It's another new year here in Thailand, which is funny considering we just celebrated another new year on January 1 and we'll celebrate once again in April when Songkran rolls around. Thailand actually has three different New Year celebrations every year, yet another reason it's such a great party place.

This time, we're celebrating Chinese New Year, so Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái (congratulations and prosperity) or Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (happy new year)! How best to celebrate this holiday in Thailand? Eat a big meal, dance with dragons or perhaps watch some acrobats. Find out about Chinese New Year in Thailand.

Visitors to Chiang Mai often end up on package tours, shuttled from one place to another with a group of other travelers, checking the boxes for elephant camps, river rafting and hiking. These types of tours can be lots of fun, but if you want a little more control over what you see and do, consider a self-drive trip around the Mae Sa Loop. The drive can be done in one to three days, and there are lots of places to stop along the way. Because it's so close to Chiang Mai and so well traveled, you can do it on your own, at your own pace, without too much challenge.

Phuket has lots of restaurants, and unfortunately not many of them are fantastic (it's not just a Phuket problem, tropical islands generally aren't known for their stellar cuisine). There are a handful of really impressive restaurants on Phuket, though, and each is worth traveling to even if you're not staying on the same beach.

Phuket's west coast is lined with beaches but there's one beach that seems to attract the most visitors -- Patong Beach. The beach, halfway down from the northern tip of Phuket, is expansive and open and is one of the prettiest on the island. It's also one of the most built up. There are dozens (hundreds?) of places to stay, plenty of food and drink options, lots of night life and even a full size shopping mall. In terms of convenience it can't be beat, and that's probably one of the reasons it's so popular.

Depending on where you stay, it can also be a very economical choice on Phuket. It's not just that accommodations are cheaper, but because the beach area has everything you could possibly want,  you won't have to pay anything for transportation if you're on Patong. Not a big deal? Consider this -- a taxi or tuk tuk from Patong to a nearby beach on Phuket can cost 200 to 400 baht and there are plenty of cheap guest houses for less than 600 baht. So yes, transportation can be a significant portion of your holiday expenses!