Thailand is really a very special Asian country. Yes, the whole place is - especially during peak seasons - packed with tourists, and no doubt, tourism is the "big business" in Thailand...but there is a good reason for this: the nature and the people are wonderful. So, take a break from this "I'm-only-going-to-remote-and-isolated-islands-and-I'm-the-first-visitor-ever-seen" cliche and go to Thailand - although there are many remote Robinson Crusoe islands where you can forget everything about the rest of the world.

Tell me some things about the country

Well, I can speak only about Bangkok and the south of Thailand. I haven't seen the north of the country, although I plan to do so in the near future. As I've been told, the north is quite different from the south: fewer tourists, less development, less fancy accommodations but more authentic people, style, hill-tribes and (comparing to south) lower temperatures. Geographically speaking, Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, lies somewhere in the middle of the country. The southern part is a piece of "narrow"-shape land, a long peninsula, with the Gulf of Thailand in the east and the Andaman Sea in the West. Thousands of islands are scattered on both sides, and understandably this area is the "heart" of tourism in Thailand. Bangkok and the islands are in the tropical zone, so the temperature is about 25 to 35 C degrees year-round. That means constant summer temperatures, but March to May the area is swept away from tropical monsoons and real Thai-summer temperatures (plus tropical humidity) in July - August may be unbearable, for "western" standards. Best season to visit this part of the country is October to February, but it's the most crowded season as well. In the north, sure you can find some cold places during winter, but of course don't expect to practice in snow skiing nowhere in Thailand.

Ok, let's start...what about Bangkok?

To be honest, I was expecting Bangkok to be more "Asian-traditional-capital" city. I don't know exactly why I had this picture in my mind, but anyway, I was far from reality: Bangkok is sure the archetypical Asian Metropolis, but in a "New York" style. "Forests" of skyscrapers, huge highways, unbelievable big shopping malls and a very hi-tech and functional Sky-Train to cover quiet large distances throughout Bangkok. I think that two are the most essential remarks about Bangkok: 1) It's absolutely sure that you will never get bored in Bangkok, whatever is your life style and 2) If you're searching specifically for something to buy and you can't find it in Bangkok, you probably won't be able to find it anywhere.

It is a cliche, but Bangkok is really a "city-that-never-sleeps" and "everything goes" there. Despite all the negative things I had heard about Bangkok before I visited the city (noise, pollution, traffic jams, etc) and they made me believe that I was going to see an extremely chaotic city, I found nothing extremely or negatively "chaotic". Of course, I can understand that for people who are living let's say in Stockholm, Geneva, Oslo or Helsinki, that visiting can be a rather shocking experience, in terms of noise, pollution and crazy traffic congestion. But, really you shouldn't worry! If you live in London, New York, Los Angeles, Athens, Paris, etc, you will find nothing strange about Bangkok. Bangkok is by far (with Singapore and hmm...maybe yet Hong Kong) the "metropolitan center" in Southeast Asia. In Bangkok you can find and you can do everything that you can (or cannot) imagine: from sex change operations to buying dinosaurs droppings (what?? Yes...there's a place, the famous "House of Gems" - very imaginative name indeed- that is claiming they're selling dinosaur droppings. Don't worry, they teach you how to realize the differences between the "carnivorous dinosaur droppings" and the "vegetarian dinosaur droppings", so you will know what you're buying exactly).

What are your suggestions about Bangkok?

I would suggest starting with a visit at the top of "Bayoke II Tower" - the tallest building in Bangkok. From it's top floor you can have a full and breathtaking view of Bangkok and you can orientate yourself about the main points of the city like Chao Praya River and the Royal Palace. If you want to make your life easier, move around using "Sky Train" (BTS) or the river-buses. Avoid taxis and road buses and definitely avoid (at least till 21:00) the notorious "tuk-tuks", because they will drive you wherever they want, to buy from stores they're collaborating with. But I definitely suggest taking a "tuk-tuk" for a short day or night distance: you will feel like "Mission Impossible", praying for your life and kiss the ground like the Pope when you finally step down the "tuk-tuk" ("tuk-tuk" drivers are really road-killers...). I also suggest to do some contrasting things and not let your self get "trapped" in your usual life-style choices (on the condition of course that your budget allows you to do so).

What do I mean? Of course you will visit Kao Shan road (even if you're not a backpacker) but if you don't visit "Oriental Hotel" maybe you will not have the "whole picture" about what Bangkok is and what Bangkok was. Of course you will visit Chatuchak Market - the largest open market in the world, where you can find from wild life animals to really rare and expensive antique Buddha statues - but you have to pay a visit too, to "Panthip Plaza Computer City" shopping hall, to find e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g about computers and mobile phones and to wonder why "legal" and "pirate" software is being sold side by side and there's no problem at all... And finally you will visit all the fancy clubs in Sukhumvit (what is "trendy" in Bangkok usually changes from one week to the other...) but you will have to find a good table in "The Balcony" and watch the weird crowd of Patpong cruising around. Of course you will visit the Royal Palace and the temples inside it, to see the huge, gold "reclining Buddha statue" but if you don't hire a longtail boat to take a cruise at the off-center Chao Praya canals, you will never see what's going on behind the luxurious skyscrapers. Don't hesitate to take up contradictory activities while in the city - it's the only way to understand the multifaceted city it really is.

All right!! I've heard many "kinky" things about Bangkok and Thailand. What's true and what's not?

That's a difficult question indeed...I do not claim to be the detective-reporter who made a full-length research about "sex & drugs" in Thailand. All I can report was the sensation I got plus what I say by hanging around in popular places and keeping my eyes open as much as possible. No personal experience involved however! First of all, in a general social and economic environment like this (where almost "everything" is for sale and money can buy almost "everything") you can find exactly what you're looking for, if you have the money to pay and if you're searching for it. I mean it's not everything up front, you have to search for some particular things and - unfortunately - you will find them. "Unfortunately" because among these things sure is children prostitution and many other far from legal similar things... I have to make it clear to this point, that I'm not making any "moral judgment" about the whole situation there - I'm sure that in all big cities all over the world, if you're looking for something kinky, you will find it anyway, so it's the same in Thailand. I mean, there's a myth about these things in Thailand, like you can find them anywhere and everywhere. No, it's not like this, children prostitution it's not like "window shopping". "Window shopping" is sure the legal prostitution in these "famous" areas of Thailand - the notorious "three P's": Patpong, Pattaya and Patong (the first two in Bangkok and the third in Phuket island). I have to admit that there's something like fetish about "western males" in Thailand (the so called "farangs"). It seems like if you find a "farang" to get married, one of the main purposes in your life is already accomplished - at least that's valid for the medium to low income female population, mainly from the countryside and not so much from Bangkok itself. Prostitution is a road that many women in Thailand choose to take, because it's easy and guaranteed money for themselves and for their families. But from the other hand, prostitution is an attraction for tourists too - like in Amsterdam: it's like traditional sightseeing for the visitors (of course you can "get involved" if you want more action but generally visiting the "three P's" is a tourist-must as well). The one thing I can confirm, is that the combination of "western-overaged-beerbelly-totally-ugly-male" with "exotic-astonishing-wonderfull-early20s-thaibeauty-female" was very often seen on the road... Ok, that was not a coincidence...
It depends what you're looking for in Thailand and Bangkok: whatever is this you will find it. If you are so pathetic to go there for sex-tourism, maybe you will accomplish your "dreams" one way or the other... But, I repeat once more, this is not the main issue about Thailand.

What about the islands? Are they as beautiful as they seem in the travel agency brochures?

They're better than this... it's the "exotic paradise island dream" come true. Crystal clear turquoise waters, wonderful blue sea with huge rock islands rising from the bottom of the sea, white powder sandy beaches, no-shoes villages, wooden bungalows upon the waterfront, tall coconut forest trees and one of the top-three diving areas all over the world. Time is different there: its quality is different. Just stay at Phi Phi Don Island for one week and then ask yourself "why am I a stressed yuppie executive"? The answer will be very interesting for the next of your life...

Ok, I'm from Greece and I sure know what a "paradise-beach" means. I can tell that beaches like these in Thailand islands, sure you can find elsewhere too (some beaches in southern Crete for example are far more beautiful than these in Thailand). Although the seawater in the Mediterranean and especially in Greece is never blurry and always transparent clear, the underwater life of the tropics is an experience in itself. The experience is u-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-ab-l-e... after my first 2hours snorkeling in Phi Phi Ley Island, I was convinced about the existence of God. As Katerina told "fishes are by far the most imaginable creation of God".

You will simply don't believe your eyes: the colors, the shapes, the movements, all are like diving in an aquarium with thousands of exotic fishes swimming around you. And what one can say about the corals... the most psychedelic landscape I've ever seen in my life: multi-colored "castles" and gardens rising from the bottom of the crystal clear sea. I was really speechless. Needless to say that the ? of my time in the Islands was underwater. In the end I felt like a fish myself, always wet and swimming.

We went to almost 20 big and small islands travelling everyday with longtail or speedboats. The three main islands that we stayed at were the famous Phi Phi Islands, Ko Lanta and Phuket.

Phi Phi Islands are great. You will stay in Phi Phi Don (Phi Phi Ley is not inhabited) and you will use it as basis for short round trips. In Phi Phi Ley there's Maya Bay, the famous "Beach" were the Leonardo Di Caprio film was shoot. Yes, you will go there, believe me. The beach is really like "died and gone to Heaven" place - no doubt about it. But there's still a long talk about the "good" or the "bad" the film made to this area. Some people say that they cut a large number of coconut trees to maintain the settings in order to be exactly like the scenario and after the film all these thousands of tourist are destroying this natural paradise. Some other people say, that the production team actually cleared the area and collected a huge amount of rubbish from this beach because in the pre-tourist era it was obviously neglected by the locals. As always the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Anyway, a visit in Phi Phi Ley is an absolute must. Wait 'till late afternoon when the "Phuket tourist convoys" are returning to the big island and you are guaranteed more privacy and quietness.

Ko Lanta is a quiet big island in the east of Phi Phi Islands (one hour boat trip) and yet not so developed in terms of accommodation and nightlife. The main beach is huge and sandy but you definitely have to pay a visit to nearby islands like Ko Kradan, Ko Rok, and Ko everything around the area (don't miss the 4 Island Trip), the Emerald Cave, Bubu island etc. The diving spots there will leave you breathless. Be sure to take a longtail or a canoe trip to the mangrove forest in the north of the island - really worth visiting.

Phuket is like something you can avoid... but it's not as bad as I was expected. Ok, considering the other small islands, it's the most developed island (one of the most popular tourist destinations alongside Bali in southest Asia) and some areas are packed with tourists. The three main beaches are Patong, Kata and Karon. Personally I prefer the one in the south part of the island, Nai Harn beach. Generally I find it rather unpleasing to see skyscraper hotels on the beaches in the middle of nowhere - but that's Phuket. I do believe that there are still some quiet (even deserted) places and beaches in Phuket, if you're willing to go off the beaten track. Plus, don't omit to pay a visit (shorter or longer, depending on your tastes) to Patong in night time to see with your own eyes a sample of the "decline of human civilization" - and I'm sure you'll find it amusing, no matter how conservative you are...

And what about food? Thai cuisine is famous all over the world...

Well, you can describe Thai cuisine with one single word: HOT!! That's not joke: if you can't stand spicy food at all, then you' ll be in danger of death by hunger in Thailand. We don't say "just hot" - we mean VERY DEEPLY AND UNBERABLY HOT!! If you have problems with spicy food, you should insist in "my pet" (non spicy) food. Otherwise you will end up crying over your dish, mourning your lost mouth and lips... It's true that you get used to it after some days, but generally "westerners" are not "trained" for so much hot food. Thais on the other hand are not only used to it but of course, the hotter the better for them (there are some Thai recipes, that you can get burned even looking at them...). If you are brave enough and dare to order traditional very spicy Thai food and survive after this, a new career is waiting for you as "fire-swallower" in every decent European circus. Personally I prefer to torture myself in different ways... Also I have to warn you about the famous "Bangkok belly", that means the first 2-3 days in the toilette with diarrhea, till your stomach adjusts with new tastes and new food standards. Don't get panic. It's quiet common. Immodium pills will do just fine for this problem. And it does not get everyone. Katerina, for example, never had the slightest problem. Anyway, that's not enough reason not to try the delicious Thai seafood: tiger prawns, calamari, oysters, lobsters, crabs, all are delicious. Fish is quiet good, but Mediterranean Sea fish is definitely tastier, because the sea water is saltier, also because of the olive oil of the Mediterranean cooking that surely adds a lot to the food. And of course, no day is nutritiously complete without a juicy fruit salad of mangos, papayas, coconuts and chewy nuts.

In summary, what is the "15 Things to Do" in Thailand?

1. Learn diving in one of numerous diving schools in the islands. You can take the basic "PADI Diploma" in 3-4 days, but be careful with all health restrictions you will be asked before the lessons begin. If you have some health problems, snorkeling will do just fine too. Don't miss the chance to see how beautiful can be the underwater universe.

2. Take day trips with rented longtail boats from one island to the other. Don't stay all the time in one island. Distances are very short from one island to the other, and prices very reasonable.

3. Don't miss a visit to Maya Bay in Phi Phi Ley. If this sounds like "trust Hollywood" advice, then it sure is true. I'm sure that they had checked thousands of beaches before they chose this one.

4. Pay attention or take some pictures of the moving sea water, as the tide goes in and out...

5. Choose any beach you like in Phi Phi Islands or Ko Lanta in the night time and take a walk: you, the sea and the stars so close. Just perfect.

6. If it's within your budget stay in "Costa Lanta" hotel or go there for dinner (Ko Lanta). Minimal, simple and unobtrusive design at its best, it is one of the most elegant hotels I've ever seen. The hotel restaurant, lost in trees just behind the beachfront of Ko Lanta, is a work of art by itself.

7. Buy a Thai phrase book. DO THIS! There is nothing more useful to put in your baggage. It will prove extremely helpful especially in the islands were almost no English spoken at all by the locals. Maybe some phrases like "I want my food not spicy at all" in Thai will save you from severe lung burning (also spend some time learning words like bread, salt, tomorrow, yesterday and today, and all question phrases like how, when, what).

8. Try to avoid the main beaches in Phi Phi Don Island like Tonsai Beach or Maya Bay in Phi Phi Ley, from 11:00 to 16:00. It will be too crowed, because of the Phuket day-trippers. After 16:00, it will be quieter and you will enjoy the wonderful sea and beaches without the usual 2.000 Japanese and Korean tourists. When Tonsai and Long Beach are full, try one of the beaches at the north of the island, where you are most likely to be by yourself (means of transport: longtail or speedboat. Price depends on how many hours you spend there, but like everything in Thailand prices are negotiable).

9. Despite what will you hear about it (and it will be true more or less) don't skip Phuket. If you're willing to go off the beaten track, you will find quieter places and beaches. And anyway, you have to see with your own eyes, what to tell others to avoid and why...

10. In Bangkok you will need at least one week to see the city in a full round. Don't get panic and don't try to see everything in 3 or 4 days - it's simply impossible. Definitely you have to see the Royal Palaces and the temples inside them. It's a kind of "trade mark" of the city, yet very very busy and it can get you down when it is hot. Don't by any chance miss Lumpini Park very early in the morning- right after dawn. You will be the only tourist around and you get the best taste of what daily life for Bangkok inhabitants is like. If you are brave enough, try the Thai breakfast served everywhere and if you are more than brave, the snake blood sold early in the morning and it's waiting for you to drink. A good idea also is to take a cruise in Chao Praya River (night or day) and see the riverside town from another view. Have a coffee at the top floor of Bayoke II Tower Cafe but try not to look straight down from the window. Use Sky-Train (BTS) for moving around: it's the easiest and most reliable way for going around the city.

11. Don't miss the Weekend Chatuchak Open Market, one of the biggest open-air markets of Asia. You will need a map of the area to find your way around, one full day, light clothes, comfortable shoes, cash money, no agoraphobia and a bargaining mood. Don't be afraid to bargain. You are not going to insult none. Just do it, only if you're sure that will buy something in the end. Bargaining is a kind of a ritual everywhere in Thailand. A good deal comes after hard bargaining, when buyer and seller are both happy. In Chatuchack the "I-want-to-buy-EVERYTHING!!" syndrome will strike you, but try to control yourself. You can really find rare and unique things to buy, but you can be cheated as well, so be careful - especially when you're interested in antiques, stones, gems and the like. An empty bag, or more for that matter, will prove very handy.

12. Generally Bangkok is the place for shopping. Make a list of all the things you want to buy and go for it in the open markets, night markets, shopping centers, shopping malls, etc. It's sure that you will find what you're looking for and in much lower prices than in your country (especially if you're from Europe, U.S.A. or Japan). If you mind about authenticity, then be very-very careful. Imitation products in Bangkok are almost as good as the authentic, and there's no way to distinguish, except maybe from the price (but don't be so sure about it either). Needless to say, that if you're interested in computers, mobile phones and hi-tech products, you're in "heaven" in Bangkok. Just be sure about the compatibility of what you're buying. As far as quality concerns... well, "quality" is a very relative notion anyway...

13. Kao San Road is another spot in Bangkok that you shouldn't miss. It's the backpackers paradise: Cheap and (almost) decent hostels, cheap street food, liquor bars, Internet cafes with home theaters playing "Apocalypse Now" and "The Beach" (one or two scenes in the beginning of "The Beach" were really shoot in Kao San), etc. If you're traveling backpacking and alone, or if you haven't decided on your itinerary yet, this is the perfect place to go to meet the people you need and check your ideas.

14. Try to be ready to handle severe differences of temperature between interior and open places. Thais are really overdoing it with air-conditioning: when the temperature in open spaces is about 30 - 35 degrees C and you're going inside the Sky-Train wagons, shopping halls areas or (the worst of all) cinema halls, the temperatures are almost arctic!! Of course that's the perfect way to spent a few days lying in your hotel-bed with fever, so try to have some "warmer" clothes to wear, when you are inside places like the above mentioned. This is serious, trust me...

15. Don't even THINK of saying something bad about two things when you're in Thailand: the Buddha and the King (and in reverse order too). If you are so idiot to do it, be sure to have ready a "Plan B" for escaping the country immediately...