Thailand Travel Blog

If you find yourself in Southeast Asia, then it’s near impossible to miss its rich culture and history. Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam all have very unique histories and sites to see, and if you’re in the region for any extended period of time, say on your gap year, then it’s a perfect opportunity to discover all of these fantastic places. It’s a remarkably affordable part of the world, and travelling through it will cost you relatively little compared to Western countries. If you’re going to Southeast Asia, then make sure you check out these three historical sites. You can book flights to Southeast Asian destinations like Thailand and Vietnam (Thailand will most likely prove a cheaper option so it may be wise to arrive there) through DialAFlight*, and then plan your journey from there.

Cu Chi Tunnels, near Saigon, Vietnam

This complex of tunnels close to Saigon in Vietnam is perhaps one of the best preserved reminders of the Vietnam War in the entire country. It’s effectively a huge outdoor museum that details the fight that Vietnamese guerrillas endured against the Americans and their South Vietnamese allies. A tour of the complex takes you through a forest filled with artifacts left over from the war and details of how the Vietnamese guerrillas lived. The highlight is undoubtedly a crawl through the claustrophobic tunnel system, which has been widened for Western tourists to access since the war. It’s possible to travel as much as one hundred metres under ground in nearly pitch black and boiling hot conditions, making you realise just how tough life must have been for the guerillas. A machine gun firing range is available for an extra fee and a short film is shown as you finish the tour.

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The largest religious complex in the world is Angkor Wat, Cambodia’s national monument and a testament of how great the empires living in this kingdom once were. While it’s difficult to comprehend how people built such grand structures one thousand years ago, up close the amazingly intricate levels of detail are just as astonishing. Most photos you’ll see from the site are of the Angkor Wat itself, but there’s a huge variety of temple ruins remaining in what is effectively an ancient lost city. It’s certainly worth visiting the Bayon, a gated city with an incredible multi faced center piece, and Angkor Thom, a large temple where huge trees have scaled the walls and made themselves parts of the architecture. It’s possible to see most of the ruins in a ‘mini circuit’ in one day if you charter a tuk-tuk, but the ‘grand circuit’ will take you more like three.

The Killing Fields of Choeng Ek, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

There are few countries in the world that have such a contrasting history as Cambodia, and this monument is perhaps the ultimate contrast to the nation’s illustrious past. Visiting The Killing Fields is a chilling reminder of Pol Pot’s genocidal regime, the Khmer Rouge, which took power during the 1970s and effectively drove the nation back into the Stone Age through a set of delusional utopian visions. Cheong Ek itself was the final resting place of many innocent people who fell foul of the Khmer Rouge, and the site is littered with bones and mass graves. The focal point of this marshy area is a Buddhist stupa, with a glass pillar that holds thousands of skulls. There are few places in the world where the sheer horror of genocide hits home so hard, and it’s an important place to visit if you are ever to find out the modern plight of this country.

*DialAFlight’s best current price on flights to Thailand is £345 (inc. tax) to Bangkok from Heathrow. Other top deals right now include:

Orlando flights starting at £375 from Gatwick and Dubai flights from £250 from Heathrow (both prices include tax and are subject to availability).

Thailand is a popular tourist destination, most famous for its gorgeous beaches and raucous nightlife at very affordable prices. Even so, few weeks of beer and sand may get tiresome, and there’s much more to see in this country than that. It’s a country rich with culture, cuisine and natural beauty away from its shores. If you’re heading to Thailand, but want a little more than a simple beach break, then here are three of the country’s best day activities. You can also book cheap flights to Thailand through DialAFlight.

Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi

Known in Thai as Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno, most people have been accustomed to calling this place the more simple ‘Tiger Temple’. Located in Kanchanaburi, some ninety minutes drive north of Bangkok, this religious site gained a reputation as a wildlife sanctuary since its creation in 1994. The first Tiger cub arrived in 1999, and since then the Wat has become famous as a sanctuary for tigers and it’s now a big location on the tourist map. The animals are brought out to a small canyon during the afternoon from 1-3.45 PM and it’s possible for visitors to the sanctuary to walk amongst them and have photos taken petting them! Seeing as the Tigers are nocturnal and used to human contact, a walk through the canyon is very safe. Just make absolutely sure you take your camera – the chance to pose next to a tiger doesn’t come around very often.

Cookery School, Chiang Mai

Thailand’s second largest city is really the capital of activities and adventure. Trekking through the jungle, usually including an elephant ride and a white water rafting trip is one of two popular activities, the other being attending a cookery school. No trip to Thailand is complete without sampling the nation’s delicious cuisine, and in Chiang Mai you can make it yourself in an intensive day course. There are several cookery schools where you can learn how to create Thai dishes, but they usually offer the same course of six dishes cooked in one day, for around 1,000 baht (£18). The course will include a trip to a local market with an English speaking guide to sample and learn about exotic Thai ingredients, then cooking the following: starter, noodle dish, soup dish, curry paste, choice of curry and dessert. You get to eat all of your creations, and if you’re too stuffed you can take them back to your hotel with you!

‘The Beach’ Tour, Ko Phi Phi

Visiting the Thai islands of the Andaman Sea can be awe inspiring, and there are few more beautiful places than Ko Phi Phi, which lies to the south of Krabi Province. Two huge limestone formations rise out of the sea, adjoined by two beaches and a thin strip of land. Ko Phi Phi Don is a tourist’s mecca of perfect cliff enclosed beaches and hectic nightlife, and it’s also the starting point of one of Thailand’s top day trips. Providing the weather is good (it almost certainly will be during the dry season) you can charter a long tail boat to take you on a tour of the neighbouring islands. Perhaps the most impressive is Ko Phi Phi Ley. This national park was used as the setting for ‘The Beach’ starring Leonard Di Caprio, giving you some insight into how perfect it is. Maya Bay is a beach at the end of a jungle, with a body of water almost entirely enclosed by limestone cliffs. You can also be guided to some great cliff jumping locations on this trip and visit monkey beach, where the locals probably won’t welcome you with open arms.

There are many routes around Thailand, as is to be expected of a country where backpacker and trekker tourism forms a major part of the economy. If you want to see a few of the country’s most spectacular highlights, here’s what many people have recommended as their personal favourites:

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s top culture hotspot. Here you can meander your way round the old city streets, soaking up the atmosphere and breathing in some of the purest examples of Thai culture, so far unadulterated by the tourist industry, despite the city’s popularity. Quaint and friendly guesthouses line the streets, interspersed with local cafés and artisan boutiques. Chiang Mai is also a great place to find English classes in Thai language, traditional cookery, meditation and the art of Thai massage.

To experience something a little of the very well beaten tourist track through Thailand, head to Mae Sot and travel your way down to Mae Sariang along the Myanmar (Burma) border. You will find an eclectic mix of residents – Thai, Chinese, Karen, Hmong and Indo-Burmese – adding to the border town atmosphere of this unique location. Head to the day and night markets for the best of the towns’ tucker.

The southern islands on the Andaman coast boast some of the most unspoiled and spectacular diving sites in the world. For a truly unforgettable diving or snorkelling experience, head to the National Marine Park around Ko Tarutao.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that your Thai adventures need cost the earth, either. There are certainly many ways to economise, if needs be. Check out DialAFlight for Thailand flights and air travel needs. Their flights are offered at highly competitive internet rates. Ditch the fancy hotels and get the real local experience by staying in home-stays instead – this way you will meet local people, get great advice about your local area and get far closer to the true culture of Thailand than you ever could in a hotel. Try sampling the food at the local hawker centres too. You might be surprised to find the quality and the flavours are not too different from the top-end Thai restaurants as you may have previously thought. And, finally, steer clear of Western fare if you can manage without it – it is likely to be twice the price of everything else on offer.