Trips to Thailand

Of the travelers who venture outside Bangkok, a few visit northern Thailand to trek among villages of the poppy-tending tribes hidden in the hills of the Golden Triangle. I took the trail to Ching Mai and thoroughly enjoyed the trek — but I wanted more.

Paradise Lost

I talked with an English woman who had first visited those beaches ten years ago. She'd stayed in thatched roof cottages and eaten in restaurants that had sand floors and candles in coconut shells. But, she said, those places are gone now, replaced by chain hotels and chefs in white coats. Fortunately, a young Aussie traveler told me about a tiny island named Ko Tao, which, by the way, means"Turtle Island." He said it was so far off the beaten path that it wasn't even listed in tourist brochures. I finally found it on a map, located about 50 miles out in the Gulf of Thailand.

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