I finally made it to a country I have been wanting to visit for over 20 years and it truly didn't disappoint. As I expected the people were incredibly warm and welcoming, the scenery awesome, the food delicious and the sense of adventure alive and well. I have heard, as I am sure many have, that it has changed a great deal in the last couple of decades. However, although I have no point of reference for the comparison, it is most definitely still the 'Land of Smiles' and inspired awe in all members of the family.

As it was our children's first trip to Asia, we wanted to combine some exploring with some down time, so after recovering from the long flight in Bangkok for a night we travelled on to Chiang Mai to do some exploring. Chiang Mai has quite a different feel to Bangkok and although it's a bustling city with many travellers, it felt quite traditional and authentic. Whilst there we packed in several activities. We have some friends who live in Chiang Mai so arranged to join them for our first excursion and went out of the city to try white water rafting. Well, with a 10 and 12 year old in tow I was a little concerned about safety, but the Thai instructors were consummate professionals and not only provided a thorough safety briefing, but also pulled over to the bank of the river at one tricky patch of rapids, so I could walk down river past the danger with the kids. It was still exhilarating and we even saw some elephants strolling by towards the end of the trip.

The next day we had an early start to get up into the hills for one of the highlights of our whole trip – a visit an elephant sanctuary. They hope to encourage the mahouts to offer tourist experiences without rides or any other activities that cause harm to the elephants. When we arrived at the village, the excellent guide introduced our small group (approx 10 of us) to 3 elephants. We fed them - wow can they eat; it was like feeding huge Labradors - if you paused there would soon be a nudge to get on with it!!! Next we took a walk in the forest with them while the guide told us more about how they are cared for, answered our questions and even told us a bit about their characters. After a while (during which they ate some more), we followed them down to a mud pit where they could have a good roll in the mud and we were invited to help by rubbing the mud into their skin. Finally, we all walked together down to the river where the elephants got in, followed by us and we all splashed around together to clean the mud off and cool down. What an experience!!!!

While in Chiang Mai we also visited the night market and had a Thai cookery class which included visiting a local market. The teacher was excellent, very patient with us and the children and the food was, of course, delicious.

We decided to have our R & R in the middle of the holiday so flew to Phuket next where we stayed at the lovely Surin hotel. It is located right on the beach, but also close enough to the village so you can walk out to explore and have a meal if you choose. We didn’t venture out of the hotel too much, but did have a couple of Thai massages as well as a lesson in how to give them in the hotel. The focus of the hotel is around the unusual black-bottomed swimming pool and beach front. It particularly appealed to us as there are cottages all around the property which have 2 bedrooms linked by a bathroom which fit a family of four very well.

To finish our Thai adventure, we went back to Bangkok. It’s a great city – much as you would expect with the hustle and bustle of everyday life going on around you. Highlights for me included visiting the temples (including having a Thai foot massage to escape an August downpour, walking the city streets and taking the Skytrain as well as a trip on a longtail boat along the Chao Phraya River and its canals / Khlongs. We had a tour on one which included visits to temples and a small floating market, feeding fish, seeing monitor lizards and learning some of the history of Bangkok, Thailand and its Royal family. On our last night in Thailand we even managed to visit one of the iconic rooftop bars which have the amazing views of the city all lit up. All in all, a brilliant trip that we’ll remember for a very long time.