Thailand

An adventure trip to Thailand is ideal for those who love nature and “live like a local” travel style.

Thailand is an Asian country, characterized by very green areas and a wonderful sea.

Here are the sports and adventures we recommend in this destination.

For more details about sports click here.

Thailand is one of the best destinations for diving, because it offers the opportunity to see sharks, manta rays, shipwrecks, caves, coral reefs. Here are the 4 dive sites not to be missed:

Ko Tao Island, about 1 hour and a half from Koh Samui.

The Similan Islands, west of Phuket and Khao Lak

The Ang Thong National Park, also in the surroundings of Koh Samui

The Surin Islands, near the Similan Islands

Rafting for beginners, along the river in the Phatthalung region.

Can’t you stand without surfing? In Bankok you will find the Flow House, a gym for surfers with artificial waves, also used by athletes for training.

In Thailand there are many parks to live in close contact with nature and to do activities such as trekking, Jungle trek, survival and climbing, for example in the Pratu Pha training Camp.

Also for bungee jumping lovers there are 3 sites in Thailand.

Try the zipline in the Khao Chon Kai Training Camp or in the Chiang Mai region.

Here are some of the unique and exciting experiences you could live in this destination:

• Living in contact with the local population and cultivating camps with them, or helping them with animals, or staying at home with their children and helping them to study, learn to cook and eat in their homes, learn to dye fabrics, …
• Visit an elephant care center, a center where elephantsthat became too old to work in the fields are welcomed. You will take them to the river to wash them and spend time playing with them. (Be well informed on which fields actually respect animals and do not use them for mere tourist purposes);
• Visit the temples on top of the Lampang mountains. The show is truly unique;
• Explore the caves of Mae Hong Son to discover geological and archaeological wonders;
• Go on a safari to spot tigers and leopards, canoe safaris, night safaris, elephant rides, …;
• Participate at the grave harvest riding an elephants (elephants are normally used for such as activities) and then taste their wine;
• Visit a floating market and taste their delicious fruit. It is really very suggestive shopping on their small boats.
• Spend a night in a houseboat, on the pictoresque River Kwai, surrounded by tropical forests and the mountains of Saiyoke;
• Assist the passage of the train at the Maeklong Railway Market, where the merchants and bars literally move their goods and the tables and chairs from the rails to allow the train passing;
• And after a long day full of sport and emotions, there is nothing better than a massage to face the next day’s adventures. In Thailand, you will not only find many massage centers, but also many hotels that offer this service.
• Meditation cannot be missing too. You will find many Buddhist centers to practice or learn how to do it.
• Sleep in a nest suspended on trees on a practically uninhabited island. Magical.

In addition to the sports and adventures mentioned above, Thailandia offers wonderful locations that are absolutely worth visiting, including:

• Bangkok: it’s a huge city where ancient and modern coexist. Browse through one of the gigantic shopping malls, go around the canals, visit the numerous attractions of the city, and then end your intense days with a massage.
• Phuket: it is the largest island in Thailand and certainly one of the most touristy. If you love night life take a tour on Bangla Road. If you like to have fun and party, this is the perfect place! There are also more quiet beaches on the island, such as Kata beach or Nai Harn beach, but don’t expect to be the only one there… On this island, however, you can do many activities: rock climbing, kitesurfing , paragliding, inner tubing, 4 × 4, bungie jumping, zip lining, high rope courses and diving. Select very well the provider for these activities, because quality and reliability are not always among their priorities.
• Chiang Mai: most of the temples are concentrated in the historic center. You will also find the famous Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chiang Man. This city is the main destination in Thailand for Thai cooking classes. Don’t forget to visit a typical local market. Go to Lake Huay to eat inside some bamboo huts near the water. Visit Bhubing Palace and stroll through the flower gardens of the Royal Family’s winter palace. In Chiang Mai you will also find the elephant sanctuary.
• Chiang Rai: the other major city in northern Thailand. Visit the white temple or Wat Rong Khun, the blue temple or Wat Rong Suea Ten, where everything is colored in blue, from the statues at the entrance to the Buddha. To buy souvenirs go to the Night Bazaar. Visit the Black House Museum or Baandam Museum: a rather unusual place with small houses decorated with crocodile skins and other objects that are rather “dark” and original. The Khun Korn waterfall, the largest waterfall in the Chiang Rai area, is easily accessible and can be reached on foot in about 30 minutes from the parking lot. Huai Pla Kang / Wat Huai Pla Kank / The large pagoda: a group of 3 gigantic and completely different monuments all located in the same place.

Lush, with numerous National Parks rich in tropical forests, where you have the opportunity to see wild elephants, different monkeys, ungulates, various birds (you can also stay overnight – in Khao Yai and Khao Sok). There are also numerous waterfalls (Heo Suwat in PN Khao Yai, Erawan in Kanchanaburi, Thee Lor Sue in Umphang, Pa Lau in PN Kaeng Krachan).

In the limestone rock formations there are karst caves that can be visited.

What you could eat and drink in this country

Thailand is one of the best destinations for food lovers.

Scorpion skewers, grilled crickets, live worms are present only in the tourist markets to stage and test the most daring.

But this is not typical of Thai cuisine.

Most of the dishes are quite simple but very tasty, based on meat with the addition of rice or noodles, always seasoned with many vegetables and spices and various flavors (basil, coriander, lime, lemongrass, pepper, fish souce).

Here are some typical dishes that you can taste in this country:

• Fried rice: rice sautéed with vegetables and meat (choice of chicken, pork, beef or sometimes prawns)
• Pad Thai: noodles generally fried with prawns, eggs, peanuts and bean sprouts
• Pat See You: large noodles sauteed in soy sauce
• Pat Krapao: with chicken and basil
• Le Lap Mou: minced meat with aromatic herbs, served with rice
• Som Tam: papaya salad with fish, lemon and pepper-roncino sauce. Very spicy!
• Tom Kha Kai: a chicken soup with coconut milk
• Kaeng Phed: a red curry with chicken or pork
• Khao Niao Ma Mouang or sticky rice with coconut milk and mango: a dessert that you can find anywhere in Thailand
• Soups are found everywhere, from north to south, flavored with sweet or strong curry, coconut, orange, mushrooms, various herbs.
• Fruits and vegetables are also served almost always seasoned with chili sauces, fish, peanuts, dried shrimp
• Then there is the Kuai tiao ruea: blood broth and pork entrails. Any?

To drink (water is generally not drinkable) there are orange juices, coconut water, hot and cold tea, coffee, beer, rice wine (in addition, of course, to imported products).

The climate in Thailand varies greatly from the southern seas to the northern mountains. The best period is however the cold season, which runs from November to February, when the maximum temperatures vary between 20 and 32 ° C (in the north it drops to even a few degrees above zero). From March to June the climate is very hot (40 ° C and even higher) and from July to October there is the rainy season.

An exception is the south-eastern coast which normally has the inverted seasons: rains from November to February and pleasant climate from May to October.

In general, on both coasts you will find good weather all year round.

Language: Thai

Currency: Baht – ฿ – THB

Capital: Bangkok

For up-to-date and detailed information visit www.viaggiaresicuri.it

Select carefully the parks where elephants are hosted, if you want an authentic experience and where animals are respected.

The rail network is well developed, but slow. We advise you to travel at night (you won’t have air conditioning, only fans).

Alternatively, you could use buses, cheaper and faster than trains.