Thailand - Outside Bangkok > Reviews > Thai Me Up!

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Excellent
Shopping	Excellent
Nightlife	Good
Ease of getting around	Excellent
Family Friendly	Excellent

Advantages:	Beautiful natural scenery, friendly locals, VERY cheap
Disadvantages:	Parts becoming slowly more commercialised

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Thailand really is a country which will change the way you look at the world. I have personally visited this country twice to date and during my time there saw many different sides to the country and what it has to offer. The most important to thing to understand about Thailand is that, although the majority of the country still reflects the original natural beauty that the country has to offer, some parts are slowly becoming very commercial in terms of tourism. What I mean by this is reflected in a comparison between the first and second times that I visited the country. Koh Samui is one of the most popular locations for anyone travelling to Thailand and it is fair to say that most tourist do make a stop off here at some point. The first time I visited this island tourism was only starting to creep in and, although it was already far more tourist orientated that most part of Thailand, western culture was yet to really seep through. The second time I visited this island, a mere two years later, alot had changed. It was simply more geared towards looking after what they believed tourists were looking for and what I mean by this is that McDonalds and other popular Western trends had become common place. Do not get me wrong as Koh Samui still retains a large percentage of its natural beauty, but if you are looking to avoid being dragged into time share schemes and western institutions such as Starbucks and McDonalds then it is probably best to visit this part of Thailand soon so that you can truely see the way Thailand should be.

There is alot more to see than just Koh Samui of course, alothough it is worth a visit. If you are looking to see a bit more of authentic Thailand then you should definately include a stay in Chiang Mai. This is the second largest city in Thailand, but for me it really showed the Thailand that I had dreamt of. Hotels are generally very cheap anywhere in Thailland which makes it possible to stay in the finest hotels that Thailand has to offer. In terms of Chiang Mai I can highly recommend the Sherton here. As you will come to expect from this magestic country your will receive exceptional service in all areas of need in this hotel.

Other places that are absolutely worth a visit are: Bangkok (but not for more than a few nights as it is EXTREMELY busy, far more so than New York and London put together with some of the roads consisting of 8 lanes of traffic each way!); Krabi (A smaller, more natural part of Thailand which is popular with Gap year students and familys alike, one of the best hotels here is that of the Andaman Resort and the nicest rooms to stay in are those which is very much like little cottages, like are much nicer than the, more expensive, town houses which you will no doubt be offered on arrival but take my advice and stay NO to this offer!); Phi Phi Island (It is probably not worth staying on this island but it is worth a visit, this is where the famous movie The Beach was shot and also an island which was hit exteremely badly by the tsunami so it should be interesting to see how its has been re-build as this was done quickly after the tsunami hit, this island offers EXCELLANT off beach snorkalling where you can see many fish from only a few meters out. TOP TIP- feed the fish with some bread and they will swim right up to you in their thousands!)

Overall I would say that it a good idea to travel round and see different parts of the country. A good plan is to start in Bangkok for a few nights and then move on to Chiang Mai and then perhaps to some of the fantastic beach resorts that Thailand has to offer, including Koh Samui. I hope this review has been of some help to you and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to email me on nicnak172004@hotmail.co.uk, Thanks Nicola x