Ranong Province

The Andaman's northernmost province is a whole different package to the white-sand, turquoise-sea paradise that is used to sell the Andamans on tourist brochures. Thailand's least populated and wettest region gets up to eight months of rain a year, so it's soggy, while beaches along the coast are scarce.

The upside is that Ranong's forests are lush and its smattering of beautiful islands – Ko Chang and Ko Phayam especially – remain relatively under the radar. Most visitors, though, come here to cross the border to Myanmar.