Welcome to Southern Thailand!

Ever wondered about a short holiday in Southern Thailand with your toddler AND pre-schooler? No, you’re not crazy, it’s completely doable. We just finished our Southern Thailand itinerary and if you do a little bit of planning you could holiday there too – and even get some relaxing moments away from the kids!!!

Here’s the 10 day Southern Thailand itinerary that we have just finished with our 2 and 4-year-olds. This easy-to-follow Southern Thailand itinerary is a great combination of beach, culture, sightseeing and relaxation. It really worked well for our young family.

This is a particularly simple Southern Thailand itinerary to organise as we only had to book three different accommodations. Although it does involve two fairly long boat/car transfers and a domestic flight. These longer journeys were entirely because we wanted to visit Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok as well as idyllic beach areas.  We got to experience some of Southern Thailand’s best cultural and historical offerings as well as the mass tourism scene.

At each of our three locations, there were plenty of activities for all the family (energetic under-fives, frazzled parents and one sun-seeking grandmother who joined us for the trip) from snorkelling and sundowner cocktails to Thai massages.

Our Southern Thailand Itinerary

Our simple Southern Thailand itinerary looked like this:

Days 1-3: Krabi / Ao Nang Beach / Railay Beach (Accommodation in Ao Nang Beach)

Days 4-7: Ko Lanta (Accommodation at Clean Beach Resort)

Days 8-10: Bangkok (Accommodation at Feung Nakorn Balcony)

We flew into Krabi International Airport and out of Bangkok. You could easily do this Southern Thailand itinerary in reverse or replace any of our locations with somewhere more suited to your own family. Here’s what we did, how it worked for us and why we liked it.

If you’ve done a similar length family trip in Southern Thailand, please add a comment below to share your own great locations and tips.

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Day 1 (Krabi / Ao Nang Beach)

We arrived quite late in the evening to our hotel in Ao Nang Beach and between the five of us struggled to get out for dinner in the heat (a very humid 37 degrees Celsius). For our first evening, we strolled along the main street in Ao Nang (I say strolled but we were still sweating) and quickly chose a tourist restaurant to eat as the kids were flagging. For a seafront tourist restaurant, the Thai food was surprisingly delicious – Garlic and Pepper Stir-Fried Fish- yum yum!

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Day 2 (Krabi / Ao Nang Beach)

In an attempt to adjust to the heat, we stayed close to our hotel on our first full day. We wandered down to the quieter end of Ao Nang beach, a pretty sandy beach dotted by colourful long-tailed fishing boats, and found a small patch of shade under a palm tree. The little ones had a brilliant time in the sand and splashing in the waves.

After a few hours and with the midday sun glaring, we had (another unexpectedly delicious) lunch and walked back to our hotel for a long, much-needed siesta. The Ao Nang area is quite walkable and flat so we took the stroller around with us as the kids tired quickly in the intense heat.

Whilst everyone was sleeping, I headed out for a traditional Thai massage. At the equivalent of £5 an hour, how could I not?! One hour later sipping ginger tea, I’d been pummelled, beaten and stretched like play-dough, and felt awesome because of it. By the time I returned, the others were splashing about in the swimming pool which was now in the shade. We all had a good swim – apart from 2-year-old Zizi who was more interested in turning the showers on and off… on and off… on and off…

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Day 3 (Railay Beach)

Our (very well-known) guidebook raves about Railay Beach and the very reason we had chosen to fly into Krabi (instead of Phuket or Koh Samui) was to stay here. However, after booking the flights we soon found out that there was no suitable accommodation due to the Easter Holidays. So we settled for a day-trip from Ao Nang instead. With hindsight, this worked much better for our family.

Early in the morning, we waded through warm, shallow seawater and clambered on to a colourful Thai longboat. The 30-minute boat ride was a fantastic experience for our 4-year-old, H. We couldn’t tell if 2-year-old Zizi was being adventurous or was overwhelmed – nevertheless she was calm and seemed to enjoy the journey. Bumping up and down on the waves, we sailed past beautiful golden sand beaches and coves, past huge rocky karsts rising from the sea like mountains.

The approach by sea to Railay beach is spectacular and when we clambered off the boat, we quickly found a crowded, shaded area to spread our sarongs in. The warm sea was the perfect depth for splashing, jumping, wrestling toddlers and we spent hours playing in the sand under the towering jungle-clad hills.

A quick exploration of the area confirmed that the facilities of Ao Nang (tacky as some were) probably met our young family’s needs better than the wooden shacks selling ‘Happy Mushroom Pizzas’ just off Railay Beach!

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Day 4 (Transfer to Ko Lanta)

The bus-ferry-car transfer from our hotel in Ao Nang to our new accommodation in Ko Lanta took a full morning. The ferry ride alone took over two hours but the inside cabin had air-con, seats and a lovely Chinese family with young kids who fed Zizi pretty much continuously with Chinese snacks the entire journey (Note: Zizi has an inbuilt radar to befriend other parents/ grandparents who will give her snacks!). We had a quick seaside lunch before a swim in our pool.

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Days 5-7 (Ko Lanta)

Holing up in a hotel and not exploring the local area is something that we never do. All our holidays in Europe (Iceland, Montenegro, Crete, etc) involve daily trips and adventures to visit ancient ruins, cultural towns and the like. But we fell in love with our peaceful little set of attractive bungalows on stilts set amongst a beautiful landscaped tropical garden and decided to turn things down a notch and really RELAX.

We spent three long, hot, slow days punctuated with siestas milling between the swimming pool, the beach, our cute little one-room bungalows and a short strip of beach bars. Most families we saw hired motorbikes and explored the islands but us grown-ups wanted to hang out with the little ones, we opted to stay local.

Ko Lanta was the overall highlight of our Southern Thailand itinerary.  In particular, swimming in the warm sea at dusk each evening watching the glorious sunsets was spectacular. Hint: book accommodation on the west side of the islands for spectacular sunsets. After dark, we dined on the beach at candlelit tables eating delicious freshly barbequed white snapper whilst digging the sand with our feet. Yes, really!

How did we manage that with two under-fives? We encouraged siestas during the hottest part of the day so both the kids could stay up later at night. Plus we always brought the kids’ (fully-charged) DVD player to dinner. The result was we enjoyed ice-cold beers whilst listening to the waves lapping on the shore and they watched copious amounts of their favourite cartoons.  And it worked. For once, everyone was happy – especially Grandma!

Ko Lanta Highlights

Three highlights of the most chilled vacation days we’ve ever taken as a family were:

1) the nightly fire-show put on by one of the beach bars – H was totally amazed and I was totally freaked out and have had to give him nightly lectures on fire safety ever since!

2) Discovering that our hotel was right next to the highest-rated restaurant on the island (according to a very popular travel site) and dining on an absolutely delicious and luxurious meal in a very romantic garden setting washed down by lots of very good mojitos.

3) Stumbling upon a live Thai Rasta band at the local Rasta beach bar where, despite it being crowded, ten o’clock at night and with certain associated aromas in the air, our little ones took the place by storm with their exceptionally cute dancing. When they got too sweaty on the dance floor, there was also a traditional Thai shadow-puppet show set to the band’s music that kept them captivated.

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Day 8 (Transfer to Bangkok)

Ok, straight up, I have to admit that we should have taken a morning flight from Krabi to Bangkok. If you’re thinking of doing this same itinerary definitely plan it better so that you do not end up spending the best part of a day in Krabi airport’s rather dismal departure lounge. Zizi had a good time running up and down through the rows of seats and begging snacks of other parents but nobody else did.

Also, we should have organised a pick-up from Bangkok airport to our hotel as we soon discovered that ordinary Bangkok taxis have HUGE cylinders of fuel in their boots and therefore no room for luggage. Let alone for 2 suitcases, a large backpacker, hand luggage, 1 stroller and 5 people! It cost us 20 minutes be, what can I say – we live and learn!

For lots more tips on visiting Bangkok with young kids in tow check out these tips for Bangkok with young children.

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Day 9 (Bangkok)

We started our first full day in Bangkok by learning yet another lesson in the art of family travel. Always aim for an early start. After breakfast and faffing about and playing and sunscreen application and toilet trips…. we walked 15 minutes to Bangkok’s number one attraction the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. We were already knackered, sweaty and arriving just behind the hundreds and hundreds of visitors pouring out of their tour buses. That said we weren’t going to miss it for the world.

The complex is absolutely unbelievable and puts our European stone palaces to shame. Every surface in the complex, every roof, every statue was covered in glistening, shining jewels, gems and mosaic. Each dome was golden and the murals elaborate and colourful. If it hadn’t of been for the zillions of other tourists taking selfies, it would have been a magical place to absorb. Our children were impressed – it must have seemed like a real Disney castle.

H and Zizi loved the temple where the tiny Emerald Buddha sat high in his golden altar. Ushered in by a friendly security guard, they sat cross-legged like school children on the floor in front of the grand, golden pedestal.  When I told them gently it was time to leave, Zizi looked confused and sweetly asked: “When’s storytime?” Bless…

After a deserved, long siesta we decided to visit Khao San Road. I know that we could have done something more cultural and vaguely intellectual… but Rhino and I wanted to revisit our youth when we backpacked through Thailand staying in dirty hostels and drinking in backpacker bars. With young children, the craziness and chaos of this short but frenzied street of ‘budget tourist’ entertainment and traveller services was intensified. Pushing a stroller through dazzlingly bright neon lights and noisy crowds as persistent touts shoved signs for massages, curries, cheap beer in our faces and waved dead scorpions on sticks was pretty overwhelming for us adults. Zizi went all shy until Rhino popped her on his shoulders; from this vantage point, she could comfortably take everything in.

RECOMMENDATION: 

We don’t often recommend hotels but we were very impressed by the family-friendly atmosphere at Feung Nakorn Balcony. Located right in the middle of Bangkok Old City surrounded by stunning Wats (temples) and bustling local life around the canals and alleyways, Feung Nakorn Balcony makes an excellent place to stay with young children.

This part hotel, part hostel is housed in a converted school and the family rooms (some with and some without private bathrooms) are really nicely decorated. In the old school courtyard, there were tricycles and scooters for the kids to play on as well as a little soft-play area for toddlers. You can walk to all the major Old City attractions (although even short walks can leave you very sweaty!) and enjoy evening strolls around the nearby Saranrom Royal Park with the locals. It was a lovely oasis from the hustle and bustle of a very busy city.

Southern Thailand Itinerary – Day 10 (Bangkok)

With only a limited amount of time in a city of a thousand attractions, we selected Wat Pho as our next big excursion. Wat Pho is the home of the absolutely gargantuan Reclining Buddha. Honestly, it is so large it takes about five minutes to walk around. H was suitability impressed especially by the size of the Buddha’s feet. The rest of the Wat Pho complex is equally fascinating for adults and young children. It’s filled with dozens and dozens of golden Buddhas, fierce-looking stone giants guarding the gates and gnome-like creatures doing yoga poses displayed on little mounds.

Halfway through our visit, the heavens opened and the children had their first experience of an Asian rain shower. Within minutes, the ground was flooded and we were soaked through and having fun running from shelter to shelter through the torrential rain. The kids found it wonderful!

In the afternoon, we decided to explore some of Bangkok’s more recent architecture with a visit to the Jim Thompson House. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, a wealthy American Jim Thompson had fallen in love with Bangkok and revived the Thai silk industry turning it into an internationally renowned business. He collected art and sculptures from around Thailand and displayed them in his absolutely gorgeous wooden house surrounded by jungle gardens.

Open to visitors, we took a 30 minute guided tour around the house. Whilst it was challenging (and probably very boring) for the children, us adults found it fascinating. Most fascinating of all is how in 1967, Jim Thompson vanished when on holiday in the Malaysian jungle never to be seen or heard of again…

The Jim Thompson house is located close to MBK, a huge mall.  If you’re visiting the house near a mealtime then there are plenty of eating options at the mall.  Especially if you like your rice moulded into the shape of animals!

An inspirational lady from the slums of Bangkok

Prateep Ungsongtham Hata (born 1952) grew up in a slum in Bangkok and, as her house was built illegally, she was denied a birth certificate and therefore access to public school. Her parents managed to pay for her to attend a cheap private school for a few years before she had to leave school at the age of 12 to work on the docks. Through years of careful saving, she was able to support herself through evening school.

After her experiences, Prateep worked tirelessly to support young children like herself attend school. She opened a very affordable school in her own home for children from the slums to study in. Over the following decades, she established the Duang Prateep Foundation and helped thousands of young people prosper despite being raised in slum conditions. A truly inspirational woman, she has won many prestigious awards from overseas and her contributions to children and education have been recognised by both Thai and Swedish royalty.

Our Southern Thailand Itinerary Family Travel Tips

• Short boat rides to Southern Thailand’s best beaches might provide a better alternative than staying at the beaches themselves. Not only do the kids experience the thrill of the boat ride, but you might be able to stay somewhere with more facilities aimed at children.

• Siestas!! It can get very hot and there isn’t always shade at the beach.  We hit the beach and swimming pools at the start and end of the day with lunch and a siesta in between.
• If you need a quick, luxurious break from the kids then go for a Thai massage. Both Rhino and I did this and came back rejuvenated.
• Sunsets offered brilliant endings to the day. The sun was low enough for us not to worry about the kids getting sunburnt, so they could play in the sea whilst we admired the view and enjoyed a cocktail. So, consider booking accommodation on the west coasts of Thai islands.

• Thais love children so you should feel relaxed about taking them to cafes and restaurants. If all else fails, whip out a phone or DVD player – these extended our evenings (and beer capacity!) considerably.
• Organise your pick-up from Bangkok airport in advance as there isn’t much luggage space in the boots of regular taxis.
• Bangkok is a big city so choose what you want to do and choose accommodation close to the attractions. Otherwise, you’ll spend a lot of your trip in taxis or tuk-tuks.

For heaps more tips on Bangkok with young kids, check out my Bangkok with Young Children blog.

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Welcome to the World for a Girl community. Please share your own ideas and thoughts about Southern Thailand family travel. Do you agree with our Southern Thailand highlights or do you have others to add? Did you do a similar Southern Thailand itinerary or could you recommend an alternative one? What tips do you have for other Southern Thailand family travel?