Here's a good way to combine serious relaxation and great shopping with adventure: Starting from Bangkok, take an overnight train or fly to your starting point -- Chiang Mai. Try your hand at river rafting, elephant handling, or experience hot-air ballooning. Then catch a flight to one of the beach destinations in the south, Krabi, Trang, Koh Lanta, Phuket, or Koh Samui. Put your feet up and chill out on some of the Andaman's loveliest beaches before finally heading back to Bangkok.

Day 1: Bangkok

Start your tour of Bangkok by Central Pier (confusingly, also known as Sathorn Pier), where you can hop on a fast river taxi or the more comfortable wide-berth Chao Phraya Tourist Boat. Alternatively, take a long-tail boat tour of Thonburi's klongs (canals), which makes for a fascinating 1- to 3-hour trip. You can arrange these trips at the booths at Central Pier next to Saphan Taksin BTS, at River City, or through your hotel (riverside hotels like Ibrik and Arun Residence are good places to base yourself, because they offer shuttle boats).

Heading north by taxi or boat along the S-curve of the river, you will pass most of the city's historical sites. Good stops along the way are Sri Phya, which is next to River City, for pricey souvenir shopping; and Chinatown (known as Yaowarat), to amble along its bustling alleyways. You should also get off at Tha Tien for Wat Po and the Giant Reclining Buddha. From there, it's a short walk to the Grand Palace and the famed Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of the celebrated Emerald Buddha.

From Tha Tien, take the ferry across the river to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. Then you can carry on upstream to visit the National Museum. After visiting the museum, you can stop at Banglampoo for Khao San Road, the vibrant backpacker strip.

This is a lot to see in a day -- you may even want to take 2 days to see it all.

Day 2: Bangkok to Chiang Mai

After a flight or car ride, arrive into Chiang Mai. Reasonable, centrally located guesthouses dot the Old City here. Alternatively, try upscale old world gems such as The Rachamankha or modern boutique properties like The Chedi.

After checking into your hotel, savor the many sites inside the Old Walled City. Shop for fabulous homewares and fashions in the chi-chi Nimmanheimin Road. Then get ready for dinner; riverside dining options abound, but I like the fantastic modern Thai-fusion at The House or Burmese khao sawy in the market.

Days 3 & 4: Chiang Mai to Pai

Consider splurging on a hot-air balloon ride at dawn over Doi Suthep run by the highly professional Earth, Wind and Fire (Nov-Mar only). Then arrange an affordable tour with a guide and drive out to the hilly countryside. (Rental cars and motorcycles are only for the adventurous.) Explore the hills around lovely Pai and stay at the gorgeous Belle Villa outside of town. From Pai, arrange a 1- or 2-day trek or rafting adventure.

Days 5 & 6: Adventures Outside of Pai

If you are rafting from Pai to Mae Hong Son, take a night's stay in the laid-back Fern Resort or the comfortable in-town Imperial Tara. If going by road between Pai and Mae Hong Son (a scenic drive), be sure to stop at the cool Spirit Caves about halfway there.

Days 7 & 8: From Mae Hong Son (or Pai) to Chiang Rai

Journey to Chiang Rai via the sleepy towns of Chiang Dao. In Chiang Rai, relax at the rustic resort The Legend Chiang Rai; trekking arrangements can be made though most hotels.

Head 50 minutes north to The Golden Triangle, an old opium-smuggling region bordering Laos and Myanmar (Burma). The lavish Hall of Opium or crumbling temple sites at Chiang Saen are well worth a look. An hour away is Mae Sai, a featureless town where tourists can cross into Myanmar.

Book one of the luxury riverside resorts here, such as the Four Seasons' Tented Camp, or the Anantara Golden Triangle, famous for hosting the annual King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament each year, as well as its Mahout Camp.

Note: Looking for more adventure? Thailand's rugged Northeast, Isan, is ripe for exploration: You can fly to Udon Thani from Bangkok, Chiang Rai, or Chiang Mai, rent a vehicle, or join a tour. When river conditions allow, you can travel from Chiang Rai to the Laos border (you will first need to get a Laos Visa), and then travel 2 days downriver to Luang Prabang. Due to high demand, you'll need to book your Laos accommodations well ahead.

Days 9 to 12: From Chiang Rai to the Beach

Leave the lush north and head south to warm, sandy beaches for a chance to rest. Choose your destination according to what's left of your budget. Popular getaways Koh Samui and Phuket are more expensive than smaller resort towns like Trang. Enjoy the downtime to mull over your fascinating adventures.

Days 13 & 14: From the Beach to Bangkok

Head by flight or car back to Bangkok. One good place to start is the Jim Thompson House, home of the American who rejuvenated the Thai silk industry. It's right in the city center (near the National Stadium BTS).

Afterwards, ready yourself for a full frontal attack on the city's shops: About a 10-minute walk away from the Jim Thompson House is Mah Boon Krang (MBK), a giant mall catering to Thai teenagers and bargain-hunters alike. Nearby Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center offer more upscale brand names, while adjacent to the Siam BTS is Siam Paragon, a center filled with super-luxury boutiques.

Grab a coffee or snack at the Paragon's bright new food court if you need a break, and then continue on to the funky, trendy clothing stores and restaurants found across the way in Siam Square. Farther down the road are two snazzy malls: Central World, with some amazing restaurants that'll serve well for lunch, and the newly refurbished Zen store next door. Finally, on the other side of the road, check out the chic shops at Gaysorn Plaza, and across the road, the Erawan mall.

If you want to keep up the high-end shopping, hop on the subway to Phrom Phong to the designer warehouse The Emporium and then hop a cab to Panthip Plaza, the city's biggest electronics bazaar. If it's a weekend day, try to visit the gigantic and labyrinthine Chatuchak Market by the Saphan Khwai BTS.

Once you're shopped out, other cultural sites to see in town include Wat Suthat and its giant swing (near Chinatown), stunning Vimarnmek Palace in Dusit Park, and Wat Sakhet, better known as the Golden Mount, which is just north of Klong Banglampoo.

Or you might consider taking a half-day of classes. Both The Peninsula and The Oriental hotels have cooking schools, while the affable restaurateur and TV chef Mrs. Balbir teaches from her home off Sukhumvit. Meditation can be studied at The House of Dhamma or Wat Mahathat, and Thai massage at the Chiva-Som Academy.

If you'd rather get a massage instead of learning how to give one, indulge in one of Bangkok's many affordable massage parlors such as Healthland or Ruam Nuad, both off Sathorn Road, or in a hotel spa. The more rigorous Thai massages should help circulation and aid sleep for the jet-lagged.

Dining choices in this city run the gamut from street food to gourmet restaurants, to dinner cruises offered by five-star hotels like The Oriental, Banyan Tree, and Shangri-la. For a totally mind-blowing dining experience, try the 64-story, open-air Sirocco, or for ground-level authenticity, the local jazz scene at Brown Sugar.

When it comes to nightlife, Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy, off Sukhumvit Road, form the hub of the go-go scene here. The area around Silom Soi 4 houses the city's best gay bars and good gay/mixed clubs. And Silom Soi Patpong hums with a bustling night market -- it's Bangkok's busiest red-light district. Bars here are as famous for their exotic shows as they are for truly extortionate prices, (enforced by hired muscle). Since the rise of HIV/AIDS in Thailand, the area has been somewhat sanitized, though.

Other nightlife options include checking out a classical Thai dinner-dance at The Oriental's Sala Rim Nam, at Studio 9 restaurant, which is part of the city's famous Patravadi Theater, or at adjacent Supatra River House. Or Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) can be watched at Rachadamnoen or Lumphini stadiums.

Day Trips from Bangkok -- If you've already covered all the attractions listed above, take a day trip on your third day in Bangkok. Options include a wonderful boat and bus trip to the former capital of Ayutthaya, a journey to Kanchanaburi, home of the "Death Railway," or a trip to Khao Yai National Park, which offers welcome greenery.