Our family adventure through Thailand, Laos & a little slice of Malaysia

Getting there from Cork

We flew with Malaysia Airlines from Cork via London. With kids in tow, we wanted as few dramas as possible, so having everything on one ticket and decent timings really helped. By the time we landed in Bangkok, the heat, the smells from the street food and the buzz of the traffic made it very clear we were a long way from home.

Bangkok: temples, tuk tuks and a bit of “jungle”

In Bangkok we stayed at the Rembrandt Hotel. It was exactly what we needed after a long journey: comfy beds, a pool to reset everyone’s body clocks, and an easy base for exploring.

We squeezed a lot into our few days there:

• Temples

We visited some of Bangkok’s famous temples, which the kids actually loved more than I expected. All the gold, the statues and the rituals really caught their attention. We moved slowly, took lots of water and shade breaks, and made sure we were dressed appropriately, so it never felt stressful.

• Weekend market by tuk tuk

Getting around by tuk tuk was instantly the children’s favourite thing. We headed to the weekend market in one and it was full-on sensory overload: stalls, colours, noise, the lot. We picked up a few bits and pieces, tried some street food and did a lot of people‑watching.

• Bangkok jungle cycling tour

One of the best things we did in the city was a cycling tour in the so‑called “Bangkok jungle.” It felt like we had escaped to a completely different place: narrow paths, greenery everywhere and hardly any traffic. The kids loved the novelty of cycling in such a different environment, and we really enjoyed seeing a quieter side to the city.

Evenings were simple: a dip in the pool, an easy dinner and early nights until everyone adjusted to the time difference.

Pattaya: pool days and sea views

From Bangkok we had a private transfer down to Pattaya. With luggage and tired children, this was worth every cent. No trains or buses to figure out, just get in, relax and watch the city slowly turn into coastline.

In Pattaya we stayed at Cape Dara. For us this stop was all about:

• Long, lazy breakfasts
• Hours in and out of the pool overlooking the sea
• Wandering down to the beach for a paddle
• Letting the kids have plenty of “nothing” time

Pattaya itself is fairly full-on, but having a lovely hotel base meant we could dip into the liveliness when we wanted, then retreat back to the pool and views when we’d had enough.

Hua Hin: ferry crossings and a slower pace

Next we took the ferry across to Hua Hin, which the kids thought was brilliant. It turned a simple journey into a bit of an adventure and broke up the travel nicely.

In Hua Hin we stayed at Avani+ Hua Hin. Again, very family friendly: great pool, easy access to the beach and lots of space to just potter about. Hua Hin has a calmer feel than Pattaya, and we really appreciated the slower pace by this point. Our days were a mix of:

• Pool and beach time
• Evening walks
• Casual dinners, nothing too formal or fussy

It was a really easy place to just be together without feeling the need to tick off a list of “must‑dos”.

Luang Prabang, Laos: alms giving, waterfalls and rescued bears

From Thailand we flew to Luang Prabang in Laos, and it honestly felt like someone turned the volume down. The city is small, pretty and peaceful, with monks in orange robes, beautiful old buildings and the river drifting past.

We stayed at two small hotels: Villa Chitdara and Dream Boutique Hotel. Both felt really personal and matched the character of the town.

One of the most special moments of the whole trip happened right outside Villa Chitdara:

• Morning alms giving ceremony outside the hotel

Very early in the morning, the monks walk through the streets to collect alms, and the procession passed directly in front of our hotel. We watched quietly as they moved past in their saffron robes, locals kneeling to give rice and food. We made sure the kids understood this was a real religious ceremony, not a tourist show, so we stayed back and observed respectfully. It was calm, beautiful and stays with me more than most of the “big” sights.

We also had a proper adventure day:

• Kuang Si Waterfalls

The waterfalls are every bit as stunning as the photos suggest. The water is that unreal turquoise, and there are different levels and pools to explore. The kids paddled where it was safe, we walked the paths, and it was a lovely cool break from the heat.

• Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre

Right beside the falls is the bear rescue centre, which looks after Asiatic black bears rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. The children were glued to the bears climbing, swinging and snoozing in hammocks. It was a great way to talk about looking after animals properly and choosing ethical experiences.

The rest of our time in Luang Prabang was spent wandering the night market, trying local food and just soaking up the slower pace. After busy Bangkok and the beach resorts, it was a really nice change of scene

Kuala Lumpur: making the most of a stopover

On the way home we decided to turn our stop in Kuala Lumpur into a mini break and spent two nights there instead of just passing through.

We stayed at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral by Marriott, which was really handy for getting around. With just a short time in the city, we kept things simple:

• Petaling Street Market

We headed to Petaling Street to browse the stalls, let the kids pick up a few little souvenirs and just enjoy the chaos and colour.

• A bit of city exploring

Between the high‑rises, shopping centres and food courts, Kuala Lumpur felt very modern and busy, which was fun after the calm of Luang Prabang. It was a nice way to ease ourselves back towards “real life” before the journey home.

Heading home, and looking back

We flew home with Malaysia Airlines again, Kuala Lumpur to London and then back to Cork. Everyone was tired in that happy, sun‑dazed way and it was only on the flights home that we really took in how much we had squeezed into the trip.

Our route looked like this:<br/>Cork → London → Bangkok → Pattaya → Hua Hin → Luang Prabang → Kuala Lumpur → London → Cork

In that time we:

• Rode tuk tuks and cycled through “jungle” in Bangkok
• Had proper pool and beach time in Pattaya and Hua Hin
• Watched the morning alms giving right outside Villa Chitdara and swam at Kuang Si Waterfalls in Laos
• Shopped and snacked our way around Kuala Lumpur for a couple of nights

It was a lovely balance of busy and relaxed, with enough variety to keep the kids interested without constant long journeys. If you are thinking about doing something similar as a family, this combination of Thailand, Laos and a KL stopover worked brilliantly for us.