Australia

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

If you get to Chaing Mai I would recommend going on a 2 night 3 day walking tour through the mountain villages. When I went our 3rd day was actually spent on a rudimentary bamboo raft floating down the river for hours. Rather blissful to sat the least - especially if you've smoked opium with a village elder the night before! In Chaing Mai town you can go to the women's prison and get a full body massage from the inmates. I was very reluctant to do this at first thinking it to be demeaning to the inmates. Then i was told that massaging is in the culture and that the inmates are given training so that they can use this skill to earn money rather than commit further crime. It's a weird experience going into a foreign prison.

If you get to Patong for a night and you feel like larging it up then stay at The Burusari (it is a luxury though in terms of expense). The rooms ooze opulence and the breakfast is mesmerisingly good. Walk a few doors down from the hotel to the massage parlour and they'll try to w*nk you off for cash, even when you've only asked for a foot massage - so don't go there. If you do go for a massage then I recommend the rather clinical looking one on the main sea front (the staff wear clinician type uniforms). In here they go the whole hog and walk up and down your body massaging with their feet.

I can recommend the Phi Phi island too. The main port where the ferry drops you off is busy with back packer type tourists and the shops sell lots of hippy gear. A short boat ride around the island and you can stay in deluxe tree houses with showers and toilets etc - again relatively expensive.

I've been to Thailand a couple of times and love the place. I didn't hold back on the expense, but you can get cheap accommodation, food etc no bother. Once again I'd recommend you use Trip Advisor for research.