We can proudly say that 2014 was our first full calendar year living in Thailand. As we step into 2015, we looked back through our best Instagram photos of 2014 and remembered what made the past year so amazing.
#1 New Years at Thapae Gate
We started 2014 New Years off right and celebrated with a great view of fireworks at Thapae Gate in Chiang Mai's Old City. We had dinner at a restaurant right on the corner and even celebrated with a bottle of champagne.
#2 Red Lotus Sea in Udon Thani
We took a trip to Isaan, Thailand's northeastern countryside, and visited the amazing Red Lotus Sea. Located just outside Udon Thani, this lake is home to millions of palm-sized red lotus flowers. So many, in fact, that slow chugging boats have carved paths through the dense flowers much like roads.
#3 Salt Farm at Kunnapat Spa
Not far from the Red Lotus Sea is the Kunnapat Spa's Salt Farm. Several acres of mirror-like pools contain high quality salt that is sold for cooking and spa treatments. Men dredge up the sparkling white crystals and fill wicker baskets weighing nearly 100 lbs each.
#4 Chiang Mai Flower Festival
Chiang Mai hosts a flower festival each February that features many displays of tropical plants and flowers and several dozen enormous ornamental floats. We stopped to take a picture and captured four people taking pictures of themselves. This goes to support the rumor that Thailand is the selfie capital of the world. Poor grandma, she doesn't look like she approves!
#5 Bua Tong Waterfalls
Nestled in the Mae Taeng National Forest Reserve north of Chiang Mai is one of the coolest natural attractions we've ever been to. Also known as the Sticky Waterfalls, we seemingly defied the laws of physics climbing up several tiers of non-slippery rocks as water cascaded down around us.
#6 Island Hopping in Krabi
We spent a day island hoping in Krabi. Here we're snorkeling at Hong Island Lagoon and peering out between two cliffs into the Andaman Sea.
#7 Mountains in Pai
Just a few minutes outside of Pai, a small but popular tourist town in Northern Thailand, we enjoyed a scenic ride through the mountains. We had one of our most relaxing mini vacations here.
#8 Longtail Boats at East Railay Beach
When the tide comes in, East Railay Beach transforms itself into a picturesque cove complete with longtail boats and limestone cliffs. We have come to love these boats and think of them as a symbol of Thailand's beaches.
#9 Huay Tung Tao Lake in Chiang Mai
Another favorite spot of ours, but few visitors know about, is Huay Tung Tao Lake. It's bordered by walking paths and spotted with restaurants and bungalows along its shoreline. We've enjoyed several lunches here with friends.
#10 A Visit Home to Washington DC
We made our first trip back home after a year and a half in Thailand and flew into Washington DC. It was good to see friends and family. We had lots of catching up to do!
#11 Vegetarian Festival in Bangkok
During an impromptu meet up with our pals Mick Shippen and Richard Barrow, we stumbled upon a huge parade in downtown Bangkok. It turned out to be a vegetarian festival complete with processions of dolled-up women, men doing acrobatics, and dragon costumes galore.
#12 Sunset at Koh Chang
Our first overnight trip to a Thai island did not disappoint! We had an awesome one week vacation in Koh Chang just before the high season rolled in. We captured this sunset our first night in town.
#13 Beachfront Views at Koh Chang
Almost too pretty to be real, this beautiful sky and water combo was just a short walk from our bungalow at Nature Beach Resort.
#14 Sunset in Krabi
We loved how the rays stream our from behind the clouds during this sunset in Krabi. These calm water typically sport cruise boats and longtail boats, so it was neat to capture a sailboat on the horizon.
#15 Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Mae Wang National Park
We had wanted to visit elephants for so long and then found this caring place called the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. It is now home to four elephants, two of which are a mom and baby pair. After romping around and eating some bananas, we caught this little guy getting a snack from his mom.
Did you enjoy our best Instagram photos of 2014?
There's more where these came from. If you haven't yet, follow us on Instagram. This year will be another chance to share our experiences traveling across Thailand.
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