First time to Thialand

Hi,

We will be staying in Patong for 16 nights the first two weeks of Dec and as it is our first visit to Thialand just wondered if anyone had any advice as to what trips are worth doing,i%26#39;m keen on photography and we like most animals,any help would be great!

we are middle aged.

Thank%26#39;s.

Mick

First time to Thialand

Just curious, are you spending your whole trip to Thailand in Patong? Or are you heading to other places as well?

I would highly recommend going up north to Chaing Mai at least for a few days. There is the Elephant Nature Park up there, great for photo ops. We went there in January 2009 and are going back this December. It was one of the highlights of our trip. YOu can pet and feed the elephants as well as bathe them in the river. You can observe them in a more natural enviroment and really see their personalities shine through. Several babies have been born this year.Elephant Nature park does not do circus shows, does not do rides. It is a sanctuary for elephants, they are not forced to do anything. ENP has been awarded by and commended by organizations such as Time Magazine, National Geographic, Animal Planet and the Humane society of the United States. Highly recommended.

There%26#39;s lots of other things to do as well around Chiang Mai. For adventure, there%26#39;s ATV tours, white water rafting, bamboo rafting, horseback riding, ziplining. You can visit some beautiful wats and temples, the most widely known being Doi Suthep on the mountain. Some amazing photo opportunities here. There are national parks nearby.. Chiang Dao with caving, and Doi Inthanon. For shopping there%26#39;s the night bazaar and the sunday night walking market. There is also a night safari and a zoo in Chiang Mai.

Also if you have the time, it%26#39;s well worth a visit to Khao Sok National Park. You can spend one night or two in a treehouse in the jungle followed by a night in floating bamboo rafthouses on Chiaw Laan Lake. This was the highlight of our trip. The lake at dawn is breathtaking.. a perfect mirror of the surrounding limestone mountains and jungles, with the sound of gibbons calling. Almost a surreal experience. A definate not to be missed! And some of the best photos you%26#39;ll probably take!

We too will be visiting thailand for our 2nd trip beginning of December and are middle aged. :) This time we are going back to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Krabi, Khao Sok as well as hitting up the Similian Islands for an overnight trip and Patong, but Patong only as a means for the Similians really. Patong is quite a party place.. not sure if you guys were aware of that. Phuket is quite commercialized and touristy too compared to other areas of Thailand. Krabi is a good choice for beach time..less touristy and very very beautiful! Limestone cliffs surround the area.

Anyway, if you are interested in seeing any of our pics, I have a few pics posted of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khao Sok, Krabi and Phi Phi ( took 2400 pics lol.. but only posted a handful):

…photobucket.com/albums/…