Outdoor Adventure

From the mountains in the north to the rainforests of the south, a variety of adventures allow visitors to trek, crawl and be carried through Thailand’s jungles. Monkeys and birds inhabit the canopy, while elephants and mahouts part the brush with their tourist cargo.

1) Kanchanaburi

Western Thailand is a scenic landscape of dragon-scaled limestone mountains bejewelled with silvery waterfalls and rushing rivers. Kayak the famous River Kwai, explore the forest aboard an elephant, or soak away your aches in nearby hot springs.

2) Chiang Mai

No other urban centre in Thailand is so close to so many outdoor adventures as Chiang Mai. Mountain-bike down Doi Suthep, bike to hill-tribe villages, visit an elephant sanctuary, or rappel down a thundering waterfall.

3) Chiang Rai

Loads of trekking companies will haul you off to hill-tribe villages but few provide as much economic benefit to these communities as the eco-minded companies in Chiang Rai.

4) Mae Hong Son Province

So far northwest, this province is nearly in Myanmar, and the remoteness is more obvious after the gruelling bus ride through altitude-climbing switchbacks. Treks plunge into the wilderness to visit subsisting hill-tribe villages and white-water trips brave the rapids.

5) Khao Yai National Park

A vast monsoon forest blankets Khao Yai (literally ‘big mountain’) and beyond, catapulting this park into World Heritage status. Nature is all its glory is the primary draw but the show stealers are the day-trip-ping Thais.

6) Kaho Sok National Park

A deep and dark jungle hugs the midsection of southern Thailand. This ancient rainforest is filled with long sweaty hikes, postcard views and riverside camping.

7) Elephant Centres & Mahout Training

Thailand’s beloved pachyderm is no longer an unemployed beast of burden. Centres in Lampang, Pattaya and Chiang Mai teach tourists how to mahouts, and the Elephant Nature Park, outside Chiang Mai, allows domesticated elephants to return to the herd.

Heavenly Aspirations

Religion permeates Thailand like a constantly burning joss tick. Historic empires built great  monuments and replicas of heaven amongst the celestially governed rice fields. The glittering Buddhist temples are the modern-day repositories of divine rulers, while more humble household shrines honour the mid-level managers of the spirit world.

1) Bangkok

Bangkok is the seat of the government, the monarch and of the Buddhist religion, claiming the country’s most exalted Buddhas image at Wat Phra Kaew and several royally associated temples of architectural beauty and significance.

2) Ayuthaya

The fabled fabled kingdom, Ayuthaya was a golden capital ruling Thailand’s central plains and beyond. Today only the brick and stucco ruins remain, punctuated by headless Buddhas still meditating through the trials of history and the weight of gravity.

3) Sukhothai

One of the original Thai kingdoms, Sukhothai’s ancient ruins survived with fewer battle scars than Ayuthaya and inhabit a quiet, car-free historic park, creating an idyllic setting for contemplating the past.

4) Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is deeply rooted in spiritual traditions. It was founded beside a mythical mountain now bearing a holy relic and the old city is decorated with antique temples more akin to those found in Myanmar than the central plains of Thailand.

5) Lopburi

The imposing monuments of the Khmer empire reside amidst the provincial business of Lopburi, one of Thailand’s oldest cities. The most intact ruin is best known for its resident troop of macaques, who eclipse the temple’s architectural merits.

6) Phimai

Nearly 100 years older than Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Prasat Phimai is a stunning example of the Angkor kingdom’s obsession with monument building and is one of Thailand’s finest surviving temples from this ear.

7) Phanom Rung

Facing east towards the Angkor capital, this hilltop sanctuary commands an authoritative view of what was once the kingdom’s western frontier. The temple’s Hindu reliefs and elaborate naga-punctuated avenue are hallmarks of Angkor’s artistic apex.

8) Nong Khai

Breaking the ‘spiritual spaces’ mould, Nong Khai’s Sala Kaew Ku Sculpture Park is a three-dimensional journey through Hindu-Buddhist mythology built by a Laotian immigrant whole life story has taken on mythic elements.

Top 10 Useful Bangkok Tips

You know the sort. “Don’t talk to strangers’”, “look both ways when crossing the road”, “always wear clean underwear”. When you’re starting out in life – or a new city – there are a whole heap of tips it pays to remember. Written in a manner that aims to enlighten, not spoon feed, here are our top 10 useful tips for mastering this exciting, but potentially aggravating metropolis.

1)      Buy a good map

Bangkok can be confusing. The shifting street names, the winding river, the expressways to who-knows-where, the lack of clearly distinguishable neighborhoods. Sometimes it all seems like the work of a sadistic urban planner, one who derives particular pleasure from thwarting tourists. The solution? Arm yourself with a decent map with street names in English and Thai. If Bangkok is a mean-spirited labyrinth, consider this your faithful compass.

2)      Barter, but nicely

The first rule of Bangkok shopping: if there’s no barcode or set price, get haggling. It’s expected. However, instead of adopting a confrontational “give me it for this price, now!” attitude, try the gracious, smiley “what’s your best price, my friend?” approach. Why? If not because you’re polite, then do it because a smile here goes further than a sneer. Aim to chip anything from 10-40% off the quoted price. And by all means, walk away if the price is disagreeable – more often than not you’ll be called back for last ditch negotiations!

3)      Beware scammers

It begins with a polite stranger: “the Grand Palace is closed this afternoon”. You thank them and tell them where you’re from. Then, before you’ve even had a chance to shake their hand, you’re gripping the sides of a tuk-tuk as it whizzes towards temples your guidebook has never heard of, and (drum roll) pushy gem stores. The morale of this all-too-common scam? Savour contact with the locals but, please please, beware the shysters. The general, but by no means universal, rule of thumb: a Thai who approaches you in the street is after more than a chat.

4)      Drink lots of water

This tip, of course, applies even to the Antarctic. But packing a supply of the wet stuff in Bangkok’s sticky, stifling heat is even more crucial to your well-being. Our unscientific rule of thumb: drink more than you sweat. Fortunately you are never more than a few paving stones from a ubiquitous 7/11. Always make sure bottled water is sealed. For a change, take your chosen tipple modern Thai-style, in a small plastic bag with handle and straw. Its quirky but, as you’ll find when rummaging around markets, also convenient.

5)      Organised tours

A tour reaches the parts that other ways of seeing Bangkok cannot. Yes, pounding the streets with just a trusty Lonely Planet in hand, does appeal to the intrepid in us. And, admittedly, a road trip around Bangkok’s bordering provinces does demonstrate a plucky buccaneering spirit. But ask yourself: are you here to enjoy Bangkok or what? A tour is inexpensive and easily arranged (just book and show up). No logistical headaches, no getting lost, just a wonderful day out that peels back another exciting layer of The Big Mango. Considering taking a canal cruise, a cooking class, a rural bike ride, a museum tour, a muang thai martial arts lesson, etc.

6)      Plan Ahead

Unlike Rome or Paris, Bangkok is not an eminently walkable city. Rather, making the most of this daunting sprawl of crowds, commerce and culture takes planning… Work out what you want to see, where they are, then work out a logical route. Taxis are likely to be unavoidable, as is a bit of footwork, but wherever possible use our favourites: the waterways, underground and Skytrain. Sight-wise, don’t bite off more than you can chew – Bangkok’s flavours are best savoured slowly.

7)      Be cautious with taxis

Bangkok specialises in world-class traffic jams, so taxi rides are risky. However, follow these tips and your journey needn’t be temper-fraying: (1) Avoid rush hour. (2) Insist your driver switch the meter on. If he refuses, get out and find another ride. (3) Make sure you leave nothing behind. There’s nothing worse than watching your chariot whiz off into Bangkok’s haze, carrying with it your valuables.

8)      Carry a passport copy

Whether it be an impromptu demand from a local policeman or a request from security at one of the city’s swanky nightspots, carrying ID is a must in Thailand. The fact that you are 25 but look like you’re pushing 40 doesn’t matter – proving who you are is a day-to-day formality, something the Thais are finicky about. Instead of dragging your precious passport around with you (along with the fear of losing it) take a photocopy.

9)      Carry a card with Thai directions

It’s simple. It isn’t rocket science. But this ingenious device, little more than a piece of card with your hotel’s address written on it in Thai, will save endless how-do-we-get-home headaches. Flash it beneath the eyes of your chosen driver and watch how his shrugs of utter incomprehension instantly change to reassuring nods. Brilliant.

10)  Skytrain & Subway

There are smoke-belching tuk-tuks, hair-raising motorbikes and thrilling canal boats. But when it comes to getting around, the Skytrain and underground are easily your most agreeable option. How did Bangkok ever manage without them? The first soars above traffic, as if sent from above, while the latter whizzes, mole-like, beneath it. Both offer arctic air-conditioning and are in our opinion the best inventions since the wheel – not least because they’re much quicker. Get yourself a day or week pass and hop aboard. Bangkok also now has a handy Rail Link from the airport to down-town.