Waking early to the loud morning chorus of the Thai rainforest is an amazing experience. Whooping gibbons, honking hornbills and buzzing insects compete to fill the air waves with their loud songs to the new day. The floating bungalows on Lake Chiew Lan are located in Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani province. A night or two can be arranged through your lodging in Khlong Sok near the park entrance. In our case, we stayed at Khao Sok Rainforest Resort and prearranged a night on the water as part of our package. In addition to the morning music, you'll be joined for breakfast by nosy macaques.

On the island of Kho Phi Phi, there is the usual town that greets you with bars, restaurant and easy-to-get lodging if you didn't plan ahead. However, if you are so inclined, on the far side of the island there is a veritable Smurf village that awaits you. You can hike 45 minutes through the trails to get there, or take a long tail boat, but either way it's worth discovering Phi Phi Relax Resort! This enchanting little gathering of hut houses is made by hand from the locals with materials only from the surrounding jungle. There is no hot water, but it's also not cold, and it's extremely refreshing after being in the sun all day and swimming in the ocean. And the electricity is only turned on at night so you can navigate your way among the village's stepping stone trails. I mean, I know we wanted 'off the grid,' but we didn't expect it to be literally. This place was green before it was cool to be green.

Maya Bay is no real secret - Leonardo DiCarprio's The Beach took care of that - but it is still one of the most naturally stunning places on earth. The old Thai longboats that settle in on the beach help add to the atmosphere too. As far as pure tourist destinations go, this is one of the best in the country.

Railay Beach is about 30 minutes from the Krabi airport by taxi. (Cheap taxi, naturally) We stayed at Railay Beach resort. It is beautiful. The prices range from affordable to indulgent, it all depends on your mood. The food is great and the cocktails are non stop and delicious. Railay Beach is a two sided island. One side is the beach. The other side (a ten minute winding walk through the island resort) is an awesome bar/restaurant scene on the water. Great for nights. Its a great little street on the water with reggae bars, phenomenal dinner spots, amazing whole fish spots etc. ANYTHING you could want and all modestly priced with, most importantly) a relax and fun vibe! There is also another little street walk that you can stroll during the day that has cool little shops and great place to provision for a day trip. Islands: There are always 10-20 long tail boats waiting on the main beach at all times. They will take you wherever you want. You simply point to an island that no one is on, grab your cooler ask the driver to wait on the other side until you are finished indulging. I believe we payed about 80 USD for the day. And that may be on the high side. PS: Don't forget to stop at Maya Bay (pictured above) In my opinion, this is one of the most breathtaking beaches in all of SE Asia and only 30 minutes by boat from Krabi. Cheers!

Accompany elephants as they make their way to a “retirement” park in Northern Thailand after careers in trekking camps. The project is an attempt both to give the elephants a more pleasant, natural life and to rebuild the bonds between the animals and the Karen people, who have traditionally worked closely with elephants. Volunteers stay in homes in Karen villages. —Kellie Schmitt Escort Elephants: $500 for one week, including food and homestays. 66/(0) 53-818754, elephantnaturepark.org. Other Trips to Help AnimalsWhales in Costa RicaSnow leopards in Central Asia Orangutans in IndonesiaMeerkats in South AfricaHorses in California Photo by Yvette Cardozo/Photolibrary. This story appeared in the November/December 2011 issue. 

They say the eyes are the "window to the soul." What kinds of stories do these eyes tell you? The Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand is a truly wonderful place that takes in elephants that have been injured an abused. They are well taken care of and allowed to roam about the large property on a daily basis. Guests can visit for the day or overnight to participate in the feedings and bath time. You can also volunteer for a week of more to take care of these wonderful creatures.

On every trip, I try to ride my motorbike up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a beautiful temple on the top of the mountain just outside of town. The view of the Chiang Mai valley is breathtaking on a clear day. I go to the shrine in the back of the temple and receive a blessing from the presiding monk. —Andy Ricker Photo by whyyan/Flickr. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

The place to go for curries—with lotus shoots or with crabmeat—Krua Apsorn is a favorite restaurant for me and for some members of the royal family. The decor is not very exciting, but the food is. Thanon Samsen, near the corner of Soi Samsen 9 and the National Library. This story appeared in the May/June 2010 issue. Photo by Martin Westlake. See all of Tanongsak “Dtong” Yordwai’s favorite places in Dusit, Bangkok.  

Siam Hut has amazingly cheap bungalows right on the beach of Koh Chang. The bungalows come air conditioned or with fans, they have private bathrooms and there's a big communal seaside deck off the Tree House restaurant. At night they light these lamps on the deck, the fire dancers dance on the beach and every full moon marks a huge party. Siam Hut is low key and a bit remote but easily accessed by walking or taxi.

Every year, on the evening of the full moon of the 12th lunar month, thousands of paper lanterns are launched into the skies above Chiang Mai. At temples all across the city, monks help tourists and residents alike light their lanterns and send them into the sky with a wish. It is a stunning display that goes on for hours; until the sun comes up lanterns can be seen drifting up towards the heavens, carrying with them the desires of the people below.

Are we there yet? Most travelers going from Thailand to Cambodia take the bus. Unknown to many is the local train, which will take you from Bangkok all the way to the Poipet, Cambodia border. See the Thai countryside, interact with locals, eat fresh food from train vendors (fried rice with an egg, green mango slices with chili) and reach your destination for under $2. It's a five hour ride that will let you feel like a local.

Kuaytiaw Tii Noi on Suthep Road has the best kuaytiaw reua, boat noodles. This restaurant is famous for having tiny bowls of either beef or pork boat noodles and I would advise getting one of each, or just order phiseht (special), which will score you a larger bowl. —Andy Ricker photo by avlxyz/Flickr. This appeared in the May 2013 issue

About 20 minutes outside of Chiang Mai, the Thai Farm Cooking School is a fun and educational way to spend an afternoon. After being picked up at your accommodations, you and your classmates for the day are taken for a tour of the Ruamchook market and given some time to explore. When you arrive at the farm, your instructor will take you outside to learn about all the different herbs & vegetables and how to pick them. You then spend the rest of the afternoon alternately cooking and stuffing yourself silly. Over the course of the day you learn to make dishes in 5 categories, with three selections to choose from in each, at your own cooking station- appetizers, curry and curry paste, main course, noodle dish, and dessert. The instructor was very helpful and the food was delicious. Best of all, before taking you back to your hotel you receive a recipe book so you can recreate all your culinary masterpieces at home.

To find the best pad thai stall, go out the back door of the Sri Yan market, continue past the motorbike queue, and look for an open-air restaurant painted bright pink. Or ask the locals, ‘Raan pad thai yuu tii nai?’ (Where is the place that sells pad thai?) Thanon Sri Yan, just behind the Sri Yan market. This story appeared in the May/June 2010 issue. Photo by Martin Westlake. See all of Tanongsak “Dtong” Yordwai’s favorite places in Dusit, Bangkok.

One of the activities in Phuket is kayaking in a maze of forest, and surrounded by the trees. Of course, an expert guide will row the boat through, and let you take all the pictures you want. However, some areas are under the cave, so that you have to lie down in the boat until you barely pass through.

Chiang Mai has around 300 wats, or temples, in and around the city, some of them dating back 700 years. Each is seemingly more ornate than the last and you could spend hours exploring the details and observing the monks that reside there in their practice.

The Metropolitan by Como is a luxury hotel with 171 large rooms and an impressive spa that includes yoga studios and an outdoor lap pool. At my restaurant, Nahm, I put subtle twists on authentic Thai dishes. You’ll find a whole page of curries. —David Thompson Photo courtesy of the hotel. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

Even though it’s located in the center of town, Tamarind Village is still quiet and it has excellent service, and is reasonably priced. The property has 42 rooms and three suites, as well as a very nice spa. The staff are happy to arrange excursions to nearby national parks, temples, or villages. Try eating the exemplary phat si ew noodles at Yok Far Pochana, which is right near the hotel’s entrance on Ratchapakinai Road. —Andy Ricker 50/1 Ratchadamnoen Rd., Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai, 66/(0)53-418-898.

Need a coffee break? Stop in to Doppio Ristr8tto on Nimmenhaemin Road in Chiang Mai for your daily dose of caffeine. Every cup comes adorned with a complimentary piece of art on top thanks to the talented barista (and owner) who just happens to be a champion latte artist.