Thailand loves to party. There's even a special word for it—sanuk, meaning to have a good time. On December 5, 2007, the world's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand will celebrate his milestone birthday. The day is always deemed a national holiday (the reputation of the country's revered ruler remains untarnished despite recent political upheavals), but this year, the celebration starts a month early and promises to reach new heights. Festivities will be held nationwide, but the biggest spectacle will be in Bangkok, where authorities plan to offer a rare glimpse of an ancient riverine rite that has been part of Thai culture for more than two centuries. A battalion of resplendent, decorously canopied, gilt longboats (up to 130 feet in length), normally seen only in Bangkok's Royal Barge Museum, will take to the water with the royal family on board. Teams of oarsmen in traditional rowing regalia will maneuver the vessels upriver in a blaze of pomp and pyrotechnics. Commemorative banknotes, coins, and even mobile phones will be released in November. For details log on to the Web site (80thbirthdayanniversary.go.th).

Best time to go: Ceremonies are scheduled for the first week of November 2007.

How to see it: The higher floors of Bangkok's finest riverside hotels will afford the best views—including The Peninsula (66-2-861-2888; bangkok.peninsula.com; doubles, $240–$340), the Millenium Hilton Bangkok (66-2-442-2000); hilton.com; doubles, $126–$199), and the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers (66-2-266-0123; starwoodhotels.com; doubles, $170–$246).

Don't Miss: The chance to honor his maj' as the locals do and wear yellow—the color associated with the king.
–Charlotte Shalgosky

NEXT BEST PLACES
KAZAKHSTAN
Type of Experience: Altai Mountains (Mountains)
Why to go: To explore an alpine land rarely seen by Westerners.
Number of Days: 11
Min. Cost/Day: $
Comfort Level: High

Kazakhstan's Altai region occupies the remote northeastern corner of the country and is marked by peaks higher than 12,000 feet that are flanked by glaciers and blanketed in thick taiga forest. The original home of the Turkic-speaking nomadic peoples of Central Asia, this is a land of proud horsemen and abundant hospitality. Travelers are treated as honored guests and are often invited to a feast of cooked lamb's head and gallons of vodka. The gateway to the region is the city of Oskemen (also called Ust-Kamenogorsk), where you can overnight at the four-star Shiny River Hotel (7-3232-272525; shinyriverhotel.kz; doubles, $113–$235), then fly by helicopter or make the nine-hour drive by 4WD to Rachmanov's Springs, a steep-sided valley with brand-new chalets, medicinal hot springs, and a gorgeous lake. Arrange to drive back to Oskemen, via the spectacular Berel Valley, known as the Valley of the Kings for its fourth-century B.C. stone funeral mounds of Scythian chieftains, who were buried with their gold weaponry, jewelry, and horses. Nearby is the Katon-Karagay Maral Farm and Sanatorium, a free-range deer farm where the antlers of maral deer are used to make an elixir that locals claim cures all manner of ailments (katon.kz).