Air Canada Inaugural Flight - Vancouver to Bangkok

For the first time in history, there is now a direct flight connecting Canada to Thailand!

Operated by Air Canada, AC65 is a newly inaugurated 15.5-hour direct flight connecting Vancouver, Canada to Bangkok, Thailand.

Few countries have citizens more warm, welcoming, and friendly than Thailand. My prior experiences backpacking Thailand in 2014 and 2019 left me with some of my most treasured memories to date. So when Tourism Thailand and Air Canada invited me to experience Thailand for two weeks, it was an easy yes for me!

It’s never easy traveling half way around the world. Vancouver to Bangkok clocks in at just under 12,000kms and the two cities are pretty much on direct opposite sides of the Earth. But doing it direct definitely makes the trip a lot easier. In the past, I’ve had to stop in Taipei.

My two-week journey began in Vancouver. I boarded an Air Canada, 787 Dreamliner and departed for Bangkok at 11:00 PM. The night departure actually worked in my favor. I managed to sleep for the entire flight and arrived feeling already adjusted to the 15-hour time difference. I never ended up getting jet-lagged either!

First Stop: Rayavadee, Krabi

Getting to Rayavadee is only possible via boat as the property is located at the tip of a peninsula amongst unforgiving terrain.

The hotel staff was amazing and were waiting at their private pier where their speed boat took me to their resort.

The transfer from the airport to the pier took about 25 minutes. The speed boat from the pier to Rayavadee took about 20 minutes.

My villa was located just steps away from one of Thailand’s most beautiful beaches - Railay Beach and featured a private pool surrounded by limestone cliffs.

Railay Beach, just steps from my room at Rayavadee, Krabi.

Second Stop: Banyan Tree Phuket

After a short one night stay in Krabi I transferred to Banyan Tree Phuket via a private driver.

A private paradise, Banyan Tree Phuket offers luxurious all-pool villas nestled around a lagoon and surrounded by lush greenery - making this the perfect destination for travellers seeking a romantic retreat, golf getaway, relaxing staycation, or a base from which to explore this beautiful island and its heritage, culture and stunning beaches.

Banyan Tree served as the perfect home base as I explored Phuket. Some things I’d highly recommend checking out near Banyan Tree are:

Checkout Samet Nangshe viewpoint. Its about 45 minutes from the resort. I tried to catch a sunrise here but the weather had other plans. The breathtaking views definitely made up for the lack of sun though!
Longtail boat through the mangroves in Phang Nga Bay and explore the National Park via kayak.
Checkout the Phuket Oldtown walking street and night market. I would recommend grabbing dinner here if you don’t mind crowds!
Catamaran sailing! I caught a catamaran boat for a sunset sail to Hong Island. It was an awesome day filled with snorkelling, sailing and laying on the beach.

Stop Three: Raya Heritage, Chiang Mai

After exploring Phuket and Krabi it was time to head North to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is my favourite region in Thailand. Its a lot more laidback, and seems to be a bit less “touristy.”

Raya Heritage was my favourite resort that I stayed at on this trip. I loved the “boho” style!

The food at Raya Heritage was to die for. While staying at the resort, I had the unique opportunity to check out a local organic farm which supplies the hotel with all their greens and spices. It was nice to see behind the scenes and get an inside look into where the food comes from. I also enjoyed an amazing, zero plastic lunch at the farm. It was one of my favourite meals of the trip!

Stop Four: The Standard, Bangkok

After exploring Krabi, Phuket and Chiang Mai it was time to circle back to where the trip began, Bangkok!

I’m not the biggest fan of exploring major cities, but Bangkok is definitely an exception! Home to more than 10 million people, there is never a boring day in Bangkok.

The Standard, Bangkok is located within the tallest building in the city. Standing at 315m tall the sky scraper is architectrually striking for any angle, and the roof top bar served up some epic views of the Bangkok skyline.