Travel

#Thailand Travel

What is it about Thailand that makes it a major tourist destination? It could be the mouth watering cuisine, the exotic culture including magnificent temples and palaces, the spectacular scenery which includes the multitude of pristine white sand beaches and turquoise seas, majestic mountains, fast flowing rivers wending their way through the jungle or its long history and archaeological sites.

Perhaps it s the friendly welcome from the Thai people. Thailand is often called the land of smiles and rightly so. The people will make an impression on you with their gentleness and polite, respectful approach. Perhaps this involves the major religion here, Buddhism which is all pervasive. Avery revered person is the King of Thailand and that is why the country is called the Kingdom of Thailand with its constitutional monarchy

It might be helpful to consider Thailand as having 3 different specific geographical areas of interest. The first would naturally be the city of Bangkok with its teeming life and natural abundance of energy where temples sit side by side with canals and markets. It is one of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities with magnificent temples and palaces, authentic canals, busy markets and a vibrant nightlife that has something for everyone.

Some of the more important venues and activities include the following. The Grand Palace complex, the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782, situated right on the Chao Phraya River is a must see as is a cruise on the river itself. Perhaps take one of the ferries sailing up and down the river from which you can get on and off at leisure at any of the sites along the way. On the riverbanks, you can also visit the Wat Pho Temple with its Reclining Buddha, the Wat Phra Kaeo Temple with its Emerald Buddha and the Wat Arun Temple also known as the Temple of Dawn.

Worth a visit is the Jim Thompson House, the CIA-operative's mansion assembled by combining six traditional Thai-style houses and the Vimanmek Mansion, the largest golden teakwood house in the world. The street markets and night bazaars are second to none and offer a wide array of merchandise at excellent prices.

The second area of interest would be a visit to Northern Thailand perhaps travelling overland via such ancient cities as Sukhothai, a world heritage site and the first capital of Thailand dating back to the 13 th Century with its restored temples and monuments and nearby Ayuthaya, another world heritage site and previous capital with extensive archaeological discoveries.

Close to Bangkok are two very interesting side trips. The first is the Kanchanaburi region famous as the place where the Bridge over the River Kwai was located. Here you can visit the bridge, the cemetery and stay overnight in a floating hotel. The other is to travel to Damnoen Saduak to experience a traditional floating market and also visit the Rose Garden for a show including Thai traditional dancing, Thai boxing and musical entertainment. Although there are many beach resorts throughout Thailand, mainly in the south of the country, there are a few which are not too far from Bangkok such as Pattaya. Hua Hin. Ko Samet and Ko Chang.

Chiang Mai is the principal city in the north where the ambience is much more serene than that of Bangkok. It is surrounded by mountains and lush countryside and is known as the "Rose of the North". Inside Chiang Mai's remaining city walls are more than 30 temples dating back to the founding of the principality. The famous Night Bazaar is a must visit especially during the amazing Loy Krathong Festival in November. The locals say you have not experienced Chiang Mai until you have seen the view from Doi Suthep, eaten a bowl of kao soi, and purchased an umbrella from Bo Sang. Definitely make time for a visit to Doi Suthep, a temple located on top of a mountain with wonderful panoramic views or to a local elephant camp to see the animals at work and play. Northern Thailand is also the region to visit with genuine hill tribes to experience how they live their separate existence from the rest of society. They originally migrated from neighbouring China. Tibet and Myanmar to the rural highlands of Northern Thailand to continue their traditional way of life as farmers in the mountains.

Further north is Chiang Rai. It is an excellent base for exploring the region. Despite its relatively small population, Chiang Rai has respected universities and other civic facilities. It includes a good percentage of hill tribes and Myanmar exiles such as various varieties of the Karen tribe of people.

The Golden Triangle in the far north of Thailand is so called as it where Laos. Myanmar and Thailand meet. The landscape is hilly and consists of lush jungle scenery through which the mighty Mekong River flows.

The third region is Thailand s beach resorts in the south. With hundreds of beautiful tropical islands, Thailand has no shortage of fine beach resorts. These include Phuket on the west coast along with the quieter Phi Phi Islands reached by ferry from Phuket. Ko Samui and Krabi on the east coast plus many others with their pure white sand and blue, green sea which can provide a stay and a fitting end to a sojourn in this exciting country. Most of the luxury beach resorts can be found on the islands of Koh Samui and Phuket.

If one of your favourite pastimes is golf, Thailand has a number of excellent courses. One of the best known is the Blue Canyon Golf Course in Phuket. Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai also have good courses. Most of the scuba diving destinations are on the Andaman Sea on the South East coast of Thailand. The most famous ones are on the outstanding Similan Islands with truly excellent diving. Closer to the mainland you have very good diving opportunities around the Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket Islands.

So with the many varieties of reasons to visit, Thailand - "the land of smiles" offers something for everyone. Book one of our Thailand travel vacation packages today and put a smile on your face.

Extend Your Trip

After your Thailand vacation consider taking the time to visit other destinations. Goway offers exciting China vacation packages and India tours plus a comprehensive selection of vacation packages in many other Asian countries.

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Classic Thailand featuring Phuket