Thailand has many different faces and even more provinces. This country of tremendous diversity covers 514,000 square kilometres and is divided into 77 regions. Its two coastlines – on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea – offer sparkling azure seas and picture-perfect white sand beaches. Inland are tropical forests, emerald green rice paddies, limestone peaks and thundering waterfalls. The teeming metropolis of Bangkok is worlds removed from the squat villages inhabited by colourful hill tribes in the north. Countless clusters of islands dot the seas where divers can spot whale sharks, dugongs and Bryde’s whales. In the Golden Triangle, where Myanmar and Laos meet Thailand, elephants bathe and frolic in the Mekong River.
Spirituality in this Buddhist nation is ubiquitous. The spectacular Hindu Khmer temple Prasat Phanom Rung (‘Big Temple’) set on the summit of an extinct volcano and the Phra Si Ratana Temple in Phitsanulok with its bronze-casted Phra Phuttha Chinnarat – considered kingdom’s most beautiful Buddha – are just two of the country’s 45,000 temples. Second only to religious devotion is the cuisine. Fundamental to Thailand’s identity, the fresh, fragrant food is based on the balance of five flavours: spicy, sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Taking the culinary journey is the most delicious part of Thai experience.
Full credit goes to the Thai people for earning their country the moniker ‘Land of Smiles’. Here the hospitality is so legendary that there’s even a phrase ‘Ton-Rub-Kub-Suu’ that refers to the process of warmly and courteously welcoming guests. Wherever you decide to travel in Thailand, Red Savannah can tailor-make an itinerary that can encompass culture, adventure, history, relaxation and wellbeing.
