui Villas are perfect for families, offering a free personalised service where they will find out exactly what you need, from a pool fence and pool toys to a car seat and airport pickup and even an in-villa massage (yes please!). It’s really important to them to give the human touch to your experience with them, and they also aim to have a focus on the environment – right now they plant a tree in Sumatra, Indonesia for every booking made with them.

I love staying in a villa for a family holiday; it’s wonderful to have your own space to chill out and a pool of your own for the kids to enjoy.

Kanchanaburi

Every time I think of each place that we went to in Thailand I think that that one is my favourite. I loved so many of them that it is definitely hard to choose. But Kanchanaburi is certainly up there and we had the best few days here.

Kanchanaburi is a town in West Thailand and is knows for the Death Railway, Bridge Over the River Kwai, and the Allied War Cemetary, but there is a lot more to do here than those three.

One of my very favourite days in Thailand was when we visited Erawan Waterfalls in Erawan National Park. The scenery there is stunning and you can hike up through the thick rainforest to each of the seven tiers of the waterfall, where you can swim in the pools beneath them. It is an incredible place to visit and a wonderful day out.

Also in Kanchanaburi, we did a cooking class which I would love to do again with Ava if possible; she would love it. It was a small class led by a brilliant Thai woman and we had some amazing food. I would love to go back and do it again. The space had been built specifically for their classes and overlooked the river and it was beautiful.

Kanchanaburi has so many amazing places to stay, that range from simple to luxurious, with so many of them being surrounded by the beautiful lush riverside.

Thailand really does have it all, and I would so love to go back there again, this time with my family. Ava would love it and it provides such a varied family holiday, with the beautiful beaches and ocean to swim in, alongside wonderful culture and new experiences to try, and of course the incredible food.