A different review today! I absolutely love travelling, and in the past years, I have travelled extensively over Europe; Paris, Orleans, Rome, Pompei, Florence, Venice, Koln, Belgium, Switzerland, and many others and further a field to places like Borneo in Malaysia. However one place that has so far eluded me is the bright lights of the beautiful Thailand. So, when the lovely Hayley of ‘bitterballenbruid.wordpress.com,’ (PLEASE go check it out, it’s an absolutely beautiful blog!) sent me an email to review this travel guide by Marco Polo, I was very happy to give it an honest review. Now I must admit I have never done one of these before, however I’m going to give it a very good go! So with no further a due, on to the review! Let’s go travelling to the delightfully beautiful and magical Thailand!

Travel guides are the travellers, go-to. We hold them like sacred books that tell us the dos and don’ts of where we are going; where is the best place to eat a real Spanish paella? When is the best time to visit the London Eye? When is the best time of day to go shopping in Venice to avoid the siestas of the locals? How to get away from the tourist track in Berlin or where to buy the best peaches in Brussels? They are extremely important to travellers far and wide, whether travelling far or not-so-far, whether it is a short or long trip, with family, friends or even alone. Travel books are hallowed and we all know the dangers of using a bad one. But this one is a real gem and I’m going to tell you why! If you want to experience Thailand take this lovely little guide, packed with up-to-date attractions and go to places. No matter what you want to experience, food, attractions, sports, activities or just a little shopping this is a ‘go-to’ book. Marco Polo describes it’s book most impressively with the line; ‘most holiday makers want to have fun and feel relaxed from the moment they arrive at their holiday destination- that’s what Marco Polo Guides are all about.’ It’s a big claim but as I continued to look through the book I did feel very much in safe hands. Not only will you find out where the best place to stay is, in the exact location you would like to stay, but additionally the best night-life hotspots, tips on where to shop and what you will find most often on each of the different floors, but also tips for the budget. Whether you are a penniless student, or a high-flying tourist looking to spend all of their pennies you will find exactly what you need to plan your perfect voyage. Whether this is meditation or a search for exotic cuisines similar to the eating challenges on ‘I’m a Celebrity,’ or trekking and diving; Marco Polo reduces this to a size in which it is perfectly pocket-ready. This coupled with beautifully taken photographs and colour-coded locations help to make this book even easier to read and this makes the book even quicker to get to grips with!

One of the things I liked most about this book was its extremely simple but helpful layout. Colour co-ordinated for different locations including North, South and Central locations, whether you were looking for folklore dancing in Chiang Mai, or Pattaya’s floating market it is easy to search and read. Overall this is a simply laid-out book with many tips and secrets. We all know that Thailand is a world of alluring surprises distant and exotic, but this book condenses it perfectly into a hand guide that would fit into the pocket of any rucksack of any traveller. With the additional road atlas and pullout map you cannot help but think that the publishers of this book have not missed a single detail. The aspect I thought was the most special was the addition of a ‘blogs, and apps, section.’ Sometimes the most important part of a holiday guide are the real comments made by real travellers and by having a selection that relate especially to the location you are travelling to, is extremely helpful when planning a trip. Additionally I couldn’t get over how extensive this book is as it really covers everything a traveller would want from a trip! I could not believe the detail and the depth that this book goes into. This is further seen in the ‘insider tip’ notes on some of the descriptions, these are extra special details that allow you to get the most out of your trip; these include secret, less known spots, and more extraordinary or unusual activities; so look out for them!

Overall this is a simply lovely book that really gets to the heart of what travellers want; tips and tricks fused with perfectly co-ordinated and organised travel destinations. If you want something that covers an extensive guide of a certain holiday destination I would not miss a beat in taking this trusty book with me, right away!