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Thailand is a country that will satisfy all of your senses from the smell of the street food and the feeling of the sand between your toes, to the glistening blue waters and glittering temples.
Thailand is a traveller’s dream. It’s historic, it’s a relaxing beach holiday, it’s an adventure in the mountains and it’s bubbling with tastes.
It’s hard to pick the best places to visit in Thailand but we came up with a selection to help you discover the country’s best highlights from north to south, mountains to islands and everything in between. With this guide you won’t miss a beat during your holiday while you experience the true hospitality in the Land of Smiles.
Bangkok is Thailand’s largest and brightest city, attracting travellers with its unique organised chaos. The colourful streets are lined with ornate temples and the Grand Palace where the Thai royalty once lived.
Take a few hours to walk around this capital and you’ll constantly be tempted by the intense smells of street food, notice the contrast of the historic sites and modern skyscrapers and see the smiles on the locals’ faces who love to do everything with a side of fun.
Chiang Mai is the perfect example of a Thai city with a distinct historical feel that is still very much alive inside the Old City walls. Take some time to walk around and you’ll stumble into markets on almost every corner, follow smells to delicious dishes and see ancient temples. Explore beyond the city walls and you’ll discover the mountainous region surrounding the city and realize that Chiang Mai’s countryside-town feel is the complete opposite of Bangkok.
Visitors to Phuket are spoiled for choice on Thailand’s largest island. From the main resort town of Patong where travellers bask in the sun and party all night long, to the quieter beach town of Karon where white sand beaches almost glow against the stunningly blue waters of the Andaman Sea. Culture, history, diving and great food mix to make this island a travellers paradise for all things relaxation, adventure and nature.
The Phi Phi Islands are a group of islands in the Andaman Sea, part of the province of Krabi. The two largest, Phi Phi Leh and Phi Phi Don are where visitors flock to find the incredible paradise that awaits.
While Phi Phi Don has hotels and resorts scattered across it, visitors can walk across the white sand beaches and party all night long. In contrast, Phi Phi Leh is almost deserted with no hotels but instead boasts cliffs, jungle, clear waters and colourful coral.
Once the capital of Siam, the previously-known royal city is now a UNESCO World Heritage site that travellers can visit for the day from Bangkok. Grand palaces, shining temples and a prosperous trading port made up this city until the Burmese attacked it in the 1700s. Today the city is home to ruins and is an archaeological site with the remains of palaces, temples, statues and monasteries.
Khao Sok National Park acts as a nice change from the beaches on the islands and the mountains in the north. This southern park is believed to be over 160 million years old, making it one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It may be Thailand’s rainiest park but the 738-sq km area is an adventurer's dream filled with waterfalls, caves, dense jungle and rare animal species.
Pai is an island getaway in northern Thailand without the beaches. It’s a mountain town that encompasses its Shan background and thrills travellers looking for a bit of downtime. Large caves, waterfalls and natural hot springs surround the small town.
While in town the Pai Walking Street comes alive with food stalls at night, and is lined with guesthouses and shops filled with tie-dye during the day. The sleepy and relaxed town feel has visitors returning again and again.
Koh Tao offers an island mix that is both busy yet laid back with a low-key vibe that is very distinctly Koh Tao. This small island has white sand beaches fringed with coconut trees and colourful coral reefs that have diverse new and advanced showing up on the shores for their chance to spot turtles, whale sharks and more. It’s your choice whether you want to spend time on the beach, exploring the hilltops for epic viewpoints, under the waters exploring the world-famous dive sites or partying hill dawn.
For a bit of a more relaxed pace, head to Railay where fewer tourists visit than places such as Koh Phi Phi. This peninsula on Krabi Island in the Andaman Sea is only accessible by boat because of the limestone towers that rise out of the sea.
It’s here that you’ll find pretty beaches for holiday-makers and the ultimate rock-climbing spots for adventurers. While just beyond these highlights you’ll find the land masked by the jungle.
Chiang Rai, a city in northern Thailand close to both the Laos and Burmese borders, and sits quietly in the province of the same name. It’s a small city but not one to be overlooked with its temples, art and historical artifacts up for discovery. It’s most famously known for the White Temple which alone makes Chiang Rai a prime place to stop.
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