Thailand.

Who would not love Thailand? For me it is one of the most beautiful places in the world not only because of the scenery but also the food of course, the people the history and architecture.
I have been to Thailand several times and have experienced different aspects of the place I will give you a snippets of what is good about Thailand.

The People.

The Thai people are one of the most friendliest and hospitable peoples in the world. They are calm, gracious, polite and very helpful and despite being incredibly poor by our standards they always appear to be happy and cheerful. They always greet you with a wei which is a display of respect hands clasped to the chest and a bow of the head.

The food.

The food is an exciting and a tasty combination using basic spices and herbs such as lemon grass, coconut and the inevitable chilli either green or red. They usually tone down the fierce heat of the chilli for western palates but the food is always freshly prepared and cooked into some of the most delightful aromatic and exotic combination. It is tasty and wholesome without making you feel bloated.

The scenery.

There is a diverse range of eye catching scenery to feast your eyes. From Mountains in the north to idyllic deserted islands in the south. The clear azure blue of the seas gently lapping the sea shore with tiny fish swimming around your feet as you paddle in the warm water. The mystical shaped limestone islands jutting out in Phang Nga Bay known internationally as James Bond Islands. Deserted beaches on tiny islands provide total isolation and privacy.

Wild life.

The jungles in Thailand can be quite inhospitable but also places of peace and quiet for the diverse animal population. My greatest memory is an elephant trek through the jungle on New Year's Day. Whilst most people were probably still in bed nursing hangovers I was up early in the morning heading out into the jungles on the back of an elephant plodding through the jungle paths through rivers amidst the undergrowth. The elephant was so calm and very gracious an unforgettable experience indeed.

Buddhism and the Thai Wats.

There is a mysticism and tranquillity of Buddhism as satin robed monks go about their business. Going into any Buddhist temple is quite an experience each and every temple built by the monks are very individual and unique in design. Some are quite ancient but all have statues of Buddha in some form or another either lying down, emerald, silver, gold, and jade others are quite plain but covered in leaf gold. They are colourful vibrant and yet peaceful with background chanting from the priests and people saying their prayers and mantras whilst josticks smoulder giving off a variety of smells of incense.

Value for money.

Standards in hotels can vary to suit all pockets from £3 a night rooms in hostel type accommodation to five star hotels where the standards of luxury know no bounds. Shopping is extremely cheap especially in the markets of Bangkok and to eat out in the delightful restaurants or street cafes is an absolute bargain. Christmas day our dinner cost under a fiver for two including beers and cokes.

Bangkok.

This is one mad frenetic city and certainly quite exhausting. If you think you can rush around to sight see forget it because it is physically impossible not only because of the heat and humidity but due to the sheer volume of traffic and people. It can be as busy or relaxed as you wish but there are so many things to see and experience in this city of Angels as it is known locally. An eclectic mix of ancient gold covered temples amidst towering modern buildings. After a few days in Bangkok you can whisk away to the incredible beach side resorts or the peace and quiet of the thousands of islands in the Bay of Siam in the Gulf of Thailand or Phang Nga bay and Andaman Sea.

Thailand the land of Smiles. :-)