Updated 18 October 2026
Chiang Rai: The White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Trip North
A contemporary artist's temple in white glass and plaster, a blue hall next door, and a long day from Chiang Mai: what is worth the drive and what to skip.
Attractions, temples & nature
All our Attractions, temples & nature guides for Thailand, in one place.
17 guides: Attractions, temples & nature
Updated 18 October 2026
Taking a Thai Cooking Class: How to Pick a Good One in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or the Islands
What a Thai cooking class involves, what a market visit does and does not include, and what to ask before booking in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or the islands.
Updated 16 October 2026
The Grand Palace and Bangkok's Temples: A Complete Guide
How to visit the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun without the heat and crowds: the dress code, the best order, the entrance scam, and what each is for.
Updated 14 October 2026
Songkran and the Thai Festival Calendar
The April water fight explained, why it is also the hottest and most dangerous week of the year, the November lantern festival, and how to plan.
Updated 29 August 2026
Amphawa Floating Market: A Weekend Canal Market, Not a Morning Tour Bus Stop
A canalside market that only really runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, with grilled seafood from the boats and firefly tours after dark.
Updated 19 August 2026
Sky Lantern Rules at Yi Peng: Where You Can Release One, and Where You Cannot
Sky lantern releases around Chiang Mai are limited to permitted zones and hours, and the famous mass releases are ticketed. What you can do at Yi Peng.
Updated 19 August 2026
Loy Krathong and Yi Peng: Two Festivals, One Set of Nights
The float on the water and the lantern in the sky are different festivals that coincide. What each is, where each is best, why mass releases are ticketed.
Updated 18 August 2026
Khao Yai National Park: Wildlife, Waterfalls and Vineyards
Wild elephants and gibbons within three hours of Bangkok, a UNESCO forest, waterfalls and a known wine region nearby. What a day trip or overnight is like.
Updated 17 August 2026
Maya Bay: The Beach That Closed, and What Seeing It Now Involves
The cove made famous by The Beach closed for years for the reef and reopened under changing rules: what a visit involves today, and where to swim instead.
Updated 17 August 2026
The Similan Islands: A Closed Season, Granite Boulders and the Best Water in Thailand
The Andaman marine park that shuts for half the year: when it opens, how day trips and liveaboards differ, the underwater landscape, and why nobody stays.
Updated 11 August 2026
Sukhothai: Thailand's First Capital and Its Historical Park
Rows of headless Buddhas among lotus ponds, a moated old city with almost none of Ayutthaya's crowds, and why it is worth the extra distance from Bangkok.
Updated 29 July 2026
Ayutthaya: The Ruined Capital Day Trip
The former capital an hour north of Bangkok: the three essential ruins, the head in the tree roots, how to get there by train or boat, and why to go early.
Updated 29 July 2026
Bangkok Floating Markets: Which One to Visit
Not all of them are for tourists: the famous one that is largely staged, the markets locals use, what the boat ride costs, and the worst version to avoid.
Updated 29 July 2026
Chiang Mai Temples and Doi Suthep: Which Ones to Visit
Three hundred temples in one city and one on a mountain: which four are worth your morning, the staircase of nagas, and the dress code that bars entry.
Updated 29 July 2026
Erawan and Khao Sok: Thailand's Two Best National Parks
A seven-tier waterfall of turquoise pools a day from Bangkok, and a jungle lake among limestone towers in the south: what each is and how to visit.
Updated 29 July 2026
Elephant Sanctuaries in Thailand: How to Choose One
No riding, no shows, no bathing scrums: the questions that separate a genuine sanctuary from a rebranded camp, and what a good visit actually looks like.
Updated 29 July 2026
Kanchanaburi: The Bridge, the History and the Waterfalls
West of Bangkok: the bridge over the River Kwai and the museums behind it, the war cemeteries, the seven-tier waterfall, and whether it suits a day trip.