Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
THAILAND IS BACK!
Renewed, refreshed and more beautiful than ever before
Palm-shaded white sand beaches, islands set in a turquoise sea, jungles rich with wildlife… Thailand entices. Now, post-pandemic, the country is cautiously and carefully re-opening its doors. Those lucky first few visitors will have a rejuvenated Thailand largely to themselves, its beautiful landscapes and welcoming people replenished by rest. Here’s what to expect...
TIME TO BREATHE
There has arguably never been a better time to visit. While humans have quarantined, the Kingdom’s landscapes and wildlife have thrived. Reefs are revitalised, forests reverberate with life, newly hatched hornbills scutter down beaches and honeyeaters flit through the trees.
Dive with whale sharks around Ko Tao or snorkel the coral islands of Ang Thong National Park. Hike to waterfalls on empty jungle trails in Samui or Koh Chang. Kayak through the pinnacle islands of Phang Nga Bay – home to endangered dugong and tiny finless porpoises; stopping to swim off talc-soft beaches along the way or for lunch in floating villages. Visit the long, wild sands at Phuket’s Mai Khao to see rehabilitated nesting turtles. Then soothe in one of South-east Asia’s most sumptuous spas in nearby Patong or Karon.
Want to watch wildlife? Tigers lurk in the forests in Khao Yai National Park and gibbons whoop in the trees in the forest-swathed Khao Luang mountains. Wild elephants bathe in rushing rivers in Kaeng Krachan and Khao Sok national parks. Orchids bloom in the hills. Fragrant frangipani wafts over the beaches in Ao Nang and Krabi. And once again, agencies in Bangkok and beyond are ready to whisk you into the wild on a trip of a lifetime.
Walkers should take a train north and hike to hill tribe villages in the mountains around Chiang Mai. Or walk the trails to Doi Inthanon – Thailand’s highest peak, where the air is so clear you can see for miles – over shimmering
chedis and pagodas and across rolling mountain ridges that stretch into Myanmar.
TIME TO REFLECT
Time seemingly stands still in Thailand’s temples, where Buddhism has been at the heart
of life for centuries. Without crowds, visits have never been so peaceful. In Kanchanaburi’s Tham Suea Tiger Cave Temple (a sacred Buddhist site named after the tiger paw prints in its cave) or Chiang Mai’s ancient Wat Chedi Luang, the loudest noises are birdsong and prayer bells. You can hear a footfall in Phetchaburi’s Buddha caves and carp splashing in the lily ponds of Chiang Rai’s Wat Rong Khun. There are no coach-party queues at Bangkok’s shrine of the Emerald Buddha and no hustling for sunset views from Golden Mount.
Thailand’s ancient cities are busy only with butterflies and songbirds. Wander the crumbling colonnades of Ayutthaya – where forgotten statues of bhikkus are embraced by jungle vines. Or meditate at the feet of the giant sitting Buddha of Sukhothai, which watches serene over a landscape of stupas, temples and lotus flower ponds.
In Isaan, the towering spires of 900-year-old Khmer cities such as Phimai and Phanom Rung sit over rice paddy fields tilled by buffaloes. At Wat Pha Tak Suea near Nong Khai, meanwhile, paths lead from glistening temple gables to a sky walkway perched over the vast Mekong river that winds across forested plains that stretch over the border into Laos.
Thailand’s islands are also empty and idyllic. Buddhas look over the long, creamy beaches of Krabi and Phuket. And on Koh Pha Ngan, dragon-roofed ceramic temples dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin sit over rolling, forested hills and bottle-green bays.
TIME TOGETHER
The pandemic taught many of us how much we long for time together. As restrictions ease, villages across Thailand are making time for each other once again and looking forward to welcoming back visitors. Seeking out authentic experiences in Thailand supports local lives, especially in rural communities who rely on tourism to supplement their traditional lives. Whether you’re visiting mountain hill tribes in the far north or fishing villages in the southern islands, you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
The hills around sleepy Mae Hong Son in the country’s far north are dotted with tiny hill tribe hamlets. As they have done for centuries, Lahu, Karen, Shan and Yao people hand-make brilliantly coloured clothes and jewellery, and plant steep hillsides with rice. Sharing food and conversation with them, and learning about their lives is an unforgettable experience, and provides vital post-pandemic revenue which ensures their traditions continue.
In Koh Klang near Krabi, locals will show you how to dye batik (a cloth decorated using wax and dye), to build long-tailed wooden boats and to cook traditional and delicious sticky rice.
You can also go on tours of mangroves rehabilitated through ecotourism, monkey-filled forests, marine caves and unspoilt beaches – all with a local as your guide
Even buying food in local markets makes a difference to communities who have been isolated by COVID-19. And food in Thailand is always good – sizzling, stir-fried pad Thai, simmering massaman curry, spicy green papaya salad… shared at a table with Thais happy to welcome tourists back – to spend time with them, together, once again.