Thailand tempts the visitor with smiles as golden as the glittering temples and tropical beaches that adorn the country. Outside the busy cities and towns lies the rural heartland of Thailand, where the rhythms of agriculture dominate life. In the north, forests and fields give way to blue mountains adorned with silvery waterfalls and honeycombs of deep caves, In the south, limestone cliffs poke out of the rural landscape like ancient skyscrapers or dramatically emerge from the turquoise sea.
Thailand’s colourful devotion to Buddhism is illustrated with gleaming temples and golden Buddhas framing both the rural and urban landscapes. See ancient trees ceremonially wrapped in sacred cloth to honour spirits, shrines bringing fortune decorate humble homes as well as shops. Visitors can see colourful religious festivals in northeastern Thailand, underground cave shrines in Phetchaburi
and Kanchanaburi, and hilltop temples in northern Thailand.
Thai cuisine generous, warm, refreshing, relaxed and loved around the world with its fresh, local ingredients – aromatic Lemongrass, chillies and seafood – incorporates the essence of Thai culture. Thailand boasts a cornucopia of culinary experience from Bangkok noodle shacks to seafood pavilions in Phuket, and Burmese market stalls in Mae Sot.
With two luxuriously long coastlines and over 1400 jungle-covered islands set in azure waters, Thailand is a tropical paradise fit for everyone. The country’s coast is a giant playground, with plenty going. Dive with whale sharks around Ko Tao, snorkel in the gentle waters off Ko Lipe, climb the sea cliffs of Krabi, kiteboard in Hua Hin, party on Ko Phi-Phi and visit at a health resort on Ko Samui.
