Thailand
The cradle of the first Thai kingdom, then an Andaman Sea island that has stayed off the mass-tourism trail
Thailand
A journey between two rarely associated sides of Thailand: Sukhothai, the first capital of the Siamese kingdom founded in the 13th century and considered the cradle of Thai script and identity, whose brick ruins and monumental Buddhas spread among ponds and gardens, then Koh Lanta, an Andaman Sea island that has remained more unspoilt than Phuket or Koh Phi Phi, where a stilted fishing village still survives.
When
Nov to March
Price
From 2 200€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
7 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-2
The first chapter unfolds in Sukhothai, founded in 1238 as the first independent capital of a Thai kingdom, its name literally meaning "dawn of happiness." It was here that King Ramkhamhaeng is said to have had the first known inscription in Thai script carved in the 13th century, making the city the symbolic cradle of national identity and writing, now preserved in a vast UNESCO-listed historical park.
Day 1
The historical park by bicycle
A cycling exploration of Sukhothai Historical Park, among monumental Buddhas, lotus ponds, and brick temple remains, to Wat Mahathat, the kingdom's main sanctuary.
Day 2
Si Satchanalai, the sister city
An excursion to Si Satchanalai, a former satellite city of Sukhothai nestled in a river bend, whose less-visited ruins offer a more intimate atmosphere.
Days 1-2
A flight south to Koh Lanta, an island in Krabi province that has stayed quieter than its neighbours Phuket and Koh Phi Phi, partly thanks to a longer journey that has long discouraged mass tourism. The Chao Ley community, or "sea gypsies," carries on a traditional fishing way of life in a stilted village, while the island's west coast stretches into sandy beaches dotted with limestone formations typical of the Andaman Sea.
Day 1
The Chao Ley village and the old town
A visit to the stilted village of the Chao Ley community, then a stroll through Koh Lanta's old town, a former trading post of wooden houses on the east coast.
Day 2
A boat excursion to the neighbouring islands
A longtail boat trip to the small neighbouring islands of Koh Rok, snorkelling above preserved coral reefs, far from the crowds of the region's better-known sites.
Other trips built in the same spirit — more to draw inspiration from.
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