JB absolutely wants to come back to Koh Phangan, the place where we spent 6 months during Covid. Because of the return of tourism, I’m afraid he’ll be disappointed and file it under “lost paradise,” but it’s better to face reality and accept that the “Covid Koh Phangan” no longer exists. Luckily for us, our beloved Koh Phangan still exists a little, especially in low season. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal We take a speedboat from Koh Tao with the company Lomprayah. They offer to drop us at our hotel for 150THB/person. Handy! We get dropped off in front of Green Papaya Hotel (across…

Back in 2018 (6 years ago already!), I got to attend an evening of Thai boxing matches in Chiang Mai. Back in Thailand, I considered attending a fight night on Koh Phangan before realizing I’d have time to do it in Bangkok just before leaving the country. I noticed there are events at the Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium. My brother Bruno, who practices Thai boxing in France, confirmed it’s an iconic venue. I’m not sure if it’s like this all year, but in June/July, there are events every night. How to book tickets for the Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium? To book, you have three options: Since I didn’t feel like…

After our trip to Bhutan, we fly again to Bangkok then take a night bus + speedboat to Koh Tao, where we stay for a week. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Transport Bangkok – Koh Tao JB books the tickets on 12go asia (link) but he picks the wrong category. There are two categories for the bus leaving at 9pm and you need to take the more expensive one at 1550THB, it’s the VIP bus with twice as much space as a regular bus. JB made a mistake and bought the regular bus tickets, and it took five massages afterwards to get my bones…

Since JB has the status Gold at Accor, we always try to stay at an Accor hotel when we need an early check-in or a late check-out. Our bus to Koh Tao leaves at 9 PM, so we’re thrilled to have a late check-out until 5 PM at VIE Mgallery Bangkok. There are two MGallery hotels in Bangkok, and my gut tells me this one is better. And the suite will prove me right, as we’ll be at the other one a few weeks later, and it’s not the same standard. At this Mgallery, we were upgraded two categories + welcome drinks + early check-in + late check-out. In short,…

Between Vietnam and Bhutan, we spend a night in Bangkok because there is no direct flight between Vietnam and Bhutan. JB chooses a hotel near the airport (20 minutes by car) that has a free shuttle to/from the airport. This is a hotel belonging to the Marriott group, so we can use our miles and can be upgraded thanks to our Gold status. Our room costs 147€ (Booking link). This hotel is absolutely gorgeous, it’s a resort with a spa (that’s typical) and a golf course (that’s less so). There is an infinity pool, a spa, a fitness center, and two restaurants. By opting for the paid breakfast, we get…

After 6 months in Thailand, we finally decide to leave, because it has been raining non-stop since November 1st, and for several days, I haven’t even felt like leaving the apartment: the streets are flooded, there are insects everywhere, it’s humid everywhere. My infections are back and I have to do another round of tests in Koh Samui. I can’t take it anymore! So after the Moderna booster we decided to get after our Janssen vaccine, we treat ourselves to 3 last nights in Koh Samui: 2 nights in a luxurious hotel, and one last night in a regular hotel in Chaweng, but not far from the airport – for…

Since May 2021, we hadn’t seen a single familiar face, so when our two nomad friends J. and F. announced they were coming to see us in Koh Samui, at the same time, we were over the moon. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal They’re seasoned travelers and true “travel hackers,” so this week together turned into an “upgrade to 5-star hotels.” The first one loves switching hotels, so thanks to him, we were able to crash at a few in Koh Samui. The second one gifted us Marriott Bonvoy Gold status (his status allows him to gift it to someone for a year), which…