Family adventure holiday in Thailand
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Thai hill tribes, Northern Thailand |
| departures: | This trip can be arranged at a time to suit you for groups of three of more |
| price: | From £1205 - £1520 (12 days) including flights from UK, from £565 - £620 excluding flights |
read 2 travellers reviews
"I can visualise myself getting a bit spiritual amongst the lotus-covered ponds and temples in Sukhothai on this trip. It would also be a thoroughly enchanting experience to get up close and personal with some gentle giants at the elephant orphanage in Lampang."
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
the amazing things you'll be doing
An original view of some 'off the beaten track' areas of Northern Thailand; taking in the lively market town of Phitsanolok and the ancient ruined capital of Sukhothai on our way up to remote, rarely visited Nan Province where we'll trek through the forested hills of spectacular Mae Charim National Park – home to tigers, elephants and Hmong hill-tribe people.
Take the Family
We treat each family as a tour on your own and can therefore tailor our usual itineraries to suit the requirements of your family and the ages of your children. Some families choose to do an itinerary as given, others prefer to do the active/adventurous part of the tour with one of our tour leaders and then go to the beach for a few days on their own afterwards.
Thailand in particular lends itself to family tours with its convenient, efficient transport system, friendly helpful people and high levels of food hygiene. No more "Mummy I'm bored" - pack them off elephant riding, canoeing, making friends with the locals, or learning about the flora and fauna of the jungle ecosystem. We have successfully provided tours for families with children from ages 5 to 18.
Take the Family
We treat each family as a tour on your own and can therefore tailor our usual itineraries to suit the requirements of your family and the ages of your children. Some families choose to do an itinerary as given, others prefer to do the active/adventurous part of the tour with one of our tour leaders and then go to the beach for a few days on their own afterwards.
Thailand in particular lends itself to family tours with its convenient, efficient transport system, friendly helpful people and high levels of food hygiene. No more "Mummy I'm bored" - pack them off elephant riding, canoeing, making friends with the locals, or learning about the flora and fauna of the jungle ecosystem. We have successfully provided tours for families with children from ages 5 to 18.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Departure from London. |
| Day 2: | Morning arrival in Bangkok, meet your tour-leader and transfer to a downtown hotel in the City's Banglamphu district. Afternoon free to relax or explore the area. |
| Day 3: | City tour with a difference; Bangkok by riverboat, skytrain, tuk-tuk and canal, including stop-offs to visit sites such as the Grand Palace and fabulous Wat Phra Keow – Temple of the Emerald Buddha. |
| Day 4: | Morning departure by train; across the Central Plains and their emerald green rice paddies, to up-country Phitsanolok town – the Gateway to the North. Lunch time arrival and transfer to nearby Sukhothai town with the afternoon to relax in our guesthouse garden or discover the local markets. |
| Day 5: | Bicycle tour of the nearby, ancient city of Sukhothai – former capital of Siam – which, with it’s crumbling sandstone temples, towering Buddha statues and lotus-covered ponds, is one of the country’s most sacred and evocative sites. |
| Day 6: | Complete our northwards journey with a morning ride to remote Nan near the Lao border. This charming, town, well off the beaten tourist trail, was an independent city-state until 1931 when it was finally incorporated into the Kingdom of Siam. |
| Day 7-9: | A unique three day experience trekking through the dramatic jungle clad mountains bordering Laos. Travelling by jeep and on foot we’ll spend the first night as guests of a Hmong family in a tribal village and the second in chalets on the banks of the scenic Wa River. A white-water descent of the river on the final day complete the expedition. Return to Nan town on the evening of the day 9. |
| Day 10: | Scenic drive through the mountains to Chiang Mai with a stop-off for a visit and elephant ride at the famous Lampang Elephant orphanage.. Evening tour of the town’s vast night bazaar. |
| Day 11: | A ‘hands on’ Thai cookery lesson: beginning with a guided tour of the markets bewildering selection of herbs, spices, exotic fruit and vegetables you’ll then head off to the kitchen to cook (and then eat) your own lunch. Evening departure with a return flight to London via Bangkok. |
| Day 12: | Arrival in London. |
travellers' tales
We all have different highlights, but generally agree that the day we had a boat trip down the Maekok river, followed by an elephant ride where we got to ride the elephants like a mahout and then spent a night in an Akha village, was our most memorable day. (more)
independent family adventure holiday
These family trips are designed for those of you who prefer to travel just with your family, and not in a group with other families. The itineraries are set but you can typically depart at a time to suit you.how this holiday makes a difference
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This itinerary includes a fascinating look into one of the indigenous ethnic minorities of the region, with a home-stay at the Hmong village of Rom Klao.
As well as educating our passenger to the ways of life of another lesser-known people of the region, it provides income directly to the owners of the houses in which we stay as well as indirectly for other members of the village. Passengers are encouraged to make purchases, such as from the village shops and from individual crafts-people specifically, in this instance, embroidery from the women of the village. We then employ villagers to guide us through the jungle, further enhancing the benefit for the village as well as helping us to build up respectful and trusting relationships with the villagers. During an unusually cold winter last year we donated warm clothes and blankets to the village. |
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. |