5 Dec
✈️
Johannesburg → Thailand
Evening departure. Holiday mode officially begins.
The route
City lights to island blues
Five main stops, with Bangkok appearing twice: a lively opening chapter and a Christmas finale.
Photo diary
Five chapters of Thailand
Photo: Michael WavePhoto: Matthew GuayPhoto: Marloes van der VeerPhoto: Andrea FerrarioPhoto: Max Böttinger
6–8 Dec & 24–26 Dec
🌆 Bangkok
Grand temples, river life, markets and a festive finale.
8–12 Dec
🌿 Sukhothai
Ancient ruins, bicycles, lotus ponds and slow mornings.
12–16 Dec
🏮 Chiang Mai
Lanna culture, mountain views, night markets and cooking.
16–20 Dec
🌴 Koh Samui
Palm trees, Chaweng beach and flexible island days.
20–24 Dec
🐠 Koh Tao
Shark Bay, clear water and snorkelling days.
23 days
The whole adventure
A friendly overview rather than a military timetable. Island days stay flexible on purpose.
6 Dec
🌆
Bangkok
Arrive, check in and make the first easy Sukhumvit wander.
7 Dec
🛕
Bangkok
Grand Palace, Wat Pho, river breezes and a great dinner.
8 Dec
🌿
Bangkok → Sukhothai
Travel north and settle into the ancient-capital rhythm.
9 Dec
🚲
Sukhothai
Bicycles, Wat Mahathat, lotus ponds and sunset ruins.
10 Dec
😎
Sukhothai
Suite move, Wat Si Chum and a luxuriously unhurried afternoon.
11 Dec
🌅
Sukhothai
Choose-your-own-adventure history day or resort day.
12 Dec
🚌
Sukhothai → Chiang Mai
Morning checkout, 10:45 bus north, evening in the Old City.
13 Dec
🏮
Chiang Mai
Old City exploring and Sunday Walking Street.
14 Dec
🌶️
Chiang Mai
Thai cooking class: market, curry paste, wok, feast.
15 Dec
⛰️
Chiang Mai
Doi Suthep, mountain air and a relaxed final afternoon.
16 Dec
🌴
Chiang Mai → Koh Samui
Fly south, check in, beach-swim-nap-repeat.
17 Dec
🏖️
Koh Samui
A properly unscheduled Chaweng beach day.
18 Dec
🚙
Koh Samui
Island explorer day: viewpoints, temples, waterfalls or beaches.
19 Dec
🌊
Koh Samui
Weather-flex day: sea outing, spa or maximum relaxation.
20 Dec
⛴️
Koh Samui → Koh Tao
Ferry to Koh Tao and settle into Shark Bay.
21 Dec
🐠
Koh Tao
Snorkel and swim around Shark Bay.
22 Dec
🤿
Koh Tao
Boat day around Koh Tao, conditions permitting.
23 Dec
🌺
Koh Tao
The intentionally empty day: favourite beach, massage, repeat.
24 Dec
🎄
Koh Tao → Koh Samui → Bangkok
Ferry, flight, Christmas Eve back in Bangkok.
25 Dec
🎁
Bangkok
Christmas brunch, wandering, shopping or spa, memorable dinner.
26 Dec
✈️
Bangkok → Johannesburg
Slow morning, final mango sticky rice, then home via Singapore.
27 Dec
🧳
Johannesburg
Home, laundry, recipes and the inevitable ‘when do we go back?’
Follow the journey
Our 2026 route, animated
Play the route from Johannesburg to Thailand and back. The satellite view is also ready to become the “where are we now?” map once a live backend is connected.
📍 Where are we now?
The map checks for a private live-status feed. Until the site has a backend, it stays in planning mode and does not expose a location.
✈️ In-flight mode
The same map is ready to switch to an aircraft marker and flight details when a flight-tracking service is connected server-side.
Tiny language kit
Thai phrases for the road
A few useful phrases for smiles, meals and everyday travel.
สวัสดีครับ
sawasdee khráp
Helloขอบคุณครับ
khop khun khráp
Thank youไม่เผ็ดครับ
mai phet khráp
Not spicy, pleaseอร่อยมาก
aroi mak
Very deliciousเท่าไหร่ครับ
tao rai khráp
How much is it?ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน
hong nam yu tee nai
Where is the bathroom?Made for sharing 🔐
No prices, booking references, PINs, passport numbers, private phone numbers or other sensitive travel details.