A breakfast with a tiger could be the highlight of your trip. Or getting robbed by a monkey will shock your system, just the right amount. Maybe you’ll miss drunk dancing through the night at a full moon party, on a Monday morning. Or, even after all those years, you’ll find yourself narrating your night bazaar stories to your wide-eyed grandchildren on Diwali. Maybe you’ll give your heart to Thailand. Maybe it’ll immortalise your youth in memories.
Whatever may be the case, the Land of the Free (more commonly known as Thailand), most certainly, shall not disappoint.
Unfortunately, what comes with being one of the most visited countries in the world is cliché camera rolls and the same old experiences.
Here’s where we come in – we guarantee instant transformation (2 minutes read away) from a typical tourist to a curious traveller in exchange for the sweet, sweet satisfaction of knowing that we saved someone from the convenient but boring clutches of a guidebook.
Here are the top 5 hidden gems to visit in Thailand:
1. Treepod Dining
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Ever wondered what it feels like to be a bird-eating on a branch of a tree? Us neither. Nonetheless, the treepod dining experience provides one of the most unique and thrilling dining experiences that serve not only delicious food but also majestic (rainforest-y) views. Lucky for you, you can visit this restaurant located at Koh Kood without having to stay at Soneva Kiri (the hotel which owns the restaurant).
2. Human slingshot
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Being launched into the air at the speed of 150km/hour might not exactly scream ‘FUN’ for some people. However, we guarantee that it’ll make for a life-altering experience in that you’ll be ready to face just about anything after this. Plus, the daredevils can also give bungee jumping a shot (along with taking home a cool HD video of it) at the same location in Pattaya. The human slingshot costs around INR 2499.
3. Golden Triangle
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The Golden Triangle is a part of a parallel universe that allows you to be in 3 places at the same time. Just kidding! – about the parallel universe bit (Or are we?). Jokes apart, the golden triangle does really allow you to be in 3 places at the same time – located in the far north of Thailand in the Chiang Rai province, it is the area where the border of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.
4. Ton Sai Beach
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Just like Trump is to Twitter, Thailand is synonymous to its beaches. It’s a bad analogy but you get the point. Add a little sparkle to your trip (literally) by visiting the magical bioluminescent beaches at night like the Ton Sai beach in Krabi or the beaches of Koh Phi Phi (a 45-minute speed boat ride away from Krabi and Phuket – perfect for island hopping).
5. Cherry blossoms
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If you’ve been waiting to visit Japan to see cherry blossoms, Thailand has yet another surprise up its sleeve for you. Though less known, Thailand experiences the bloom of cherry blossoms from mid-December to mid-February. You can visit its agricultural research centres located in Chiang Mai and Khun Wang to experience the glory of the blossoms to their fullest.
Here’s to a trip of a lifetime!
[Featured Image Credit: Patrick Gouret]
Rashi Rathod