Thailand activity holiday
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Thai hill tribes, Northern Thailand, Central Thailand |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 11 Apr, 2 May, 23 May, 13 Jun, 4 Jul, 25 Jul, 15 Aug, 5 Sep, 26 Sep, 17 Oct, 7 Nov, 28 Nov, 19 Dec 2011: 9 Jan, 30 Jan, 20 Feb, 13 Mar, 3 Apr, 24 Apr, 15 May, 5 Jun, 26 Jun, 17 Jul, 7 Aug, 28 Aug, 18 Sep, 9 Oct, 30 Oct, 20 Nov, 11 Dec |
| price: | From £839 (14 days) excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
check out similar holiday ideas...
introduction to Thailand activity holiday
The best way to appreciate paradise is to jump straight into it. Hike through the dense tropical jungle, past lush rice paddy fields to remote hilltribe villages. Discover charming side streets and narrow back lanes as we get off the tourist track and view city life from the seat of a bicycle in Kanchanaburi. Kayak through the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea on the western coast of Thailand.
day-by-day itinerary
| Days 1-2: | Bangkok. Travellers will be arriving at all times today so there are no activities arranged. Please try to arrive by 6pm for an important group meeting where you can meet the tour leader and the other group members. You have the day free to relax and adjust to the frenetic pace and humid heat of Bangkok. On day 2 jump on your bicycle and escape to the quieter back-streets of this frenetic city. During your 4 hour guided bike ride (approx 20km) explore hidden temples, lovely parks, amazing street food vendors, you never know what you may find. On the evening of day 2 we board an overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. This train journey is 13.5 hrs. |
| Days 3-5: | Chiang Mai & Hilltribe trek. On arrival to Chiang Mai we transfer to our guesthouse for showers and breakfast and then visit the trek rental shop to pickup any gear that might be need. After driving into the hills we start with a half day of trekking. Head to the mountains for an unforgetttable hike through the jungle, past rice paddies and alongside streams and waterfalls. Emerge out of the jungle and discover remote hilltribe villages, home to Karen, Lahu and Akha peoples. Spend some time with our hilltribe hosts, learning about their unique cultures and relaxing in traditional bamboo cottages. We walk approximately 4-5 hours each day along sloping hills and valleys. We leave our big packs in storage and take an overnight bag. Each person is required to be able to carry their own pack as our porters will be carrying food and water supplies. Accommodation is group share, where you will be sleeping on the floor of the village huts. Toilet and washing facilities are very basic in most of the villages so be prepared to rough it for a few days. During the trek simple food is provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It can be cold during the evenings so make sure you have some lightweight warm clothes with you. We return to Chiang Mai on the evening of day 5 where we stay in a guesthouse where you can shower and relax after your hike. |
| Day 6: | Chiang Mai. On day 6 we have free time to explore Chiang Mai for the day before catching the overnight train to Ayutthaya. This train journey is approx 12 hrs. Surrounded by rolling hills, Chiang Mai offers both pretty surroundings and old style architecture. Enclosed by a moat and crumbling walls, the old city features great cafes, shops and accommodations. An important Buddhist centre since the 14th century, Chiang Mai is home to more than 300 temples. Many visitors come here to attend meditation retreats, massage classes, yoga lessons or a Thai cookery course. It is also a centre of handicraft production, with a long history of silverwork, woodcarving, pottery-making and weaving. |
| Days 7-8: | Ayuthaya & Kanchanaburi. Ayuthaya served as Thailand’s capital from the 14th to 18th centuries, when it ranked as one of the most magnificent cities in the world. Late in the 17th century its population reached one million, and foreign visitors wrote awestruck accounts of its size and splendor. Located 86km north of Bangkok, we explore the ruins of this World Heritage Site by bike, including various pagodas and Buddha images. Aterwards we continue onto Erawan National Park near Kanchanaburi where we board rafts and float down the river. The park contains the waterfalls of the same name (seven tiers of blue clear water with little fish that nibble at your feet), is well worth a visit. You are meant to be able to see Erawan; the 3 headed elephant that carries the Hindu God Indra, when you reach level seven (use your imagination!). The evening of day 7 sees us staying in basic raft accommodation. The next day is spent cycling around the sites of Kanchanburi. Kanchanaburi province itself is the third largest province in Thailand and possesses some of the best preserved natural sites in Thailand – partly due to the fact that it is still sparsely populated. Situated alongside the River Kwae Yai amongst limestone hills, Kanchanaburi (golden city) is most famous (or infamous) for the death railway that was constructed during WWII using prisoners of war and Asian labor. The bridge on the River Kwae, the war cemetery, war museum all make up the major attractions of this town. Many veterans and descendants of the POW’s return here to honor those that died during the construction of the railroad. The story goes that the British were the first to survey the track lines but decided it would be too difficult to build. The Japanese during WWII want to establish a supply route to Myanmar and India. As the route along the river was covered by thick forest, the Japanese thought that it would be better protected. The allies bombed the railway in two places – at the beginning in Thailand (the bridge) and the end in Myanmar. All up the track is 415kms long, with around 300km in Thailand. Around 100,000 Asian laborers and 16,000 POW’s died during its construction with the track only running for about 20 months. |
| Day 9: | Krabi. This morning we drive to Bangkok (approx 4 hours) to catch our flight to south to Krabi. We arrive to the beach town of Ao Nang (Krabi Province) where we check into our guest house to enjoy the stunning Karst scenery and white beaches. Our guesthouse is in Ao Nang, close to the beach and provides a perfect spot to mellow out and relax. Weather and time permitting, you can take a longtail boat out to some of the beautiful islands and snorkel the reefs that have made southern Thailand so famous. |
| Days 10-12: | Andaman Sea. Leaving the beauty of Krabi behind we head out for 3 days of kayaking around the Andaman Sea exploring white sandy beaches and coral bays. We camp under the stars for 2 nights enjoying the relaxed pace of the South. The kayaks carry basic snorkeling equipment for you to use but you may want to bring your own. On the evening of day 12 we return to our guesthouse in Ao Nang. |
| Day 13: | Krabi. Your morning is free before early afternoon we return to the mainland to catch the evening sleeper train back to Bangkok. |
| Day 14: | Depart Bangkok. Arrive in morning at the train station to bid farewell to everyone. If you are departing Bangkok today please do not book any onward travel until after 1pm. |
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
|
Group size: In order to keep the environmental and negative social impact of travel to a minimum, we operate this tour with a maximum of 15 passengers.
Accommodation: The majority of our hotels are small, locally owned and family operated establishments. This tour includes two nights in the hilltribes, and one night on a jungle raft. Local guides and operators: By working with local guides and operators, we provide economic benefits directly to the local people and businesses. Our local guides are experts in flora, fauna, and history and culture, and provide our travellers with insight into local knowledge. Tour leaders: Our tour leaders receive special training in low-impact travel and regional conservation issues and projects. They are also provided with a Sustainable Travel Manual. Tour leaders are selected based on their knowledge of, and commitment to sustainable travel. All our tour leaders speak English and have first aid and CPR certification. Our foundation: Through our commitment to responsible tourism we have developed our own foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people and communities around the world through support of international charities, local organizations and community projects in the places that we visit on our tours. Through this, we support the Seva Canada Society, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the elimination of preventable and treatable blindness. Seva has worked in Nepal and India for 25 years and more recently in Tibet and Tanzania. Today, nearly 40 million people are blind with ninety percent of the world’s blind living in developing countries. Another 135 million have debilitating low vision. The good news is that most of this blindness can be prevented or cured. Half of the world’s blindness is caused by cataract that is reversible with a 15-minute operation costing $20 - $50 in most developing countries. |
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. |
check out similar holiday ideas...