Elephant conservation holiday in Thailand
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | North East Thailand, Northern Thailand |
| departures: | 2009: 13 Nov |
| price: | From £2100 (18 days) including flights from the UK. This trip can also be booked without flights from £1500 |
| more info: | Price includes accommodation, elephant conservation and other activities, chauffer-driven minivans and most meals. No single supplements. Spending money guideline £250. Maximum group size 10. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Join this unique elephant conservation holiday in Thailand this November.
There are many holidays in Thailand which feature elephants but in fact are just a visit to a touristy elephant camp. Rest assured this one isn't one of them. There are also trips which have you spending a few days at an elephant conservation centre. This one is much much more.
On this one-of-a-kind holiday in November 2009, not only will you spend days and nights getting up close and personal to elephants and learning to care for them at two incredible conservation centres, you will also visit Thailand's annual elephant festival in Surin and explore one of the last natural habitats containing herds of wild elephants. Along the way, you will do some sightseeing, enjoy delicious authentic Thai food, meet local people and communities, and enjoy some much-needed relaxation with Thai massages and pool time.
This unique elephant holiday has only just been launched and is already half-full with people previously registered with us. So whilst we have put together a quick summary of the itinerary here, please contact us for the full itinerary as soon as possible.
There are many holidays in Thailand which feature elephants but in fact are just a visit to a touristy elephant camp. Rest assured this one isn't one of them. There are also trips which have you spending a few days at an elephant conservation centre. This one is much much more.
On this one-of-a-kind holiday in November 2009, not only will you spend days and nights getting up close and personal to elephants and learning to care for them at two incredible conservation centres, you will also visit Thailand's annual elephant festival in Surin and explore one of the last natural habitats containing herds of wild elephants. Along the way, you will do some sightseeing, enjoy delicious authentic Thai food, meet local people and communities, and enjoy some much-needed relaxation with Thai massages and pool time.
This unique elephant holiday has only just been launched and is already half-full with people previously registered with us. So whilst we have put together a quick summary of the itinerary here, please contact us for the full itinerary as soon as possible.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flight. Overnight flight on 13 November 2009 with Thai Airways from London to Bangkok (it is also possible to join the group in Bangkok) |
| Day 2: | Arrival. You will be met at Bangkok airport in a private minibus and taken to your centrally-located boutique inn. Time for a quick dip in pool. Welcome dinner at local restaurant. |
| Day 3: | Sightseeing. Free morning, afternoon sightseeing in Bangkok with guide. |
| Day 4: | Elephant conservation. Early morning transfer to elephant conservation centre in Ayutthaya. Day with elephants. |
| Day 5: | Day with elephants. |
| Day 6: | Day with elephants. Early evening private minibus transfer to eco lodge near Khao Yai National Park |
| Day 7: | Free day. Morning and early afternoon free to enjoy the pool. Late afternoon visit to national park to view over 2 million bats swarming out of a cave at dusk. |
| Day 8: | Day in Khao Yai National Park with guide - trekking, waterfalls and driving around in a jeep. Special focus, elephants. |
| Day 9: | Elephantestival. Day at Surin elephant festival where elephants show off their considerable skills – tug of war is particularly entertaining. |
| Day 10: | Transfer to the north. Mid morning departure to Bangkok airport by private minibus and short flight to Chiang Mai. Arrival at boutique hotel, late afternoon Thai massage in the garden and evening at leisure to stroll around Chiang Mai town or visit the night bazaar. |
| Day 11-15: | Elephant Nature Park. Days and nights at Elephant Nature Park, a conservation centre and sanctuary for elephants, many of whom have previously been ill-treated, but now have a home here, some are on permanent holiday. |
| Day 16: | Day at Elephant Nature Park. Evening transfer to luxury homestay outside Chiang Mai. Welcome dinner at homestay. |
| Day 17: | Relaxation and culture. Morning free to enjoy the swimming pool, jacuzzi and gardens. Afternoon walk in the local area and village. Evening, special farewell dinner. |
| Day 18: | End of your holiday. Morning transfer to Chiang Mai airport for a short internal flight to Bangkok and connection to international flight. Arrival in the UK at approx 7pm on Sunday 29th November. |
small group cultural tours
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 it's 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 experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
We encourage our customers who wish to add domestic flights to take the train to Heathrow instead, which makes environmental and economical sense. We provide tips on how to offset carbon via changes in lifestyle. Elephant conservation - This holiday supports two of the three best elephant conservation centres in Thailand (and there are hundreds). By living and working alongside elephant mahouts, you will learn about their lives as well as the elephants. Elephant Nature Park particularly is a showpiece of wildlife conservation in Asia. It was named Time Magazine's 'Asian Hero of the Year'. Not only does Elephant Nature Park provide a refuge for elephants from all over Thailand, often previously-abused, but it spreads knowledge on humane training and elephant welfare to the wider community, as well as providing hands-on medical assistance to elephants who are not lucky enough to live there. Accommodation - The accommodation on this holiday is small and local, within existing buildings or built with comparatively low impact to the environment. Community: We employ people locally which helps us work with local people on a highly individual basis. When we say we use local guides, we don’t mean guides from Thailand, but guides in each local area, not those from the ‘big city’. We often provide opportunities for people who are not involved in tourism to benefit from cultural exchange as well as financially. We are also proud to say we often build in ‘shopping stops’ these are at places like out-of-the-way villages which specialise in a particular handicraft – a great way to break up the longer journeys whilst supporting local economies. It goes without saying that we also provide cultural guidelines and travel, including responsible travel information. |
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. |