00:13if you're dreaming of tropical beaches buzzing cities incredible food and a dose of adventure
00:19then thailand might be the perfect destination for you whether you're looking for a chilled out
00:24yoga escape a jungle trek a full moon party or just the best pad thai of your life there's
00:29something for everyone in thailand in this episode of travel smart i'm going to share some of the
00:34favorite spots to visit and also some lesser known destinations to help you plan your perfect trip to
00:40thailand thailand has been popular with backpackers since the early 70s but more recently it's been
00:53the starring location for a number of films and tv series and its popularity has soared as a destination
00:59thai is the official language but english is widely spoken in the tourist areas and signs are often in
01:05both languages weatherwise october to march is the sweet spot to get the best of the climate and to
01:10avoid the rainy season be aware that the rainy season hits different parts of the country at
01:15different times so it's good to plan ahead and my top tip is not to avoid traveling during this season
01:21because it can mean more affordable flights and accommodation and it's a bit of light relief from
01:25the humidity and the heat flights from the uk to the thai capital of bangkok take around 11 to 12
01:31hours
01:31they're getting more frequent and more importantly a bit cheaper too once you arrive into bangkok's
01:37savannah bhumi airport you can take the airport rail link it's cheaper than a taxi gets you straight
01:43into the city center and it's air conditioned
01:51bangkok is often the first stop for travelers arriving in thailand and it can be an absolute assault
01:56on the senses in the best possible way it's a fast-paced exciting capital city with something
02:01happening on every corner i remember first landing here in 2010 on a backpacking trip and being just blown
02:07away by everything the city had to offer you've got this amazing mix of ancient temples sprawling
02:13metropolis and incredible local food on every corner one of my favorite introductions to the city
02:19is by water the chow prior river runs right through bangkok and by hopping on and off on a tour
02:25of the
02:25klong waterways you can see local life along the back streets of the city's canal network for a quieter spot
02:32head to jim thompson's house thompson was a former american silk merchant and art collector and his
02:38home is now a museum it's set within an architecturally striking traditional thai building and you can
02:44explore the collection while enjoying the peace and quiet of his beautiful gardens and if it's ancient
02:50temples you're after head to the temple of the emerald buddha the buddha inside is carved from a single
02:55piece of jade and it's really quite incredible to see there's also wat arun the temple of the dawn
03:00which you can see throughout the city due to its towering golden spire and contrary to the name
03:05it's actually better to visit at sunset when there are fewer crowds and if you're looking for a breather
03:11after all that sightseeing head to lumpini park it's home to sunbathing monitor lizards a lovely lake
03:17and lots of walking trails so you can just take a break from the city bangkok is one of the
03:21only cities
03:22where you can get michelin rated meal from a roadside stall you can use the michelin app to plan your
03:27own
03:28tour or take a guided tour with a local operator to get yourself a lay of the land and to
03:33understand
03:34what dishes you might like for later in your trip when i was last there we queued for ages to
03:38try this
03:39famous oyster omelette stand it doesn't sound great but it was honestly one of the most delicious meals
03:44i tried on the whole trip
03:51northern thailand feels a world away from the south with sweeping mountain views cooler breezes
03:56and a much more laid-back vibe the last time i was there was with my six-month-old daughter
04:01which
04:02was quite different from my backpacking days one of my highlights was hiring a driver to explore the
04:07golden triangle right at the top of northern thailand where the borders of lao and myanmar meet we wandered
04:12through peaceful tea plantations enjoyed the cooler climate and explored some incredible temples
04:18like the blue and white temples which are just unlike any other in thailand chiang mai is a beautiful
04:23walled city that's lovely to explore it's home to a big expat community so as well as mom and pop
04:29restaurants you'll find hip coffee shops to enjoy it's also a great city for foodies with market
04:34tours and cookery classes a great way to understand thai cuisine don't leave chiang mai without trying a
04:40warming bowl of khao soi a coconut and curry infused broth with fried noodles and chicken on top it's
04:46one of my favorites another great tip i have is to explore the trat islands a couple of hours along
04:52the coast from bangkok chiang mai is very popular with families and week-ending bangkokians but if it's
04:57the desert island appeal you're after i would recommend kokut you arrive by catamaran to a view of dense
05:03jungle and a golden buddha poking out of the top the port is tiny and your catamaran ticket also
05:09includes your transport to your accommodation in the form of an open air truck the whole island
05:15has this wonderfully rustic appeal like stepping back in time most of the accommodation is on the
05:20beachfront but you can also find guest houses around the mangrove swamps which offers a bit more
05:25peace and quiet and a local feel there's not a whole lot to do on kokut but that's one of
05:30the
05:31beauties of it you can just relax on the beach maybe hike to a waterfall and enjoy amazing local
05:36cuisine if you want to get around the best way to do it is to call a tuk-tuk from
05:41your hotel you can
05:42hire a moped but make sure you're confident on two wheels locals like to joke about thai tattoos which
05:47are the scars you get when you fall off your bike and trust me that is not a souvenir you
05:51want to go home
05:58with the islands most travelers know about are set in the gulf of thailand and the andaman sea it takes
06:04around 15 hours by bus or 12 hours by train to reach there but if that sounds a little exhausting
06:10you can also fly with low-cost airlines such as thai airways from bangkok to phuket in an hour and
06:1620
06:16minutes if you're after that white lotus vibe you should head to ko samui as that's where most of
06:21the series was filmed you'll obviously find plenty of luxury beachfront accommodation but also some
06:26quieter local spots too kopenyang is just a short ferry ride away and it's most famous for its full
06:32moon beach parties these take place on hardrin beach and the atmosphere is absolutely electric
06:38but it's also home to some of the most stunning scenery in the gulf with palm-fringed coves and lovely
06:43quaint guest houses right on the beachfront over in the andaman sea you have phuket the largest island
06:49in thailand it's home to family friendly beaches a range of different accommodation plus a really
06:54pretty old town to explore and if you'd rather escape the crowds entirely head to ko tao or ko lanta
07:00which are both well-known snorkelling and diving sites you can take your paddy open water diving
07:05certificate there they're also home to beautiful unspoilt beaches and they're just a really nice place to relax
07:20to get a deeper understanding of thailand's culture and traditions i'm at the buddhipadipa temple in
07:25london stepping through the gates really does feel like you've been transported straight to a small
07:30pocket of thailand i'm meeting with the temple's abbot to learn more about buddhism and its role in thai life
07:39temples obviously have a big cultural significance in thailand can you describe that significance and
07:45why it's so important we have the temple everywhere because of people like to have their own temple
07:51the monk demonstrate kindness compassion and loving kindness and and smile you know
07:58yeah the mong life is quite different from from the lay person like if there's so many mong smoke
08:04to be seen by the people coming nicely and they feel oh really good to see the mong even the
08:10temple
08:10here uh he's the artist who started and he got big temple in chiang rai the white temple i've been
08:18to
08:18the white temple yeah yeah and it's modern it's yeah it's modern that's one of the surprising things
08:24you're a new visit you learn it's actually it was actually built fairly recently now we have new
08:29architect new idea to build and also mix between the own art or culture and new modern modern life
08:38modern art and how would you recommend people visiting thailand and thai temples can be respectful
08:44you treat cover yourself appropriate so no shorts no short no shoulders yeah covered they cover nicely
08:54like you are in a big party yeah and every party or the very good smart party you call it
08:59that the
08:59people respect you thailand is known as the land of smiles well that because of me we open our heart
09:06to welcome the people in buddhism we we have the word you respect the people or people respect you
09:17in return so i believe if you're good to the people they will get good in return
09:29so those are just some of my favorites but if i've helped to inspire you with planning your own trip
09:34to
09:34thailand you can visit independent.co.uk travel where you'll find more episodes of travel smart
09:41plus inspiration guides and tips bye for now
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