Thailand
Bangkok | Phuket | Chiang Mai
A holiday experience with excellent shopping, beautiful islands and diverse hill-tribe villages
A Thailand holiday offers something for everyone. The capital, Bangkok, is alive with commerce and street-bustle nearly every hour of the day and night. Whether in big cities, the country or on a pristine beach, Thailand offers business and leisure travellers a relatively safe, friendly atmosphere full of possibilities. One reason Thailand is among the most visited countries in Asia (more than 14 million visitors annually) is because of its accessibility, its extensive tourism infrastructure and the soft nature of its people.
Thailand has fabulous architecture, diverse hill-tribe villages, ancient ruins, beautiful islands, excellent shopping and all the amenities as well. The balance between comfort and excitement is up to the visitor: Stay at a five-star hotel or trek through the jungles; eat at gourmet buffets or buy fruit from local vendors; shop in glitzy malls or wander through outdoor markets. Thailand offers a curious mix of the ultramodern and the simply delightful, the raucous and the philosophical.
The tsunamis that struck Southeast Asia in December 2004 dealt a serious blow to Thailand's western coast. The hardest-hit regions were Phang-Nga, Phuket and Krabi provinces, including popular resort areas in Phuket and Phi Phi Island. The area has fully recovered, however, and is once again attracting thousands of visitors.
Concierge Traveller offers Thailand holidays and packages to suit most budgets and style of traveller. Whether its staying at a luxury resort on a beach holiday or visiting the northern village tribes of Chang Mai, a Concierge Traveller advisor will help you achieve the perfect Thailand holiday.
Bangkok
A curious blend of the traditional East with the modern West makes travel to Bangkok a destination that’s full of surprises for the traveller. Ramshackle buildings crouch next to exotic gold spire Buddhist temples surrounded by delightful gardens, which are in turn overlooked by modern hotels and offices. Bangkok has emerged as a major world city with the traffic jams to match, as well as the all-pervasive mobile phones and designer clothes that are a prominent feature on the streets. The chaos on the roads is mirrored by the busy traffic on the Chao Phraya River, which dissects the city and is regularly crisscrossed by long-tailed boats, river taxis and small rowing boats, all miraculously missing each other.
Traditional Thai life is never very far away. Weaving among the nose-to-tail traffic in the morning rush hour, saffron-robed monks can still be seen collecting alms, while just moments from the city centre whole communities live in stilt houses by the river, making a living using skills that have not changed in centuries.
WHEN TO TRAVEL to Bangkok
Thailand is a tropical country so it is hot throughout the year, but the best time to visit is between November and March, during the dry season. During the rainy season, humidity is very high and the downpours are short and heavy causing temporary flooding.
Phuket
Phuket is Thailand's largest island, approximately the size of Singapore. Phuket nestles in the balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand's Indian Ocean coastline 862 kilometres south of Bangkok.
Travel to Phuket and discover its magnificent coves and bays, powdery, palm-fringed white beaches, sparkling island-dotted seas, sincerely hospitable people, superb accommodations and seafood, delightful turn of the century Sino-Portuguese architecture, numerous sporting and leisure activities, a lush tropical landscape - all of which combine to create a delightful ambience for truly memorable holidays.
The most famous beaches are Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala and Nai Harn Beach. Phuket and its islands are ideal for sailing, diving and snorkelling, golfing and all types of sport and entertainment that one could wish for.
WHEN TO TRAVEL to Phuket
Phuket's weather conditions are dictated by monsoon winds, it is therefore always warm and humid. The best time to travel to Phuket is during the dry season from November through to April. December and January are the busiest.
Chiang Mai
Situated more than 645 kms north of Bangkok and predating Thailand's capital by nearly 500 years, Chiang Mai is justifiably proud of its rich history. The city was once a crossroads for trade caravans and generated enough wealth to support hundreds of temples and countless artisans. Even today Chiang Mai retains much of its unique identity and more than its share of exoticism.
Nomadic hill tribes inhabit the surrounding mountains, making travel to Chiang Mai a hub for trekking. Jungle tours, rafting, elephant riding and hill tribe villages are all available in the vicinity of Chiang Mai. There are more than 300 temples around the Chiang Mai area and some of them are the most beautiful and most revered in the Buddhist world. The original layout of this old city still exists with its fortified walls and moat surrounding it.
The arrival of boutique hotels and holistic spas over the past decade has upgraded Chiang Mai from a backpacker travel haven into one of Southeast Asia's luxury destinations. Fantastic food, incredible handicraft shopping and cultural treasures, makes travel to Chiang Mai a premier Thai travel destination for any visitor.
WHEN TO TRAVEL to Chiang Mai
November through to February is ideal time to travel to Chiang Mai with lush landscapes and dry, cool weather. The hottest season is April to June, when it is dry with temperatures reaching 40 degrees. The rainy season starts in July and runs through to October.
