Despite the fact that Thailand has somewhat lost its position in the ranking of the most visited countries among Russians in recent years, the attachment to it among lovers of Asian exoticism still remains quite strong.
And no wonder, few countries in Southeast Asia so successfully combine excellent beaches, an abundance of tropical fruits, unforgettable cuisine, friendliness and friendliness of local residents and, of course, affordable prices.
Thailand has a huge number of amazing places, a trip to which you will surely remember for a long time, and today we will tell you about the 5 most interesting destinations.
Phuket Island
Sometimes Phuket is called too touristy, too popular and quite expensive and this is partly true, but nevertheless there are many advantages that outweigh the disadvantages. Here you can find, perhaps, everything you need for a comfortable life and recreation: from simple bungalows on the beach and street food to luxury hotels and restaurants, from 24-hour shops on every corner, to large shopping centers with modern supermarkets, boutiques and cinemas. In terms of infrastructure development (among the islands), few can compete with it, not only in Thailand, but throughout Southeast Asia.
In Phuket, you can find a suitable area for any category of vacationers – be it party-goers with requests for places with large crowds of people, families with children who need good sand and shallow sea, newlyweds looking for peace and solitude, or nature lovers who are interested in beautiful scenery .
The nature here is truly stunning and incredibly beautiful – mountains, forests and parks, lakes and waterfalls, bays and lagoons, as well as many viewing platforms from which you can see the island in all its glory and take stunning photographs. And, of course, gorgeous beaches; the entire western and southern coast of Phuket has more than 20 completely different beaches, from party Patong to the calm, uncrowded, not particularly popular, but very picturesque Ao Yon beach.
Those who prefer active recreation to natural attractions will not be bored in Phuket either. The choice of entertainment here is as varied as possible, from snorkeling and diving to windsurfing and golf; everyone will find something to suit their taste.
Well, if vacation for you is primarily nightlife, then the whole of Patong and especially Bangla Road are at your service: street fast food and expensive restaurants, bars and strip clubs – here there is everything that the soul and body could desire.
There are entertainments in Phuket for the little ones too – a butterfly and insect garden, a bird park, a zoo, a water park, a dolphinarium, a botanical garden, horse riding, go-karting, zorbing; the options can be listed endlessly.
And another important factor speaking in favor of Phuket is direct flights from Russia; Still, not every resort can boast of such convenience.
Phangan Island
Russian tourists rarely consider the island as their main holiday destination, and most often come there from neighboring Samui for a few days. In our opinion, it is completely in vain, because Koh Phangan is an incredibly beautiful island, with stunning secluded beaches and stunning views.
Phangan is good, first of all, for its unique combination of untouchedness and well-developed infrastructure. There is everything you need for relaxation – hotels, cafes, beach cafes with sunset views, all kinds of zoos and water parks, shops, including large ones. But at the same time, there is no large amount of entertainment, such as large-scale shows, like in Phuket or Pattaya.
And this is one of the reasons why Koh Phangan is much less popular among tourists from Russia. The second reason is that it is quite difficult and long to get here. There is no airport here (or rather, there is one, but it is very small and only used by the military and the royal family),
so you need to either fly to Samui, or take a bus/train and – in any case – then take a ferry or high-speed catamaran.
However, there is one component on the island for which thousands of people come here once a month – this is the Full Moon Party,
It is thanks to her that Phangan is famous all over the world. At the same time, the peculiarity of the island is that parties (and besides Full Moon there are also Half Moon Party, Black Moon Party and others) are held in one part of Koh Phangan, while on other beaches you don’t even know about it and relax in peace and quiet .
In general, of course, Koh Phangan is inferior to other Thai resorts in terms of the availability of attractions and amenities, but this is precisely what many people come here for. There is something here that makes you come back here again and again, something that makes you fall in love with the island and remember it with special warmth. The atmosphere here is completely different, much less touristy and more peaceful.
Therefore, Phangan is usually liked by two categories of travelers, and, surprisingly, radically opposite ones – on the one hand, those who seek peace, solitude and natural beauty, on the other hand, lovers of noisy parties and get-togethers.
Krabi
If Phuket and Koh Phangan are rich in more “classical” natural beauties, then the Krabi region is a unique place in Thailand, with a nature unlike other regions. Krabi’s calling card is its karst (limestone) rocks, which look simply cosmic, and this applies to both the sea and the coast.
There is some confusion with Krabi – if most other tourist places in Thailand are called by the name of the resort area (Phuket, Samui, Pattaya),
the name of Krabi is given to an entire province and at the same time to its capital city Krabi Town, which is not a tourist destination at all.
And the mainland beaches themselves cannot be called particularly outstanding – for example, in the most popular and developed resort of Ao Nang, the sea, to put it mildly, is far from the best in Thailand. The water there is muddy and dark, so most tourists vacationing there either go swimming at nearby beaches or swim to the islands.
And it is precisely for its islands that the Krabi region is famous – beaches with snow-white sand, a clear sea with azure water, palm trees hanging over it on the islands of Phi Phi and other smaller ones (James Bond Island, Chicken, Poda, etc. ) – all this creates that same “bounty” picture that many people dream about on frosty winter evenings. However, there is also a downside to this popularity – at the height of the season, boats reach these islands in a continuous line, so it can be quite crowded there.
The main advantage of Krabi is, of course, its sea beauty, but besides them, the province has something to see – national parks, caves, waterfalls, hot springs, a tiger temple with a staircase of more than a thousand steps leading to it, and an unusual emerald lake.
Bangkok
Thailand is famous not only for its beaches and sea – if your route to the islands lies through the capital, it makes sense to stay here for a couple of days. It is here that there are many attractions that are interesting from the point of view of history and culture. There are hundreds of temples alone. However, only the most significant of them are of greatest interest to tourists – the Royal Palace, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, the Temple of the Dawn and the Temple of the Golden Mountain with an excellent observation deck.
If the temples are not particularly interesting, you can take a boat ride along the canals, and then look into Chinatown and see a completely different Bangkok.
The Thai capital also has many places for a family holiday – Siam Ocean World Aquarium, Butterfly Garden, Dusit Zoo, Dream World Entertainment Center, Siam Park and others.
Of course, Bangkok also attracts lovers of adult entertainment – all kinds of transvestite shows, go-go dancing and striptease bars, nightclubs, there is plenty of it all here.
And Bangkok is simply a paradise for shopping lovers. If you want to buy some things, clothes or electronics, then it’s hardly worth doing it at the resort – in dozens of capital markets and shopping centers you can find almost anything at a very attractive price.
Chiang Mai
Well, for those who need not only the sea, beaches and capital entertainment, as well as those who are tired of the abundance of tourists and annoying merchants, it makes sense to go to the very north of Thailand.
This is where the places that many consider the most beautiful in the country are located – valleys and mountains, jungles and rice fields, lakes and waterfalls, rice and fruit plantations. Another advantage of the north is that from November to March there is a milder climate – the air is drier, there is no such sweltering heat during the day, and at night it is fresh and good to breathe.
Chiang Mai is the central city of northern Thailand, as well as the cultural capital of the country and the second largest city after Bangkok. In the city itself, the ancient temples are of interest (which are significantly older than the Bangkok ones and differ from them in architecture),
for example, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phan Tao and others.
In the surrounding area, on the contrary, the most popular tourist attraction is the White Temple, built in 2008. But this is truly a real work of art, unlike either ancient or other modern temples, so it is definitely worth seeing.
On OneTwoTrip you can book hotels around the world and pay for them with a Russian bank card. When checking out, select the “Pay Now” option.
