Southeast Asia · Island & mountain jungle
Thailand
Jungle two ways: limestone island rainforest over turquoise water, or misty mountain forest up north.
Jungle two ways: limestone island rainforest over turquoise water, or misty mountain forest up north.
Thailand splits its jungle between the islands and the north, and the two feel like different countries. Koh Phangan and the quieter corners of Koh Samui stack rainforest hillsides above the Gulf — sea-view treehouses and pole houses where you fall asleep to cicadas and wake up to coconut monkeys on the roof. Khao Sok, on the mainland between them, is older rainforest than the Amazon, strung around an emerald reservoir.
Up north, Chiang Mai and Pai trade beaches for mountains: teak cabins over rice valleys, bamboo A-frames in the mist, hot springs after a day of waterfall hikes. The north is at its best November through February, when the air is cool and clear; avoid the burning season in March and April.
Value is the headline. Thailand delivers the lowest prices in this directory for the build quality — full jungle villas with pools under $150, simple treehouses under $50. Hosts are practiced, transfers are smooth, and the food, everywhere, is a reason to travel by itself.
Island & mountain jungle