Thailand's cultural and social roots are firmly set in the countryside, in fact, when Mahatma Gandhi said of his home country "... the real India is in the villages". He could just as easily have been referring to Thailand, a country whose political and cultural birth was in the "million rice fields" of the ancient Lanna Thai Kingdom.

Discover the Kingdom of Thailand through the favourite passion of the Thai people themselves - food. Take a gastronomic tour to some of the land's finest restaurants. Visit markets, farms and kitchens, and witness the chefs in action. Even attend Thai cookery classes so that you can take home with you new skills to impress your friends.

Staying as a guest of a community can be a highly rewarding experience, adding real meaning to a holiday and creating opportunities for a genuine cultural exchange leaving all parties wiser and more enlightened to cultural differences. Koh Yao Yai...