Destinations: Thailand

The Golden Triangle. A 1300-year old Buddha figure. Astonishing wats at every turn. Ayutthaya and Hua Hin: UNESCO World Heritage Site and pristine beach resort town. The Eden of Chaing Rai and the bustling markets of Bangkok. The Patpong district (you'll never forget it) and Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. Skyscrapers and klongs. A juxtaposition of ornate chedis against verdant teak forests this is the real Thailand.

Cruise the Mae Kok and the Mae Khong Rivers, ride an elephant, and visit the "Long-Neck," Karen hill tribe. Dine with orange-robed monks and astonish your friends back home with your new culinary expertise in Thai cuisine, said to be the world's healthiest and most savory. See poppy fields in the Golden Triangle and explore the waterways and mountains of Chaing Mai, over the opium routes—nowhere else, save the opium house itself, can we experience so closely what has long been seen only through others' eyes.

Ever since conquering Laos in the 18th century and seizing the coveted Emerald Buddha, Thailand seems untouchable—sequestered among its natural beauty, surrounded by its royal temples and stunning mountains reminding us that this was once Siam, the epicenter of the exotic. And it doesn't lack a bit of that original luster.