Karst away

in bling and buy paradise

From its gorgeous beaches and craggy karst islands to golden palaces,
jungles and great shopping, it is hardly surprising Thailand is such a
popular holiday spot. Debbie Ward is a Thai dyed-in-the-wool fan…

“T
here’s the big- paddle tour of scenic rock climbing; there’s a
headed ghost” mangroves at Thailand’s cultural side – if you join
said my guide, southerly resort of the monks (and the
flashing the beam Krabi. My small monkeys) at the nearby
of her torch into kayaking party not Tiger Cave Temple;
Main photo and inset:Tourism Authority of Thailand

the upper reaches
of the cave. I could make out a striped
snake-like creature with a bulge and an eye
at one end. I did what any tourist would do,
I took a photo.
As I was wearing flip flops and my only
means of escape was a kayak it’s just as well
this was no malevolent monster but a 2,000
year-old cave painting, given its nickname
by Thai fishermen.
My brush with ancient spirits came on a
only took in the “big- and, of course, there’s
headed ghost cave” but some of the world’s most
also tunnels hung with gorgeous beaches to lie
stalactites and leafy corri- your towel upon.
dors where brightly-coloured ■ Wat Pho Buddha Low-key Krabi may not be
crabs crawled up exposed tree Thailand’s most popular resort (it
roots. lags in that respect behind Phuket and
Krabi could be considered a small-scale Koh Samui) but if your mental image of the
showcase of the tourist appeal of whole of country is craggy limestone karst islands and
Thailand. There’s adventure – with kayak- long-tail boats decorated with ribbons in a
ing, jungle hikes to hot springs and even turquoise sea, this is where the photos you’re

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getting to KNOW
THAILAND

recalling were mostly likely taken. The icon-

ic karst islands were made famous when one ■ Long-tail boats and karst island off Krabi
was used as a location for the villain
Scaramanga’s hideout in the 1974 Bond film
The Man with the Golden Gun. Now popu-
larly known as James Bond Island, Koh Tapu
(translating as Nail island as it is virtually
vertical) is in Phang Nga Bay and can be
reached on a day trip from Krabi or Phuket.

Island hopping
Krabi’s main strip, Ao Nang, has something
of a waterborne rush hour each morning as
Debbie Ward

long-tails start their noisy outboard motors

to whisk day-tripping tourists into karst-
studded Phang Nga Bay. My partner and I
joined one of the island-hopping excursions
for a lazy day of sunbathing and snorkelling
on and around five beaches of increasing
loveliness. Some of the places we stopped
at were nothing more than sandbars but
enterprising Thais had turned their long-
tails into floating cafes serving milkshakes,
sandwiches and fruit.
By night we enjoyed browsing the restau-
rants at the quieter eastern end of Ao Nang,
checking out the catch of the day displayed
on iced trays before tucking our legs under a
bamboo table and tucking in to three or four
colourful stir-fry or curry dishes for under
£10. Afterwards we’d head for a cocktail at a
bar converted from an old VW campervan.
By day, when we weren’t on excursions
we made shorter hops, using the long-tails
as a ferry service to the attractive neighbour-
ing beaches of Railay and, my personal
favourite Thai beach, Phra Nang. Here, at
one end of the cliff-framed white sand strip,
I found another surprise waiting in a cave –
rows of brightly-painted wooden phalluses.

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While it may be a giggle for tourists, some

locals believe this cave contains the spirit of
a drowned princess – and I kept a respectful
distance from the devotees offering prayers
before the unusual shrine.

Friendly people
Thailand’s predominantly-Buddhist spiritu-
ality is part of what makes it so famously
friendly. Thais consider it a loss of face to
resort to argument and you’ll rarely hear
raised voices. The short-lived violence at the
government protests of late last year was out

Tourism Authority of Thailand

of character in this usually-peaceful country.
Buddhism also gives Thailand some of its
most colourful sights, such as gold bell-shaped
temple stupas and saffron-robed monks. My
beach shrine was a far cry from the country’s
more glitzy places of worship, the most
revered of which lies within Bangkok’s key
tourist attraction, the Grand Palace.
You haven’t seen bling until you’ve wan-
dered this sprawling complex of gold leaf-
covered, jewel-encrusted buildings set
beside the city’s Chao Phraya River. Despite
the crowds it’s a peaceful place to be, with
Thais making incense and lotus blossom
offerings and kneeling before the precious
statue that’s the focal point of the Temple of
the Emerald Buddha. Next door to the
Grand Palace, Wat Pho is home to a giant,
reclining Buddha with feet inlaid with moth-
er of pearl.
On my visit I had my own lie down for a
very affordable kneading at the massage
school in Wat Pho’s grounds.
Bangkok’s other must-sees, the pottery
studded temple of dawn – Wat Arun – and
the small Royal Barges Museum are close
by and reached on a river boat tour. Just
beware of locals telling you the attraction
you seek is closed for lunch, flooded or oth-
erwise unavailable and helpfully suggesting
alternative sights. They’re invariably drum-
ming up business for a mate with a tuk-tuk!
Out of Bangkok but within day-trip dis-
■ Relxation, Thai style
tance are the Bridge over the River Kwai, the
so-called Death Railway built by WWII pris-
oners of war, and Ayutthaya, the site of
Thailand’s former royal capital. At the sec-
ond of these I was charmed to discover the
odd crumbling stone Buddha statue respect-
fully clothed with saffron robes or patched
with gold leaf among the restored temples
and atmospheric ruins. Most people arrive
at Ayutthaya by road but it’s possible to
make a romantic two-night, three-day jour-
ney aboard a converted rice barge
(www.manohracruises.com).

● When visiting Bangkok’s Royal Palace wear enclosed

Cultural tips
● It is considered rude to point your feet at people in
Thailand and especially at images of Buddha.Take care to
tuck your feet behind you when sitting on the floor,
particularly in temples.
● It’s also taboo to touch someone’s head, or to touch
monks.
shoes or sandals with straps around the heels to save
queuing to hire appropriate footwear.
● Be prepared to cover your shoulders and remove shoes
inside temples.
● The Thai royal family is highly-revered, so derogatory
comments about them and disrespectful treatment of
Baht notes bearing the king’s image will not be
appreciated.
Tourism Authority of Thailand

■ The Royal Palace, Bangkok

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Thai massage ■ Traditional Thai massage. Below

left: Thai massage ingredients
Thailand’s unique and effective form of
massage combines stretches with
reflexology-like stimulation of pressure
points. Much attention is focused on the
feet but the masseur will also pull your
pyjama-clad limbs into slightly scary but
ultimately muscle-easing positions, which is
why this technique is sometimes called
“passive yoga”.
If you’re nervous, start with a foot
massage or the more gentle Thai treatments
involving warm herbal poultices.Whatever
you choose, your relaxation will be aided by
the low cost.While you’d commonly pay £1
a minute for a massage at home, £4 an hour
is more typical in Thailand’s clean street or
beachside centres (look out for the
reflexology charts outside) and as little as
£30 in a plush hotel spa with a range of
international treatments.

All photos:Tourism Authority of Thailand

Cycling tour
On another visit to Bangkok, I made my
escape from the city on one of the capital’s
new cycling tours. Thankfully this didn’t
route me through Bangkok’s traffic-choked
streets; instead, our small group was led by
the guide along quiet paths through nearby
farming areas, creating our own refreshing
breeze as we went. During an enlightening
day, we stopped to ask farmers the secrets of
the famously-stinky durian fruit and called
in at a local infant school to watch an
English lesson in progress. Flinging our
mountain bikes into a boat for a short ride
up river, we ended up at Koh Kret, an island
known for its pottery making and where we
watched freshly-moulded incense burners
being loaded into kilns.
While the big sights of Bangkok are about
history, one of its other key attractions – its
nightlife – is bang up to date. Among the
most famous venues is Bed Supper Club
(www.bedsupperclub.com), where you can
dance, or recline to eat and sip cocktails
inside what looks like the belly of a bright from recycled animal feed sacks and eating
white space ship. Glamorous skyscraper-top dinner under a chandelier hung with Barbie
bars such as Sirocco Sky Bar dolls. While not everyone will love the
(www.thedomebkk.com) at State Tower or quirkiness of this place there are several
Vertigo Grill & Moon Bar boutique hotels in the capital where the style
(www.banyantree.com) atop the Banyan is more traditional, meaning you no longer
Tree offer a different perspective with city have to go large for a bit of city chic.
views that stretch to the horizon.
Bangkok’s hotels also pack that wow fac- Bargain shopping
tor and nowadays size isn’t everything. I recommend hitting Bangkok last if you
I’ve been lucky enough to stay in several can. Not only will you have shed
plush marble-lobbied giants on the your jetlag in a more relaxed
riverfront over the years but, on environment but you’ll
my last trip, I chose to down- have got to grips with
size to Reflections Rooms ■ Shop for haggling and the
(www.reflections-thai.com), local crafts exchange rate
a bizarre and very afford- before you hit the
able establishment where a capital’s shopping
host of artists have been highlights.
given free reign with the Most tourists
decor. I found myself beat a path to the
crunching my way across my rather seedy streets
room on silver bubble wrap around Patpong for
flooring, sitting on a sofa made the ever-popular night

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to see Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat tem-

ples is another great combination.
Here’s a regional round-up of Thailand’s
key resorts:

Andaman Sea
Krabi and Phuket both front the spectacular
island-studded Phang Nga Bay, a scenic
playground of beautiful beaches, caves and
cliffs for lazing, kayaking and snorkelling.
Phuket, Thailand’s most popular resort, is
by far the liveliest of the two. This is the
place to come for big resort facilities, party
action and international fast-food favourites.
The large island, linked to the mainland
by road bridge, has also gained some peace-
ful and stylish retreats in recent years, par-
ticularly on it’s east and north-west coasts.
For divers, Phuket is the gateway to
Thailand’s world-class sites of the Similan
Islands, Surin Islands and Burma Banks.
Quieter Khao Lak, on the mainland just
above Phuket, is even closer.
Classy resorts have sprung up on some of
the islands in Phang Nga Bay, including Koh
Lanta, Koh Racha and day-trip favourite the
Phi Phi islands – famous as the filming site
for The Beach.

■ Elephant riding in northern Thailand
market. While I’ve had fun singing along to
Tom Jones impersonators at Radio City bar
and snapping up a few bargains here in my
time, for serious browsing I head to
Chatuchak. This colossal weekend market
(also known as JJs), beside the northern
SkyTrain stop of Mo Chit, boasts over
15,000 stalls.
You’ll find bargain silk scarves, hand-
made candles, wood carvings and ornate
cutlery sets but half the fun is the spectacle.
This is where Thais shop for anything from
furniture to pets to plastic fruit. I once even
spotted a monk choosing a hamster!
If you prefer the air-conditioned comfort
of a mall, you’re spoilt for choice with giant
shopping centres catering for trendy teens to
the well-heeled clustered around Siam
Square and surrounding streets.
The great thing about buying anything in
Thailand is that it’s very affordable. This is
one of the few places in the world I can enjoy
my favourite indulgences, cocktails and spa
treatments, on a daily basis. While mosquito
bites put paid to the mas-
sage marathon I had
planned on my last visit, I
still got to make like a celebri-
ty by having a Bangkok tai-
lor (most are concentrated
around Sukhumvit Road
and top hotels) run
me up silk skirts
and blouses to my
own designs.
The classic
Thailand holiday
combines Bangkok
with a beach and
sometimes a third stop
in the green and cul-
tural North. The
country is also
often linked with
its neighbours on
tours of South East
Asia. A Thailand hol-
iday with a side trip
Gulf of Thailand
While most of Thailand is best visited in the
winter months, sheltered Koh Samui to the
south of the Gulf of Thailand has an opposite
season. It’s a honeymoon favourite so there’s
plenty of romantic accommodation while
family attractions like a training centre for
coconut-picking monkeys are strung along
the island’s loop road. Offshore, you can
tour around Angthong National Marine Park
or linger on neighbouring islands Koh Pha
Ngan – famous for its full moon parties –
and Koh Tao, a top spot for beginner
divers.
Just around an hour’s drive from
Bangkok, brash Pattaya is a party
resort with big-name facilities. Its
seedier side has been somewhat
cleaned up in recent years and it’s
a well-established favourite with
families who stay at quieter
Jontiem beach and enjoy nearby
attractions such as water parks,
go-karting, an Elephant Village
and Sriracha Tiger Zoo.
Golfers flock to Pattaya, too,
as there are several quality
courses nearby.
Hua Hin and Cha Am,
also within driving distance
of Bangkok, are quiet neigh-
bouring resorts favoured by
the Thai royal family, while

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Chic & boutique ■ The funky Dusit

In recent years,Thailand’s decorative cultural D2 hotel at Pattaya
traditions have been given a twist and the
country has become something of a hotspot
for chic contemporary design – not least in
its accommodation, with attractive new
boutique hotels making a particular splash.
Just some of the stylish offerings include:
● The funky Dusit D2 brand hotels at
Chiang Mai, Pattaya and, soon, Koh Samui
(www.dusit.com).
● Philippe Starck-designed The Yamu, opening
on Phuket this year with a chocolate room
and a recording studio
(www.theyamu.com).
● Back-to-nature and spa-focused Soneva
Kiri by Six Senses, on the island of Koh
Kood in the gulf of Thailand
(www.sixsenses.com).
● Minimalist The Racha on Koh Racha, off
Phuket (www.theracha.com).
● And the cheery, oriental chintz-themed

Dusit D2
Shanghai Mansion, in Bangkok’s Chinatown
(www.shanghaimansion.com).

the large, up-and-coming island of Koh

Thailand facts Chang offers a mountainous interior and
day-trip possibilities around its 50-plus
When to go: neighbouring islands.
Koh Samui is best from June to September and the rest of
Tourism Authority of Thailand

Thailand November to March. Thailand’s North

Not everything worth seeing in Thailand
Visa: comes with a sea view. The country’s lush
UK passport holders do not need a visa for stays up to 30 days. and mountainous North is packed full of
adventure and culture.
Getting there: Thailand’s second city, Chiang Mai, is the
Thai Airways (www.thaiairways.co.uk), EVA Air (www.evaair.com), gateway to the North and is famed for its night
British Airways (www.ba.com) and Qantas (www.qantas.com) fly direct. market, handicraft villages and sanctuaries for
You can also go direct to major resorts on charter flights. elephants that once worked in the logging
industry. Farther north, Chiang Rai is a small-
Tour operators: er hub and close to the Golden Triangle where
UK operators featuring Thailand include: Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk),Travel Thailand, Laos and Burma meet in scenic
2 (www.travel2.com), Funway Holidays (www.funwayholidays.co.uk), splendour around the Mekong River.
Jasmine Travel (www.jasmineholidays.co.uk), Premier Holidays, You can trek to visit hill tribes in the
(www.premierholidays.co.uk) and Silverbird (www.silverbird.co.uk). North though the tourist path is pretty well-
worn these days. Soft-adventure experiences
Getting around: like mountain biking and white-water raft-
Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) and Thai Airways ing are also centred in the region as are some
(www.thaiairways.co.uk) have extensive domestic flight networks. good golf courses. To head North in style,
Beat the gridlocked daytime traffic in Bangkok by taking the SkyTrain, take the Eastern & Oriental Express
underground, or river ferries. Iconic three-wheeled tuk-tuks are fun for (www.orient-express.com) from Bangkok
short trips (haggle the price beforehand) but metered taxis (check the to Chiang Mai, or, if you’d rather chill-out
meter is on) are safer and more affordable.Take the less-congested toll somewhere up-and coming, consider the laid

TL
expressways in Bangkok. Cycling tours are offered by Bike & Travel back retreat of Pai in Mae Hong Song
(www.cyclingthailand.com) and Spice Roads (www.spiceroads.com). province.
Ferry services and cheap long-tail boat taxis operate to the islands.
A travel journalist for over a decade,
Tourist information: Debbie Ward writes for numerous
Tourism Authority of Thailand: call 0870 900 2007 or visit publications. She has a wardrobe full of Thai
clothing from her many Thailand visits.
www.tourismthailand.co.uk

12 The Travel & Leisure Magazine July/August 2009