To say that Thailand has exploded in popularity over recent years would be an understatement. Once regarded as one of those locations which was quite rare to attract tourists, now it appears on the first pages of all the travel brochures.
Whether you are flying from the UK or from the USA, or from the Southern hemisphere, trips to Thailand are more common than ever before. The country has adapted, and the demand is there for all to see.
Of course, it’s not just a case of “visiting Thailand”. This is a huge country, where you will probably have to take advantage of internal flights to see it all, so for most people it’s a case of picking the best areas to suit their vacation period.
As such, here is a breakdown on some of the most popular areas of Thailand that you should be looking to visit if you’re contemplating a trip to the country.
Phuket
Let’s start with the largest island in Thailand – and probably the one that’s the most famous as well. Phuket has some of the best hotels in the country and unlike some islands, these are spread evenly.
For those looking for nightlife, few places will compete with Patong on the island. The beach around here is huge while the nightlife is world-renowned. Elsewhere, if crowds aren’t your thing, turn to areas such as Kata and Karon which have much quieter beaches.
As you would expect from an island of this ilk, activities such as jet skiing, scuba diving, fishing, wind surfing and para gliding are all available. It’s also worth mentioning that Phuket is now home to six golf courses.
Chiang Mai
A completely different area to Phuket comes in the form of Chiang Mai. Based in northern Thailand, anyone looking to get the most out of the country from a cultural and activity perspective should most definitely turn to this ancient capital city.
Every day it’s possible to experience the likes of elephant treks, temple tours and river cruises. Additionally, there are plenty of operators organizing white water rafting, zip lining and trekking – so this really is a location that you’re never going to get bored in.
It might not be the stereotypical “beach” location that a lot of Thailand is known for – but it’s still hugely popular with tourists for all of the above reasons.
Koh Samui
If we turn back to the islands, Koh Samui happens to be the second largest in the country. With that being said, it’s almost half the size of Phuket, which perhaps highlights just how dominating that one really is.
Samui is the definition of a typical Thai island. In Chaweng Beach, there are a fantastic array of open air bars and of course the beach. However, for those people looking for something less busy, Lamai and Bhoput are much more suitable and provide the quaint side to Samui.
Once again, all of the usual activities are on offer here. We’re talking about the likes of scuba diving, land tours, jet skiing, golf and even tiger shows. It’s a beach break, plus a little more.
