Thailand

In Thailand's "Monkey City," imposing Khmer-era temples are assailed by an army of furry menaces. These adorable mischief-makers have the run of the town and are the headline attraction of Lopburi (ลพบุรี).

Phu Kradueng National Park (อุทยานแห่งชาติภูกระดึง) is one of the most popular national parks in Thailand, and spending the night atop its eponymous peak is something of a rite of passage for many students in the region. The park covers a high-altitude plateau cut through with trails and peppered with cliffs and waterfalls. Rising to 1316m, Thailand's second national park is always cool at its highest reaches (average year-round temperature is 20°C), where its flora is a mix of pine forest and savannah. Various forest animals, including elephants, Asian jackals, Asiatic black bears, sambar deer, serows, macaques and white-handed gibbons, inhabit the 348-sq-km park.

Despite its remote location and relatively small size, Mae Sot (แม่สอด) is among the most culturally diverse cities in Thailand. Walking down the town's streets you’ll see a fascinating ethnic mixture of Burmese men in their longyi (sarongs), Hmong and Karen women in traditional hill-tribe dress, bearded Muslims, Thai army rangers and foreign NGO workers. Burmese and Karen are spoken as much as Thai, shop signs along the streets are in Thai, Burmese and Chinese, and much of the temple architecture is Burmese. Mae Sot has also become the most important jade and gem centre along the border, with much of the trade controlled by Chinese and Muslim immigrants from Myanmar.

Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon (ดอยอินทนนท์) soars to 2565m above sea level, an impressive altitude for the kingdom. Surrounding this granite massif is a 1000-sq-km national park, dotted with hiking trails and waterfalls and enveloped in an impenetrable curtain of jungle. When the heat of Chiang Mai gets too much, locals decamp to Doi Inthanon for day trips, especially during the New Year holiday when there's the rarely seen phenomenon of frost at the summit.

Classier than Karon and without Patong's seedy hustle, Hat Kata (หาดกะตะ) attracts travellers of all kinds to its lively, beautiful twin beaches. While you won't bag a secluded strip of sand, you'll find lots to do. A prime spot for surfing in the shoulder and monsoon seasons, Kata also has some terrific spas, good food, a highly rated yoga studio and excellent accommodation offerings. Its sandy white-gold beach is carved in two by a rocky outcrop: Hat Kata Yai lies on the north side; more secluded Hat Kata Noi unfolds to the south. The road between them is home to Phuket’s original millionaire’s row.

Att kosta på sig några 5-stjärniga nätter i Bangkok behöver inte lämna ett alltför stort hål i plånboken. Vi har listat några av storstadens bästa och snyggaste lyxhotell.

As the site of the northeast's largest university and an important hub for all things commercial, Khon Kaen (ขอนแก่น) is youthful, educated and on the move. While it's the kind of city that's more likely to land on a best-places-to-live list than a traveler's itinerary, there are more than enough interesting attractions and good facilities to make a stop rewarding.

Songkhla Province’s two main commercial centres, Hat Yai and Songkhla, are less affected by the political turmoil plaguing the cities further south, although some state travel advisories warn against travel here. You won't be tripping over foreign backpackers, but you'll see a fair number of tourists drawn to wandering through local markets, savouring Muslim-Thai fusion cuisine, relaxing on breezy beaches and tapping into Hat Yai's fun and eclectic urban vibe.

The principal draw of remote Nan Province (จังหวัดน่าน), tucked into Thailand’s northeastern corner, is its natural beauty. Nan’s ethnic groups are another highlight and differ significantly from those in other northern provinces. Outside the Mae Nam Nan Valley, the predominant hill peoples are Mien, with smaller numbers of Hmong, while dispersed throughout Nan are four lesser-known groups seldom seen outside this province: the Thai Lü, Mabri, Htin and Khamu.

Chanthaburi (จันทบุรี) is an absorbing riverside town where precious stones ranging from sapphires to emeralds are traded every weekend in a bustling street gem market. Nearby, restored waterfront buildings in the historic quarter are evidence of how the Chinese, French and Vietnamese have influenced life – and architecture – here.