5,0 rating based on 1 rating I traveled to Thaliand in October with a group of travel agents from Maritime Travel.
We flew to Bangkok spending three days in the city, exploring many Budhist temples including the Grand Palace the Golden Buddha and visiting the home of Jim Thompson, a famous architect who mysteriously disappeared in 1967.
We traveled to the former capital of Ayutthaya visiting the Summer Palace of he late King Rama V and also taking in the World Heritage Site with its impressive ruins.
Then off to Kanchanaburi where we floated alongthe Damnoen Saduak Market shopping to our hearts content. We visited the bride at the River Kwai and learned about the Death Railway Museum WW2 Memorial
We flew to Chiang Mai and the highlight was visiting the Doi Suthep and Meo Hill Tribe who still live above the old city walls in the mountainess areas.
A trip to Thailand would not be complete if you haven't seen the country's national symbol,,,,the elephant. We visited an elephant training centre in the jungle north of the city where we say how elephants work in the logging community and also saw art demonstrations painted by the elephants themselves. We also visited a local orchid farm.
The most memorable highlight was meeting the Long Neck hill-tribe women. who migrated from Myanmar (Burma) along with their families. We admired their colourful costumes, their way of life and how they kept up their cultural traditions by making handmade scarves, blankets and jewelry. The women wear brass rings around their necks to preserve their individual identity. Some women had upwards of 20 brass rings around their neck.
We also visited the flower markets in Chiang Mai. Absolutely breathtaking.
Off to Phang Nga Bay famous for the James Bond Island movie "The man with the Golden Glove:". These small islands are breathtaking. We took an open air longtailed boat to the National Park and then went to Panyi Island to enjoy a delicious lunch. The Muslin Fishing village is built on stilts in the sea connected by wooden bridges.
Phuket was our last stop on this trip. We did a half day sight seeing tour of the city, visited many of the most famous beaches, visited the Chalong Temple and drove to Promthep Cape which is the most famous lookout point on the island.
I enjoyed my stay in Phuket staying at a beautiful oceanfront resort. We walked the beaches, shopped along the promenade and took in a local gemstone and cashew nut factory.
The remnants of the Tsunami are still evident after all these years. New hotels are being built but warning signs are everywhere to show you the nearest exit to safety.
I enjoyed the people, culture and history of Thailand and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking adventure.