Destination: Thailand

Itinerary: Southern Soujourn

TWO WEEKS OR MORE/SURAT THANI TO SATUN

Explore the dockside markets of Surat Thani and the famed forest temple of Wat Suan Mokkhaphalaram in nearby Chaiya to start off. If you have time, make a side trip west to Khao Sok National Park, one of Thailand's most important refuges for tigers and rainforest.

Further down the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Nakhon Si Thammarat, former capital of ancient Tambralinga, is well worth a visit for its historic wat, mosques, national museum and the best southern Thai cuisine anywhere. Two off-the-beaten-track side excursions to consider are beach-tripping at Hat Sichon and the mountain hike in Khao Luang National Park.

From Nakhon Si Thammarat head to Songkhla for stellar seafood and Thai-style beachcombing. Dash across the peninsula to Trang to savour the capital's laid-back ambience and near-deserted beaches at nearby Hat Jao Mai and Ko Kradan . From Trang it's a short hop to the Thai Muslim-majority provincial capital of Satun, where you can find boats out to the stunning Andaman archipelago protected by Ko Tarutao Marine National Park. If you're heading southward to Malaysia, Satun is also a convenient exit point from Thailand.

Train from Bangkok to Chaiya and Surat Thani. Bus to Nakhon Si Thammarat, then local bus to Khao Luang or Hat Sichon. From Nakhon Si Thammarat, bus to Songkhla, Trang and Satun, then boat to Ko Tarutao National Marine Park.