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What is the best island in Thailand?

Thailand is famous for its tropical islands. From Phuket to Ko Lipe, Ko Samui to Ko Tao and from one Ko Chang to another, there's an island for every month, a beach for every week, and a new palm tree to lay under for every day. But the question begs, "What is the best island in Thailand?"

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Bangkok to Siem Reap

The trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat is one of the most talked about routes in the region: scam buses, awful roads, visa rip-offs, over-priced taxis and a whole realm of shysters and con men to boot, but in the end, it's a very straightforward trip, which, with a bit of planning is as easy as pie. Here's a cheat sheet to get you there and back without too much fraying of the nerves.

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Bangkok to Ko Samui, Pha Ngan & Tao

The Bangkok to Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao route is one of the most common paths taken by travellers and tourists on their holidays in Thailand. Here's a blow by blow summary of the ins and outs of getting to and from Bangkok to the Gulf of Thailand islands.

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2005 Top guesthouses in Bangkok

With hundreds of guesthouses spread across the city, Bangkok can be one of the trickiest places in Thailand to decide on a place to stay. Although the Khao San Road area is popular, other parts of Bangkok are just as good, if not better. So don't rush to follow the hordes to Khao San Road -- do your research -- there are a lot of other options out there -- and pick a guesthouse that will fit in your budget, suit your style and let you do what you need to do easily. An updated version of this story, for 2009, is available here

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Getting a cheap airfare to Asia

You're heading to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam and you need a cheap flight. To get a good, cheap airfare to Asia, you'll need to spend time researching cheap air ticket websites like Adioso.com or telephoning travel agents. The best time and place for this research is during office hours at a desktop where nobody can see the screen.

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Malaria:Cambodia,Laos,Thailand,Vietnam

One of the most commonly asked questions by first-time travellers to Southeast Asia is "Should I take malarials?". It's a simple question, with a complicated answer, best summed up as "it depends". Here's ten pointers that we hope will help you make a more informed decision regarding malarials and travel to Southeast Asia.

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What's a good beach on Ko Samui?

With over a dozen beaches and bays and hundreds of accommodation choices from deluxe hotels and luxury spas to thatch huts and cheap bungalows, Ko Samui has a wealth of options for the discerning traveller. But how to pick the right spot? As hotel propaganda neglects phrases like "under the flight path", "disco next door", "no beach at low tide" and "30 minute walk to beach", you'll need a bit more research -- the following pointers may help.

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How to pick a good Ha Long Bay cruise

The first thing you need to know about Ha Long Bay is that it's beautiful and well-worth seeing. The only real question for the traveller in Vietnam is how best to see it and, like many things in Vietnam, things are never as clear a they could be.

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The Gibbon Experience

Blame it on Alex Garland's The Beach, but when I first heard of a place deep in the jungle where people could fly through trees and stay in tree-top houses it sounded like an old wives' tale. I expected to be passed a map and to find myself lost, alone in the middle of the Golden Triangle. What I hadn't bargained for was The Gibbon Experience.

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Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

An oft-repeated question among travellers is "How do I get from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang?" and the simple answer is, well, there's no simple answer -- you can fly, go overland, go by boat -- or try some combination of the three. So read on for a detailed explanation on how to get from north Thailand's capital, Chiang Mai, to Laos' crown jewels, Luang Prabang.

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Crossing the Cambodia Laos border

Of all the border crossings in the region, the overland crossing between Cambodia and Laos has been one of the most changeable. In some ways, Dom Kralor has all the ingredients of a pain in the posterior crossing -- corrupt border officials, inconsistent travel advice and of course wildly varying traveller tales. Read on to find out the best way to cross this ever-changing border.

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Is Lao Airlines safe to fly?

You're in Chiang Mai and want to fly to Luang Prabang. Or, you are in Vientiane and want to visit Angkor Wat, but don't have the time to go overland and can't afford flying via Bangkok. There's the rub. Sometimes a Lao Airlines flight is the only way to get where you want to go in the time you have. But given the airline's bad reputation for safety, what do you do? How bad is it really?

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