Honeymoon Bliss in Thailand

Australian travel agent Reena Tory and her new husband Nick Terrone recently chose to honeymoon in Thailand. Kao Jai Thailand asked them why they chose the Land of Smiles for their romantic holiday... 

We chose Thailand because we had both travelled there, and loved the people, the landscapes and the food! Since it was our honeymoon, we wanted to see the quieter areas, away from tourist hotspots like Phuket and Koh Samui. After a hectic wedding (and an Indian one at that!) we wanted to chill, explore beaches, relax, and do nothing! 

We spent four days in Bangkok, seven days in Krabi and an overnight stay in Bangkok on our way back from Krabi. In Bangkok we stayed at Vie Hotel - M Gallery, which was the perfect hotel for us. Our main aim in Bangkok was to shop and see temples. Vie is walking distance to MBK. We spent time shopping there - fantastic. We also went to Chatuchak Weekend Market, which was a Skytrain ride away. 

The highlight of our stay in Bangkok was a visit to Ayutthaya. The UNESCO heritage ruins were beautiful. Wat Phra Mahthat, with the famous Buddha face in the tree, is magical. 

The honeymooners at Wat Phra Mathat

Of course no trip to Bangkok is complete without going to the red light district! It's nice to see the lovely ladies say a prayer to their Buddha and king at a small shrine before jumping up on stage and getting their groove on. Religion is everywhere! 

In Krabi we stayed at Klong Muong Beach at Beyond Krabi Resort which is on the mainland. There is literally no one on this beach except hotel guests. You will find mainly European couples and families at this resort. Seaview rooms have unobstructed views of the beach, overlooking the infinity-style pool. The rooms were clean and modern. 

Beyond Krabi Resort

We were interested in seeing nature, and obviously some tours to the islands and kayaking were on our agenda. The 4 Island Tour is a good one which takes you by speed boat to Railay Beach (technically not an island but the only way to get there is by boat!), Chicken Island, Tub Island and Poda Island. This was a short five-hour tour of all the islands, but a good one to do. 

Kayaking was also a highlight at Bor Thor. The guides were fantastic. They understood the environment and educated us about the importance of the mangroves and the limestone caves to the area.

Another day we hired a scooter (I had travel insurance!) and visited Khao Phanom Bencha National Park. Its main attraction is Huay Toh waterfall, a seven-tiered waterfall. Another beautiful gem, and the perfect spot to cool off. Next stop Tiger Temple Cave...1327 steps up a mountain to reach the temple. Definitely worth the hike. Spectacular views of Krabi's striking coastline and huge Buddha statue at the top. 

The main highlight of our trip was the final three nights in Krabi. We stayed at Islanda Eco village resort on Koh Klang. It is a small island that is a five minute boat ride from Krabi Town. Love love love this place. The island has only a one-lane road, and a majority Muslim island with a population of 3000. 

Nick in a tuk-tuk on the beach at Koh Klang

We wish we spent more time here. It is the perfect honeymoon destination, and the staff at Islanda really look after you. The cocktails are amazing, especially at happy hour. It is pretty isolated, and if that's what you want, it's perfect. The villas are very cute, with open air showers. We suggest the ocean facing villas for privacy. If you are after a beach beach, this is not it as the tide is too low to swim. However they have a great pool. 

Honeymoon chilling at Islanda

We took a trip to Phi Phi Island from here, which was really disappointing. After being on this island then going to Phi Phi, it was like going back to Bangkok - a very busy island, thanks to the Hollywood movie filmed there, 'The Beach'. 

We definitely recommend Thailand for a honeymoon! We could have gone with the masses to places like Phuket, but sometimes you have to do the research to find the gems!