Smiles, Street Food and Songkran

Thailand has always struck us as the sort of place that works brilliantly for a family holiday. Beautiful beaches, delicious food, fascinating culture and, importantly when travelling with children, plenty of opportunities for adventure.

Our plan is to combine some relaxing beach time with a taste of Thailand beyond the resorts. We start with nine nights in Khao Lak, head into the jungle at Khao Sok National Park and finish with a few days in Bangkok.

And, as it turns out, our timing is rather special.

We arrive in Bangkok just in time for Songkran — Thailand's famous water festival.

But first, the beach.

Nine nights of sunshine in Khao Lak

Our first stop is Khao Lak, where we stay at the Hotel X10 for nine nights.

After the journey, we're more than ready for some downtime. And Khao Lak delivers.

The beach is beautiful, with soft sand and warm, inviting sea. Our children need very little encouragement to spend their days swimming, building sandcastles and generally disappearing into the water.

One of our favourite discoveries is something much more simple: the little massage places along the beach.

A massage overlooking the sea, followed by a swim and perhaps a cold drink, becomes one of our favourite holiday rituals. The massages are excellent and incredibly inexpensive compared with what we'd pay at home. Even the children enjoyed a foot massage – there were a few giggles though!

It's the kind of place where it's easy to slip into holiday mode.

Night markets, monkeys and the art of bartering

We quickly discover that our children love Thailand's markets.

The colours, smells, noise and sheer variety of things to look at make every visit feel like an adventure. And, of course, there is plenty of street food to tempt us.

One evening at the night market, we sit down for dinner — only to discover that the man at the next table has brought his monkey to dinner.

This is one of those moments when you realise you're a very long way from home.

The children are fascinated.

Thailand also gives them their first opportunity to try their hand at bargaining. Initially, they are rather hesitant, but it doesn't take long before they are confidently negotiating over souvenirs and trying to get a better price.

They are delighted when it works.

I'm not entirely sure the shopkeepers are quite as impressed.

Bamboo rafting and a cooking class

We take a break from the beach for a bamboo rafting trip, floating peacefully along the river surrounded by lush tropical scenery.

But one of our favourite experiences in Khao Lak turns out to be a cooking course.

Thai food is one of the great pleasures of travelling here, so being able to learn how to make some of it ourselves is a real treat.

We spend time preparing and cooking our dishes before sitting down to eat what we've made.

And the food is genuinely delicious.

But ask our children about their favourite part of the cooking class and they won't mention the food.

They'll tell you about the puppies.

The owner has four tiny puppies who are just two weeks old, and they completely steal the show.

For the rest of the afternoon, our children are far more interested in cuddling puppies than perfecting their Thai cooking techniques.

I'm not sure we'll ever manage to convince them that the curry was the highlight.

Into the jungle: Khao Sok National Park

After nine wonderfully lazy nights by the beach, it's time for a complete change of scenery.

We head to Khao Sok National Park and stay at Elephant Hills.

If Khao Lak is about slowing down, Elephant Hills is about getting out and experiencing the jungle.

We stay in a comfortable tent, surrounded by lush greenery. It feels adventurous without being remotely uncomfortable — exactly the sort of camping our children can get behind.

In fact, everything about Elephant Hills is wonderfully organised.

The food is excellent, the activities are well planned and there is always someone on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Meeting the elephants

One of the big highlights is getting to spend time with elephants.

We feed them and learn more about these extraordinary animals, and being able to get so close to them is something the children find genuinely thrilling.

There's something rather special about watching their excitement as they realise that these enormous animals are standing right in front of them.

We also head out onto the lake, where we swim in the warm water surrounded by dramatic jungle scenery.

Later, we go on a jungle walk, discovering more of the incredible landscape and getting a taste of what makes Khao Sok such a special part of Thailand.

After the noise and activity of the markets and beach resorts, being surrounded by nothing but jungle feels wonderfully peaceful.

From jungle to Bangkok

And then, almost overnight, we swap jungle for skyscrapers.

We fly to Bangkok — and arrive at exactly the right time.

It's Songkran.

Thailand's traditional New Year festival, Songkran takes place in April and is famous for its enormous water celebrations. Water has an important symbolic role in the festival, traditionally representing cleansing, washing away the old year and welcoming the new one.

What was once a more gentle tradition of pouring water over the hands of elders and Buddha images has evolved, particularly in the cities, into huge public water fights.

And when I say water fight, I mean water fight.

Songkran: wet, wonderful and slightly surreal

We have absolutely no idea what we're letting ourselves in for.

Within minutes of venturing outside, we're soaked.

People are carrying buckets, water guns and hoses, and absolutely nobody seems to be safe. Complete strangers happily drench one another in the street, laughing as they do it.

Our children think it is fantastic.

We're less convinced when we're trying to protect our phones and bags.

But there's something infectious about the atmosphere. Everyone is smiling, everyone is getting involved and the whole city feels as though it has temporarily abandoned its usual rules.

It is chaotic, slightly surreal and enormous fun.

For our children, it's also one of those travel experiences that they'll probably remember forever.

Seeing Bangkok from the river

When we need a break from the water, we explore Bangkok in a rather more peaceful way.

We arrange a private river tour with a wonderful guide who takes us off to discover some of the city's sights away from the busiest tourist routes.

We visit a temple, explore an orchid farm and stop at an art café where the children can choose their own artwork to create.

It's a brilliant way to keep them interested while still giving us the chance to see more of Bangkok's culture.

We also visit the famous Reclining Buddha, which is every bit as impressive as we'd hoped.

Seeing Bangkok from the river gives us a completely different perspective on the city — traditional houses and temples sitting alongside the modern skyline, with life happening all around us.

A final wander through the markets

No family trip to Thailand would feel complete without another market.

We head to the huge weekend market, where there is an almost overwhelming amount to see, eat and buy.

By now, the children are seasoned market-goers.

They know how to browse.

They know how to bargain.

And, most importantly, they know that there is almost always something delicious to eat around the next corner.

Thailand with children: the perfect combination

Looking back, what makes this trip so memorable is the variety.

We have spent lazy days swimming in a warm sea and having massages on the beach. We've eaten wonderful food, learnt to cook it ourselves and watched our children discover the joys of bargaining.

We've floated down rivers, cuddled two-week-old puppies, fed elephants and walked through the jungle.

And then we've finished with the complete sensory overload of Bangkok during Songkran.

It's a lot to pack into one holiday — but that's exactly what makes Thailand so brilliant for families.

There is relaxation when you want it, adventure when you need it, and something new around almost every corner.

And, judging by the children's reaction, there is also a very good chance that they'll remember the puppies and the water fights long after they've forgotten what we actually ate at the cooking class.

Perhaps that's what family travel is all about.

 

🌴 Why Thailand works so well for families

🏖️ Something for everyone
Thailand makes it easy to combine a relaxing beach stay with wildlife, adventure, culture and time in the cities. You don't have to choose between a holiday for the children and a holiday for the adults.

🍜 Food is part of the adventure
From street-food markets to cooking classes, food becomes an experience in itself. And with so much variety, even younger children can find something they enjoy.

🐘 Amazing wildlife experiences
Feeding elephants, spotting wildlife and exploring the jungle give children the chance to experience animals and nature in a way that simply isn't possible at home.

🌿 Adventure without roughing it
Our stay at Elephant Hills was a great example. Sleeping in a tent in the jungle sounds adventurous, but the accommodation was comfortable and everything was brilliantly organised.

🛍️ Markets children actually enjoy
Thai markets are colourful, lively and full of things to discover. Our children loved choosing souvenirs and quickly became enthusiastic little bargain hunters!

💦 Plenty of fun
Whether it's swimming in the sea, bamboo rafting, exploring rivers or joining the madness of Songkran, Thailand offers endless opportunities for children to get involved.

❤️ And perhaps most importantly…
Thai hospitality makes travelling with children feel easy. There is a warmth and friendliness that makes family travel here feel particularly special.

Our tip: Don't try to see too much. Combining beach + jungle + Bangkok gave us a wonderful balance, with enough downtime between the adventures. For us, that combination was what made the holiday work so well.