Few countries have a coastline as naturally stunning as Thailand's. Both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand boast some incredible tropical waters, rolling onto some of the world's top beaches. Here are some of the top locations:
Patong Beach |
Phuket has long been held as a luxury escape, and there are some serious property developments and exceedingly expensive pampering retreats if you've got top dollar. For those of us who aren't seriously rich, then it's also home to Patong Beach ? one of Thailand's most sinful bar resorts.
Apart from the vast majority of people being Thai rather than European, Patong Beach wouldn't look too out of place in the Mediterranean. It's got the same sort of bar scene, with Irish pubs and other expat bars, along with a long stretch of beach. If you're visiting, make sure you go to the colossal Tiger complex ? it's possibly the craziest watering hole in Thailand!
Ko Phi Phi |
Huge limestone cliffs soar out of the sea and are adjoined by a lowland of beaches that create the living space of Ko Phi Phi Don. Beach resorts really don't get more idyllic than this sea paradise, and the surrounding area is so perfect that one of the islands was used as the setting of The Beach, starring Leonardo Di Caprio.
Phi Phi is a small island, and although you will be amazed by the cliffs and surrounding islands, you probably won't want to spend longer than three or so days here. Just make sure you take a boat tour and check out the beaches, along with partying hard at night at one of the many beach bars.
Ko Phangan |
Ko Phangan is the hedonists dream, and home to the world famous Full Moon Party. The island itself is actually pretty big, with 10,000 inhabitants, so if you want to go to the party, you'll need to head down to the southern tip of the island at Haad Rin Beach.
Unless you book in advance, it can often be difficult to get accommodation in Haad Rin around the Full Moon Party date. However, as the island is quite big, there are plenty of idyllic resorts dotted around, many of which are actually more picturesque than tourist focused Haad Rin.