Pattaya as an opener worked fine for easing into the trip, felt a touch more built-up and touristy than the islands that followed, but the Coral Island day trip from there made up for it.

Coral Island morning swim, solo and unhurried, best possible way to start a beach leg.

This solo itinerary held up well through most of the fourteen nights, but the Bangkok city tour included a lengthy stop at a gem and silk shop that felt entirely unnecessary and mildly pushy from the guide, ate almost two hours out of a day I would rather have spent at the Grand Palace properly. Food near our Pattaya hotel was also surprisingly pricey for fairly average quality. Doi Inthanon and Phi Phi were genuinely worth the trip though, so not a regret overall, just a couple of avoidable frustrations.

Chiang Mai at the tail end of this route is a lovely, calmer note to finish a fairly full-on fourteen nights.

Doi Inthanon summit, cool mountain air after weeks of coastal heat, such a good way to close out the trip.

Phi Phi Islands from the boat, limestone cliffs dropping straight into emerald water, is one of those views phones genuinely cannot capture properly.