Hectic and noisy, this beguiling city is like nowhere else on earth. With its unique blend of old and new, wealth and poverty it is totally unique and therefore a must see for any first time visitor to Thailand. Bangkok’s surrounding areas are also extremely interesting and perfect for those who don't have the time or inclination to travel all the way to Northern Thailand. In less than two hours from Bangkok you can find history, wildlife and adventure activities to suit all.

Bangkok is a wonderful city offering an enigmatic and awkward mix of old and new. On the one side of the city sits the old town with its royal palaces, temples and crumbling riverside teak houses displaying Thailand’s proud cultural heritage. On the other you’ll find a Mecca of shinny glass and steel encased 5 star hotels, designer shops and office blocks.
In Bangkok’s old town the streets are dominated by tuk tuks, tour groups, orange clad monks and endless rows of pavement food stalls, not to mention the occasional elephants. In the new town is all about the ultra modern sky train, metre taxis, trendy youth culture, Starbucks and shopping. Both with their obvious merits, the two sides of the city are joined by the impressive Chao Phraya River and Chinatown which sits in the middle of the madness. For ideas of how to spend your time in Bangkok have a look at our ‘Must Sees’ section in Things to Do.

Khao Yai National Park is the second largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers, including evergreen forests and grasslands. There are 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds, Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, gaur, tigers, gibbons, Indian sambar deer, crab-eating macaque, Indian muntjac, dholes, and wild pigs. Wildlife sightings are somewhat rare, but the park has over 50 km of hiking trails and some stunning waterfalls which include the 80 meter Heo Narok, and Haeo Suwat made famous from the film The Beach. The National Park makes a lovely day trip for guests staying in nearby Pak Chong. Other activities in the area include golf at the Kirimaya Resort and a visit to one of the local Thai wineries that make this area famous.

Ayutthayawas the first Siamese Kingdom and existed from 1351 to 1767 before it was sacked by the Burmese. Nowadays parts of the ruined temples have been sympathetically restored and are well worth a visit. You can explore the ruins by bicycle, three-wheeler or on the back of a beautifully decorated elephant. Ayutthaya is also home to the Thai Royal Family’s Summer Palace which is a bizarre mix of Asian and European architecture. Travelling from Bangkok to Ayutthaya will take no more than one hour by road, but for a more interesting experience why travel onboard a converted rice barge along the Chao Phraya River? This is a much more leisurely approach with itineraries including meals and an overnight stay onboard.

Kanchanaburi is a couple of hours North West of Bangkok. It is best known for its part in the Second World War when thousands of allied POWs and Asian workers lost their lives during forced construction of the Thai-Burma Railways. Visitors can learn about the tragedy at several museums in the town, walk across the Bridge over the River Kwai, visit Hell Fire Pass and the Allied Cemetery. Kanchanaburi is a fascinating and moving place. It is also a fantastic place for hiking and bamboo rafting. Plus there are a number of border tribe villages in the area for visitors to explore.

Originally a kingdom in its own right from the 13th to 18th Century the North of Thailand is noticeably distinct from the rest of the country. It is a melting pot of many different ethnic groups and holds on tightly to it traditional Lanna heritage. As such, subtle differences in the food, dress and the customs of the Northern Thais combined with some breathtaking scenery and exciting activities make this one of our favourite regions to explore.

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest city and the bustling gateway to the North. The focal point of Lanna heritage Chiang Mai province reveals a culture and cuisine distinct from those of Bangkok and the south. The city itself is a seamless blend of the old and new, with the crumbling city walls still visible throughout the city. You can fly to Chiang Mai in under an hour from Bangkok or catch the overnight sleeper train. During the day visitors to Chiang Mai are likely to spend most of their time just outside the city in the Mae Sa Valley or near Chiang Dao, hiking to colourful hill tribe villages, working at the elephant and tiger training camps or bamboo rafting down the Ping River. By night you can return to Chiang Mai when the city comes alive with the frantic night bizarre and numerous restaurants. From Chiang Mai it is possible to head further North to Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle or West towards the sleepy hill town of Pai and the beautiful valley of Mae Hong Song.

The Golden Triangle refers to the area in Northern Thailand where the Ruak and Mekong Rivers converge and the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. Once infamous for its huge opium production, the area is now safe for travel. The scenery is lush and picturesque with paddy filled valley and many hill tribe communities to visit. It is also possible to cross the border into Laos and Myanmar for the day. The easiest way to reach the Golden Triangle is to fly to Chiang Rai and then transfer to Chiang Saen which takes approximately 1hour and 20 minutes.

Lampang also called "Meuang Rot Ma" which means "Horse Carriage City" " in Thai is located 100km southeast of Chiang Mai. The city is so called because of the horse-drawn carriages that are still in regular use for transportation today. Lampang is also famous for its Elephant Conservation Centre which holds daily shows and 3 day mahout training courses. Next door you can visit the Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation, which has recently been featured in the international press for engineering the first prosthetic elephant leg.

Pai is a small bohemian hill town half way between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Song. While mainly the haunt of moped riding backpackers, we also saw a number of families and older couples spending time in Pai. The town is surrounded by unspoilt forest, thundering waterfalls, huge limestone caves and traditional mountain villages. Hikers will love the scenic trails and others can just sit back and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of this quirky and charming little backwater. Pai is great for gift shopping!

Mae Hong Son (The City of Three Mists) is nestled in a deep valley encased by high mountain ranges and is virtually covered with mist throughout the year. For this reason the town was somewhat preserved from the outside world for much of its history. As well as farming the town’s original source of income was elephants. Former governors of Chiang Mai used Mae Hong Song to organize the rounding up of wild elephants which were then trained before being sent to the capital for work. Today, Mae Hong Son relies more on tourists than elephants. Daily flights from Chiang Mai make access easy and most come to visit the Long Neck Karen tribe or ‘Giraffe’ women who live on the Burmese border.

Originally the haunt of intrepid travellers only, nowadays the islands that lie within the Gulf of Thailand have combined their untouched beauty with small exclusive resorts and private villas to become a major tourist destination. Koh Samui is the most advanced with a domestic airport, closely followed by Koh Phangan and finally the dive haven of Koh Tao which still only has one road on the island.

Koh Samui We love Koh Samui!! It is the country’s third largest island and in our opinion the best place for an active beach holiday in Thailand. It is what Phuket should and would have been if only developers had started 25 years later. Although busy in parts, there is not one high raised hotel spoiling the beaches and it is still possible to find real solitude if you know where to look. It’s fun and yet sophisticated when you want it to be.

Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui’s east coast is the most popular beach on the island and deservedly so. While it is very busy the beach is still extremely beautiful and the crowds can be avoided towards the quieter northern end. The town itself is touristy, but there are several very nice places to eat especially inside the hotels and it’s great for shopping.

Bohput Beach on Koh Samui’s north coast is ideal if you are looking for something quieter than Chaweng but still want a nice selection of restaurants for the evening and activities on the beach during the day. The beach is lovely (although can occasionally appear a little thin), in a protected bay that is very safe for swimming and has picturesque views over to neighbouring Koh Phangan. Originally Bohput was a tight knit fishing village. So while the main emphasis is now on tourism and many of the business are owned by westerners, there is still a feeling of community amongst the locals who often sit to have lunch together on the beach under the palms. There are also a number of traditional Chinese shop houses in the town that have been converted into gift shops or small guesthouses.

The West Coast of Koh Samui is extremely beautiful and undeveloped. The beaches are lined with coconut groves as opposed to hotels and you almost feel as though you are on a different island. The bays of Lipa Noi and Taling Nam are especially beautiful and perfect for watching the sun set over the Five Islands. Spend the day at Nikki Beach sipping cocktails, lunch in one of Nathon’s seafood restaurants or hire a jeep and explore the various viewpoints and waterfalls at leisure.

Koh Phangan - Famous for its monthly Full Moon Parties, Koh Phangan is the original party island. There are parts of the island where all night beach parties and endless rounds of ‘buckets’ are still the order of the day, but the majority of the island is still made up of jungle, dirt roads and stunning unspoilt bays for you to discover. Had Rin Beach is the epicentre of the island’s debauchery with a lovely beach and endless restaurants and bars. The northern part of the island however, around Tong Nai Pan Noi and Bottle Bay is very peaceful and the perfect getaway for couples or families.

Koh Tao - With just one main road and a population of 1000 people, Koh Tao is still just a dot on Thailand’s major tourism map. The island is predominantly the domain of would be divers who come to do their PADI scuba diving courses at Sairee Beach, but it is not a pre-requisite. Non-divers could quite happily spend a week on Koh Tao just drinking in views of the mist covered hills and enjoying the deserted white sand beaches. Honeymoon heaven!! Should you wish to do some diving however, there is no better place during the summer months from March to October.

Ang Thong National Marine Park - Ang Thong National Marine Park otherwise known as the ‘Golden Basin’ lies off the North West coast of Koh Samui and consists of 42 stunning limestone islands, covered in rainforest and dramatic rock formations. The numerous small coves are perfect for snorkelling especially from March to October when the water is crystal clear and Koh Mae Ko is home to a beautiful emerald coloured saltwater lake. There is a considerable amount of wildlife inhabiting the islands including the Asian long-tailed monkey (langur), hair-nosed otters, pacific reef egrets, white-bellied sea eagles, ashy drongos, tortoises, sea turtles, lizards and pythons. Ang Thong National Park makes a wonderful day trip from any of the islands in the Gulf and there are many local agents who can arrange trips for you.

Without doubt the Andaman Coast is the jewel in Thailand’s crown. Its hidden gems are not always the most accessible of places, but the bounty is well worth it for those with the time and inclination to explore. Majestic limestone cliffs, hundreds of uninhabited islands, deserted white sand beaches that you can only reach by boat and clear turquoise water make parts of this coastline simply breathtaking. Phuket itself no longer quite fits this description, but it is invaluable for its international airport and numerous hotels that offer convenient overnight accommodation before transferring to the more tranquil areas of the Andaman Coast.

Phuket -  Approximately one hours flying time south of Bangkok, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island as well as it’s wealthiest, busiest and most visited province. The west coast of Phuket is heavily developed, but offers long sandy beaches and all the nightlife you would want. We recommend the beaches north of Surin Bay if you want to stay on the west Coast because they are less developed and a little more upmarket, but still within easy reach of Patong should you fancy a lively night out. The East Coast of Phuket is fairly untouched and actually very picturesque with views out over Phang Nga Bay. Largely covered by mangrove however, there are very few beaches and the sea has a lagoon like appearance, so there are few hotels to speak of. There are a couple of excellent marinas though which make an ideal base from which to explore beautiful Phang Nga Bay.

Phuket also has five international standard golf courses open to the public (one was voted the number one Championship golf course in Asia) and the faded Sino-Portuguese colonial style of Phuket Town. The early morning fresh market is especially worth visiting. The reefs and islands around Phuket are rated among the best in the world and offer wonderful opportunities for a huge range of water sports from sea kayaking to jet skiing, sailing to parasailing as well as some magnificent diving and snorkelling in the clear tropical waters.

Khao Lak is located an hour’s drive north of Phuket on the Andaman Coast. In contrast to Phuket the area is peaceful with a backdrop of jungle covered mountains. While primarily the jumping off point for dive excursions to the Similan and Surin Islands, Khao Lak is still worth a visit in its own right. The scenery and beaches are lovely, there is a small town with some local restaurants and the area borders five national parks. The area does become very quiet however during the rainy season when it is not possible to visit the Similan and Surin Islands and the divers move elsewhere.

The Similian Islands can be found 50Km due west from Khao Lak or 150Km northwest from Phuket. Regarded as the best unspoiled marine park in Thailand and one of the World’s top dive sites, these islands are a dream come true for dive enthusiasts. Several live aboard dive boats operate in the area, please ask for information. Neighbouring Surin National Park will also appeal to anyone just looking for an absolute escape. Comprised of 5 picturesque tropical islands, it is possible to camp over night in this remote paradise on the ocean border between Thailand and Myanmar.

Krabi & Railay Krabi is unquestionably the most stunning area along the Andaman coastline. Gentle white sands merge with tropical rainforest and spectacular limestone karsts to create breathtaking scenery and hidden bays. With its own airport Krabi is now easily accessible from Bangkok and thus no longer just the haunt of intrepid backpackers. Set slightly inland Krabi town is nothing to write home about and the main beach resort Ao Nang is a little too developed for our tastes, but hidden in a small peninsula between the two sits Railay Beach. Accessible only by boat due to the high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access, Railay has two long beaches with a small town and cluster of hotels sandwiched between. These cliffs attract rock climbers from all over the world, but the area is equally as popular for its beautiful beaches and quiet relaxing atmosphere.

Koh Yao Noi is located at the centre of the Phang Nga Bay archipelago near Phuket in southern Thailand. The island can be reached in under an hour by speedboat or long tail boat. Services leave from Bang Rong Pier on Phuket several times daily. The island itself is inhabited by a modest Muslim population whose main income is from the island’s agriculture. Despite it close proximity to Phuket this small community have managed to stave off the pace of development. There are just a handful of guesthouses and home stays on the island along with three notable hotels. With stunning views across Phang Nga Bay and easy access to the emerald lake and deserted beaches of Koh Hong, Koh Yao Noi truly is the idyllic island hideaway most people are looking for.

Koh Phi Phi is one of the most well known of Thailand’s islands. The main port and Long Beach play host to numerous hostels and backpacker bars with a laid back hippy feel to them. On the less visited North East Coast there are a cluster of high end luxury resorts that also benefit from Phi Phi’s picture perfect scenery, but are much more tranquil. A long tail boat ride over to Phi Phi Lay the smaller of the two islands is a particularly popular past time.

Koh Racha is just a dot in the middle of the Andaman Sea, but a wonderful escape just 35mins by speed boat from Phuket. The Racha hotel occupies most of the island, with access to three pristine beaches, plentiful coral reef and electric blue seas. There is also a small fishing community on the island that prevents the island from feeling to sterile.