Inspirational and Inspiring Thailand

Thailand is amazing! While you may instantly think about island hopping in search of the best sandy beaches where you can bask in the sun , clutching a cocktail, perfect in my opinion -  there is so much more to Thailand than this! Think about, forests, mountains, street markets, temples, monkey’s and elephants and that’s before I enthuse about the incredible food and how really nice and friendly Thai people are!

I sometimes get a little over excited when I’m planning my trips, I want to see and do everything, and I end up completely frazzled trying to tick off everything on my “must do” list. I have learned to holiday better these days and my advice will always be take it easy, keep it focused and manageable, save the rest for your next trip and the next…!

Taking my own advice made my last trip to Thailand a real pleasure. I felt like I had covered all of the Thai holiday bases with just three key destinations so read on for some inspiration if you are thinking that Thailand is one of those places you have often wondered about ... 

Bangkok

I have often heard people say that Bangkok is just a place where you can pass through on your way to somewhere else in Thailand. I would recommend taking a couple of days to have a look around, it will be worth it. It’s a wonderful place full of hustle and bustle and some amazing hotels with a rooftop pools - essential for when you take a break from the busy streets. Enjoying the views while having a swim is amazing, closely followed by enjoying the views while having a cocktail in one of Bangkok’s rooftop bars. A really refreshing way to step away from the streets and enjoy the city from above.

During the day take a river cruise and hop off to see the incredible temples at Wat Pho or Wat Arun – trust me it’s worth it! For a quieter pace go to Lumphini Park and say hi to the Monitor lizards who live there, it will make a bit of a change from going to feed the ducks at the park at home!

I’m always ready for a bit of retail therapy from bargains in the street markets to designer shops Bangkok will keep you happy. I also love a bit of lively nightlife and of course Bangkok has this covered – watching live music from truly talented musicians in one of the bars on Khao San Road is an evening very well spent…

Phuket

Island hopping is all part of the Thailand experience and there are many to chose from. I stayed on Phuket last time, taking time out to lie by the hotel pool and a day trip to Paradise Beach – perfect for that insta moment if that’s your kind of thing and also a great pineapple chicken dish from the beachside restaurant – did I mention cocktails on a sunbed?

One of the best holiday experiences I’ve had for a while was taking a cooking class and a market tour in Patong. Shopping for ingredients to cook with and then a slightly sweaty but enjoyable Thai cooking tutorial means that I can now make a mean spring roll – and an above average Tom Kha soup. Essential life skills!

Visiting the Monkey Caves by boat, The Big Buddha and Wat Chalong and (of course) taking in some live music and a little evening street shopping was another highlight. All rounded off by a trip back to the hotel in a disco Tuk-Tuk means that we covered all our holiday bases and more. I almost forgot to mention the obligatory Thai massage or two that we added to the itinerary to round it all off…

Krabi

Krabi is really beautiful, there is no shortage of really high quality hotels and beautiful beaches including the well-known Railay beach. So it’s well worth a visit, but here’s why Krabi will always be kind of special for me…

 Holidays are for making memories, enjoying incredible experiences that you will never, ever forget so getting up super early to go and visit an elephant sanctuary to achieve a bucket list wish of at least two of our group of travellers was a must.  At the sanctuary, as well as making a contribution to the upkeep of these incredible animals, we also heard the individual stories of the resident rescued elephants, hand feeding them very large protein balls that we got to make for them and taking a walk. These are memories that will live with me for the rest of my life. I may have cried a little it was such an emotional and special experience…

Start your Thailand adventure ... 

Thailand has something for everyone. We would love to help create an amazing Thai holiday experience for you. It’s a great winter destination – travel there from November to March for the best weather and an escape from the cold in the UK weather. The experience will leave you feeling warm and happy with incredible memories that will last a lifetime.