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Thailand is a land of contrasts where coexist: tradition and modernity, business people and primitive tribes, Buddhist monks and go-go girls, skyscrapers and temples.
In this vast country you might lose your way along mountain paths to the discovery of ancient Thai civilization, soak-up in the Andaman sea bays surrounded by the warm colors of the sunset or let yourself be excite from history, made of great empires, which are flanked by art, culture and traditions which have their roots in the past but always with an eye toward the future.
Before speaking of my travel itinerary, however, I want to do this short introduction to make you understand what you can find in North, Central and South of the country.
The North of Thailand is a fertile region full of valleys, mountains covered with virgin forests, rivers and lakes that have always facilitated trade and cultural exchanges with China, Laos and Myanmar.
For this reason the northern area of the country is formed by a multi-ethnic and multicultural society in which converge many tribal communities that don’t know geographical and political boundaries, among these the Hmong Mien, the Thai Lu and the Phuan. The province of Chang Mai is the most popular and boasts the most extensive forests, for this reason offers lovers of nature and adventure holidays, the possibility of make excursions on foot, biking or to participate in trekking that allow to get in touch with the tribes and go up to the Golden Triangle which is the second Asian region in importance and size (350,000 square kilometers) of opium production.
The central Thailand is made up of twenty-two provinces and includes the capital Bangkok: stage obliged for all travelers arriving in the ancient Siam. A metropolis which contains the most traditional aspects and the modern ones. But the central Thailand, isn’t just Bangkok. At about seventy kilometers north there is Ayuttaya, old town of four hundred years once capital of the kingdom of Siam and today declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Another interesting city in central Thailand is Lopburi where hundreds of monkeys are free of moving on the streets and are a reason of pride for the locals. Nature is also the protagonist in Kanchanaburi province: area full of lush forests and waterfalls waiting to be discovered in the National Parks of Erawan and Sai Yok.
Finally, the South: with more than 3000 km of coastline and over 500 tropical islands, Thailand is the perfect place to escape from the hustle of everyday life. Every seaside resort has its fascinating peculiarities and on the basis of your tastes and needs, you can choose from destinations known and less known as the Island of Phuket, Ko Lipe, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kood.
I will stay in Thailand just over two weeks and, I will explore the North and Central zones, but I’ll talk about it in the next article. What would you have chosen? If you have any advice to give me for the trip, write me here.
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