Thailand

First time in Thailand and I tried to approach it with open eyes rather than preconceptions. Chiang Mai was the base and a good one — central, manageable, and with strong food options including the best som tum I've ever had. Phi Phi Islands was the big set piece and fully justified the trip. Two t…

Doi Inthanon in Thailand is extraordinary — the scale and history hit you immediately. But the experience around it has been thoroughly commercialised. Getting there, navigating the crowds, and dealing with persistent sellers around Chiang Rai centre made it more stressful than it should be. Away f…

After a lot of research I thought I knew what to expect from Thailand. Some things matched: Wat Phra Kaew is as spectacular as every review says, and Koh Samui has a genuine energy I'd read about. The massaman curry obsession is completely justified. What I wasn't prepared for: beautiful islands. T…

Thailand is a genuinely beautiful and interesting place. Doi Inthanon is worth every superlative thrown at it. The pad thai is legitimately excellent. incredible Buddhist temples gave the trip real depth. What I struggled with: the tourist infrastructure around the headline sites in Koh Samui is re…

Did Thailand on a shoestring for 14 days and it was absolutely manageable. Based in cheap guesthouses near Bangkok centre and ate mostly at local spots — massaman curry from street stalls cost almost nothing and was better than anything in a tourist restaurant. Phi Phi Islands has an entry fee but …