Thailand, private departures
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Southern Thailand, Northern Thailand, Central Thailand |
| departures: | Private departures available most Fridays throughout the year |
| price: | From £1049 - £1249 (16 days) excluding international flights. Price includes internal flights, transport, accommodation & some meals (all breakfasts, 2 lunches). Group size 2-5 plus leader |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Travel in your own private group & see the best of Thailand at an easy pace and in relative comfort
This leisurely journey gives us time to adjust to the gentler pace of life in Thailand. With plenty of time, we can more fully appreciate the grandeur of the 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.
Above all we will take away a feeling for the warmth of welcome from the Thai people, for whom a smile is never far away.
This leisurely journey gives us time to adjust to the gentler pace of life in Thailand. With plenty of time, we can more fully appreciate the grandeur of the 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.
Above all we will take away a feeling for the warmth of welcome from the Thai people, for whom a smile is never far away.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Start Bangkok. |
| Day 2: | Bangkok. Sightseeing including the Grand Palace. |
| Day 3: | To Kanchanaburi. Visit the War Museum, cemetery and the famous 'Bridge on the River Kwai'. |
| Day 4: | Ride on the Death Railway. Visit Hellfire Pass and Erawan N.P., famous for its beautiful waterfalls. |
| Day 5: | To ancient Ayuthaya. Visit the temple site and take a rice barge cruise along the river; overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. |
| Day 6: | Chiang Mai. Morning at leisure. Afternoon tour to Doi Suthep Temple and the Hilltribe Museum. |
| Day 7: | Full day cooking course in Chiang Mai. Learning the secrets of Thai cooking! |
| Day 8: | Visit Lampang Elephant Centre. Take a ride before transferring to our rustic lodge in the jungle. |
| Day 9: | Hilltribe village visit. Gentle trek to visit a local hilltribe village amongst beautiful rainforest scenery. |
| Day 10: | Return to Chiang Mai. Afternoon at leisure. |
| Day 11: | Fly to Koh Samui. |
| Day 12-14: | Relax on the tropical beaches. Optional activities include boat rides, snorkelling and sea kayaking. |
| Day 15: | Morning at leisure. Fly to Bangkok. |
| Day 16: | End Bangkok. |
independent adventure holidays
These trips have set itineraries and can operate either on set dates or flexible dates. They are suitable for small private groups or couples and operate with a minumum of two people. All independent trips are subject to availability. We do not have an unlimited supply of vehicles, accommodation or guides, there are also limits on entry permits or restrictions on visitors to some of our most popular destinations. It is therefore strongly recommended that you plan any independent adventure holidays as early as possible.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. |