Thirty days, six stops, escaping the Estonian winter. This is the route we took in January, with what to do in each place and what to watch out for.

At a glance

• How long: 30 days, 6 stops
• When we went: January
• Flights: Turkish Airlines from home; the long leg is about 10 hours
• Best for: A first long trip to Thailand: islands, jungle, temples
• Pace: Six stops is the maximum. If you’re very laid back, do five

Stop 1: Phuket

1. Eat from the smoothie, fruit and pancake stalls everywhere.
2. Be careful on scooters: left-hand traffic, busy roads and steep hills.

Stop 2: Phi Phi Islands

1. Slow island life. No cars or scooters.
2. Get a Thai massage; ours here was the best of the trip.
3. A longtail boat tour around the islands. Sit in the middle of the boat, where it rocks the least.
4. The Phi Phi viewpoint hike.
5. Watch out for monkeys around the hotel.

Stop 3: Krabi

1. Railay Beach, only reachable by boat taxi.
2. The stair hike to Tiger Cave Temple: about 50 minutes, very hot, and the best view of the trip.
3. Food and massages are cheapest here.
4. Ao Nang main beach isn’t great for swimming.

Stop 4: Phang Nga Bay

1. Stay at Samet Nangshe Boutique for the bungalow balcony and the jungle view.
2. Don’t skip the breakfast.

Stop 5: Koh Samui

1. The best bars, restaurants and beach clubs in Thailand.
2. Prices are the highest of the trip.
3. Check the ferry before you book; ours was in poor condition.

Stop 6: Bangkok

1. The temples. Bigger and grander than anywhere else.
2. Cheapest food and drinks.
3. Book a hotel with a pool. The city is hot and there’s no beach.
4. Ignore strangers who get too close and ask personal questions; likely scammers.

Tips from our trip

• Be careful with street food the first nights; we got food poisoning in Krabi.
• Bring seasickness tablets for boat days.