Sukhothai Historical Park

Get there when the gates open at 06:30. That's the whole trick with this place. The light is soft, the heat hasn't arrived, and the lotus-bud chedis of Wat Mahathat sit mirrored in the water with almost nobody around. By eleven you'll be trudging between ruins in full sun wondering why you didn't set an alarm.

This was the royal capital of one of Thailand's earliest kingdoms in the 13th and 14th centuries, and the UNESCO listing is deserved. Palaces, temples, big seated Buddhas, moats and ponds and tree-lined paths across a genuinely large site. The central zone holds the headline ruins. Three outer zones spread further out and reward anyone with half a day rather than two hours. You can walk it, take the tram, or rent a bicycle near the main entrance, which I'd recommend over the other two. The distances are real and pedalling between temples is the pleasant part.

Each November the park is the setting for Sukhothai's Loy Krathong festival, with candles among the ruins, krathongs on the temple ponds and a nightly light-and-sound show. Sukhothai is said to be where the festival began, and it's the most atmospheric place to see it outside Chiang Mai, so book a room early if your dates touch the full moon.