Thailand with Kids Part 2: Chiang Mai, Koh Samui & Koh Tao – Mountains, Beaches & Island Adventures
After exploring the colourful chaos of Bangkok, the history of River Kwai and the jungle adventures around Kanchanaburi, it was time for a completely different side of Thailand.
Our next stop was Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, surrounded by green mountains, ancient temples and a much slower pace of life. From there, we travelled south towards the islands of the Gulf of Thailand: Koh Samui and Koh Tao.
This combination turned out to be the perfect balance for our family. We had culture, nature and adventure — but also plenty of time to relax, swim and simply enjoy being together.
Because let’s be honest… after travelling around with children, a few days of beach life are always very welcome!
🌿 Chiang Mai with kids: discovering northern Thailand
Chiang Mai feels completely different from Bangkok.
Where Bangkok is busy, loud and energetic, Chiang Mai feels calm and welcoming. Surrounded by mountains, the city is filled with beautiful temples, colourful markets, delicious food and plenty of family-friendly activities.
It is a place where you can slow down, wander through small streets and experience a more traditional side of Thailand.
We loved the relaxed atmosphere of Chiang Mai. It felt like the perfect place to recharge after our adventures around Bangkok and Kanchanaburi.
🛕 Temples, markets & local life
Chiang Mai has hundreds of temples, and although you could spend days exploring them all, with children we always prefer choosing a few special places rather than trying to see everything.
The temples in Chiang Mai are often surrounded by greenery and have a much quieter atmosphere than the famous temples in Bangkok.
A few highlights:
✨ Walking through the old city
✨ Discovering beautiful temples
✨ Exploring local markets
✨ Trying new Thai dishes
✨ Enjoying the mountain surroundings
The evening markets were one of our favourite experiences. There is something magical about walking through rows of food stalls, smelling all the different flavours and letting everyone choose their own favourite snack.
🐘 Meeting elephants in Thailand
For many children, seeing elephants in Thailand is a dream come true.
But choosing the right experience is very important. We wanted to make sure that if we visited elephants, it would be in a place where the animals were treated respectfully.
There are several ethical elephant sanctuaries around Chiang Mai where you can learn about elephants, feed them and observe them without activities that harm the animals.
For families, this can be such a special experience — not just because of the elephants themselves, but because it teaches children about wildlife and responsible tourism.
[affiliate block / elephant experience]
✈️ From Chiang Mai to the Thai islands
After our northern Thailand adventure, it was time for sunshine, beaches and turquoise water.
We flew from Chiang Mai towards southern Thailand and continued to the islands of the Gulf of Thailand.
Our next stops:
🏝️ Koh Samui
🐢 Koh Tao
After days of exploring temples, markets and jungles, arriving on the islands felt like entering paradise.
🏝️ Koh Samui with kids: the perfect island escape
Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s most popular islands — and for good reason.
The island has beautiful beaches, comfortable accommodations, plenty of restaurants and enough activities to keep the whole family entertained.
What we loved about Koh Samui was the combination of convenience and tropical island feeling.
You still have everything you need nearby, but you can easily find quiet beaches and beautiful spots to relax.
Things to do in Koh Samui with children
🌊 Beach days
Sometimes the best holiday moments are the simplest ones.
Building sandcastles, swimming in warm tropical water, searching for shells and watching the sunset together — these are the memories children often remember most.
🚤 Exploring the island
Koh Samui is perfect for a day of exploring.
You can visit waterfalls, viewpoints, temples and small local villages.
A few family favourites:
✨ Big Buddha Temple
✨ Waterfalls
✨ Local markets
✨ Beach hopping
🍜 Food adventures
Thailand is a dream destination for families who love food.
Even our children enjoyed trying new dishes. From fresh fruit shakes to noodles, pancakes and colourful desserts, every day brought something new to taste.
And of course… a Thai holiday is not complete without mango sticky rice!
🐢 Koh Tao: our tropical island favourite
From Koh Samui we continued to Koh Tao, a smaller island famous for its crystal-clear water and amazing underwater world.
Koh Tao is known worldwide as one of the best places to learn scuba diving, but even if you are not a diver, the island is perfect for families.
For us, Koh Tao felt more relaxed and adventurous than Koh Samui.
The beaches are beautiful, the atmosphere is friendly and the island has a real tropical feeling.
Snorkelling in Koh Tao with kids
One of the highlights of Koh Tao was exploring the underwater world.
The water is warm, clear and full of colourful fish. Even children who are not experienced swimmers can enjoy snorkelling in calmer areas.
We took a boat trip around the island and visited beautiful snorkelling spots.
Swimming above colourful fish, seeing the tropical coastline from the water and jumping into the sea together were moments we will never forget.
[affiliate block boat tours]
🌅 The perfect ending to our Thailand adventure
Looking back, the route we chose worked perfectly for our family.
We started with the excitement of Bangkok, discovered history and nature around River Kwai, explored northern Thailand in Chiang Mai and ended with the ultimate reward: tropical islands.
Thailand gave us everything we hoped for:
✨ Adventure
✨ Culture
✨ Nature
✨ Amazing food
✨ Beautiful beaches
✨ Memories as a family
Travelling with children is not always about seeing the most places. Sometimes it is about creating moments together — laughing at the fish nibbling your feet, eating something completely new, swimming in turquoise water or watching your children discover another part of the world.
Thailand was one of those journeys that stays with you long after you return home.
Practical tips for Thailand with kids
✈ Book domestic flights early: Internal flights in Thailand are often affordable, but prices increase during busy periods.
🏨 Choose accommodation with a pool: After a day of exploring, children love having a place to cool down.
🎒 Pack light: Laundry services are everywhere and very affordable, use packing cubes
💧 Bring a reusable water bottle: Staying hydrated in the heat is important.
🩴 Water shoes are useful: Especially for waterfalls, beaches and boat trips.
📱 Use an eSIM: Having internet makes travelling around much easier,
