Thailand

I vinter får solsugna skandinaver ytterligare en långlinjedestination i Thailand att resa till. I slutet av oktober börjar Norwegian flyga direkt till Krabi från Stockholm, Köpenhamn och Oslo.

With steep, jungle-covered peaks, picturesque Ko Chang (Elephant Island; เกาะช้าง) retains its remote and rugged spirit – despite the transformation of parts of it into a package-tour destination. Sweeping bays are sprinkled along the west coast; some have superfine sand, others have pebbles. What the island lacks in sand it makes up for in an unlikely combination: accessible wilderness with a thriving party scene.

Vagabonds mini-guide till norra Thailand.

Att kosta på sig några 5-stjärniga nätter i Bangkok behöver inte lämna ett alltför stort hål i plånboken. Vi har listat några av storstadens bästa och snyggaste lyxhotell.

The former seat of the Lanna kingdom is a blissfully calm place to relax and recharge your batteries – in a city still firmly Thai in its atmosphere and attitude.

When travellers talk dreamily about the amazing Andaman, they usually mean Krabi, with its trademark karst formations curving along the coast like a giant limestone fortress of adventure, or rising out of the islands and hanging over idyllic white-sand beaches. Rock climbers will find their nirvana in Railay, while castaway wannabes should head to Ko Lanta, Ko Phi-Phi or any of the other 150-plus islands swimming off this 120km-long shoreline.

Nakhorn Ratchasima is a big, busy city with little in the way of major sights, but one that for many travelers serves as the gateway to Isan. Khorat (โคราช), as most people call the city, has a strong sense of regional identity (people call themselves kon koh·râht instead of kon ee·săhn) and is at its best in its quieter nooks, such as inside the eastern side of the historic moat, where local life goes on in a fairly traditional way and you are more likely to run into a metre-long monitor lizard than another traveler.

Många älskar och vill se elefanter vilket är förståeligt, men på många håll lider elefanterna på grund av turistnäringen som utnyttjar och torterar dem till lydnad. Vill du se dessa majestätiska jättar på deras villkor rekommenderar vi dessa reservat.

För första gången i historien har Bangkok sin egen Michelinguide. Totalt 17 restauranger i den thailändska huvudstaden har belönats med utmärkelsen, och glittrar numera lite klarare på gourmethimmelen.

Northern Thailand's beautiful, rugged geography is the region's great temptation. Hidden among the forested mountains are Thailand's most iconic waterfalls and caves, as well as whitewater rapids and jungle trails. The area is a playground for outdoor pursuits – hiking, rafting, kayaking and caving opportunities abound.