Unwind in THAILAND

Discover the beaches, forests and wildlife of southern Thailand

Seventy kilometres from the hustle and bustle of Phuket is the beautiful and peaceful Phang Nga region. Here, long stretches of soft, white sand are surrounded by miles of lush rainforest. While the beaches are picture perfect and it’s tempting to spend all your days horizontal on a sunlounger, there’s lots more to explore in the mountainous interior and along the coastline.

Magnificent mangroves

This area is home to some of Thailand’s best-preserved mangrove forests. These salt-water woodlands are vital to the ecosystem, and the country celebrates National Mangrove Forest Day every May. A guided boat or kayak tour is the best way to get among the trees, with their tangled web of exposed roots. At the Tung Yee Peng mangrove forest, the boats are powered by men using the traditional method, a little like punting, so there’s nothing but a gentle splashing to spoil the peace. Go at sunrise and you’ll see monkeys playing on the shore, diving kingfishers and local fishermen with their catch for the daily market.

Tsunami museum