First time in Thailand
*Sunday Times Travel Supplement 18th October 2015
And why go now? Because the turmoil of the past few years has resulted in plunging hotel prices (particularly in Bangkok) and the Thai currency sinking to its lowest level in six years — meaning you’ll get a lot of bang for your baht.
Days 1-3: Bangkok
Change some cash — the bureaux de change in Thailand offer better rates than those in the UK — then follow signs to the official taxi rank, where you’ll be issued with a chitty and pointed towards a legitimate metered cab. Fares vary from about £7 to £10, depending on which part of the city you’re travelling to.
There’s no polite way to say it — Bangkok is a hot, sticky mess, but its chaotic energy is electrifying and its hidden secrets demand at least two days of your time. Ease yourself in with a stay on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, where the gridlock is replaced by puttering long-tail boats, and skyscrapers are outnumbered by sparkly temples and atmospheric old docks.
For a glamorous yet affordable five-star stay, try the Peninsula (doubles from £108; bangkok.peninsula.com). More hip is Sala Rattanakosin (doubles from £54, B&B, salaresorts.com), a converted warehouse with minimalist rooms and views of Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. Since most flights from London arrive in the afternoon, you’ll have enough time to shower and get to the riverside for sundowners.
Jet lag will have you up with the lark — go with it. The twirly-topped Wat Pho Temple (£3.60; watpho.com) opens at 8am; get there just beforehand to see monks receiving alms outside. Remember, you’ll need to cover up when visiting any Buddhist place of worship, including shoulders and knees. Wonder at the impressive Reclining Buddha, an ethereal 150ft-long, 50ft-high effigy adorned with gold and pearls, then nip next door to the Grand Palace (£9), a huge complex of former royal residences, temples and gilt-covered spires — splash out £2 for an audio guide to decipher the legend of Ramayana represented in the decor. Don’t miss Wat Phra Kaew, aka the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the holiest — and blingiest — Buddhist site in Thailand.
Dedicate the afternoon to a leisurely long-tail boat tour of the Thonburi klongs (canals), where fields of water spinach brush up against wooden houses where leathery old ladies hang out washing as monitor lizards plod by. Expect to pay about £25 for two hours if you want a boat all to yourself, significantly less if you share with others.
Days 4-6: Chiang Mai
Getting to Chiang Mai is cheap: we found one-way flights with Nok Air (nokair.com) for just £17 — including 15kg of baggage.
With its ancient temples, art scene, fabulous food and chaotic night markets, there’s almost too much to do in Chiang Mai, but three nights is enough to take the city’s pulse. Check in at Akyra Manor (doubles from £110, B&B, theakyra.com), a new all-suite hotel on the happening Nimmanhaemin Road. The rooms have courtyard bathrooms and the rooftop pool is a godsend. If you’re watching the pennies, try the sweet Rustic River Boutique (doubles from £18; rusticriverhouse.com), where the sound of the Ping River lulls you to sleep. Chiang Mai is eminently walkable, so get out and explore its leafy streets and alleyways. Head inside the old-city walls for a temple-fest, chatting with monks at Wat Chedi Luang, or make for the art galleries, live music joints and bars of Nimmanhaemin Road.
You should spend a full day at the Elephant Nature Park (£45, including lunch and transport; elephantnature park.org), an inspirational rehabilitation centre an hour outside the city. There are no bull hooks or back-breaking rides here. Instead, the elephants — many of them rescued from tourist trekking camps — happily roam around in herds, while a limited number of visitors per day are given the chance to feed them, bathe them and watch while mummy elephants apply a thick sunscreen of dust to their babies’ backs. A place of joy, not to be missed.
Days 6-8: Khao Sok national park
This vast, 160m-year-old rainforest is Mother Nature on steroids — lakes as large as cities, leaves as big as bedsheets, butterflies as big as your fist. It’s one of the most fascinating corners in all Thailand, yet sees very few tourists. It lies about three hours north of Phuket airport (flight from Chiang Mai from £60, one-way; bangkokair.com), and if you book one of the treehouses or wooden bungalows at Our Jungle House (doubles from £15, treehouses from £40; khaosokaccommodation.com), they’ll come and pick you up for a small fee.
Once there, embark on hikes in search of rare Rafflesia flowers (huge, red, smell like dustbins), kayak across glassy lakes, go on a wildlife safari, or float down the Khao Sok River in rubber rings. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellent.
Days 9-14: Ko Yao Noi/Ko Yao Yai
Your last five nights are all about the beach — and there are none finer than those of Phuket and Krabi. Sandwiched between the two provinces, in the heart of Phang Nga Bay, are the unspoilt islands of Ko Yao Noi and Ko Yao Yai — just white sand, green waters, ramshackle fishing villages and little more. Splurge on a stay at the dreamy Six Senses Yao Noi (doubles from £300, B&B, sixsenses. com), an eco-retreat with a wicked sense of style, or book Santhiya Yao Yai (doubles from £90, B&B, santhiya.com), a charming Thai-owned resort with sea-view villas and a colossal lagoon-shaped swimming pool, complete with waterfall.
Take at least one day out to explore the limestone islands scattered throughout the region. The Phi Phi group is the famous one, but it’s best avoided — it’s the Lindsay Lohan of the southern Thai islands and just as unlikely to make a comeback. Head north to the dramatic M-shaped bay at Ko Hong early in the morning instead.
Save for next time
The ancient Buddhist temple ruins of Ayutthaya; the Similan Islands; the Mae Hong Son loop; beach- hopping on Ko Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan.
When to go
High season is December to March, when the weather is at its best; but for fewer tourists, lower prices and still plenty of sunshine, go at either end of the rainy season, in April or November.
Flights
Direct flights from London to Bangkok in November start at £474 return with Eva Air. British Airways and Thai Airways also fly direct. Emirates and Etihad both fly to Bangkok and Phuket via their respective hubs, with fares starting at £415 in November.
Packages
For similar itineraries, all including flights, road or rail transfers, guides and B&B accommodation, try Audley, from £2,295pp (01993 838450, audleytravel.com); Kuoni, from £1,885pp (01306 747008, kuoni.co.uk); or Trailfinders, from £1,049pp (020 7368 1591, trailfinders.com).
First time in Thailand
Take a bow: long-tail boats on a deserted Andaman beach
They call it Teflon Thailand, because no matter what is hurled at the country
— tsunamis, military coups, terrorism — the number of visitors doesn’t seem
to fall. It’s easy to see why people are so forgiving: Thailand promises
gorgeous beaches, buzzing cities, ancient culture, wonderful wildlife and
superb cuisine.
We’ve picked the country’s most magical highlights for first-timers, from the
elephants and temples of the north to the rainforests and remote islands of
the south, via the markets, gentle canals and addictive street food of
Southeast Asia’s most energetic capital.
And why go now? Because the turmoil of the past few years has resulted in plunging hotel prices (particularly in Bangkok) and the Thai currency sinking to its lowest level in six years — meaning you’ll get a lot of bang for your baht.
Days 1-3: Bangkok
Change some cash — the bureaux de change in Thailand offer better rates than those in the UK — then follow signs to the official taxi rank, where you’ll be issued with a chitty and pointed towards a legitimate metered cab. Fares vary from about £7 to £10, depending on which part of the city you’re travelling to.
There’s no polite way to say it — Bangkok is a hot, sticky mess, but its chaotic energy is electrifying and its hidden secrets demand at least two days of your time. Ease yourself in with a stay on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, where the gridlock is replaced by puttering long-tail boats, and skyscrapers are outnumbered by sparkly temples and atmospheric old docks.
For a glamorous yet affordable five-star stay, try the Peninsula (doubles from £108; bangkok.peninsula.com). More hip is Sala Rattanakosin (doubles from £54, B&B, salaresorts.com), a converted warehouse with minimalist rooms and views of Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. Since most flights from London arrive in the afternoon, you’ll have enough time to shower and get to the riverside for sundowners.
Jet lag will have you up with the lark — go with it. The twirly-topped Wat Pho Temple (£3.60; watpho.com) opens at 8am; get there just beforehand to see monks receiving alms outside. Remember, you’ll need to cover up when visiting any Buddhist place of worship, including shoulders and knees. Wonder at the impressive Reclining Buddha, an ethereal 150ft-long, 50ft-high effigy adorned with gold and pearls, then nip next door to the Grand Palace (£9), a huge complex of former royal residences, temples and gilt-covered spires — splash out £2 for an audio guide to decipher the legend of Ramayana represented in the decor. Don’t miss Wat Phra Kaew, aka the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the holiest — and blingiest — Buddhist site in Thailand.
Dedicate the afternoon to a leisurely long-tail boat tour of the Thonburi klongs (canals), where fields of water spinach brush up against wooden houses where leathery old ladies hang out washing as monitor lizards plod by. Expect to pay about £25 for two hours if you want a boat all to yourself, significantly less if you share with others.
Take a boat ride along the Thonburi klongs
On day two, check out Chinatown’s sensational Yaowarat street market. Work
your way along Charoen Krung Road, past the jewellery shops, herbalists and
haberdashers, until you find Nai Mong Hoi Thod restaurant, on the corner of
Phlap Phla Chai Road — a venerable diner serving the best oyster omelette in
town (£1.30).
Next, hop on the Skytrain to Siam station and shop up a storm. Hit the
gigantic MBK Center for mobile-phone accessories, new and used photographic
equipment and electronics, and the six-storey Platinum Fashion Mall for
fabulously cheap clothing, handbags and costume jewellery.
End the day with a crawl around some of Bangkok’s spectacular rooftop bars.
Swoon over the pinch-me views at the Moon Bar, on the 61st floor of the
Banyan Tree (beer £4; banyantree.com);
ogle Lumphini Park, from Park Society at the Sofitel So Bangkok (beer £4; sofitel-so-bangkok.com);
and dance on a lawn around a giant gold cupola at Hotel Muse’s Speakeasy Bar
(beer £3; hotelmusebangkok.com).
Sign off with a tuk-tuk ride (about £1.50) to the vertiginous Sky Bar, at
the Lebua at State Tower (beer £7; lebua.com).
Sky Bar, at
the Lebua at State Tower
Getting to Chiang Mai is cheap: we found one-way flights with Nok Air (nokair.com) for just £17 — including 15kg of baggage.
With its ancient temples, art scene, fabulous food and chaotic night markets, there’s almost too much to do in Chiang Mai, but three nights is enough to take the city’s pulse. Check in at Akyra Manor (doubles from £110, B&B, theakyra.com), a new all-suite hotel on the happening Nimmanhaemin Road. The rooms have courtyard bathrooms and the rooftop pool is a godsend. If you’re watching the pennies, try the sweet Rustic River Boutique (doubles from £18; rusticriverhouse.com), where the sound of the Ping River lulls you to sleep. Chiang Mai is eminently walkable, so get out and explore its leafy streets and alleyways. Head inside the old-city walls for a temple-fest, chatting with monks at Wat Chedi Luang, or make for the art galleries, live music joints and bars of Nimmanhaemin Road.
You should spend a full day at the Elephant Nature Park (£45, including lunch and transport; elephantnature park.org), an inspirational rehabilitation centre an hour outside the city. There are no bull hooks or back-breaking rides here. Instead, the elephants — many of them rescued from tourist trekking camps — happily roam around in herds, while a limited number of visitors per day are given the chance to feed them, bathe them and watch while mummy elephants apply a thick sunscreen of dust to their babies’ backs. A place of joy, not to be missed.
White Big Buddha statue in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Next day, get to the Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institution (100 Th
Ratwithi) for 8am. It’s the only chance you’ll have of getting a same-day
appointment at this extraordinary massage centre, where the therapists are
all prison inmates. The facilities are surprisingly attractive and the
treatments are five-star-hotel good, but it’ll cost you just £3.50 for a
one-hour Thai massage.
Lastly, hit Chiang Mai’s pyrotechnic-bright night market, where you can buy
everything from fisherman pants to fake Prada sunnies. Skip the deep-fried
roaches (you’re not on I’m a Celebrity), but tuck into other northern Thai
delicacies, including khao soi curried noodles, spicy sausages,
chunky beef salads and baskets of sticky rice.Days 6-8: Khao Sok national park
This vast, 160m-year-old rainforest is Mother Nature on steroids — lakes as large as cities, leaves as big as bedsheets, butterflies as big as your fist. It’s one of the most fascinating corners in all Thailand, yet sees very few tourists. It lies about three hours north of Phuket airport (flight from Chiang Mai from £60, one-way; bangkokair.com), and if you book one of the treehouses or wooden bungalows at Our Jungle House (doubles from £15, treehouses from £40; khaosokaccommodation.com), they’ll come and pick you up for a small fee.
Once there, embark on hikes in search of rare Rafflesia flowers (huge, red, smell like dustbins), kayak across glassy lakes, go on a wildlife safari, or float down the Khao Sok River in rubber rings. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellent.
The Six Senses resort on Ko Yao Noi island
Days 9-14: Ko Yao Noi/Ko Yao Yai
Your last five nights are all about the beach — and there are none finer than those of Phuket and Krabi. Sandwiched between the two provinces, in the heart of Phang Nga Bay, are the unspoilt islands of Ko Yao Noi and Ko Yao Yai — just white sand, green waters, ramshackle fishing villages and little more. Splurge on a stay at the dreamy Six Senses Yao Noi (doubles from £300, B&B, sixsenses. com), an eco-retreat with a wicked sense of style, or book Santhiya Yao Yai (doubles from £90, B&B, santhiya.com), a charming Thai-owned resort with sea-view villas and a colossal lagoon-shaped swimming pool, complete with waterfall.
Take at least one day out to explore the limestone islands scattered throughout the region. The Phi Phi group is the famous one, but it’s best avoided — it’s the Lindsay Lohan of the southern Thai islands and just as unlikely to make a comeback. Head north to the dramatic M-shaped bay at Ko Hong early in the morning instead.
Save for next time
The ancient Buddhist temple ruins of Ayutthaya; the Similan Islands; the Mae Hong Son loop; beach- hopping on Ko Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan.
When to go
High season is December to March, when the weather is at its best; but for fewer tourists, lower prices and still plenty of sunshine, go at either end of the rainy season, in April or November.
Flights
Direct flights from London to Bangkok in November start at £474 return with Eva Air. British Airways and Thai Airways also fly direct. Emirates and Etihad both fly to Bangkok and Phuket via their respective hubs, with fares starting at £415 in November.
Packages
For similar itineraries, all including flights, road or rail transfers, guides and B&B accommodation, try Audley, from £2,295pp (01993 838450, audleytravel.com); Kuoni, from £1,885pp (01306 747008, kuoni.co.uk); or Trailfinders, from £1,049pp (020 7368 1591, trailfinders.com).
Comments