Adventure Holidays in Thailand

The Land of Smiles, officially known as The Kingdom of Thailand, is one of the most popular countries in the world for an adventure holiday. Although many of Thailand’s international tourists relax on beaches or visit the hundreds of beautiful temples, the country is actually visited by holiday goers who want to DO something. The country’s wonderfully diverse geography allows for many tastes to be accommodated. Admittedly, skiing is not an option, but there is so much else to do for adventure tourists. Less well-known adventure activities in Thailand include bungee jumping and white water rafting. Moderately-participated adventure holiday activities in Thailand include rock climbing, but surely the most popular are separated into jungle trips and water sports.

Much of The Kingdom of Thailand is covered by rainforest and jungle. Although the south and central regions have their share, and the east (Isaan) is very rural, the north of Thailand is considerably more mountainous. Chiang Mai is world-famous for ‘treks,’ which involve one day to a week out in the wilderness with your local guide(s). Jungle treks in Thailand vary in cost, level of difficulty and value for money. Elephant rides are often included, as are some water rafting. Water, food and camping gear is usually supplied, but a sturdy pair of walking boots and some effective insect repellent should be taken by the tourist. Although, the mountains are in the north, the west of Thailand, specifically Kanchanaburi, has lots of unexplored areas, including huge lakes and waterfalls. The lack of an airport or decent road infrastructure must be part of the reason why this wonderful area sees very few people, and even fewer foreign tourists.

In central and southern Thailand there are two coastlines. The Gulf of Thailand is home to the world-famous Pattaya resort town, near Bangkok, Hua Hin, Koh Chang and, a little further south, the tree main islands of Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao. The west coast of Thailand lies on the Andaman Sea and is the location of Phuket, the Similan Islands and Koh Phi Phi. With all of this sub-tropical sea water, often lapping on pristine beaches, it is inevitable that people are going to enjoy being in the water. Although jet skiing, kayaking and parasailing are popular, people only tend to try them once. In contrast, snorkeling and scuba diving are activities which people come back to try again and again, and even invest in their own equipment. Snorkellers can enjoy colourful coral reef life within a metre or so of the surface. Beaches at all the above locations and more have snorkel reefs and rocky outcrops with a short distance of many beach resorts and hotels. Scuba diving is hugely popular in Thailand, with clear water which is home to wonderful marine life, including the largest fish in the world - the whale shark. In addition to being warm, clear and fertile, the waters are deep enough to be fun and often don’t have strong currents.

Find out more about diving at www.notroublesjustbubbles.com/diving-destinations/thailand

Whatever adventure activity you take part in while visiting Thailand, there’s every chance that you’ll be more than happy. The lovely people, low cost of living and travelling, and fantastic cuisine all make it the perfect mix for an active or adventure holiday.