Sunrise on Ko Samui - we sit on the terrace of our rental bungalow on Lamai Beach at six o'clock in the morning and enjoy this wonderful spectacle at the start of our Thailand vacation: very deliberately, almost with Buddhist calm, the orange ball pushes through the veil of clouds in the sky and colors the sea red-purple. It is a sight so overwhelming that, despite the time of day, you are beside yourself with admiration. And we can sleep even later. At lunchtime, for example, when we relax on one of the sun loungers directly in front of the sound of the sea, with a book in our hands and - after a lazy blink in the radiant sun - our eyes gradually fall shut.

Thailand vacation: a bath with elephants

700,000 Germans vacation in the Kingdom of Thailand every year - the 254-square-metre island of Ko Samui is one of the most popular destinations. We, who are there for the first time, understand better every day why this is the case. Thailand's sights are unique. It's not just the landscape and the numerous beaches that are indescribably beautiful here. The people are also incredibly nice and helpful. We get a smile from everyone: from the moped rental company, where we hire a rattling machine for 250 baht (Thai currency, the equivalent of around 6.50 euros) to explore the island. Beware, left-hand traffic prevails on vacation in Thailand! From the masseuse, who also gives us a thorough massage for 250 baht, leaving us feeling relaxed, light and alive afterwards. The chef at Choeng Mon beach also greets us with a cheerful "Gin khau rü jang?" - "Have you eaten yet?" - and then serves us his only dish: a fish curry for 75 baht (approx. 2 euros). It's so fresh that we don't want anything else. Except for a bit of variety - with elephants. We had been given the tip in Germany that it was completely safe to go swimming with the pachyderms. Elephant trekking, a highlight of every Thailand vacation, is our destination.

We ride our moped along highway number 4 to Khao Lak City, from here along increasingly bumpy roads and finally along a narrow path to a small elephant farm. Here the pachyderms stand well-behaved and good-natured, waiting for the tourists. We pay 1,500 baht (approx. 40 euros) in advance for a tour of around 1.5 hours to the Sai Rung waterfall. The ride is accompanied by a guide and leads through rainforest-like terrain. It's great to sit on one of these thick trunked animals and swing through the jungle on muddy paths. After 30 minutes, we reach the dark green shimmering waterfall lake. If you want, you can stay seated while the animals go into the water. And can enjoy a nice shower from the trunk. Great fun, even for the elephants.

Diving in the Gulf of Thailand

After all that English-speaking, we are now looking forward to a German diving school (www.divepoint-kohtao.com) on the island of Koh Tao, which we reach by ferry from Ko Samui. Björn, the diving instructor, is supposed to introduce us to the underwater world in the Gulf of Thailand in a taster course (three hours for 49 euros). "Dive and snorkel with us in the most beautiful areas around Koh Tao. With a bit of luck, we might even see a whale shark," he entices us. And indeed, we are so fascinated by the colorful schools of fish that we almost forget to breathe. Even without encountering one of the rare whale sharks, it was still a great experience for us.

Thailand vacation with laser spectacle on the beach

Then it's time to party a little on our trip to Thailand - because after the movie "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio, we are looking forward to such legendary dance events on the beach. "Koh Tao is only a few nautical miles away from Koh Phangan. The world-famous Full Moon Party takes place here once a month. Why don't you come along?" recommends a nice young tourist who was snorkeling with us. We don't miss out on the offer: We take the ferry back to the mountain island of Ko Phangan. It seems sleepy - nothing going on here? Oh yes, there is.

Towards evening, the bass is turned up on the beach at Haad Rin. It gets louder and louder. The beach fills up. In the late evening until the early morning, people drink, smoke - and dance wildly. Lasers flash through the night sky: it is said that the laser show spectacle can even be seen as far away as Bangkok. Three days later, we are in the metropolis ourselves. To store in the many malls. For a last drink in the "Sky Bar", where we sip a cocktail high above the city - with a 360-degree panoramic view. To say goodbye. The Thailand vacation is coming to an end, Germany is waiting. We sleep through the 12-hour flight home. The impressions of unforgettably beautiful trips to Thailand in our head cinema ...