Found yourself in Pattaya but don’t want to get lost in nightclubs or seedy inner city streets? We’ve got you covered! We share with you the best activities out in nature to make the most of your trip to Pattaya!

To get to Pattaya it’s easiest to catch a grab from Bangkok. A grab taxi will set you back about 1200 BAHT.

Getting around Pattaya city is easy and affordable! They have Baht Buses (Utes with seats on the back) that cost 10 BAHT each. You can get the schedule of where they run with the Baht Bus Songthaew (app). Just flag down the driver to hop on and buzz the bell to hop off!
If that’s not your thing, you can also order a taxi through the GRAB app. Minimum fare is 200 BAHT and it works just like uber.

Of course you can also hire a scooter but just remember to be covered by your insurance you need a motorbike license and your international drivers license otherwise you could be fined or worse- have an accident and not be covered by your insurance. We opted to play it safe and not do this!

Planning your trip to Thailand you probably really want to see elephants! Did you know that many tourist destinations for elephants are not ethical and actually very harmful to elephants. They are often abused into submission with bull hooks and made to take tourists for rides which is both damaging to their back and unnatural for them. Elephants are meant to eat 300KG of food a day and usually eat for 17 hours a day with some naps in between. Being forced to be ridden means they don’t get to do this. Read more about why you shouldn’t ride elephants in the photo below.

But lucky for you we have done the research and found four ethical sanctuaries in Thailand where your contribution helps to care for these rescue elephants to ensure they live out their lives happily! In Pattaya you can visit the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary which is only a short 20 minute ride from Pattaya city. The cost for feeding them and having a tour of the elephant poo paper making factory (yes you read that right!) is only 650 BAHT each which is about 30 USD each. 2,500 BAHT is a half day with transport from your hotel, a meal and the chance to bathe the elephants too.
We absolutely loved our experience with the elephants and really hope more people will say NO to elephant riding and yes to eco tourism!

For a truly unique experience, these floating markets in Pattaya are a must! We got a package for 800 BAHT each (about $32USD) which gave us our own boat ride through the floating markets, a souvenir photo, a zip line across the water and tickets to watch some wrestling (we opted out of this as it didn’t interest us). Overall it was a magical experience! After our activities we walked through the markets and got to sample some local Thai food like sticky rice with durian & mango (delicious!) & roasted banana.

This island is only a 45 minute ferry from Pattaya which will only set you back a tiny 30 BAHT each (about $1 USD). On the island you will find many activities like jet skiing and many places to swim, chill & relax! We took a Baht Bus to Tien beach where we lazed around and enjoyed the blue water.

This giant Buddha is one of the biggest! It is completely free to enter and worth the visit. Don’t forget your sarong or to cover up if you want to view the Buddha (I made this mistake the first time we came).

The city of Pattaya is best viewed from this lookout! A perfect spot for sunset to see the city and the beautiful sky.

A fun outing is to the Teddy Bear Museum! You will see many different teddies and makes for a fun experience.

For a fun shopping mall experience, we highly recommend visiting Terminal 21! Located north of Pattaya at the end of Pattayasaisong Rd, this shopping mall was a delight with different themed places for each level! You will stroll through Paris, London, Tokyo, Italy, Los Angeles & San Francisco. Top level food court has some great food and Thai deserts!

The largest wooden castle in the world! This beautiful structure is open from 8am-6pm daily and is still under construction so you have to wear a hard hat. We couldn’t believe the detail on this place!

Would you visit Pattaya or Thailand? Happy travels! <3