My Three Favorite Provinces in Thailand

This is inspired by a guest post I did on my brother's blog (you should check it out- I'm quite proud of it!). As the year is drawing to a close, I thought I would make a list of some of my favorite places in Thailand.

Writing this post has made me realize that I haven't traveled as much in Thailand as I would have liked. I've traveled a lot in the past years to some amazing places in southeast Asia, but I haven't even been north to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai yet. I have got to fix that soon!

me! exhausted from an adventure

Kanchanaburi - the Province on the River Kwai

sunset over the river

Kanchanaburi Province is a few hours west of Bangkok, and is best known as the site of the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai. It is one of my absolute favorite provinces in the country; I like to go there for a quiet long weekend. The province is full of history, beautiful nature, and the most incredible sunsets I have ever seen.

the Bridge on the River Kwai

The small, quiet, Kanchanaburi Town itself is a wonderful place to relax. There's plenty to see, especially if you are interested in WWII history. Besides the Bridge, built by Allied POW's and Asian slave labor during the Second World War, there is a war museum and Allied War Cemetery in the city center.

Allied War Cemetery

Erawan National Park, one of Thailand's best-known, is located just out of town. It's known for its beautiful seven-tiered waterfall, and is a wonderful place for hiking, camping, and enjoying nature. There's a lot to see in the province!

Erawan Falls

And I've yet to see anything that can rival a sunset over the River Kwai.

sunset

Krabi - the "jewel of the Andaman Sea"

Krabi

Krabi is in Thailand's southwest, a mainland province on the Andaman Sea, and it is beautiful! It is home to the famous Phi Phi Island and the peaceful seaside town, Ao Nang. I first went there with Pinky after graduation two years ago. Krabi is unforgettable!

Ao Nang

Besides island-hopping and snorkeling tours, Krabi also has some great hiking. At Wat Tham Sua, we hiked to a legendary shrine at the top of a mountain, and were rewarded by an amazing view of the surrounding countryside.

Wat Tham Sua

Sadly, I've only been to Krabi once. I hope to go again quite soon. I want to explore the south of Thailand more.

sunset in Ao Nang

Tak - a remote mountainous province on the Burmese border

mountains in Tak

 "A lovely place to go if you want to be bored" as my boss, Geoffrey, described Tak to me. Tak (the town) itself isn't much, although it does have a very historic old town, and I will always remember it as the only place I've ever driven a car in Thailand (to date) - my boss let me practice driving around the main city square. There was no traffic. I now have a Thai driver's license, but I'm still not comfortable driving on the left side of the road.

a waterfall

There is plenty of beautiful nature up in the mountains of the west. Every time I visit, I get to explore some new national park, hot spring, or waterfall that I've never seen before. Tak Province, a mountainous and fairly remote province on the western border is on this list for one main reason, however: Mae Sot. From my very first visit in 2013, to my most recent last winter, Mae Sot has been a very special part of my life in Thailand.

the refugee camp

If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you'll have seen something of my trips north with my boss Geoffrey. He first was introduced to Mae Sot through Christ Church, and has been going as often as he can ever since. Mae Sot is home to a large population of displaced Burmese refugees. Many of them have to live in a literal garbage dump in the plains near the border.

Read more about my visits to Mae Sot by clicking here, here, and here.

the dump site

Geoffrey collects coins - half and quarter-baht satang coins. Each year he brings the thousands of baht that he's gotten in donations to Sky Blue School, a very poor school for the refugee orphans. My trips north with him are always sobering, but hopeful as well. The school is doing the best it can, and has recently introduced a very basic computer program. Each time we visit, he gives each child a 20 baht note. That's less than a dollar, and might not mean much to you or me, but to see the looks on those children's faces, you would think you've given them a pot of gold. Instead of giving them toys or candy, Geoffrey likes each child to feel empowered. With that money, they can buy some sort of special treat for themselves. 

So, while Mae Sot may not be as famous or as stunningly beautiful as other places in Thailand,  it's the place that I am sure will stick with me for the longest.