Holidays to Thailand, Classical Thailand
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Southern Thailand, Northern Thailand, Central Thailand |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 21 Feb, 25 Apr, 18 Jul, 12 Sep, 14 Nov, 19 Dec 2011: 13 Feb, 10 Apr |
| price: | From £1699 - £2049 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £1049 - £1129 excluding flights. Single supplement £350. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This leisurely journey gives us time to adjust to the gentler pace of life in Thailand. With plenty of time we can fully appreciate the grandeur of Bangkok's Royal Palace, the historic associations around the River Kwai, the unique hilltribe cultures of the north and the tropical serenity of the south. We visit Koh Samet for a couple of days rest and relaxation on the beach. We also take time to enjoy Thailand's culinary delights, including a cooking course in Chiang Mai. Above all we will take away a feeling for the warmth from the Thai people, for whom a smile is never far away.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Bangkok; afternoon free to explore. |
| Day 3: | Sightseeing including Grand Palace and Reclining Buddha. Afternoon drive to Kanchanaburi, and visit War Museum, cemetery and famous 'Bridge on the River Kwai'. |
| Day 4: | Ride on Death Railway; visit Hellfire Pass and Erawan N.P., famous for its beautiful waterfalls. |
| Day 5: | Visit Ayuthaya's ancient temple site and take a rice barge cruise along the river; overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. |
| Day 6: | Morning at leisure; afternoon tour to Doi Suthep Temple and Hilltribe Museum. |
| Day 7: | Full day cookery course, learning the secrets of Thai cuisine. Later we sample our creations! |
| Day 8: | Visit Lampang Elephant Centre and take a ride before transferring to our rustic lodge in the jungle. |
| Day 9: | Gentle trek to visit local hilltribe village amongst beautiful rainforest scenery. |
| Day 10: | Return to Chiang Mai; afternoon at leisure. |
| Day 11: | Fly to Bangkok. Drive to Koh Samet. |
| Days 12-13: | Relax on tropical beaches; optional activities include boat rides and snorkelling. |
| Day 14: | Morning drive to Bangkok. Free time to explore or last minute shopping. |
| Day 15: | Fly to London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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On the trip we visit an Elephant Conservation Centre to help provide some awareness of work being done with Asian Elephants in Thailand. One programme the centre is running is to re-introduce Elephants to the wild. You have the chance to purchase goods from the centre or to make a donation both of which will help the project. Likewise with the Friends of Asia Elephants Hospital or Peung Chang. In addition to this we drop into the Friends of Asian Elephants Hospital where you can learn about the work done there and make a donation if you wish.
In addition to this the group visit a local Hmong village and one evening are treated to an exhibition of a Hmong cultural show, this provides the people with an avenue to exhibit their long and proud culture and also allows them to teach young members of the community aspects of their own culture in order for the traditions to continue. We have had a long-term relationship with the operator thereby helping to stabilise income generation and help create a more sustainable future. We have worked with our operator to help train staff in all aspects of their jobs, so helping to invest in their future prospects and this included Responsible Tourism training.  Local tour leaders are used for this trip. Their employment and the using of local services helps to ensure the money spent remains in the country and so helps to generate jobs locally. The leaders will give advice on responsible tourism issues. We use locally owned and run accommodation on this trip and the group size is limited to 16 to help reduce the impacts on the community and environment. At our offices we have worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |