Modern cities teeming with motorbikes and tuk-tuks, Buddhist temples tended by orange-robed monks, hill tribes selling handicrafts, lush landscapes dotted with traditional farming villages, ancient ruins, and stunning coastlines peppered with gorgeous beaches and blue lagoons all make up Thailand’s animated scene.
Thai islands are ideal for those who want to spend a few weeks island hopping in a tropical setting. Bangkok will more than deliver a once-in-a-lifetime experience if you like the exhilarating energy of a major city.
Khao Yai National Park
Khao Yai National Park, in the Sankamphaeng Mountains, is the third-largest park in Thailand. The park’s terrain is surprisingly varied, given its altitude, with lush rainforests and open meadows.
There are several waterfalls in Khao Yai National Park, all of which may be found deep into the park’s forested interior. Haew Narok, the park’s tallest waterfall at 260 feet, is a sight to be noticed. Despite being far shorter, the Haew Suwat Waterfall is similarly beautiful and well worth a visit since it served as the location for the famous waterfall leap sequence in The Beach.
Khao Yai National Park is a popular tourist destination partly because of its wide variety of animal life. The park is home to various wildlife, including pig-tailed macaques, sambar deer, freshwater crocodiles, and Asian black bears. The area is particularly notable for being one of the few in Thailand where large creatures like elephants and tigers may be seen regularly in their natural habitat.
Krabi
Krabi Limestone cliffs hundreds of feet high, otherworldly beaches, dense vegetation with secret caverns, an emerald lagoon, and hot springs. This is one of those cases when the enumeration might go indefinitely. And on. It is located on Thailand’s western coast, not far from its southern boundary. Depending on the form of transportation you use, it will take you a few hours to get there from Phuket.
Krabi welcomes vacationers of all stripes. Every style of traveller, from the daring to the beach bum, the indulgent to the tired traveller, will enjoy their time here. There is a great peninsula in the province called Railay, where visitors may go rock climbing on limestone karsts, dive into the sea with abandon, or rest on their backs and feel the squeaky, fine sand between their toes. A Michelin-starred restaurant is hidden within a cave, and you can buy a baguette from a vendor on the beach for THB 60.
Hua Hin
Hua Hin has transformed from a sleepy village best known as the king’s summer home into a bustling tourist hub. This is more of a place to go if you’re travelling with your family or if you want to relax and soak up some rays without having to deal with many other people.
You may also go to the surrounding beaches of Cham Am and Khao Takiab, which are located near Hua Hin and are home to the Khao Takiab temple and hundreds of wild macaques, respectively. In December and January, Europeans seeking to escape the continent’s cold flock to Hua Hin in droves. You may have a thrilling time at Black Mountain Water Park or go to The Venezia, a themed retail mall complete with Gondola rides.
Within a half-and-a-half-hour drive from Hua Hin are the Pranburi Mangrove Forest and Kaeng Drachan National Park, both of which include elevated wooden boardwalks, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife, including wild elephants.
Phanom Rung
Phanom Rung is a Hindu temple complex in northeastern Thailand that sits on an extinct volcano and is known for its impressive design. Dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, this temple sanctuary was constructed by the Khmer civilization in the town of Nang Rong sometime between the 10th and 13th centuries. The sandstone and laterite that makeup Phanom Rung were meant to mimic Shiva’s holy mountain, Mount Kailash.
Due to the building’s orientation, there are four times a year when the sun can be seen streaming in through each of the fifteen windows in the sanctuary. The park’s hours are extended, and the Phanom Rung Festival, which centres on the alignment in April, features traditional Brahmin rituals and cutting-edge light and music displays.
Pattaya
Pattaya can accommodate the whims of even the most fickle visitors, including children, expectant mothers, and those with mild personality disorders. The city, located a few hours south of Bangkok, has an almost impossible combination of attractions that draw in visitors.
In contrast to the more conservative norms of the neighbourhood, Walking Street comes alive with neon signs, pounding music, go-go clubs, street performers, and a wide variety of food sellers after dark.
The Four Regions Floating Market, more often known as the Pattaya Floating Market, is a must-see on any cultural itinerary. You might get a bizarre look into a different culture at the market.
Incredible beaches with more coconuts than people, crowded streets in Bangkok, iconic vistas on the famed southern islands, and delicious cuisine all but force you to give in to your want to visit finally.
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