Thailand Multi-Centre Holidays
Thailand is more than just beaches. It’s more than just temple- and market-clustered cities. It’s also more than just natural wonders and wildlife. This is where the multi-centre comes in: on one holiday you’ll get different perspectives and experience different cultures. The landscapes shift too, revealing entirely different scenery around every corner. To cut the risk of getting some serious holiday FOMO, we’re here to make a destination hopping trip as easy as Thai. Our connection to Thailand traces back over half a century. We introduced the first weekly charter flights to Bangkok in 1965 and we’ve been learning ever since. We’re here to share our tried-and-tested holiday ideas based on our own travels in Thailand.
How a Thailand multi-centre holiday works
You could spend weeks exploring Thailand’s embarrassment of riches so it’s no surprise that it’s been a go-to for gap years for decades. But this doesn’t mean the backpacker crowd gets to have all the fun; a grown-up, in-comfort cross-country adventure is just as rewarding and way more luxurious. Depending on the distances you’ll be travelling and geography, you’ll go by road, by air or by boat, or perhaps a combo. Whichever way you travel, we take care of all the niggly logistics be they airport transfers, road trips or ferry tickets, and play matchmaker to find you the perfect places to stay. We’ve got plenty of ideas beyond the obvious: enriching a-to-b sightseeing, multi-day add-on adventures in the wild, and thought-provoking day trips.
Big city beginnings
There’s a high chance that your holiday will kick off in bold and beautiful Bangkok. It’s where most direct international flights touch down. You can easily head straight to the beach from here but you’d be missing a trick by not spending a couple of days here. Some people are daunted initially by its chaos, but most leave thrilled by its culture, food and energy. Block out a few days here to hop between markets, temples, palaces, rooftop bars or pools, and river boats as you get to grips with Thailand’s beating heart. It is pretty much smack bang in the middle of the country so everywhere you’ll want to go from here is less than two hours by air.
"The city comes alive post sunset, and I cannot recommend a nighttime cruise on the river highly enough. Passing the Grand Palace, riverside temples and modern high-rises all lit up is a moment that will stick with you forever. A dinner cruise, complete with live Thai music and local cuisine, gives the evening that extra special element."
Louis Hannis, Thailand Expert
Classic Thai trips
Sometimes it’s best to keep things simple with just two or three destinations that are linked by air, road, sea or all three. By a huge margin, the most popular combo is Bangkok and beach. The beach in question is dealer’s choice: Phuket, Koh Samui and Krabi are the most obvious options, especially if lively is more your vibe. But there are other options like a wilder beach in Khao Lak and a bijou break in Koh Samet, the Koh Yaos or the Phi Phis; make Bangkok and Hua Hin a double bill and you’ll be following in royal footsteps. If choice paralysis hits, island (or coastal) hopping is a solution to a lovely problem to have.
Beaches & Jungle
Yes, Thailand is blessed with beautiful beaches, but it has also hit nature’s jackpot thanks to its tropical interior of rainforests, lakes, rivers and limestone landscapes. Our go-to trips pair your chosen beach spot (Phuket, Khao Lak and Koh Samui particularly) with a few nights of wild, and partially off-grid, Khao Sok National Park adventures. Elephant Hills, home to the Elephant Camp on the Sok River at the edge of the national park, and Lake Camp on Cheow Larn Lake, is a fan favourite for good reason. Days here are packed with included jungle and on-the-water explorations and marvelling at the camp’s rescued elephants.
"There’s a handful of different packages at Elephant Hills between two and four days long, either solely at the Elephant Camp or split between the Elephant and Lake Camps. If possible, we encourage you to do the latter. A night completely cut off from the world, surrounded by the forest, lake and its inhabitants is good for the soul. There’s nothing like hearing the jungle wake up in the morning as you sip on a brew and sit on your floating tent’s terrace."
Natalie Hinman, Thailand Expert
Go big then go home
If you’re one of the lucky ones with the gift of time, or you just want to make the absolute most of your holiday and peel back Thailand’s many layers then we’re here to help you plan it. We’re seeing a real uptick in travellers packing four or more destinations into a single trip. Alongside Thailand’s classic highlights, we’re always on the lookout for new and different experiences that give you a deeper connection to Thailand, from snorkelling in the Surin Islands and hilltop hiking in Chiang Rai to unwinding in a rainforest spa surrounded by jungle. We’ve put together a selection to take the stress out of starting from scratch, but they’re not set in stone – just tell us what does and doesn’t work for you and we’ll make some tweaks. We’ve got a wellness holiday, a luxury trip, a family adventure and a culturally focused journey.
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