About 35 km southeast of Bangkok, the Ancient City is an open-air museum where Thailand’s most important historical sites have been recreated at a smaller scale. Spread over 200 acres, you can explore miniatures of temples, palaces, and monuments from every corner of the country at your own pace. Many visitors hire bicycles or electric carts to cover more ground, but strolling lets you linger on the intricate details and take plenty of photos. It’s a convenient day trip from Bangkok for anyone interested in Thai history and architecture without travelling too far.

No stay in Protaras-Paralimni would be complete without a visit to a traditional tavern. In the taverns of Protaras and the main town of Paralimni you can enjoy authentic, traditional Cypriot cooking. The local cuisine is rich and has a huge diversity of dishes. Most of the chefs use locally grown ingredients, a multitude of herbs and vegetables and recipes that have been passed on from generation to generation, always adding new touches. Meze, the national speciality, is in essence a culinary cross section, consisting of a variety of dishes. It starts with dips and salads followed by grills, side dishes and desserts. Koupepia are vine leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice, and Tava is a tasty stew of meat, herbs and onions. Enjoy your meals while sampling an excellent selection of local wines. So “Kopiaste”, relax and discover the flavours of Protaras.

Khaosan Road has long been the backpacker hub of Bangkok. By day, it’s a mix of cheap guesthouses, cafés, and travel agencies selling bus and tour tickets. At night, it turns into a street party, with music spilling out of bars, market stalls pushing everything from fried noodles to scorpions on sticks, and plenty of neon. It’s chaotic, noisy, and not everyone’s scene, but if you’re looking for nightlife or a budget base close to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, this is where many travellers start their journey through Thailand.