Bangkok & Beach – With anything less than 10 nights it is best to keep things simple. This doesn’t however have to mean lacklustre! The majority of international flights enter Thailand via Bangkok which gives holiday-makers the perfect excuse to disembark and experience a couple of nights in one of the world’s most vibrant of cities, before catching the short domestic flight to Phuket, Krabi or Koh Samui. 2-3 nights is all you really need in Bangkok if you plan your time well. Use Day One to cover the sights inside the city such as The Grand Palace, evening chanting at Wat Po, China Town for dinner at one of the numerous street stalls and then late night shopping at Pat Pong or Lumpini Market. On Day Two, escape the city and head for the open food market at Samut Songkhram and then on to one of the famous floating markets. Return to Bangkok for the evening and dine in style at one of the 5 star hotels that line the Chao Phraya River. The lights and life on the river at night are beautiful. Then next morning it’s onto the beach for a few days R ‘n’ R before heading home.

Bangkok, Kanchanburi & Beach – 7 – 10 nights does not really allow enough time to travel to the North of Thailand. Kanchanburi however, is just 2 hours North West of Bangkok and offers many of the same attractions and activities as Northern Thailand. The area is home to a number of border tribes - mainly the Mon tribe - whose villages you are welcome to visit. The lush jungle is ideal for walking and elephant trekking and the River Kwai is superb for bamboo rafting. Kanchanaburi is also of historical interest with its link to the Thai-Burmese Railway. There are a couple of very good museum in the town, as well as the Allied POWs War Cemetery. A couple of nights in Kanchanaburi, staying at the floating Jungle Raft Hotel will really add something to a short holiday to Thailand and satisfy anyone wishing to see more of the country but that has limited time to do so.

Bangkok, Ayutthaya & Beach – For those more interested in history and culture than nature and activities, the city of Ayutthaya just an hour and a half north of Bangkok is well worth a visit. Ayutthaya was the first Siamese Kingdom before it was sacked by the Burmese in 1767 and a number of its ruins still stand proudly today. Ayutthaya is also home to the Royal Family’s Summer Palace which is a bizarre mix of Asian and European architecture. You can visit Ayutthaya as a day excursion from Bangkok, however to make the most of the experience we suggest taking a few days out to sail to Ayutthaya along the Chao Praya River on a traditional river barge. A three day, two night cruise will not only allow you to explore Bangkok’s main waterway and Ayutthaya, but also local life, hidden temples and the rural countryside beyond the capital city. The novelty of sleeping and dining on board your own private barge can’t fail to make even a short holiday extremely memorable.

Island hopping – For those purely interested in a beach holiday 7-10 nights is more than enough time to enjoy Thailand’s spectacular beaches. You can catch a connecting flight to one of the islands as soon as you land in Bangkok. You may just want to pick a beautiful hotel and flop for the duration of your trip. However, as you will not be visiting any other areas of the country why not consider a spot of island/beach hopping to mix things up. For example, you could spend a couple of nights on lively Phuket before heading over to untouched Koh Yao for a night or two of tranquilly and then finish up on the stunning bohemian peninsula of Railay near Krabi. You could even do two days sea kayaking if you wished and camp over night on a remote island in the middle of Phang Nga Bay. In our summer months (May-October) the same variety can be achieved by visiting Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand.

Bangkok, The North & Beach – With stunning scenery and a rich tapestry of tribe people, Lanna architecture and traditional crafts the North of Thailand is definitely worth including on your itinerary if you plan to be in the country for over ten days. Some people opt to just spend a few days in the region’s main city Chiang Mai, travelling up from Bangkok either by sleeper train or on a short one hour flight. You can even take the Eastern Oriental Express. Chiang Mai offers a lovely mix of old and new and a good base from where to explore the area. However, to make the most of your trip we would recommend a slightly more varied itinerary starting with 3-4 nights in the Golden Triangle just north of Chiang Mai. Daily flights from Bangkok land at Chiang Rai airport from where it is about an hour long drive to Chiang Saen the point at which the borders of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand converge. A couple of superb hotels in the area offer in house Mahout training courses which are fantastic for all ages, but especially children. After a few days in the Golden Triangle your driver will bring you south toward Chiang Mai stopping off at the Chinese hill town of Mae Salong, the brilliant white temple of Wat Rong Khun and the Pai River in Chiang Dao for a spot of bamboo rafting. For intrepid types the journey can then continue on to the hippy town of Pia and to see the long neck Karen tribe near Mae Hong Song. Perhaps you might even want to include a jungle trek and overnight home stay in a tribal village. But for those less gripped by wanderlust a couple of nights in Chiang Mai will bring a restful end to your Northern experience, before flying south to the islands.

Bangkok, Angkor Wat Temples & Beach – While Thailand has more than enough to keep visitors entertained for 2-3 weeks, the introduction of low cost regional flights has made travel throughout Southeast Asia extremely easy. Therefore, why not consider a multi-centre trip and combine buzzing Bangkok and the unbeatable beaches of Thailand with some of its neighbour’s equally un-misable highlights? Without doubt our most popular and effective pairing is Thailand and the Temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Although Thailand’s cultural heritage is strong, there is nothing to rival the majestic and exotic beauty of Angkor Wat. Moreover, with little more than a 45minute plane ride to reach Siem Reap from Bangkok the journey time is no greater than the time it takes to reach the northern hills of Thailand or the southern islands. A few nights in Bangkok combined with three or four days exploring Angkor Wat and then a week on the beach in Southern Thailand is our idea of a holiday made in heaven. It offers the very best of everything – one of the greatest cities in the world, an ancient wonder of the world and stunning beaches that are out of this world!