Thailand budget
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Thai hill tribes, Northern Thailand, Central Thailand |
| trip type: | Strenuous walking holidays |
| departures: | Usually two or three departures per week, throughout the year |
| price: | From £265 (10 days) excluding flights, local payment US $100. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Starting in the Thai capital, this short adventure is a great introduction to the highlights of Northern Thailand. We'll show you something of Thailand's WW II past at Kanchanaburi with a visit to the "Bridge over the River Kwai" and infamous "Hell Fire Pass". Next is the beautiful Erawan Falls before moving on to the former Thai capital of Ayuthaya and then to Chiang Mai where we'll visit a hill tribe village and ride elephants before our adventure ends.
This operator gives clients the option of offsetting carbon emissions on all of its holidays. In conjunction with Climate Friendly we have established an appropriate cash amount for each of our holidays, based on the type of transportation used and the distances travelled. This amount is donated to Climate Friendly and used to support new renewable energy projects that prevent greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere. The amount required to offset this holiday is £3 - this does not include your international flight.
This operator gives clients the option of offsetting carbon emissions on all of its holidays. In conjunction with Climate Friendly we have established an appropriate cash amount for each of our holidays, based on the type of transportation used and the distances travelled. This amount is donated to Climate Friendly and used to support new renewable energy projects that prevent greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere. The amount required to offset this holiday is £3 - this does not include your international flight.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Bangkok You can arrive in Bangkok anytime as no activities are planned. |
| Day 2-3: | Kanchanaburi Leaving Bangkok we travel by bus to the riverside town of Kanchanaburi, where we visit the large WW II cemeteries and the legendary ''Bridge over the River Kwai''. We drive out to the museum at Hellfire Pass before continuing to the beautiful Erawan Falls National Park, where we have time for a refreshing dip. |
| Day 4: | Ayuthaya We get a real feel today for Thailand's rural countryside as we travel by local buses to the old former royal capital of Ayuthaya. Here we jump on bikes to check out ones of the many temples. Leisurely ride around town or back to the hotel to relax before boarding the overnight train to Chiang Mai. |
| Day 5-8: | Chiang Mai & Hill Tribe Trek We have two full days to explore the markets and temples of this exciting northern city, try a traditional Thai massage or even partake in a cooking class. We enjoy a trek in the scenic highland region, try our hand at elephant riding, and spend a memorable night staying in a hill tribe village hut. Sleeper train for our return journey to Bangkok. |
| Day 9-10: | Bangkok Free day to explore the old section of Bangkok visiting the Grand Palace and the beautiful Emerald Buddha. Our trip ends after breakfast the next day. |
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.
award winner how this holiday makes a difference
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There is a lot more to Thailand than beach resorts and bustling cities. This trip, with its focus on local 'industry' gives travellers the opportunity to enjoy a close-up encounter with this beautiful country. Participants are encouraged to buy locally-made handicrafts, enjoy a traditional massage – or learn how to cook "Thai style" with a local family.
The trip stays in family-run hotels and your visit to the hilltribe villages directly helps the Karen Hilltribes Trust, which we support. In addition, your tour leader is Thai, ensuring the financial benefits go back into the community. The trip begins in Bangkok before travelling west to Kanchanaburi, on the infamous River Kwai. A local bus takes you to the UNESCO-listed temple complex at Ayuthaya, where all proceeds go to the upkeep of this important site. The final leg brings you into Chiang Mai where you embark on your hilltribe trek before returning to Bangkok. This trip is focused on respecting and benefiting the local people and the environment of this country. On this trip you will be lead by an experienced local leader passionate about their country's history, heritage and natural beauty that will help you to get 'under the skin' of their country and see it through the eyes of a local. This trip stays at locally run accommodation; we eat at local restaurants and travel on local transport. This ensures the financial return to the local economy opens up training and employment opportunities - and allows for informal and meaningful interaction between our travellers and local people. We are constantly seeking new and innovative ways of neutralising our impact on the environment. We will become the first Australian adventure tour operator to offer a voluntary carbon offsetting option on the land component of all its tours, as well as the accompanying flights. Our Community Trust provides funds for local community projects and initiatives that promote responsible and sustainable tourism development in the destinations in which we operate. First and foremost, but not exclusively, the Trust supports projects and initiatives that advance education and employment within the tourism and hospitality industry. The Trust operates on a not-for-profit basis, with every cent of funds donated by us, our staff and our travellers, going to the nominated projects. The maximum group size on all of our adventures is 16 passengers – with exception of some African trips (24 max) and in the Polar Regions, where our ship carries a maximum of 110 passengers. Travelling in small groups ensures we make significantly less impact on the natural environment, as well as breaking down many of the communication barriers presented by a larger group. |
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. |