Luxury Travel Meets Local Wonder in Thailand

Sometimes, luxury travel isn’t about what we add, but what we strip away, whether it’s stress, complications at work, or the pressures of life at home. Luxury can mean simplicity, and a chance to get in touch with who you are as a traveller, your health, or your spirituality. It’s a chance to indulge your senses and remind yourself that each moment spent travelling is a gift. 

Luxury travel in Thailand is all about stripping away the complications of modern life, embracing each sight, sound, flavour and experience for what it unlocks within you. Thailand is a country famous for its hospitality, and on that front, the Land of Smiles never disappoints. But more often than not, Thailand connects with something deep inside each traveller that brings them back again and again. Whether it’s your first time or your fifth (or more), there’s never a bad time for finding luxury and simplicity in Thailand.

Why Bangkok sights are a sensory feast.

Bangkok is one of the world’s most visited cities, yet for all its energy, it also embodies serenity and grace, perhaps nowhere more so than at Wat Pho. This marvellous temple and its reclining Buddha are among Bangkok’s top attractions, but there’s more to them than visual splendour. Arrive early in the morning so you can watch the resident monks give their morning chants, accompanied by offerings to this revered icon of both Buddhism and Bangkok. Wat Pho is also home to a medical school, including a massage school if you need a little rejuvenation. Nearby, you’ll find the opulent Grand Palace. No first visit to Bangkok is complete without visiting the symbolic home of Thailand’s monarchy, and no visit to the palace is complete without paying your respects to the Emerald Buddha, whose outfit changes according to the season. 

Just across the Chao Phraya River lies Wat Arun. The temple of dawn is one of Thailand’s most dazzling spiritual buildings, with a 79-metre-high pagoda covered in decorative porcelain shards. Both Wat Pho and Wat Arun are illuminated at night, making a night-time cruise on the river a must-do. Of course, you’ll want to come in for a closer look at Wat Arun during daylight hours as well. The Royal Barge Museum is another highlight showing off the high life in Bangkok, but regardless of status, Thais are unified in their love of good food. The contrasting flavours of Thai cuisine have made it popular worldwide. You’ll find plenty of luxurious restaurants ready to tempt your palate, but try to take a street food tour as well, encompassing both Thai specialties and the flavours of Chinatown.

Beach destinations in Thailand you won’t want to leave.

Beaches in Thailand can feel like you’ve arrived on another world, one where soft white sands, warm blue waters, and towering limestone karsts share the same irresistible photo frame. Everyone wants to experience them, but fortunately, there are so many islands and beautiful beaches in Thailand’s south that it isn’t too hard to find one offering just the right amount of relaxed seclusion. Khao Lak, just over an hour’s drive north of Phuket’s airport is a great choice. It offers fully appointed luxury resorts that for all their splendour, emphasise the region’s natural beauty, so you feel like you’re immersed in Thailand first and a luxury resort second. 

The Phi Phi Islands embody Southern Thailand at its most photogenic. Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest and most famous, where many of the most picturesque bays and beaches are located. More than anything though, the Phi Phi Islands are a chance to enjoy seclusion, surrounded by Southern Thailand at its most beautiful, whether that means relaxing by the waters of the bay with a book, or hiking to spectacular views over the neighbouring islands.

In between lying on the beach, you can explore Southern Thailand’s unique cultural offerings and cuisine, and visit organizations and parks dedicated to protecting Thailand’s wildlife. Come late in the high season, and you can see baby turtles emerge from nesting beaches like Mai Khao to make their courageous dash for the sea. Elephant Hills Camp complements its conservation efforts with well-appointed tented accommodation that invites visitors to spend a few days with these magnificent animals. Guests have the chance to feed and bathe the elephants, and embark on jungle or lake safaris, all while enjoying all-inclusive luxury tent accommodation that emphasises nature over the trappings of modernity.

Cultural treasures of Northern Thailand.

Northern Thailand is often said to be the cultural heart of this amazing country, with good reason. On the surface, it offers (without beaches) some of the same experiences you can enjoy in the south, such as a stay at an elephant camp, but because of its vastly different geography and culture, the latter of which is influenced by the region’s hill tribes as well as neighbouring countries, visiting both regions on your luxury Thailand vacation is ideal. Another major difference is the price point. Your baht will go further in the north than it will in the more glamorous islands of the south, making a luxury trip that much more affordable. 

Chiang Mai is the most popular base for visitors to Northern Thailand, and is famous for its walled city, its serene temples, and thriving night market. It also offers a surprising, if low key nightlife scene, and some of Thailand’s best restaurants, though as in Bangkok, you’ll want to embark on a street food tour to taste the everyday flavours of this marvelous city. Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep for awesome views over the city and an exquisite look at Buddhism in Thailand. Outside the city, follow your nose to the Chang Khien Coffee Research Project for a delicious cup of Thailand’s surprise liquid treasure. And of course, a visit to one of the hill tribes is a must, particularly the Hmong tribe, offering you a close look at this backbone of North Thailand culture.