Thailand tour, north & the west coast
Late availability on these dates: 17 Oct, 24 Oct, 31 Oct
Description of Thailand tour, north & the west coast
Combining the best of the north and south, this is the definitive Thailand tour. Travel from the clamour of the capital to the serenity of steamy rainforests; from atmospheric ruins to the relaxed sun-drenched islands of the southern coast. Starting in Bangkok and finishing in Phuket, this 16-day small group guided adventure is the perfect chance to visit the many attractions and treasures of Thailand.
Spend time in the bustling capital Bangkok, touring the striking Wat Pho Temple and enjoying a Thai massage. You’ll also visit Sukhothai, one of the first ancient capitals of Siam, its Historical Park brimming with beautiful ruins and its night market a great place to try local dishes. Chiang Mai, northern Thailand’s most vibrant city, is famously friendly and beautiful. Enjoy a half-day cooking course or bike tour here, with time free for you to explore. You won’t miss out on some beach fun either, with time to relax, snorkel, take a boat trip or go sea kayaking in the beachside town of Ao Nang, the chilled-out island of Ko Yao Noi and popular Phuket.
Travel is by minibus, two overnight sleeper trains, public bus, songthaew passenger vehicles, speed boat and van, staying in hotels, resorts and guesthouses and meeting friendly Thai people along the way.
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Responsible Travel
Planet
The very ethos of our style of travel is responsible; small groups on fully escorted tours, experiencing the very best of a region, a culture and a landscape, with a friendly local hand guiding the way. Our itineraries are designed to give our travellers real life experiences without compromising the part of the world we are exploring; to travel responsibly is at the heart of our commitment as a global tour operator.You will later visit one of the projects we support in Thailand in Lampang, Friends of the Asian Elephant. We have made the decision to remove elephant riding from all of our itineraries due to animal welfare considerations and a visit to this project will give you an insight into how we came to this decision. You will also visit a second conservation project in Phuket, the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre, dedicated to the conservation of the animals in the region. These visits are included in the trip cost and our entrance fees go directly toward the work being done by the centres.
Throughout your trip you will be encouraged to take steps to ensure that your journey is environmentally responsible as possible. Your group leader will be on hand to assist with the appropriate disposal of rubbish en route, recycling wherever possible. We also encourage all our travellers to use refillable water bottles alongside purification products rather than purchasing regular supplies of bottled water.
The sale of bottled water contributes to an enormous environmental problem around the world. In addition to the water in the bottles, the production of a 1 litre plastic bottle takes 2 litres of water and 200ml of oil. Once discarded a large proportion of these end up in limited landfill or discarded in waterways and natural environments and we believe that their use should be discouraged.
People
This stunning journey encapsulates the best of Thailand, from the temples of Chiang Mai to the beaches of Phuket, via rural communities, tranquil Sukhothai and bustling Bangkok. Explore Thailand with us and you can be confident that not only that you will see some of the country’s most iconic sites, but also that you will be on a holiday designed to cause minimal environmental and cultural impact. Working with the concept of low and hopefully positive impact tourism, your tour will support local businesses; directing money spent back into regional economies rather than towards bigger organisations and will tread carefully from an environmental perspective.Our staff ‘on the ground’ are all recruited locally from within Thailand, from your tour leader who will accompany your group throughout, to the drivers we use when travelling in private vehicles. Using locals not only supports economies by creating employment in country, but it also gives you, our traveller some unique insights into Thai culture and day to day life that you just don’t get from ‘outsiders’. We believe that local knowledge really does go a long way.
Throughout this trip we do everything we can to ensure that the financial benefits from our travels find their way to local businesses and community initiatives. We stay in smaller, often locally owned properties and tend to favour traditional, often family run restaurants when dining together; great for sampling traditional local specialities! You’ll spend one night as guests of a local family at a rural homestay. Facilities will be basic, but it’s a great chance for some community interaction over a delicious Thai khantohk dinner, along with music and traditional dancing.
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