Thailand Island Tours - Phuket, Phi Phi & Samui

The whole of South East Asia has developed as a region where the tourist industry is now high up the list of significant revenue sources for countries in the region. Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand the three biggest players in the multi - national global tourist market, with Cambodia and Laos trying to improve their standing. Its all about service and value, so whilst there may be an initial expense in getting to the region, once here, the visitor is met with an inexpensive lifestyle, wonderful beaches, tasty food and very welcoming people. It’s a great combination, so much so that many choose to come and live in a country which is cheap and warm, not cold and expensive. This is the dream for many people to have considered it, and one which is realised by most.

For the first time traveller to Thailand, there will be the fascination with the local culture, and with a fantastic range of things to do. The hills and jungle trekking look great but so does the opportunity to head south to sample the beaches on a Thai island tour. What a choice! The islands of Phuket, Phi Phi and Koh Samui are amongst the finest in the world and Phuket has been voted as the worlds favourite tropical island by magazines from everywhere. Phi Phi is one of the most naturally scenic and was used in the film, The Beach. Samui has developed to become a place where plenty have decided to settle and have bought property there.

The Thai lifestyle is relaxed and this is another aspect which visitors find too much to resist. The transport system is very good, with regular cheap flights to most rural areas and city’s of the country, and to get to the islands there are fast ferries, or air services. The road infrastructure is good for travel between the major cites such as Chiang Mai in the north west and to Udon in the north east. VIP buses which are akin to business class travel ply the routes across the country, although the air fares are so low that sometimes there is little difference.

So its easy to why the country is so popular and year on year there is an increase in the revenue provided by the tourist industry. Some 16 million people come to Thailand every year, with a high percentage from Japan, Austria, America and Europe. Shopping is cheap, and even allowing for the highly controversial copy business prevalent on the streets of Bangkok, it is still rated as one of the most cost effective holiday destinations to be found. The traditional culture which offers the graceful movements of the Khan Thai dancers is something most enjoy, and once again it is uniquely Thai and not found anywhere else in the world.

This all adds up to a fabulous place to visit and one which brings visitors back time and again. There are people who were travelling on ‘round the world’ trips who came to Thailand and stopped, it was that good.