Officially protected in 1980, Khao Sok National Park spans over 739 square km's in Thailand’s Surat Thani Province. This vast expanse of wilderness is made up of a maze of limestone karst formations, lush jungle rivers and dense rainforest, all resting on what was once the floor of an ancient ocean. The park is home to one of the oldest evergreen rainforests on Earth, estimated to be over 160 million years old, predating even the Amazon and Congo rainforests.

The name “Surat Thani” literally means "City of Good People", a title bestowed by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in 1915, recognizing the piousness of its residents. But its roots dig even deeper, this area was once part of the mighty Srivijaya Empire, a Buddhist thalassocratic (sea-based) kingdom that thrived from the 7th to the 13th century. You can still sense its grandeur in ruins like the Wiang Sa and Chaiya districts, which hold relics of that once-glorious empire.

Nestled in Jiangsu Province, Suzhou is often called the “Venice of the East”. But this poetic comparison doesn’t quite do it justice. Suzhou isn’t just romantic, it’s resilient, with a past that includes dynastic grandeur, colonial upheaval, civil war devastation and an astonishing rebirth. Founded over 2,500 years ago during the Spring and Autumn Period, Suzhou was originally known as Wu.

Founded by the Kingdom of Shu in the 4th century, Chengdu and the Jinjiang River served as a crucial intersection to three trade corridors for the Silk Road. In 316AD it was established as the Capital under the Qin Dynasty and was not only a key centre for trade but became renowned for its music, poetry and cuisine.