Northern Thailand family holiday
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Northern Thailand |
| departures: | 2009: 20 Dec 2010: 4 Apr, 1 Aug, 8 Aug, 15 Aug, 22 Aug, 17 Oct, 19 Dec 2011: 10 Apr, 31 Jul, 7 Aug, 14 Aug, 21 Aug |
| price: | From £1395 - £1915 per adult or £1260 - £1780 per child (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £875 - £1010 excluding flights. Teenage departures: 05 Aug 2009 & 01 Aug 2010 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The isolated valleys of northern Thailand - a landscape of thick jungle, rivers and rice paddies - are inhabited by many different tribes, the descendants of those who travelled from as far away as Tibet and China.
Our 2-day trek - which includes travelling on foot, by bamboo raft and even elephant-back! - is a journey through another time.
We also spend time in Thailand's colourful cities and on the tropical island of Koh Samet, swimming and snorkelling.
From Bangkok to the 'Rose of the North'
Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is crisscrossed with canals - often packed with houseboats and 'floating markets' - and the best way to discover it is from the water. We do much of our exploring on foot (we are trekkers after all!), as we visit some of the city's glittering palaces and Buddhist temples. A sleeper train then takes us up-country to Chiang Mai, the 'Rose of the North'. This is a much cooler and quieter town - and perhaps the ideal place to enjoy a ride in a tuk-tuk. As well as climbing the 300-step 'Dragon Staircase' to Doi Suthep temple, we visit the Lampang elephant sanctuary and hospital.
2 day hilltribe trek
Our truck drops us off deep in the heartland of the hilltribes for the start of our trek. We encounter a variety of tribes, such as the Lahu (traditionally crossbow hunters); the Lisu (who live on hilltops); and, where the land is terraced and well irrigated, the Karen - our Thai leader fortunately speaks all the local dialects! The villagers are mostly animists - they believe in spirits and often protect their houses with magical objects. They are also very hospitable and friendly - but don't expect any creature comforts here: the only luxury you'll have in your bamboo house is your own sleeping bag! As well as river rafting and elephant riding, we'll explore the huge network of caves at Tham Lot. Our trek ends in Mae Hong Son, a small riverside town. Here you have a chance to enjoy the hotel's swimming pool and lush grounds, or perhaps a mud spa.
Tropical island of Koh Samet
By flight, road and ferry we travel to the warm waters of Koh Samet. The island is just a few miles long and has been declared a National Park; we lodge in a comfy hotel right on the beach. This is an ideal place to relax and have fun, with plenty of time for boat trips and snorkelling off the long white sands. Thailand is also a great place for markets, and along your travels you'll find plenty of weird and wonderful bargains - from shadow puppets to cards made out of elephant dung!
Group size is approximately 14 to 18.
Swimming is available every day except whilst on the trek.
Price includes 11 nights hotel, 2 nights village houses (very basic), 1 night sleeper train, 13 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 2 dinners, tour leader plus driver and some local guides.
Travel is by overnight train, pick up truck, on foot, elephant, raft, internal flights, bus and ferry.
Minimum age is 6 years old.
Our 2-day trek - which includes travelling on foot, by bamboo raft and even elephant-back! - is a journey through another time.
We also spend time in Thailand's colourful cities and on the tropical island of Koh Samet, swimming and snorkelling.
From Bangkok to the 'Rose of the North'
Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is crisscrossed with canals - often packed with houseboats and 'floating markets' - and the best way to discover it is from the water. We do much of our exploring on foot (we are trekkers after all!), as we visit some of the city's glittering palaces and Buddhist temples. A sleeper train then takes us up-country to Chiang Mai, the 'Rose of the North'. This is a much cooler and quieter town - and perhaps the ideal place to enjoy a ride in a tuk-tuk. As well as climbing the 300-step 'Dragon Staircase' to Doi Suthep temple, we visit the Lampang elephant sanctuary and hospital.
2 day hilltribe trek
Our truck drops us off deep in the heartland of the hilltribes for the start of our trek. We encounter a variety of tribes, such as the Lahu (traditionally crossbow hunters); the Lisu (who live on hilltops); and, where the land is terraced and well irrigated, the Karen - our Thai leader fortunately speaks all the local dialects! The villagers are mostly animists - they believe in spirits and often protect their houses with magical objects. They are also very hospitable and friendly - but don't expect any creature comforts here: the only luxury you'll have in your bamboo house is your own sleeping bag! As well as river rafting and elephant riding, we'll explore the huge network of caves at Tham Lot. Our trek ends in Mae Hong Son, a small riverside town. Here you have a chance to enjoy the hotel's swimming pool and lush grounds, or perhaps a mud spa.
Tropical island of Koh Samet
By flight, road and ferry we travel to the warm waters of Koh Samet. The island is just a few miles long and has been declared a National Park; we lodge in a comfy hotel right on the beach. This is an ideal place to relax and have fun, with plenty of time for boat trips and snorkelling off the long white sands. Thailand is also a great place for markets, and along your travels you'll find plenty of weird and wonderful bargains - from shadow puppets to cards made out of elephant dung!
Group size is approximately 14 to 18.
Swimming is available every day except whilst on the trek.
Price includes 11 nights hotel, 2 nights village houses (very basic), 1 night sleeper train, 13 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 2 dinners, tour leader plus driver and some local guides.
Travel is by overnight train, pick up truck, on foot, elephant, raft, internal flights, bus and ferry.
Minimum age is 6 years old.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Bangkok |
| Day 2: | Arrive Bangkok; optional tour of Klongs |
| Day 3: | Visit wats and Grand Palace |
| Day 4: | Free day Bangkok; overnight train Chiang Mai |
| Day 5-6: | In Chiang Mai; visit Doi Suthep and elephant sanctuary at Lampang |
| Day 7-8: | 2 day Hilltribe Trek |
| Day 9: | Trek, drive and raft to Mae Hong Son |
| Day 10: | In Mae Hong Son |
| Day 11: | Return Chiang Mai |
| Day 12: | Fly Bangkok; bus and ferry to Koh Samet |
| Day 13-14: | On Koh Samet |
| Day 15: | Fly London. |
| Day 16: | Arrive London. |
small group family holiday
This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age is usually 5) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Following the 2004 tsunami, we shipped out urgent supplies of clothing and bedding to support affected communities and founded the construction of a community hall for the fishing communities in Ranong Province.
To ensure the welfare of the elephants we ride, we allow a maximum of 2 passengers per elephant. We use locally owned village houses, ensuring that our visit is of economic benefit to the community. This is also an ideal opportunity to get to know the local people and about their lifestyle. We stay with families from different Hill tribes, and the intercultural mixing works in both directions, enabling both cultures to learn more about each other. Our Tour Leaders are all trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. This then percolates down through those they deal with. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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. |