Phuket is a jungle covered mountainous island in the Andaman Sea with beautiful white sand beaches and irresistible turquoise bays set amongst the jagged coastline. Thailand's most famous island has an international and domestic airport and is connected by a short bridge to the mainland. Phuket is ideal for day trips to some beautiful and famous islands, such as Phi Phi Leh where 'The Beach' was filmed and Phang Nga Bay where the famous limestone pinnacle is featured in the James Bond 'The Man with the Golden Gun' movie. Perfect for swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling. Yes, there's plenty of shopping that can be done in Phuket too but Bangkok is better value and has a greater choice.

Krabi Province is famous for its amazing limestone cliffs and unspoilt islands. Amongst the most popular islands are Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. The interior of the province is mostly unexplored tropical forests, home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Ao Nang Beach is Krabi's main resort beach area on the mainland, accessible by road from Krabi Town and airport. Limestone cliffs rise from the clear waters along the beach. Most hotels, shops and restaurants run along the beach road and on side streets up from the beach. From here you can easily take day trips to other beaches and islands. For the adventurous traveller there is rock climbing, trekking and caving tours. A few kilometres away and only accessible by long tail boat is Railay Beach. The picturesque boat trip between limestone cliffs and islands will take you into pristine white sand bays along with stunning cliffs and forest backdrops.

Koh Samui is a postcard perfect island of rugged mountains, coconut palms, white sand beaches and turquoise waters. This is really the 'boutique' island of Thailand. Architecture is kept subtle amongst the coconut palms and nothing really sticks out like a sore thumb. Even the airport is like a traditional little village in itself with thatch roof and wood, rather than the usual drab concrete. The island atmosphere is more laid back than Phuket yet with enough to do throughout the day and night. The island is the third largest in Thailand after Phuket and Koh Chang. A boat ride to the north will take you to the increasingly popular islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. To the west is Angthong National Marine Park ' a lovely place for a day trip to some amazing tropical islands. There are several beautiful beaches to choose from for your vacation ranging from quiet, laid back beaches with not too many people to busy, modern towns. Chaweng Beach is by far the most popular with the longest beach, plenty of hotels, restaurants and things to do. Lamai Beach is next with a busy village atmosphere along with more economical hotels and restaurants. For those that want to get away to somewhere a little quieter, consider Bophut or Maenam beaches on the north coast.

Phi Phi Island is the jewel in the Andaman Sea with beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise waters. It's around 40-45km to both Phuket and Krabi with easy ferry access. There are actually two Phi Phi Islands, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. Phi Phi Leh is part of a nature reserve and 'Maya Bay' made famous by the Leonardo Di Caprio movie 'The Beach'. Day tours to Phi Phi Leh can be made from Phi Phi Don, Phuket or Krabi. There are about 2500 people that live on Phi Phi Don. The main mode of transport here is by foot or bike. The island is made up of 2 mountains with a sandy bay area in-between them, making two incredibly picturesque bays. There's a maze of shops to walk through and a pleasant choice of restaurants, bars and dive shops.    

Located an hour's drive from Phuket Airport, Khao Lak is a series of white sand beaches running along the coast of the Andaman Sea. The area is ideal if you like relaxing in luxury beachside resorts or exploring islands and national parks.

Back in the 1920's King Rama VII founded Hua Hin as the royal getaway. From there it developed into the aristocracy's beach resort before more recently becoming a modern holiday destination with yesteryear's charm. The mile long beach is picturesque with smooth granite boulders jutting out into the bay. Charming wooden piers house rustic seafood restaurants with romantic atmospheres. Hua Hin is small enough to wander around without the need of a taxi or any other form of transportation. A plethora of souvenir shops, tailors, restaurants and markets create a unique beach town atmosphere. It's easy to get to Hua Hin from Bangkok with daily flights or under 3 hours by road. Hua Hin is a great place for a convenient break from Bangkok. For longer beach holidays we recommend main resort islands such as Phuket and Koh Samui.  

Chiang Rai is both the name of Thailand's northernmost province and also the name of the capital of the province plus it's considered the eco-tourism capital of Thailand. The province shares the mighty Mekong River as a common border with Laos to the east and Myanmar (Burma) to the west, creating the once notorious Golden Triangle where the drug trade flourished into the 1990's. Through strict control and law enforcement the opium trade has been pushed back into Laos and Myanmar. These days the only evidence of this drug era you'll see is in the museums. This mountainous Northern Province is home to 13 different hill tribes, mostly of Tibet and Chinese decent. The countryside is relatively unspoiled with hills, valleys with winding rivers and dense jungle. The tree lined Mae Nam Kok river flows through Chiang Rai City which is a smaller version of its bigger sister Chiang Mai. With just 40,000 people you'll find it to be cleaner, quieter and mellow. The main part of town is just a few blocks of shops, restaurants and quiet bars, travel agencies, a subdued night market selling plenty of hilltribe clothing and crafts. Chiang Rai isn't the place to come for nightlife but is the place to go as a base for treks to hilltribe villages, day trips to the Golden Triangle, Chiang Saen and across the border into Laos.  

Chiang Mai is the gateway to northern Thailand and is renowned for its breathtaking natural attractions and deep-rooted cultural traditions. Chiang Mai is a wonderful contrast to Bangkok, and while it is the second largest city in Thailand it's only a quarter the size of the capital and has a population of only 150,000. The modern and bustling Chiang Mai is built around the ancient crumbling city walls and moat. If you take a walk along the old cobbled lanes within the walls you'll come across old temples and crumbling stupas, shops and houses but all in a different atmosphere to outside the old kingdom's walls. There's a lot to do in Chiang Mai whether you're a nature lover, culture buff or a dedicated shopaholic. Chiang Mai (along with Chiang Rai) is the starting point for treks deep through deep tropical forest to hill tribes dotted amongst the surrounding mountains. There's a choice of easy van tours to Hmong villages and the famous Long Neck hill tribe. One of two night treks take you deep into the forested valleys and over mountains into the remote north where you'll sleep in local village houses. Temperatures are cooler than down the south of Thailand so trekking is much more manageable and enjoyable but still hard going! It's also the place for soft adventure with fun day tours with elephant rides through the jungle and river rafting on bamboo rafts. The Night Bazaar stretches for several blocks and selling Thai souvenirs, tribal ware and delicious food. Take your time here and make an evening of it. The market is a colourful and an enjoyable experience. There are also other day and night markets and shopping malls.  

Bangkok is a fascinating city, a blend of traditional East and modern West, scrambling with millions of people, towering skyscrapers and exotic temples. Within this vast capital city of more than 6 million people the traditional Thai way of life is never far away and amongst the rush of busy downtown streets you'll see saffron robed monks quietly collecting alms. Bangkok is a shopping delight and it's possible to pick up things far cheaper here than in the beach resorts. Sprawling markets and a labyrinth of alleys sell everything from traditional Thai silk to Western and local clothing to gold and delicious spicy Thai food. If you love markets then make sure you're in Bangkok for Saturday when the massive Chatuchak Weekend Market comes alive. You'll find Bangkok a great place to explore the intricacies of the fascinating Thai culture. Bangkok is home to the revered King and his family who reside at the Grand Palace and also home to some of Thailand's most important Buddhist Temples and the famous Emerald Buddha. These days Bangkok is an easy city to get around with the Skytrain and the Metro, the city's subway system, which loop around the central city. Both systems link to each other as well as shopping malls and some hotels. It's a modern and easy to use system. Bangkok is the hub of Thailand. From its pivotal position it's easy to go north towards Chiang Mai, east to Cambodia and south to the famous beach resorts of Phuket, Koh Samui and Krabi. There's always something to do in Bangkok, the day can be spent exploring and shopping and the evenings can be spent dining in anything from a local eatery selling hot spicy curries to grilled scallops and champagne at the luxurious open-air restaurant Vertigo at the Banyan Tree on the 61st floor. Or else take a walk through the vibrant Patpong Night Market, watch a round or two of Thai Boxing (Muay Thai), or enjoy the music of local bands playing in beer gardens near some of the inner city shopping malls, or find one of Bangkok's many clubs with state of the art lighting, sound systems and professional DJs.