Thailand Island Hopper

Day one, you arrive in the big chaotic city of Bangkok. A city with as much history as it has traffic, more character than “characters”, more ambience than ambulances… you get the picture. I think. Anyway, we’ll pick you up from the airport and whisk you to our first hotel to meet the rest of the crew, freshen up or even explore the area which our dedicated Travel Ninja (Tour Guide, but much more awesome) can point you in the right direction or show you some spots. The evening is the real start to the trip, and we have plenty of tricks up our sleeve to ensure it starts with a bang, in Bangkok. First, we will head out to the famous Khao San Road area where you will get to know your group over some delicious food and possibly a few drinks. After our stomachs are satisfied, we hit the town, street bar style.

After a lazy morning to catch some rays by the pool, some zzzzzzz’s in bed, or some bargains at the market, we’ll board a traditional longtail boat to take a ride through Bangkok’s back canals and the main river, the Chao Phraya. Our boat driver will drop us straight at our first temple, Wat Arun (or The Temple of Dawn - cool name right?) where we’ll climb some steps to get a view of the city. After this, we head to one of Bangkok's biggest and most prestigious temples, which also happens to be the first University in Thailand, Wat Pho. Once we have done the culture and learning bit, we’ll grab a traditional Bangkok Tuk Tuk and take a new kind of ride back to our hotel where you can chill (like literally cool down in the AC). Time for our second Bangkok night as a TruFamily. We’d tell you what we’re gonna do, but what happens in Bangkok, stays in Bangkok. Hopefully. (B)

You’ve had the introductions, soaked up some culture, and experienced the nightlife. Now it’s time to head south, to the wonders we spoke of earlier (hint: Khao Sok National Park floating bungalows. Dreamy, right?) Feeling a little fragile? Us too. Fortunately, we have the overnight train ride to recharge, catch up on some sleep and take in some of the sights of the Thai countryside. Before we board the train though, we have a nice surprise for you in the form of a traditional Thai massage. A great way to relax after a big few days and a great way to limber up for the train ride. Great. (B)

Now if we had a list of the 7 Tru Wonders of the World, Khao Sok would be on it. After pulling up early into Surat Thani train station and a short car ride to the national park, we board a longtail boat on the lake and cruise through some breathtaking scenery. Picture low clouds floating over the limestone mountains which surround the emerald green lake. The temperature is perfect for taking a dip, so that's exactly what we’ll do en route to the floating bungalows. Yeah, that's right, we said floating bungalows. Tonight we are staying at an actual floating resort on this amazing lake that looks like something from Jurassic Park. Told you we don’t do average. The afternoon is free to relax by the lake, float around in a tube with a beer, read a book, or explore the lake in kayaks. After sundown, we are treated to a delicious Thai buffet dinner in the floating restaurant and bar. Doesn’t get much better than this. Or does it? (L/D)

What’s better than a floating resort on a crystal clear freshwater lake surrounded by mountains and jungle? I dunno, but our next destination comes pretty close. One of our favourite beaches in the world, Bottle Beach. It’s a stunningly beautiful little beach that is only accessible by boat (or jungle road if you have a badass 4x4) so we pretty much get the place to ourselves and another room with a view! Did we mention this is a TruExclusive? Very few people actually stay here and experience it as you should. And even fewer get to experience it in Tru style. It’s almost impossible to describe how cool this place is. So here is some of the shit that you can do there in paradise with your new pals (apart from lazing on the beach): you can play volleyball, go for a swim or a kayak, hike to the viewpoint or frolic on the beach with one of the friendly resort dogs. In the evening we’ll have dinner on the beach (obviously) followed by some cocktails next to a beach campfire with our own private fire show. Luckily the bar here stays open as long as we stay up so we can take it easy and enjoy a sleep next to the ocean or keep the private beach party rocking until the early hours. Could it get any better than this? No, probably not. (B)

The sounds of the waves breaking on the beach will probably be the first thing you hear when you wake up (unless you have a noisy roommate). We have a lovely lazy morning planned so as always there’s no need to stress about a thing. Sleep in, enjoy the beach, trek through the jungle or up to that viewpoint, and generally make the most of your idyllic surroundings and recharge those batteries. In the afternoon, we’ll head to a local gym, where we get an intro lesson to the ancient art of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), Thailand’s national sport. Once the trainers have made future champs of us all and we have worked up a bit of a sweat, we’ll check in to our new home where we can freshen up and relax. Naturally, the resort we stay in is a fantastic little place right on the beach with a perfect Koh Phangan island vibe. Good job we’re here for the next two nights. With a great selection of restaurants, bars, parties, beaches, we can eat, drink and do what we like for the next few evenings. Enjoy.

Today you’re a pirate. Arrrrrrr. Well, you can pretend to be if you want, cos we’re getting going sailing and taking you on a tour of this magical island. There’s a reason so many of the TruCrew live here on Koh Phangan. We’ll sail around the coast of the island, we’ll stop off at one of the small islands off the coast of Phangan for some beach shenanigans and at a snorkelling spot to check out the sea life and cool down. Sailing in Thailand for the win! Lunch is provided on the boat, there's plenty of space to spread out and soak up some rays with some nice tunes playing all day to wrap it all up. We get back to land around sunset, just in time to refresh for dinner and drinks on our last night in Koh Phangan. The island is well known for its party scene so if the group’s up for a boogie on the last night in Koh Phangan, we can find something that suits, alternatively a quiet night by the pool/beach bar can also be arranged. (L)

Wave goodbye to the magical island of Koh Phangan, and say hello to its pretty little neighbour Koh Tao. Until relatively recently Koh Tao was pretty much just coconut farms and fishing villages, so it is still fairly undeveloped and like Koh Phangan is bursting with nature. Things changed for Koh Tao when scuba diving became a thing, and people discovered an array of amazing dive sites. Many people visit Koh Tao for the diving, beautiful beaches and laid back lifestyle. When we get to the island, we check in to our hotel near Sairee Beach, which is now lined with cool little restaurants and beach bars (and plenty of dive schools of course). Spend the afternoon by the pool, exploring the town or on the beach. In the evening we will hit some of the beach bars and see where the night takes us!

Today we get to see what all the fuss is about with the snorkelling and scuba diving in Koh Tao (It is what the island is famous for after all), plus we get to visit a beautiful island called Koh NangYuan. We provide snorkelling gear, lunch and drinks on the boat but if you would like to arrange a scuba diving session instead then speak to your Travel Ninja (Elite, bad-ass tour guide) or another one of the Tru Crew in advance, and we will sort it out for you. If you would prefer to work on your tan on the boat then on exploring the wonders of the ocean below the boat, then we can sort that out for you too. You can also hike up to the viewpoint to get some insta envy-inducing snaps or bronze your body on the beautiful beach. In the evening you are free to join the group for dinner at one of the island's nice restaurants and a few beers (or cocktails, even waters if you prefer) at one of the many little bars lining Sairee Beach. (L)

Our last day on this little paradise and fortunately we got options. We are off to Tanote Bay for anyone who wants to come spend the day at this little gem of a beach. If you would rather keep the adrenaline flowing, we can help you arrange one of Koh Tao’s extreme activities. From rock climbing to the more common and much wetter activities like scuba diving or water sports. Or you can stay in bed all day until we check out. We won’t be, but it’s your trip beautiful ;-)

Today after a chilled morning soaking in the last bit of magic from Koh Tao we will head over to our next incredible destination! They just keep getting better and better! In the afternoon after an amazing speedboat trip we will arrive in Phi Phi. When we have arrived and checked in, you have some free time in the early evening before meeting up for a group dinner on this amazing island! The evenings are always interesting when in Phi Phi, like Koh Tao, it has a very chilled, “islandy” vibe but also a lot of young backpackers and beachgoers, so naturally, it has a lively nightlife with beach parties that often go on into the early hours. So what goes down is up to you and the fam.

Who loves Leo? And we don’t mean the Thai beer. Although we do love that too. We mean Leo Dicaprio, and you can admit it, you love him. Well so do we, and today you will get to walk in his wonderful footsteps for the day. After a chilled morning, we will jump on another boat to visit a stunningly beautiful spot called Maya Bay, which was made famous by Leo’s famous film, “The Beach” which was filmed here many moons ago. On top of that, we’ll do some more snorkelling, visit some other cool spots like the Viking Cave and Monkey Beach (yes there are actually monkeys there) as well as lunch and watching the sunset from the boat. Another epic day brought to you by TruTravels. You’re very welcome. (L)

First up this morning is an amazing optional hike to a stunning viewpoint in Phi Phi! It's the ultimate way to end our couple of days here and the ultimate Thailand photo opportunity too! Then we are off to Phuket! No, we did not just swear. Phuket (pronounced puket or pooket) is another Thai Island. The biggest one, in fact. Well, this tour is called the Island Hopper, so what did you expect? We end our trip on this crazy island for two main reasons. One because it has an airport and looooads of hotels and transport, so it makes your life easier. Two because you have to experience it once when you come to Thailand. We stay near Patong Beach, which is a lively centre of activity with many tourists and many locals buzzing about on motorbikes and taxis. There are lots of things to do, and the last afternoon is free to chill, explore and get ready for the last night out with the group. Who are now your BFFs, for life, and probably longer, so you can be sure it’s gonna be a really, really good night.

Last day. Tears all round. Can’t even type any more…If you must leave us after the trip to go home or somewhere else on your travels then we will, of course, help you with everything, just let us know where you gotta go and when. But obviously, we would rather you stay with your new TruFam. (B)