There’s a reason why Thai people are so happy to welcome visitors to their country. There’s a little bit of everything, from quiet, secluded beaches to bustling cities full of people and things to do. There is a wide variety of things to do in Thailand, whether you want to go scuba diving on one of the country’s 1,430 islands, sightsee in the countryside, or party in Bangkok. Here, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top tourist destinations in Thailand to help you choose.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second city and a 90-minute plane ride north of Bangkok, is decidedly not Bangkok. It is smaller, cooler, artsier, surrounded by verdant temple-topped hills, and bursting with gorgeous and distinctive wooden architecture. The best spa hotels, with breathtaking views of the Ping River, may be found on the city’s tranquil eastern fringe. Explore the local handicrafts at the night market and the wooden temples by day (Wat Chedi Luang has carvings as flamboyant as those at Versailles). Doi Suthep is a mountaintop shrine where saffron-clad monks gather in the early morning to beg for alms from the locals. Then head for the hills; refreshing treks through the hill forest have been a tradition in Chiang Mai since the 1970s.

Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai’s little sis and home to the stunning White Temple and Kok River longboat trips, is easily accessible by car. White water rafting in Pai is a popular activity, while the teak mansions of Nan and the old Phrae will appeal to culture vultures.

Bangkok

The city of Bangkok is a fascinating conglomeration of palaces and temples, high-rises and narrow lanes, the past and the present. Visit the gilded roofs and ornate murals of the Grand Palace, the revered jade sage at the adjacent Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), and the enormous reclining Buddha at Wat Pho (make time for a traditional treatment at its respected massage school), before hitting the bars or shops along Khao San Road, the backpacker’s haven.

Avoid the hustle and bustle of the city center and see Bangkok as it once was. There are still remnants of the city’s 1780s origins along the river, in the morning marigold markets and the winding lanes and canals of Thonburi. Fruit is sold from dugout canoes, while mahjong is played in teakwood shops. Biking or taking a river boat to Thonburi should take at least half a day. Then, experience something straight out of Blade Runner in a sky bar.

Ko Khao Phing Kan

Located in Phang Nga Bay to the northeast of Phuket, this rocky outcrop is more commonly referred to by its more evocative name: James Bond Island. Fans of the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun flock there in droves to relive iconic scenes like Roger Moore and Britt Ekland’s beachside antics and Christopher Lee’s villainous pursuit of them through the forest in search of assassin Francisco Scaramanga. A day cruise on the water is a peaceful way to take in the scenery, and the setting is just as spectacular as it is in the movie. Phang Nga Bay is located off the coast of Thailand and involves a boat ride across a sea that looks like it was mixed with milk and mouthwash, past cliffs that drop limestone like melting wax, and into bays with cookie-tan sand. Those seeking shade from the sun under the palms are the only unsavoury types you’ll encounter.

Phuket

Phuket, the largest island in Thailand, has more to offer than any of the country’s other islands combined, from cuisine to wildlife to peaceful beaches to chic resorts. Jetsetters and celebrities have always been drawn to the Pearl of the Andaman, where they can relax in cutting-edge luxury hotels, pamper themselves at posh spas, and enjoy champagne cocktails from the decks of gleaming white boats. The beaches here are among the finest in all of Asia, with their palm trees and rocky outcrops. Nai Harn, where the Andaman Sea swirls around a crescent bay, the long, white sands of Surin, where the beautiful people go to be seen, and Layan, with its fiery sunsets and hip beach bars, are all worth seeking out. There are thousands of tropical biospheres at Phuket Botanic Garden, each tamed jungle filled with butterflies and lizards. Imagine a landscape full with fragrant Thai basil plants, stunning orchids, and towering ferns. Here, kids may go bananas (and even harvest their own).