Ultimate Thailand

Thailand is a fascinating destination where religion is central to most people’s daily lives and you’ll begin in one of its most soulful places, Chiang Rai. You’ll spy its monasteries, tea plantations and buzzing night bazaar before moving onto its bigger sister, Chiang Mai. Its ancient core still retains a sleepy ambience with its Lanna architecture, temples and pagodas – a corner of Chiang Mai you’ll explore with good measure through the local eyes of a guide – as well as being a good base for a life-changing ethical elephant experience at a nearby jungle camp, where you can walk alongside, wash and make friends with these beautiful beasts.

Next, you’ll swap culture for the natural playground of Pai, a lush mountain valley stocked with waterfall hikes, hot springs, tribal villages and the 1.5km-long Tham Lod cave system. After going full throttle since day one, pause for breath at the glamorous bolthole of Iniala Beach House in Phuket, a sandy escape that feels as if it’s fallen off the map. Once you’ve recharged on your Phuket tour, head for the primal rainforest on a Khao Sok National Park tour, where you’ll take a boat to your serene lakeside lodge and use it as a comfy springboard for exploring the limestone formations of Pakarang Cave aboard a bamboo raft.

Your final few days of your Thailand adventure will be spent winding down at TreeHouse Villas on jungle-fringed Koh Yao Noi. This is rustic luxury at its pinnacle, with its eco-friendly thatched beachfront villas feeling like a luxury home belonging to the Swiss Family Robinson.