Singapore, Thailand, + Vietnam
23 Days in Southeast Asia
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam for My 30th Birthday
For my 30th birthday, I spent more than three weeks traveling through Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Futuristic skylines, private-pool villas, tropical islands, elephants, rooftop cocktails, chaotic streets, life-changing massages, and more incredible dishes of food than I could ever count. The flights were the one part of this whole trip I didn't actually pay for — booked entirely on credit card points, as always.
Not everything went according to plan. Flights got delayed, a camera charger disappeared somewhere in Thailand, the jungle tested every luxury-loving bone in my body, and some of our best days only happened after we threw out the itinerary entirely. This is the full, honest recap: what we did, what we ate, what it cost, what I'd do again and what I wouldn't.
Thursday, August 13–Saturday, August 15 — Fort Myers → Dallas → Doha → Singapore
The trip started with three flights and about 33 hours of travel: RSW → DFW → DOH → SIN, all on Qatar Airways. I left Fort Myers Thursday evening and didn't land in Singapore until Saturday afternoon. Exhausting way to start a trip, but landing at Changi meant the real adventure was finally about to begin.
Saturday, August 15 — Arrival in Singapore + Marina Bay Sunset
Immigration and customs at Changi were a breeze since I'd already filled out my SG Arrival Card ahead of time — no extra checkpoints, no complicated procedures, luggage and out. I set up my eSIM at the airport and Grabbed straight to the PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay.
First impressions of the hotel: incredible. The property was stunning, but what really stood out was the staff — every single person was kind, helpful and welcoming. My room had a view of the Singapore skyline that made for an amazing introduction to the city.
Since it was a long travel day, I kept the evening easy and stayed within walking distance of the hotel. I wandered the mall and restaurants around Marina Square, grabbed a quick bite at Makansutra Gluttons Bay (live music was playing at the nearby Esplanade, which gave the whole waterfront a fun energy), then walked to OverEasy at One Fullerton for sunset. No reservation, but I got incredibly lucky with a daybed table overlooking Marina Bay Sands — one of those perfect first-night travel moments, watching the sun go down with that skyline in front of me.
After sunset I stopped at Supply & Demand in the Esplanade complex and found their small rooftop terrace, which had an unexpectedly great view toward downtown. Kat had been on a later flight and finally landed around 10 p.m., so I met up with her, brought her some of those chili wontons from Gluttons Bay, and we called it a night.
Favorite moment of the day: that first sunset at OverEasy, daybed and all — the best possible way to kick off the trip. Lesson learned: stagger your friend group's flights and you'll spend your first night solo for a few hours, so have a plan for what to do with yourself (mine was wandering and eating, which worked out fine).
Sunday, August 16 — Gardens, Pool, Rooftop Views + KOMA
Started the morning with a traditional Singaporean breakfast at Toast Box in Suntec City — kaya toast, runny soft-boiled eggs, and kopi. The toast was a little too sweet on its own, but dipping it in the egg worked, even after I cracked mine completely wrong and got shell everywhere.
From there it was a few hours at Gardens by the Bay: the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest (with its Jurassic World exhibition, which was cool but I think I'd have liked something more whimsical, like Alice in Wonderland), Supertree Grove, and the OCBC Skyway. The Skyway costs an extra S$14 but it was absolutely worth it — walking through the Supertrees was the highlight of the morning. On the way out, we stopped at Satay by the Bay for Hokkien mee and a pork bao bun — both delicious, and I'd get the noodles again in a heartbeat.
Back at the hotel, we spent the early afternoon poolside with coconut cocktails — all the daybeds and cabanas are complimentary for guests, no rental required. Then I got ready in my sheer white dress and wedges (a little boy leaving the hotel asked his dad who I was; his dad said "probably a movie star," which I will be dining out on for years).
We went up to the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, which was crowded and honestly not worth it on its own — if I did it again, I'd skip straight to CÉ LA VI, one floor up. It's S$38 per person including one drink, and the view and vibe were both much better. Big takeaway: if it's in the budget, stay at Marina Bay Sands itself, since hotel guests get access to that famous rooftop infinity pool.
We wandered into KOMA Bar & Lounge afterward — good, beautiful, and expensive. Two cocktails and two sushi rolls ran us S$129. The yellowtail roll was the best thing we ordered; the tuna roll came with an unlisted, unwelcome layer of cucumber. I'd probably skip it next time — Singapore has too many other interesting places to eat to spend that much on sushi rolls.
We walked home across Helix Bridge, which was beautiful at night and completely worth the blisters my wedges gave me. Everything on the itinerary got done right on schedule. My souvenir from Singapore: a cute little Supertree figurine for the shelf.
Favorite moment of the day: a toss-up between the OCBC Skyway and CÉ LA VI. Lesson learned: skip the Observation Deck and go straight to CÉ LA VI — same view, better drinks, better vibe.
Monday, August 17 — Fort Canning, Chinatown + Singapore Night Tour
We got to the Fort Canning Tree Tunnel around 8 a.m. on a Monday, assuming it wouldn't be crowded. Wrong — we waited almost THREE hours. There's no organized line, so it turns into total chaos: people walking through everyone else's shots while the person mid-photo waits for them to clear, over and over, which slows the whole thing down for everybody. The photos turned out great, but if I did it again, I'd be there by 7 a.m. My real recommendation: get there as close to sunrise as possible.
While we waited, I kept ducking over to nearby Estuary for beers, and after the shoot we went back for their fish and chips — fried sea bass with tartar sauce, ketchup and a really good chili sauce. Excellent. Between the tunnel wait and those in-line beers, we were pretty buzzed by the time we finished, so we decided to just ride that buzz straight into Chinatown instead of going back to the hotel first.
We went — extremely hot, mostly uncooled, and we skipped Haji Lane entirely. We did try fresh durian at a little walk-in spot called Grandpa Durian: incredibly pungent, and neither of us made it past two bites. Not fans. Apparently they also do durian ice cream, but we didn't stick around to find out.
We grabbed a quick bite at an Italian spot before our evening tour and got another reminder of how expensive Singapore is — burrata alone was $26 SGD, bread was another $8, and with tax and service it came out to about $42 SGD for burrata and bread.
That evening we did the WaterB Singapore River cruise (easy to find, right by the Merlion). The boat ride itself is about 45 minutes and gives you a nice look at the city from the water — the quay area, with all its riverfront restaurants, looked especially interesting. After the cruise we caught Spectra at Marina Bay Sands, then got bused to Gardens by the Bay for Garden Rhapsody at the Supertrees. Our guide was great and easygoing about letting us split off and reconvene at set times.
Worth knowing: Garden Rhapsody is completely free and only runs about 12–15 minutes, so you can watch it any night on your own without the tour. If I were doing my first Singapore trip again, I'd book the river cruise on night one instead of the last night — it's a great way to scope out neighborhoods you might want to explore later, and doing it on our final night meant we spotted places we no longer had time to visit. That said, I wouldn't call it a must-do — I naturally rack up huge step counts exploring on foot, so we'd already seen a lot of what the cruise covered. If you don't like walking long distances, though, it's a relaxing way to see the city. One tip: leaving Gardens by the Bay after the light show is chaos, since everyone's requesting a ride at once. I'd not only walk at least half a mile away from the crowd before ordering one — I'd also try to schedule the Grab in advance if the app lets you, because otherwise you're looking at a 25-plus-minute wait just standing around.
We ended the night back at Gluttons Bay for round two of those dumplings from our first night (they were so good we each got our own order this time), then went home to pack for Thailand.
Looking back on Singapore: for a first visit, we hit the major Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay attractions, which made sense. If I went back, I'd stay at the Pan Pacific Orchard — the gorgeous hotel I wanted but missed — and spend more time in different neighborhoods. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd choose to return purely on my own; maybe for work, or as part of a bigger trip. It's beautiful, clean and constantly building new attractions, but once you've seen the big sights it can feel like you've gotten the gist — and it's expensive. Still, we packed a lot in and got some incredible photos. Next stop: Thailand.
Favorite moment of the day: honestly, trying durian with Kat. Absolutely not our cup of tea, but a memory I’ll never forget. Lesson learned: book your Grab before you're standing in a crowd of 500 other people trying to do the same thing.
Tuesday, August 18 — Jewel → Phuket → Crest Resort
I woke up absurdly early and decided to hit the gym — which somehow ended with a hurt back (this is exactly why I don't work out on vacation). Kat and I walked 30 minutes to find a chiropractor, only to find it closed inside the most confusing building imaginable, and it took us another 15 minutes just to find our way back out. We gave up, grabbed coffee, and Grabbed back to the hotel.
We checked out of PARKROYAL around 10 a.m. and stopped at Changi's Jewel Rain Vortex on the way through — pretty, and worth seeing since you're already there, though I wouldn't make a special trip just for it. We met Emily at the gate and the three of us grabbed breakfast drinks in the lounge together — a fun way to officially kick off the Thailand leg. The flight to Phuket was an easy hour and 25 minutes; I had wine and listened to my audiobook, Getting Away with Murder.
On the drive from the airport, we weren't immediately impressed by the busier parts of town, and we scrapped our plan to hit Patong and Bangla Road that night — tentatively pushing it to Thursday instead.
Then we checked into Crest Resort & Pool Villas and were floored. The resort is beautiful, but my room specifically was ridiculous — a private pool, an incredible water view, a spacious layout, mini kitchen, soaking tub, king bed, full birthday-dream energy. I would like my mail forwarded here, please.
We skipped Patong to let Emily recover from ~40 hours of travel and stayed in for drinks and an entire Din Tai Fung delivery feast — my first time trying it, and it did not disappoint. We ordered a full spread to sample everything and split around $80 three ways. After dinner, Kat and I booked a couples massage at the resort — hands down the best couples massage I've ever had (pun intended). We stayed up for a bit of a slumber-party catch-up, planning outfits for the James Bond Island cruise and getting increasingly excited.
Favorite moment of the day: walking into that villa for the first time and just standing there in disbelief. Lesson learned: don't work out on vacation — your back does not care about your fitness goals right now.
Wednesday, August 19 — James Bond Islands
Emily had tried to set an alarm for 5:30 a.m., but we all talked ourselves into agreeing that 7 would be just fine. The weather was gorgeous. After some private-pool photos and Crest's massive breakfast buffet — Thai food, dim sum, fried rice, salad, an American breakfast station, basically eating lunch at 8 a.m. — a van picked us up at 10 for the hour-long drive to the port.
We boarded the luxury catamaran and upgraded to a private daybed cabana for about $150 — worth every cent for having somewhere to stretch out, eat, nap and store our stuff between stops. Drinks flowed all day: a bottle of champagne, strawberry daiquiris for me, lychee martinis for Kat and Emily, plus unlimited water, juice and soft drinks. Lunch was a buffet of Thai dishes, sushi, pad Thai and rice.
We stopped for swimming near what I think was Naka Island, then for canoeing at Koh Hong, where local guides paddled us through the caves, lagoons and limestone scenery. Onboard, we each got a 30-minute neck/back/shoulder massage and a 30-minute face and scalp massage for about $30 total — one of the best cheap-luxury moments of the trip. The final stop was James Bond Island itself, made famous by the 1974 Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. We changed outfits specifically for the photos, and the 45 minutes there was plenty of time for pictures, the scenery, and a souvenir stand — bring cash if you want anything, since nothing there is a real registered business and everything is haggle-able. Start at about half of whatever they first quote you and work up from there; it's fun, and you'll almost always land somewhere better than the asking price. Never pay full price on the first offer.
Sunset dinner was served buffet-style back on the boat, with occasional rain but mostly sun. Because it was off-season, the boat was maybe 40–50% full, and we ended up chatting with travelers from several different countries. The ride back to Crest took about an hour and could get rough — bring motion-sickness medication if you're prone to it. Dimenhydrinate (the same active ingredient in original Dramamine) is available at 7-Eleven in Thailand.
We got back to Crest, showered, sent clothes out for laundry, and just soaked in the villa, the view and each other's company. This was, hands down, our favorite day of the trip so far — the cabana, the cocktails, the food, the massages, the islands, the photos, the friends. We'd 100% book this excursion again, and the private daybed upgrade was worth it.
Favorite moment of the day: the onboard massages — genuinely did not expect a $30 back massage on a boat to be one of the best parts of the trip, but here we are. Lesson learned: bring cash for the souvenir stands, and always haggle.
Thursday, August 20 — Private Phi Phi Islands
Big content day. We were back at that same incredible Crest breakfast buffet — waffle bar, omelet station, pasta bar and basically anything the staff could whip up on request, same as the first morning — before we packed the boat bags and a driver picked us up around 8:45 for the 45-minute drive to the marina.
At Five Star Marine, they had complimentary motion-sickness medication, coffee, tea, water and snacks waiting — we all took the meds, which helped somewhat, though the water still got rough. We'd booked the entire speedboat privately for the three of us, at roughly $375 per person ($1,125 total), which came with a captain and crew, a fully flexible itinerary, snorkeling gear, a Bluetooth connection for our own music, and staff on hand all day. Every other boat we saw out there had 15-plus people crammed onto it — we had the entire front of ours to ourselves, just the three of us and three crew members. Worth every cent of the splurge.
I need to be honest about the water, though: this excursion would NOT be ideal if you don't like rough seas, because holy shit. "Lifted clean out of our seats" makes it sound almost gentle. On the way out, we were all laughing and excited and having the time of our lives. On the way back, we were fighting for our lives, holding onto literally everything we owned so it didn't fly out of the boat. If you are at all sensitive to motion sickness or rough water, I would genuinely recommend skipping this one.
The ride out to Phi Phi took about an hour and 20 minutes, with 30–40 minutes in the middle so rough it was borderline dangerous-feeling. It calmed down once we got closer to the islands. Our first stop was a traditional longtail-boat ride (not included in the charter — an extra ฿2,000, or about $58, for the three of us), which gave us some of the best photos of the day thanks to a good window of sunshine. Iconic experience, though I imagine riding in one all day would get old fast between the noise, the waves and the exposed engine.
Next was Monkey Beach, where the wild monkeys are genuinely aggressive about stealing food — one climbed onto a nearby boat and made off with an entire can of Pringles, which was one of the funniest moments of the day. Keep your stuff secured, don't approach or feed them, and step into the water if one gets too close — they generally avoid it.
We spent the afternoon on Koh Phi Phi Don, where the longtail boats dock, taking photos and wandering before lunch at ACQUA — a wrap, tuna tartare, a burger, a sandwich for Kat, and a few cheap mimosas, all fresh and delicious. The private itinerary meant we could linger as long as we wanted.
The last stop was snorkeling in exceptionally clear water among colorful fish and coral — using waterproof phone cases to get underwater footage of fish that looked like the tropical-fish emoji come to life. Before we even got in, though, we tried to get some fun photos on the front of the boat, which had a bit of sway to it. While I was up there by myself, I fell right off the front and straight into the water — my colorful hat went in with me and was never quite the same again. Then when all three of us climbed up front and started getting into position, my Ray-Bans slid right off and sank all the way to the bottom. Thank god the water was crystal clear, because from the boat we could see exactly where they landed. We started the actual snorkeling activity right then and there and recovered them — happy ending, soggy sunglasses and all.
Along with Monkey Beach, this was the best part of the day, and neither activity had been part of Wednesday's James Bond excursion, which made the extra splurge worth it. The weather stayed mostly overcast with occasional sun, which actually kept things comfortable for photos.
The ride back to the marina took the full seven-hour excursion into that same rough water again — and when I say rough, I mean hold onto everything you own with both hands. I nearly lost my lunch and every mimosa I'd had that day. That speedboat ride back is no joke. Instead of heading straight to Crest, our driver dropped us at Patong Beach, where we walked Bangla Road — bars, nightlife, massage parlors, a lot of "if you know, you know" energy that wasn't really our scene. We grabbed a casual, forgettable dinner nearby (nobody was very hungry after the day we'd had) and crashed hard back at Crest, too tired to even pack for the move to Amatara.
Favorite moments: the monkeys, the Pringle heist, the snorkeling, losing and recovering the sunglasses, the longtail photos, controlling our own playlist and itinerary all day. Overall, Five Star Marine gave us a genuinely private, flexible day, and it let us do things — snorkeling, Monkey Beach, the longtail boat — that the bigger catamaran excursion didn't. That said, I personally preferred Wednesday's James Bond trip; the bigger boat was smoother, roomier and more relaxing. If you're prone to motion sickness, take the meds, hold on tight, and go in expecting a genuinely rough ride, because the payoff is worth it — but if you're truly sensitive to it, I'd sit this one out.
Favorite moment of the day: Screaming/singing “Highway to Hell” when we thought we were going to die on the boat ride home. Pouring everyone a glass of wine and loosing half of it to the wind. Lesson learned: Take all the Dramamine.
Friday, August 21 — Ma Doo Bua → Amatara
Leaving Crest hurt. We had our final breakfast at that incredible buffet, played mermaids in the pool, filmed some drone content (and possibly crashed the drone once — but it still worked), and genuinely did not want to pack up. Between Crest and Amatara, private-pool villas have completely ruined me for regular hotel rooms.
We checked out around 11 and drove to Ma Doo Bua Café, the giant-lily-pad, long-tail-boat photo spot you've probably seen on Instagram. At the counter they initially told us we might not get photographed until 3 p.m., which almost made us bail — but we'd come too far to skip it. We paid ฿1,500 (about $45), cash only, for two drone videos and ten still photos, on one of three available boats (we got Boat A). No personal drones or extra photography allowed in the paid area, and the shoot has to happen same-day. Despite the warning, we were called up after only about 15 minutes — hadn't even finished our first drink. The staff posed absolutely everything, down to my hands and hair. I loved the drone footage, was less impressed by the official stills, and tipped ฿500 (about $15) to get some time with our own tripod on the boat — those turned out to be some of my favorite shots of the day. We had strawberry daiquiris, lemon salmon, a chicken Caesar wrap and a quesadilla, though honestly the café and the giant lily pads were the real draw. There were also free photo areas for people who skipped the paid package, and I ended up playing photographer for a few solo travelers who needed a hand. The white peacock outfit was perfect for the setting; any flowy, colorful dress would work just as well. We spent about two to three hours there total.
From there our driver took us to Gems Gallery Phuket, one of the largest jewelry stores in Thailand, where I spent ฿7,600 (about $230–$240) on a pearl bracelet, four pearl rings, and two stone bracelets — cultured pearls, gold-plated settings, with a detailed tax invoice included. Probably tourist pricing to some degree, but not outrageous for what it was.
We also stopped at Tiger Kingdom, walked in, and walked right back out. The cats didn't look like they were being treated well, so we didn't spend a dime there. Would not recommend.
We got to Amatara Welleisure Resort in Cape Panwa just in time to catch the tail end of sunset, though our villa actually faced sunrise — and the sunrises there turned out to be incredible. Our private-pool villa was gorgeous, but arriving straight from Crest made it a tough act to follow at first; Crest's room, breakfast and surroundings had impressed me more, while Amatara felt quieter, more secluded, and better suited to a wellness-focused stay. If I did the trip again, I'd flip the order — Amatara first, then Crest.
Unfortunately, arrival came with a real disappointment: my travel agent had confirmed the hotel knew about my birthday and would decorate the room, and a friend had separately arranged for champagne. None of it happened — no decorations, no record of my birthday, no champagne, and the resort's Siri restaurant was closed on top of it. All three of us were frustrated with the travel agent. But Kat and Emily immediately went to work with the hotel to fix it, and that evening I had my first treatment at Diva Massage — a totally ordinary, no-frills little massage place, but a genuinely great massage — a back massage and facial for about $30, paid for by Emily as an early birthday gift.
Favorite moment of the day: the drone footage on the boat at Ma Doo Bua — surprisingly, some of my favorite photos from the entire trip came from this café. Lesson learned: manage your own birthday expectations directly with the hotel instead of relying on a third party to confirm it for you. If you want it done right, do it yourself.
Saturday, August 22 — My 30th Birthday at Amatara
Woke up to a gorgeous sunrise right in front of our villa — the private pool and that view became two of my favorite things about Amatara. Kat and Emily had spent the previous evening working with the hotel to make up for the travel agent's failure, and they came through in a big way: a beautifully decorated suite, a bouquet of flowers, a floating birthday breakfast, champagne and mimosas, Ferrero Rocher from Kat + a gift she brought all the way from Florida, and that Diva massage, and flowers from Emily. :’)
My original "3" and "0" balloons that I'd brought from home didn't quite survive in the Thailand heat — the 3 popped mid-air out of nowhere (my best guess is the swing from extreme heat to extreme air-conditioned cold), and the 0 just slowly deflated in about 20 minutes. I'm a total sucker for number balloons for a milestone birthday, so this felt like a real crisis. Enter Phuket Balloon, who saved the day with a helium delivery of a fresh "30" for about $70 USD — expensive balloons, but they came right to my room and stayed fully inflated for the rest of our stay. The birthday photoshoot around the decorated villa and pool that followed was genuinely iconic.
The travel-agent situation was a genuine bummer, but my friends completely saved the day — thank God for good friends.
We kept the rest of the day low-key and enjoyed the resort, with lunch at Senses, Amatara's wellness café — good food, pretty setting. A few honest notes on Amatara: their normal breakfast restaurant was closed during our stay, so meals were served in a smaller secondary spot with a noticeably smaller spread than Crest's buffet. On the plus side, it was peaceful and mostly kid-free, and I liked that. Cape Panwa itself is sleepy — expect a 20-minute drive for most restaurants and activities outside the resort.
Baba Poolside deserves its own paragraph, honestly. It happened to be ladies' night, so we got six free drinks — each — and the food was incredible, since they let us order off the menu from the Japanese restaurant inside. Not sure if any of that was birthday treatment, but we also landed a genuinely great table for the fire show, front and center. It was perfect — fun, lovely, and probably the single best thing happening in Cape Panwa that night. AND my amazing friends took care of the bill, did I mention they are the best? The Baba resort itself (part of Sri Panwa) is stunning, and honestly, if I found myself back in Cape Panwa, I might stay there instead. Amatara is gorgeous, but if I'm being fully honest, it's a little boring compared to what's happening a short drive away.
Favorite moment of the day: The beautifully decorated room or Baba Poolside, — six free drinks EACH, Japanese food, and the best table in the house for the fire show. Lesson learned: bring TWO sets of your milestone-number balloons or just plan on ordering locally from the start.
Sunday, August 23 — Diva + Three Monkeys + Hanuman World + Central Phuket
Kat's last night in Phuket. Another beautiful sunrise, a slower morning, then back to Diva for a body scrub and massage (another $30, another win — nothing fancy about the place itself, but between the two treatments, Diva was one of the best-value experiences of the whole trip).
Emily stayed back at Amatara for her own spa time while Kat and I went out for a proper send-off. We reserved one of the photogenic nest tables at Three Monkeys Restaurant inside Hanuman World, which requires a ฿5,000 (about $150) minimum spend that goes toward food and drinks — easy to hit between two people. We went all out: tuna chirashi, two Norwegian salmon rolls without cucumber, a spicy tuna roll, mixed sushi balls, grilled Australian beef tenderloin, the Notorious beef short rib, garlic fried rice, mango sticky rice, coconut ice cream in a fresh coconut, and about three cocktails each off their creative menu (standouts made with brandy-peach-passionfruit, rum-coconut-mango, vodka-mulberry-passionfruit, and a rum-banana-strawberry-burnt-banana combo). One of the most fun, memorable meals of the whole trip. I cannot recommend Three Monkeys enough — it's such a cool dinner-scape, with neat little things to do around the property, and you can genuinely make a whole night out of it. Pair it with the mall either before or after, since it's right there and it's actually a really nice mall.
Afterward we went go-karting at Hanuman World next door — genuinely one of my favorite activities of the entire trip, right up there with the Ma Doo Bua lily pads. Thrilling, hilarious, and a great way to be active after days of boats and spas and photography.
We ended the day at Central Phuket looking for souvenirs and trying to solve a growing problem: I'd left my camera charger back at Crest, and because my camera is older, none of the local stores carried a replacement. I ordered three replacement chargers through Amazon to Bangkok (the earliest guaranteed delivery point) and planned to borrow Emily's Canon G7X in Chiang Mai in the meantime. Travel lesson learned the hard way: before checking out of any hotel, do a slow video pan of the entire room — every outlet, drawer, closet, the safe, under the bed, the balcony, nightstands. It makes it so much easier to catch something small before you leave it behind. At least it was a charger and not a passport.
Overall, Crest and Amatara were both incredible for private-pool villas, but Crest had the edge for me on room design, breakfast and surroundings, while Amatara wins on peace, seclusion and sunrise views. Despite the rocky birthday start, my friends turned the whole stay around.
Favorite moment of the day: go-karting at Hanuman World — did not expect that to be a top-tier moment of the trip, but here we are. Lesson learned: video-pan every hotel room before you check out. Every single time.
Monday, August 24 — Phuket → Chiang Mai
Had one last swim at Amatara, walked the beach a little and then Emily and I said our goodbyes to Kat and the staff. We left around noon, but Kats flight back to America was later so she stayed until about 3 pm. Our flight ended up delayed two to three hours, but Phuket Airport has domestic lounges — we posted up in the Coral Lounge (comfortable, surprisingly good food) and started the final season of Outer Banks to pass the time.
We landed in Chiang Mai around 6 p.m. without prearranged transportation to Chai Lai Orchid, which turned into unnecessary stress — several Grab drivers accepted, saw how far the property was, and canceled. If you're staying there, book transportation directly through the hotel in advance; it's about 1.5 hours from the airport, and finding a willing driver on the spot is genuinely difficult.
We arrived after dark, which made the remote jungle setting feel a little unsettling at first. This was not a traditional resort — more like one step above camping. Our cabin was open-air with a mosquito net over the bed, ants and other wildlife throughout, low water pressure, and the electricity cut out for four or five hours. There was an indoor toilet, at least, but everything else was rustic and bare-bones. I hadn't properly camped since I was a kid, and I love air-conditioning and strong water pressure and not sharing a room with bugs, so this was way outside my comfort zone.
We tried to settle in with a couple of double margaritas, and then a praying mantis flew onto Emily's head — followed immediately by one of the several wild dogs that live on the property eating said praying mantis, right in front of us. I was genuinely traumatized. If my phone hadn't been almost dead, I would have been looking up other hotels and possible ways out right then and there — but I only had about 5% battery, the electricity in our open-air "cabin" wasn't working, and I made myself stop using what little charge I had left in case of an actual emergency. We talked to the front desk after that and used the rest of the night to plan out every excursion for the next day. Looking forward to tomorrow was genuinely the only highlight of that evening. It was dark, our room had no walls to speak of, and I was just scared — of the dogs, the bugs, whatever else was out there in the dark that I couldn't see. I am not a camper. Did I mention that already?
Favorite moment of the day: Playing in the pool before leaving Amatara and honestly, that it. This was the low point of the trip, comfort-wise. Lesson learned: book your own transportation directly through remote properties in advance; don't leave it to a Grab driver to figure out on the fly. Also: keep your phone charged, always, no exceptions.
Tuesday, August 25 — Chai Lai Orchid Elephant Experience
We'd arranged every activity the night before with the front desk, because we knew this day was going to be jam-packed. Between arriving later than planned on Monday (thanks to flight delays) and needing to leave Wednesday around 9 a.m. for our flight to Bangkok, literally anything and everything we wanted to do in Chiang Mai had to fit into this one Tuesday. So: private tour in the morning, a cooking class in the afternoon, massages in our own cabin at night. Packed, but so worth it.
We paid ฿3,500 per person (about $100) for the private tour through Chai Lai Orchid, covering transportation, a guide, the elephant experiences, bamboo rafting, a guided hike, a rice-field viewpoint, and lunch — fully flexible timing since it was private. Our guide, Sunny, was wonderful and took a huge number of photos throughout the day, on top of what we captured ourselves. Worth noting: Chai Lai Orchid has rescued and cared for a number of Asian elephants over the years, and every elephant we met there looked genuinely well looked-after.
The morning started with three older elephants, followed by a mother and baby at a different spot. We learned to mix their food (bananas, turmeric, rice, meant to support their digestion) and fed them that plus plenty of sugarcane. They looked genuinely happy and comfortable — no chains, no hitting, no rough handling, nothing that made us uneasy. Then we followed them into the cold water to help cool them down, throwing water and rubbing them down — unlike anything I'd done before. At one point, a few of them wandered right up to the window of our cabin, and we got to feed them from there too — some of my favorite photos of the whole trip came out of that random little moment.
After a roughly 15-minute bamboo raft ride (Sunny told us these used to have to be carried back upstream by hand before roads reached the area in the 1990s), we did about 15 minutes of a guided jungle hike — the full route runs closer to two hours, but between our schedule and our lack of proper gear, we kept it short. Even that stretch felt genuinely precarious in spots. We stopped at Sunny's sister's roadside shop (their "local 7-Eleven," as they joked) for souvenirs, cold drinks, and a fresh lunch of vegetable soup, chicken, fried rice, watermelon, mango, avocado, and a mystery white fruit that reminded us of durian. Then Sunny took us to a viewpoint over the rice fields and walked us through how it's planted and harvested — breathtaking scenery and a real window into local life.
We got back to the cabin around 3:30 after about six hours out, napped, then headed to a Thai cooking class at a local family's home, arranged through the hotel — genuinely one of the coolest experiences of the whole trip, and made even better by the fact that their house actually had electricity, unlike our cabin. We learned green curry, pad Thai and mango sticky rice — interactive, delicious, and a lot of fun. We capped the night with an in-room massage, the perfect way to unwind after a packed day.
Chai Lai Orchid pushed me way outside my comfort zone — sleeping in an open-air cabin with bugs and jungle wildlife was humbling, but I'm so glad I did it. The rustic accommodations were a small price for the amount of time we got with the elephants, especially after the regular day visitors had left. A day trip wouldn't have been enough; I'd recommend staying one or two nights, especially if you normally travel on the luxury end and want something that pushes you a little.
Favorite moment of the day: The elephants wandering right up to our cabin window so we could feed them. Great pictures, great time, and just the sweetest, most unexpected moment of the day. AND the cooking class, omg the cooking class. :’) Lesson learned: the rustic accommodations are 100% worth it for this kind of access; don't let the lack of a five-star bed scare you off like it almost did me.
Wednesday, August 26 — Chiang Mai → Bangkok
After two nights sleeping open-air in the jungle — one with hours-long power outages and my phone dying at 2%, the other with constant waking from every jungle noise — I was exhausted and ready to get back to a big city with coffee shops and stable electricity again. Chiang Mai is plenty civilized, to be clear — I just mean I was ready for Bangkok specifically. Turns out I appreciate reliable electricity, water pressure, clean sheets and a decent pillow far more than I realized.
The elephants came right to our room for one last feeding before we left, and saying goodbye was genuinely sad. The hotel arranged all of our transportation back to the airport, and I mean all of it — two incredibly strong guys showed up, grabbed every single one of our bags, and hauled them all the way back up the mountain, basically by motorbike and sheer will. Thank god for those two, honestly, because I do not travel light, especially not for a month's worth of trips.
We flew Bangkok Airways to Bangkok (quick, on time, with a surprisingly nice little snack box) and met the private driver we'd booked in advance — a huge upgrade from our Chiang Mai arrival chaos. Bangkok traffic, for the record, is no joke; walking and driving often take almost exactly the same amount of time.
My first impression of the Shangri-La Bangkok was that it felt a little dated and less central than I'd expected. First order of business the second we got to the room: a long, deep shower with a lot of scrubbing, just to feel human again and regain some composure after the jungle. Then I sent my laundry out — and got hit with a $116 bill for nine or ten items. Genuinely cried a little on the inside. In hindsight, I could have waited and done it in Vietnam for a fraction of the price, but between that and the $76 I'd already spent shipping replacement chargers, I just chalked it up to the cost of the trip. Mistakes happen — water under the bridge.
We'd hoped to fit in Akara Sky Hanuman that afternoon but didn't have time before our dinner cruise. On the way, we stopped for margaritas and wine at the Royal Orchid Sheraton, which put us in a good mood heading into the evening — good thing, because the check-in for our dinner cruise was a mess. Our ticket said "Pier 2," which doesn't exist; the actual check-in was a folding table inside River City Bangkok mall, and you're supposed to exit through Gate 2 to reach Pier 1, where the boat actually leaves. None of that was explained anywhere on the ticket.
The Wonderful Pearl cruise itself ran about two hours across three decks, though the whole thing felt maybe a quarter full. There was a live band, but the vibe never really came together, and several fuller, livelier boats passed us on the water. The buffet was fine but forgettable, the margaritas were reasonably priced, and — most disappointingly — the cruise didn't really show us Bangkok. No narration, mostly dark water, a few landmarks in the distance. We'd booked it specifically hoping to scope out neighborhoods, and instead it felt like a floating buffet. Singapore's river cruise, with its narration and neighborhood views, was a much better version of this same idea. One bright spot: chatting with a Bangkok local seated next to us, who gave us some good recommendations.
After the cruise we walked about two miles to Sky Bar at Lebua — the Hangover Part II rooftop — and it was underwhelming too. One Hugo Spritz ran $80–$100, which is shocking even by rooftop standards, and the energy was quieter than expected. Not having my Nikon charger made the whole thing more frustrating; my replacement chargers were due to arrive the next day, and I was hoping they'd show up in time for Nobu.
By the time we got back to the hotel, I was probably the most exhausted and grumpy I'd been all trip. First impressions of Bangkok: underwhelming. I'd pictured something huge and high-energy, and our first night just didn't deliver — though sometimes the best part of a rough travel day is a hot shower, working electricity, and a bed with no ants in it.
Favorite moment of the day: honestly, just the shower back at the hotel. Low bar, but it cleared it. Lesson learned: don't judge a whole city off one rough travel day and one underwhelming cruise — Bangkok had a lot of redeeming to do, and it would.
Thursday, August 27 — Tuk-Tuk Tour, the Great Camera-Charger Miracle + Nobu
We walked about three miles to the tuk-tuk tour meeting point at Museum Siam, stopping for coffee and breakfast along the way, and this was the day Bangkok started winning me back. I'd judged the whole city off one small, dark, tired slice of it — which is the same mistake as judging all of Miami or Chicago off one bad neighborhood. Coffee shops weren't open yet, so we grabbed 7-Eleven's Kudsan iced coffee (genuinely decent) and pad kra pao moo sap — spicy Thai basil pork with an omelet and rice, so spicy I could only eat half. Lesson relearned: you never really know how spicy something in Thailand is going to be.
Our tuk-tuk guide, who went by "Bella" (her Hollywood name, she said, since her real Thai name was harder to pronounce), was excellent — funny, warm, and clearly loved the job. Overcast skies made the two hours outside very manageable. We hit Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok's massive flower market, stretching two or three blocks of fresh flowers and elaborate handmade offerings; Bella taught us how to fold a sacred lotus flower (lotuses had already become our favorite flower after Amatara), and we placed our folded flowers at a nearby religious site — one of the most meaningful parts of the whole tour.
We also got brief exterior looks at the Grand Palace, the Giant Swing, Wat Ratchanatdaram and Loha Prasat, Wat Arun, and Wat Pho before finishing on Yaowarat Road in Chinatown around noon. I'd absolutely recommend this tour as an easy way to see a lot of Bangkok without committing to a full day.
The charger saga continued into Chinatown and MBK Center — five camera stores between Phuket and Bangkok with no luck, and I'd already paid $76 to expedite three chargers from New Jersey. At a tiny kiosk inside MBK I almost walked past, they had exactly what I needed for about $45 (plus a new USB-C cable, since mine was on its way out). Naturally, all three expedited chargers arrived at the hotel about an hour later, so I went from zero chargers to four within the same afternoon.
Lunch was at Lim Lao Ngow inside MBK, a Michelin-recognized noodle spot with the slogan "No Noodle, No Life." I ordered pork wonton soup, Emily ordered their famous fish-ball noodles (good, though I wasn't sold on the fish balls), and we split bua loy for dessert: glutinous rice balls in a purple sweet-potato and beetroot soy-milk base.
That evening we went to Nobu Bangkok, at the top of The Empire building — a genuinely gorgeous entrance and one of the strangest elevator rides I've ever experienced, where it feels like the platform is rising rather than the car itself. The rooftop, on the 60th floor, delivered exactly what I'd hoped Bangkok would look like from up high.
We ordered seafood ceviche, yellowtail jalapeño, salmon spicy-miso tacos, lobster wasabi–sour-cream tacos, and Nobu-style beef tartare with caviar, plus an espresso martini with Baileys for me and a banana cocktail for Emily — about ฿12,000 total, or $185–$200 per person. Worth every baht, and I was glad we'd made a reservation, since rooftop spots book up fast in Bangkok. One of the absolute highlights of the trip.
We'd hoped to bar-hop afterward — BKK Social Club at the Four Seasons was fully booked, and Sky Beach at King Power Mahanakhon turned out to require a separate observation-deck ticket we didn't know about — so we settled for a quiet drink at Double Standard (literally empty, but nice) before walking home. Along the way I stopped at a Taco Bell out of curiosity (ground chicken instead of beef on the Thai menu) and then got an actual Mexican-food fix at La Lupita near the Holiday Inn — not the same as home, but it scratched the itch after three weeks abroad.
Bangkok fully redeemed itself on day two. Walking it in daylight, folding that lotus flower, finally getting my Nikon back, and having Nobu on top of it all reinforced the same lesson: you cannot judge a big city off one bad night.
Favorite moment of the day: getting my Nikon fully operational again with FOUR working chargers — and Nobu, obviously. Lesson learned: always give a city a full second day before you write it off.
Friday, August 28 — Final Day in Bangkok
We started the day walking the neighborhood around Shangri-La, which I'd grown to genuinely like once I stopped judging it by our rough first impression. Coffee at Sarnies Bangkok (a very good brown-butter latte for me; Emily's coconut long black wasn't a hit), then a five-minute walk to Jok Prince for traditional jok moo — Thai rice porridge with minced pork and soft-boiled eggs — plus a century egg on the side that looked alarming but tasted almost exactly like a regular boiled egg.
Even though I found the Shangri-La itself a little dated, its best amenity by far was the free river shuttle that drops you straight at ICONSIAM — no tuk-tuk, no traffic, just hop on the boat. We took it across and spent about three hours mostly on the UG and G floors — small shops, Thai crafts, souvenirs, and what felt like unlimited street food, all in the air conditioning. We shopped mainly at SOOKSIAM and ICONCRAFT, which I'd highly recommend for gifts (and, predictably, plenty of stuff for myself too). My favorite find: a hand-painted miniature tuk-tuk for the shelf, the perfect Bangkok souvenir after how much we'd loved that tour. ICONSIAM was SO cool — if you only make it to one floor, make it the UG level, you have to see it for yourself.
Back at the hotel, I split off for 90 minutes of solo massage nearby — a 30-minute foot, back, and head/forehead massage combo for about $25 — while Emily relaxed at the pool. Traveling with someone constantly, even someone you love traveling with, benefits from a little separate time every few days, and this massage left me noticeably happier and less stressed.
That evening we made it to Akara Sky Hanuman (One City Centre, floors 58–61), arriving 30–40 minutes late thanks to Bangkok traffic but with an understanding staff who let us straight up. We started on Level 61 with margaritas and lemon drops, wandered the immersive exhibits on Level 58, watched a Muay Thai reenactment and a cultural performance, and met a fellow traveler from Singapore at the rooftop bar. We skipped the gift shop and never found the night market, but we'd already covered souvenirs at ICONSIAM. Dinner was a shared Thai mixed-grill platter, which hit the spot without derailing the evening. At ฿1,500 (about $45), Akara was 100% worth it — the combination of views, cocktails, art and performance made it feel like far more than a standard observation deck, and it was easily one of the best parts of the day alongside ICONSIAM.
There were a few other rooftops on our list we never made it to — Tichuca, the jungle-themed spot with the swaying LED tree, Tulum Sky Bar, and Le Du Kaan, which pairs a genuinely great skyline view with its food. We ran out of time, but if you have an extra night in Bangkok, all three are worth checking out.
We closed the night with a return trip to Sky Bar at Lebua, determined to redeem our disappointing first visit. This time, with working camera batteries and better energy, we finally got the rooftop photos we'd wanted. My drink — a red-orange signature cocktail garnished with rainbow candy, roughly $45 — was still absurd for one drink, but felt almost reasonable next to the $80 one from our first night. Back at the hotel, we packed and ordered one final Thai room-service meal (pad Thai and tom kha soup) around 1 a.m. — our latest night of the trip, and a great send-off to Thailand.
The floating market tour was genuinely something we wanted to do, and if we'd had one more day in Bangkok we probably would have made it happen — but Akara Sky Hanuman was non-negotiable, and doing the full floating market tour would have meant giving that up. Looking back, we were glad we'd canceled our original eight-and-a-half-hour floating market tour and just made this day up as we went — coffee, breakfast, ICONSIAM, souvenirs, a massage, Akara, redemption at Sky Bar, and midnight pad Thai. Bangkok taught me the same lesson twice: don't judge a huge city off one small slice of it, especially when you're exhausted.
Favorite moment of the day: shopping at ICONSIAM and the whole Akara Sky Hanuman experience — the lantern room and the rooftop bar were both incredible. Lesson learned: canceling a tour that doesn't feel right and improvising instead can absolutely be the better call.
Saturday, August 29 — Bangkok → Hanoi + Head Spa + Microneedling
Good thing we'd finished packing before that 1 a.m. room-service feast, because the morning wasn't nearly as chaotic as it could have been. Getting through Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport took nearly two hours between check-in, security and passport control, and it felt more disorganized than it needed to be — give yourself extra time here. Vietnam Airlines to Hanoi was quick and easy, with a surprisingly good full meal for a two-hour flight, and immigration on arrival was the total opposite of Bangkok: basically no line at all.
If I thought Bangkok city was busy, Hanoi is Bangkok times five. We checked into La Sinfonía del Rey, a small boutique hotel of about 48 rooms, where they'd spelled out "Happy Birthday" in rose petals on our bed — a sweet touch. It's compact and not especially modern, but comfortable, clean, and centrally located in the Old Quarter, and after the jungle, any hotel room with reliable power feels luxurious.
Worth knowing: the condition and denomination of your US dollars matters a lot in Vietnam. We exchanged $300 at the hotel and got pushback on our $20 bills — anything with writing, stains or creases can get refused, and crisp $100 bills get the best rates. If I were doing it again, I'd bring newer $100 bills specifically for exchanging on arrival.
We headed almost immediately to a head spa, taking a wrong turn along the way (Hanoi's Old Quarter is an experience of its own — narrow streets, scooters everywhere, motorbikes parked across the sidewalks so you sometimes just walk in the street with them). The honking sounds aggressive at first but isn't; it's more of an "I'm here, passing beside you" signal, and everyone seems to understand the choreography. It's chaotic but not scary, though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has trouble with mobility or balance.
The Vietnamese head-spa treatment at Nón Lá Healing Spa cost ₫550,000 (about $21) — an affordable, relaxing reset before heading straight to a skincare appointment at HBio Clinic. That started with a computerized skin analysis (acne, texture, pores, wrinkles, estimated skin age), followed by a facial and a gentle form of microneedling — nothing like the numbing-cream, high-intensity microneedling I've had done in the US. This felt more like a light vibration, plus a 30-minute head massage during the light-therapy portion. Two hours total, about $120, and the results were already visible the next morning — noticeably less redness and calmer breakouts. Glad I did it.
We ended the night with Vietnamese food delivered to the hotel (phở, spring rolls, and a boba tea I probably picked the wrong flavor of) and went to bed early, sleeping until 8 a.m. — practically decadent for us. Between the three of us we ordered from three different restaurants, and the whole thing — food plus delivery fees — came to maybe $8 to $10 total. Vietnam is absurdly affordable, and after that $116 Bangkok laundry bill, I could have screamed thinking about how much cheaper it would have been to just wait and do my laundry here instead. Hanoi's first impression was a dramatic shift from Bangkok: narrower streets, more scooters, sidewalks packed with motorbikes and food stalls, but an incredible amount of energy the moment you step outside.
Favorite moment of the day: the head spa, hands down. I couldn't believe I'd never done one before — it was magical, borderline life-changing, and my hair has never felt so clean in my life. Lesson learned: bring crisp, newer $100 bills to exchange in Vietnam; anything worn or written on will get rejected.
Sunday, August 30 — Hanoi Shopping + Nails + Cooking Class
Our microneedling from the night before had already healed almost completely, and I skipped makeup to let my skin breathe — which turned into a surprisingly relaxing, low-pressure day of just walking Hanoi and photographing the city instead of myself. Our original coffee spot was closed despite its posted hours, so we ended up at Bancông instead — a gorgeous old building covered in greenery, popular enough that people stop just to photograph the exterior. We each got two Vietnamese coffees: iced milk coffee (cà phê sữa đá) and egg coffee (cà phê trứng). The egg coffee was the surprise of the trip — creamy, rich, and something we already wanted more of before leaving the country.
Shopping in the Old Quarter turned into a bit of a spree — at one store I spent about $91 on a dream catcher, bracelets and gifts before checking the math on individual prices (worth it, but a lesson in reading price tags first). Everywhere else we negotiated, generally opening around half the asking price and settling somewhere in the middle; we picked up conical nón lá hats, bracelets, perfume and more gifts than originally planned. Before our nail appointment, we stopped for rooftop cocktails, where I got distracted by the view, stepped on wet tile and completely wiped out — thankfully a soft fall, and I somehow kept my Nikon safe the entire way down. Lesson: watch your footing near rooftop pools no matter how good the view is.
My nail appointment at The Sky Nails took about three hours and cost around $50 for an incredibly detailed set — comparable work at home would run $220–$275. One of the best beauty-service values of the whole trip.
We made it to our 4 p.m. cooking class at Apron Up Cooking Class right on time. Our instructor, Hayley, ran a great class with only six people — Emily and me, a couple from Italy, and a couple from China — small enough to feel social and genuinely hands-on. We made green papaya salad, phở, fried spring rolls, seasoned pork meatballs and egg coffee, chopping, mixing and assembling everything ourselves. Delicious, and I'd recommend it without hesitation.
Afterward we hit the Sunday Night Market in the Old Quarter — genuinely awesome, and genuinely chaotic, with vendors set up straight through the middle of the street selling clothes, souvenirs and snacks. If you're sensitive to noise and crowds, it might be a nightmare; I thrive in that kind of chaos and loved every minute. Hanoi has the narrowest streets and hardest-to-navigate sidewalks of anywhere on the trip, but after three weeks of being shuttled around in cars, we just wanted to walk and explore whatever we could reach on foot, and the Old Quarter gave us plenty to work with.
I ended the night with a solo nightcap at Terraço Sky Bar — two margaritas, one comped by the hotel — while Emily had her own quiet time in the room. A perfect, peaceful close to a genuinely packed day: shopping, cocktails, a fall I somehow avoided injury from, nails, cooking class, and the market, none of it forced into a rigid schedule.
Favorite moment of the day: the cooking class — genuinely one of my favorite things we did in Vietnam. Lesson learned: watch your footing around wet tile near any rooftop pool. Every time.
Monday, August 31 — Grand Pioneers Hạ Long Bay Cruise
We drove about three hours from Hanoi to Tuan Chau International Cruise Port, checked in at the Grand Pioneers lounge, and tendered out to the ship. Our Veranda Suite (Room 201, second deck, right by the elevator but never noisy) was easily the most spacious cruise room I've ever stayed in — a private balcony with sliding glass doors over the bay, walk-in shower, full vanity, robes, and our own personal host for the stay. Ours was named Gucci, and if you can request him, request him. The service on this ship was unlike anything I'd experienced anywhere, including Four Seasons and Amatara.
That afternoon we chose the bamboo boat over kayaking for Luồn Cave (better for photos, and it kept the Nikon dry). Because it was off-season, the manager scored us a private boat for just the two of us — about 500,000 VND ($19) — and the scenery was exactly the kind of Vietnamese bamboo-boat shot I'd wanted all trip.
At Titov Island afterward, we skipped swimming after seeing two people get stung during jellyfish season and just watched from shore. Happy hour brought buy-one-get-one cocktails, which we took full advantage of (nobody was driving anywhere), plus canapés and a cooking demo we skipped since we'd already taken our own class. The sunset from the balcony was, honestly, indescribable.
Dinner was excellent, with a magician doing table-side close-up tricks — genuinely impressive, and not remotely cheesy. That night we skipped the other onboard activities (squid fishing, karaoke, games, the cinema) in favor of drinks at the Sky Bar, where we bought the entire staff a round of shots. They told us no one had ever done that before, and the whole staff broke into chanting our room number — "201! 201! 201!" — which nearly made us cry on the spot. That will genuinely live rent-free in my head forever. One of the most spontaneous, fun nights of the whole trip.
Favorite moment of the day: that sunset from our own private balcony — no photo really does it justice. Lesson learned: request Gucci. Just trust me on this one.
Tuesday, September 1 — Grand Pioneers + Bái Tử Long Bay
The full-day Explora excursion — scenic sailing, a cave stop, kayaking, a floating village visit — is only available to guests staying more than one night, and we'd fully planned to do it. Instead, after celebrating a little too hard the night before, we skipped it entirely and stayed on the ship: pool, sun, photos, and having most of the boat to ourselves while other passengers were out. Running around an almost-empty ship with Emily, just the two of us, felt like living out our own episode of The Suite Life on Deck. One of our best decisions of the trip — sometimes the point isn't doing every activity, it's realizing you're exhausted and letting yourself enjoy what you already paid for.
Dinner was a preselected menu we let Gucci pick for us, and Chef Sumo outdid himself. Afterward we booked two hours of spa time, and my massage there might be the best of my entire life — my therapist was tiny but had incredible pressure and technique, and I'm normally extremely ticklish. We were about half an hour into it when we paused for ten minutes to catch the fireworks for Vietnam's National Day, then went back for another 70 minutes — about 100 minutes of massage in total. If I'd booked a massage the first night, I'd have booked a second immediately — I tried to add one more before departure and the spa was already full. Emily and I stayed up afterward, too wired to sleep, just talking and laughing.
Favorite moment of the day: the massage was incredible, but the real favorite was having the whole boat to ourselves with Emily, running around like our own episode of The Suite Life on Deck. Lesson learned: book your spa slots on arrival, not later in the cruise — they fill up fast.
Wednesday, September 2 — Final Morning in Paradise + Return to Hanoi
We woke up one more time among the limestone islands, still floored by the scenery and by how attentive the crew had been to every small preference the whole trip. We skipped the final scheduled excursion, Sung Sot Cave, to spend the morning enjoying breakfast and the ship instead. Between missing Explora and this cave visit, my real takeaway is that next time I'd book three or four nights instead of two, to actually fit in the excursions and still have downtime — two nights felt worth it, but tight.
At our farewell brunch (pasta bar, phở bar, a full buffet, and a lot of tears about leaving), we tipped Gucci in cash and gave him a Western-style hat we'd picked up on one of our excursions (we ended up keeping our own nón lá hats) — he was genuinely touched. He gave us a bottle of whiskey and two souvenirs in return, which is when the tears really started. We got one last photo together before disembarking, and by the time I stepped off that boat I was actually crying. I don't think I've ever experienced that level of pure bliss in my life — there was not one single thing you had to lift a finger for the entire time, and if you needed anything, they simply found a way to make it happen. It was genuinely life-changing, and a level of luxury and service I have yet to find comparable to anything else.
Back in Hanoi, we spent the afternoon on final souvenirs — tea, coffee, and gifts for everyone back home — and finally tried Bánh Mì 25, which might be the best sandwich I've ever had. Two sandwiches and two mango smoothies came to under $10 total. Then came a marathon pedicure at a place called Flamingo — we got there late, around 3 or 4, and didn't leave until 7 p.m. thanks to nail and cuticle care, a foot soak, extensive buffing, a hot lymphatic-drainage machine and gel polish, all for about $15. It was a genuinely great pedicure, but with it being our last night, I wish we'd had time left over to do other things too. Vietnam has officially ruined me for pedicures anywhere else.
Since the pedicure ran long, we scrapped dinner plans and instead watched Vietnam's National Day fireworks from Terraço Sky Bar atop our hotel, having claimed a good spot early. We ordered an unreasonable amount of food from four different places through Grab rather than fight the holiday crowds — bún chả and spring rolls from Ô Bún Chả, fresh beef rolls from Gỏi Cuốn Family, chicken coconut curry and more spring rolls from Goodfood51c, and a double-chocolate tiramisu from Dacia Tea & Bakery — and ate the whole spread in our room. Not the dinner we'd planned, but honestly more fun, and a good reminder that changing the plan doesn't have to mean losing the experience.
Favorite moment of the day: saying goodbye to Gucci — genuinely emotional, and I mean that. Lesson learned: book more nights on the cruise next time — if I did it again, I'd do four nights, and I'm still not sure even that would feel like enough.
Thursday, September 3 — Final Day in Hanoi + Beginning the Journey Home
I cried on and off all day, because I genuinely was not ready to leave. It started with the only haircut of the trip at Kevin Tuyền Hair Salon (chopped off four or five inches, loved the layers) and one last, emotional Vietnamese egg coffee at a nearby café — it had become one of my favorite things about the entire country, and I'm already wondering where I'll find anything close to it at home.
We checked out around noon, left our bags with the hotel, and Emily and I both booked one final hair-wash and head-massage treatment (650,000 VND, about $25, each) — not a shampoo so much as an entire experience, washing and massaging your scalp, neck and shoulders until your hair feels cleaner than it's ever felt. Then I made one more stop at HBio Clinic for another round of microneedling, a full facial, extractions, red-light therapy and 40 units of Botox — specifically targeting my forehead and the "11" lines between my brows while keeping natural movement around my eyes. About $300 total, and perfect timing since I had three days of travel ahead with no sun, sweat or exercise to worry about.
Between appointments, I finally got over my fear and booked a Grab scooter for the ride home — do not skip riding a scooter in Vietnam. From the sidewalk it looks completely chaotic, like there's no rhyme or reason to it at all — but once you're actually on the back of one, it moves so much slower than it looks, and it somehow felt safe. Or, well, it didn't feel safe, but it felt safe. If I'd had another day, I'd have rented one and ridden all over the city. Genuinely proud of myself for finally doing it.
Back at the hotel, we changed for travel, made one last 7-Eleven run for beef-phở Lay's chips and matcha Kit Kats, and headed to Nội Bài International Airport with actual tears in the car. Hanoi had felt completely overwhelming on day one and totally manageable by the time we left — the chaos became part of the magic. The airport itself was efficient enough to make Bangkok look even worse by comparison; immigration took maybe two minutes. We caught a last-minute dinner in the Priority Pass lounge before our 11:20 p.m. flight to Tokyo.
Vietnam exceeded every expectation I had. The food was phenomenal, the beauty treatments were affordable and excellent, the massages were life-changing, Hạ Long Bay was one of the most luxurious and emotional experiences of my life, and Hanoi was chaotic and unforgettable in the best way. Most of all, the people made us feel cared for everywhere we went — which is a reminder that you don't need endless money or possessions to be happy. You need good friends, good food, meaningful experiences, and the sense that you might already have everything you need.
Favorite moment of the day: finally riding that scooter and $150 botox. I’m literally just a girl. Lesson learned: give yourself one more day in a place you love before you commit to leaving.
Friday, September 4 — Tokyo → Chicago → Fort Myers
We landed at Narita around 6:30 a.m., far too early for most of the airport to be open, and waited for the shops to unlock around 8 for one last round of Japanese candy. I picked up Mount Fuji Kit Kats (blueberry cheesecake flavor) and banana Kit Kats, and the banana ones might genuinely be one of my favorite things I ate on the entire trip — I can't even explain it, but if you're a sucker for banana flavor like I am, track them down. This is a real recommendation, not just a Tokyo thing: every country has its own wild flavors of stuff we take for granted at home, whether it's Kit Kats or a whole wall of Lay's chips flavors you've never seen. If you have any time at all, even just in the airport, it's always worth swinging by a convenience store and giving the snack aisle a real once-over.
Our Japan Airlines flight to Chicago wasn't full, and I somehow ended up with an entire four-seat row to myself — the international-flight equivalent of winning the lottery after three-plus weeks of travel. I stretched out, slept, and we crossed the International Date Line, landing in Chicago earlier the same calendar day we'd left Tokyo. Immigration, customs and the recheck to American Airlines were all surprisingly smooth, and both my checked bags made it through free of extra charges — even carrying what amounted to an international convenience store's worth of snacks.
Our connection to Fort Myers ran two hours late, which we handled the only reasonable way: mimosas at the airport. When we finally boarded and landed at RSW, it was a genuinely sad arrival. Grateful to be home safe after such a long trip, but already missing the food, the massages, the chaos, the hospitality, and waking up every day to somewhere completely new.
This trip took me through Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and gave me experiences I'll be talking about for the rest of my life — futuristic skylines, tropical islands, elephants, temples, floating villages, limestone mountains, and some of the most chaotic streets I've ever tried to cross. I turned 30 in Thailand, experienced real kindness from total strangers, ate foods I'd never heard of, rode more boats than I can count, finally got on the back of a scooter, and learned that some of the best travel days are the ones you make up as you go.
Physically, I was home. Emotionally, a good chunk of me was still on a balcony in Hạ Long Bay with a cocktail, watching limestone islands drift by, wondering how ordinary life was supposed to feel the same again.
Favorite moment of the day: an entire four-seat row to myself on an 11-hour flight and finding banana kitkats in Tokyo— small things, big wins. Lesson learned: the best trips make going home feel a little bit like loss, and that's exactly how you know it was a good one.
Words I Learned Along the Way
Singapore 🇸🇬
Cheers — Yum seng!
Thai 🇹🇭
Hello — Sawasdee ka
Thank you — Khob khun ka
Vietnamese 🇻🇳
Hello — Xin chào (sin chow)
Thank you — Cảm ơn (gahm uhn)
Cheers — Một, hai, ba, dô! (one, two, three, cheers!)
Best Memories (Ok, These Are Really Just For Me and My Friends)
The chili wontons in Singapore
The airport video we all took together
Kat and I go-karting in Phuket
Losing the Nikon charger and bitching for a whole week about it :’)
The elephants, and the wild dogs
The praying mantis that landed on Emily's head in Chiang Mai — and then watching a dog eat it
Bella in Bangkok saying “That’s my Hollywood name”
The music video Emily and I made three sheets to the wind
Screaming "Melissa, I'm drunk and outside!" while Emily dove into the pool in her dress
Chanting "201!" aboard the Hạ Long Bay cruise after buying shots for the staff
The Trip by the Numbers
✈️ 10 flights
🌎 6 countries touched — the United States, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan
📍 3 countries fully explored — Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
🗓️ 23 calendar days of travel, 22 nights away from home
🛫 10 airports — RSW, DFW, DOH, SIN, HKT, CNX, BKK, HAN, NRT and ORD
🌍 ~24,818 air miles, 27,000+ total miles once drives, boats and walking are included
👟 269,688 steps — an average of 11,726/day, or roughly 112 walking miles
🏨 7 major stays — six hotels/resorts and one luxury cruise ship, including 2 private-pool villas
💆♀️ 10 massage, head-spa or hair-washing sessions, 3 facials, 2 microneedling sessions, 40 units of Botox, 2 major nail appointments
👩🍳 2 hands-on cooking classes — Chiang Mai and Hanoi
🐘 5 elephants met
🚤 10+ watercraft experiences — riverboats, a catamaran, a speedboat, longtail boats, canoes, bamboo boats and rafts, a dinner cruise, a hotel shuttle boat and the Grand Pioneers
🌇 6+ rooftop or sky-deck experiences
🍜 40+ memorable dishes and drinks, plus a new obsession with Vietnamese egg coffee
🕶️ 1 pair of Ray-Bans lost and recovered from the ocean floor
🍹 Most expensive cocktail: $80–$100 at Lebua
💸 Best beauty bargain: a two-hour Hanoi pedicure for ~$15
🥪 Best cheap meal: two bánh mì and two mango smoothies for under $10 total
🛏️ Best airplane luck: an entire four-seat row to myself, Tokyo to Chicago
🎂 Milestone: one unforgettable 30th birthday in Thailand
Parting Thoughts
I keep trying to find the right way to close this out, and every version I write feels too small for what this trip actually was. So let me just walk back through it the way it actually happened, and try to say goodbye properly.
It started in Singapore, a little disoriented and 33 hours deep into travel, watching the sun go down from a daybed at OverEasy with the Marina Bay Sands skyline lighting up in front of me. That first night is still one of my favorite memories of the whole trip — not because anything extraordinary happened, but because it was the moment I felt myself exhale for the first time in months. Three nights there was never enough. I know that now. I left Singapore feeling like I'd only read the first chapter of a book I already loved, Supertree figurine in hand, blisters from Helix Bridge and all, already plotting my way back.
Then came Thailand, and Thailand is where I turned 30. I don't think I could have picked a better place to close one decade and open the next — a private-pool villa in Phuket, an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai that I will defend as one of the single best mornings of my life, a Thai cooking class I still think about, and a Bangkok that I judged unfairly on one dark, tired night and then spent the rest of the week proving me completely wrong. I'd go back tomorrow just for Akara Sky Hanuman and the rooftops we never made it to. Thailand also happens to have something like 1,430 islands, and I saw a small handful of them, which feels less like a fact and more like a standing invitation.
And then there's Vietnam. I don't really know how to write about Vietnam without getting emotional, so I'm not going to try to talk myself out of it. It was, without question, the country that changed something in me. I cried getting off the boat in Hạ Long Bay, genuinely, purely, because I did not want that kind of care to end. I cried again leaving Hanoi, because I had never in my life felt as looked after by total strangers as I did there — the head spa, the egg coffee I'm already mourning, the crew chanting our room number back to us like it was a celebration, a man on that boat giving us his whole heart for two days and getting a silly hat in return. It's a warmth I didn't fully know how to receive at first, because I'm not used to people giving that much without wanting anything back. I will get back to Vietnam. Not "hopefully." Not "someday, maybe." I will do the Sa Pa–Ninh Bình–Ho Chi Minh City loop everyone talks about if it takes me another ten years to make it happen.
If you want the short list of what I'd do again without a second of hesitation, the non-negotiables, the things I need every single person reading this to actually go do: splurge on the private-pool villa in Phuket, go to Akara Sky in Bangkok, book the elephant sanctuary at Chai Lai Orchid, take the cooking classes, and do the Grand Pioneers cruise through Hạ Long Bay. That Phuket villa was the moment the trip tipped from "nice vacation" into "I will never forget this" — I had never stayed anywhere with an actual private pool inside my hotel room, we flew the drone over it just to have proof it was real, and it was worth every extra dollar. The cooking classes have quietly become the thing I look for in literally every country I travel to now, in any kitchen that will let me stand there and learn how people feed the ones they love — bonus points if it's hosted in someone's home, double bonus points if there are five or six other travelers in the room, because some of my favorite strangers-turned-friends have come out of exactly that kind of night. All five of these are chef's-kiss, feeling-it-for-the-rest-of-my-life experiences, and I will never forget any of them or how they made me feel.
But if I'm honest, none of the excursions are really what I'll remember most. I'll remember Kat and Emily's faces in the backs of a hundred different tuk-tuks and boats and vans. I'll remember the three of us ordering too much food just so we could steal bites off each other's plates. I'll remember realizing, somewhere around week two, that I hadn't thought about home in days — not because I didn't love my life there, but because for the first time in a long time I was just present, fully, in a way that's genuinely hard to come by once you're an adult with a job and a calendar and a version of yourself you've gotten used to being.
Coming home was its own kind of heartbreak. Not because Fort Myers isn't home — it is, and I was happy to see it — but because somewhere over the Pacific I quietly became a slightly different person than the one who left, and nobody at baggage claim can see that happen to you. You just have to carry it back in quietly and figure out how to fold it into your regular life.
Here's the only piece of advice I really have, and it's not profound, it's just true: go. Go before you've convinced yourself you're too busy, too broke, too old, too anything. You don't need a first-class seat or a five-star resort — you need a passport, a little courage, and people you love enough to get stranded in an airport with. The version of happiness I watched people live out across Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam had almost nothing to do with what they owned. No one was chasing a bigger house or a nicer car. And coming back to a culture that measures so much of itself by more — more stuff, more square footage, more everything — hit me harder than I expected it to. I don't need another handbag. I don't need another subscription I forgot I was paying for. I need the memory of egg coffee in Hanoi, the feel of an elephant's trunk resting on my shoulder in Chiang Mai, and a crew screaming our room number like we were the only two people in the world who mattered that night.
Twenty-three days. Twenty-two nights away from home. Three countries that will always share a little bit of my heart, in exactly the order I fell for them. I came back different in all the ways that matter and none of the ways that don't.
Thank you, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. I'll be back, soon.