Hey guys! It’s Michael and Alexandra from Couple’s Coordinates, and we are excited to be contributing to TBA again.
Since we last wrote for TBA, we have visited 15 new countries and have had some pretty romantic experiences. Last year we even got married in Bora Bora! For our first blog back with the team at TBA, we wanted to share some of our favorite romantic things for couples to do in Thailand.
We recently spent 2 weeks in Thailand and had the opportunity to island hop and see the gorgeous mainland of Thailand from the city streets of Bangkok to the countryside of Chiang Mai.
Hike to the Koh Phi Phi Viewpoint
Koh Phi Phi is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand and is world famous for a couple of reasons: The Leonardo DiCaprio movie The beach and the 2004 tsunami that struck the island.
Since 2004 a lot has changed; volunteers and aid workers helped bring the island back to life and then investment fueled the development of the island. It has, admittedly, become a bit touristy, but there are still loads of places on the island where you’ll feel completely alone with your significant other and the locals.
Couple the heat and humidity with a ton of stairs and you’re sure to be a bit sweaty when you reach the top. Don’t worry though; the view will completely overshadow your partner being a bit smelly.
Bathe Elephants in Chiang Mai
We have traveled to over 30 countries together as a couple and have had the opportunity to engage in some pretty incredible activities that have been romantic, exhilarating, and just plain fun. Of all of these activities, bathing elephants at a sanctuary in Chiang Mai might top the list.
We spent the day hiking around the Elephant Nature Park feeding and bathing elephants. We had the opportunity to learn about the damage humans do to elephants and educate ourselves on these incredible creatures. Elephants are just HUGE puppies.
They are smart, loyal, and love playing.
Take note of places in Thailand (as well as India, Africa, etc.) which allow you to ride elephants. These places invariably harm the elephants to train them to give rides to tourists. Elephant Nature Reserve and other similar parks are sanctuaries that rescue elephants.
Treat Yourselves to a Fancy and Romantic, Yet Cheap, Dinner
For those of us in the “Western” world, Thailand is an incredibly affordable destination to visit. You’ll love being able to have romantic and “fancy” dinners with your partner on the cheap.
Sure, meals can reach $100 or more at nice resorts, but you’ll find loads of incredible restaurants where you and your partner can dine in style for $20-30. Heck, we can’t even go to Chipotle for $20 here in the States.
Skinny Dip at Your Villa
When you have a private pool at your villa, there is absolutely no reason to wear a bathing suit. We enjoyed a villa with a private pool and sunbathing deck while we were staying on Koh Samui.
The island, itself, is gorgeous and romantic, but spending the afternoon swimming and lounging nude with your significant other can really elevate the romance.
Or come inside and take a nice bubble bath when it starts pouring rain outside!
Hire a Boat
Speaking of that incredible exchange rate….you can hire a private long-tail boat and explore the coastline as well as other islands for about $50 USD a day. Some of our favorite days in Thailand were spent on a boat exploring the Phi Phi Islands or the coastline of Krabi.
The boats are super cute and provide you the opportunity to reach remote areas of islands and secluded beaches that you might otherwise not be able to reach by foot.
You don’t need a yacht or a fancy boat to have an incredible time with your partner on the sea. These long-tail boats are quite romantic and charming in their own right.
The men who sail them happen to have a lifetime of experience and a wealth of knowledge of the area. They can be your personal tour guide for the day!
Snorkel Maya Beach
Maya Beach is the famous beach on Phi Phi Lee where Leo shot the movie The Beach, but the best parts of the island are actually on the back side of the island. Maya Beach has been closed to tourism over the last year or so because of litter and damage to the surrounding reefs.
Unfortunately, many tourists treat this gorgeous oasis as a garbage can. Head around the back of the island on a boat and snorkel with the locals (the many species of fish) and the gorgeous coral reef.
The water is warm, clear, and absolutely beautifully blue.
To explore all that Phi Phi Lee and Maya Beach have to offer, wake up early, hire a long-tail boat, and explore for the day. The crowds don’t usually show up until after 09:00, so if you’re an early riser like we are, you can have the beach to yourself.
There’s a reason so many of our photos have no humans in the background…we don’t edit them out…we explore before they’re awake.
Explore Railay Beach
Railay Beach is one of the most famous coves and stretches of beach in Krabi. To reach the beach, you’ll need to hire a long-tail boat and sail over.
Once here you can explore the surrounding area, rock climb, or swim in the gorgeous water and lay on the beach and relax with a good book as we did!
The cliffs that encompass Railay Beach are the steep, ubiquitous, cliffs seen throughout the Krabi province. They’re lush and green while simultaneously steep and rocky. The scenery at Railay is absolutely breathtaking, and you can reach this beach quite easily from the nearby town of Ao Nang.
Couples Massage
The Thai are fantastic masseuses. One of the best benefits of traveling in Asia – especially Thailand and Bali – is the prevalence of massage parlors and the incredibly affordable prices of massages. While in Thailand we got a couples massage almost daily because they are often as cheap as $5/person.
When we “splurged,” our massages were about $20-30/person.
Too bad even mediocre massages in the US are usually $100! When we lived in Bali, we got massages on a regular basis, and we would absolutely do the same if we lived in Thailand. So take advantage of the affordable therapy and pamper yourselves.
Take a Muay Thai Class
We trained with a professional Muay Thai fighter and got our asses kicked! The workout was strenuous, but the experience was awesome. Neither of us had ever practiced Muay Thai before our trip to Thailand, but we had an absolute blast. We even wore the traditional Muay Thai boxing shorts for fun.
Many resorts offer Muay Thai classes as an added amenity, and there is a myriad of Muay Thai gyms around Thailand that would be happy to welcome you as a guest and provide an introductory training.
If you’re looking for an affordable and extremely romantic destination, Thailand would be a great place for you and your partner to visit in 2018. As we approach the fall, flights will inevitably get cheaper as well.
You should be able to fly round-trip from the west coast of the United States for around $700. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask us in the comments below. We will get to as many of you as possible!
Go White Water Rafting
We had the chance to go white water rafting on a river near Chiang Mai. Just as we were about to get into the boat, the heavens opened up, and we had a massive, torrential, downpour of rain. Subsequently, we were soaking wet before we even got in the boat.
The rafting experience was an excellent way to see some more remote areas of Chiang Mai, get a good workout, and enjoy an adrenaline rush.
For detailed travel tips on Thailand, check out our Thailand travel guide.
What resorts did you stay in specifically on the islands?!
Thanks!
Hey babe! This is a guest post, so you’ll need to contact them to find out where they stayed as a couple.
Hi there, i absolutely love your pictures !!! My boyfriend and I are going to Thailand in December and i would love for us to come home with some similar photos. How did you get photos of the 2 of you ?? Did you just ask the locals?? What time do you recommend waking up to start exploring for the beaches to still be quiet and empty?
Hey babe! Bring along a tripod with a remote and put your camera on self-timer and then you don’t need to stress about finding someone to take your pics 🙂 Sunrise is always a good time! Plus, the light will be beautiful for photos!
How did you guys get around between cities? Mainly Chiang Maui to Phuket? Did it take up a lot of your holiday time?
Hi Thando! This post was contributed by Michael and Alexandra from Couple’s Coordinates, so I’m not exactly sure how they got from Chiang Mai to Phuket – but have a look at this post to see my itinerary and travel plans around Thailand: https://theblondeabroad.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-island-hopping-in-thailand/
When I went we used a lot of the local transportation and it was part of the adventure. In my experience, as long as you’re able to spend a 2-3 days in each place, it doesn’t feel like it takes up too much of the holiday.
As a heads up, local buses are often the easiest option, with tuk-tuks usually the most expensive transport choice — but that’s certainly an experience (and not necessarily the best for long distances). The train service throughout the country is affordable, and there are night trains on offer if you’re going long-distance, and it’s a great opportunity to get chatting to fellow travelers.