Family holiday to Thailand, jungles and islands
Highlights
Bangkok Sites and Streetlife | Amphawa Canals | ‘Railway Market’ | Bridge on the River Kwai | Train Ride on the ‘Death Railway’ | Kanchanaburi | Khao Sok National Park | Flora and Fauna | Trang | Krabi | Koh Jum | Chao Mai National Park | Kayaking in Sea CavesTravel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.comDeparture information
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.

Our regular visits provide long term and sustainable extra income for these people. The benefits of our patronage are extended to local business people not immediately connected to the guides. We eat in small food shops and restaurants, encourage our passengers to make souvenir purchases at the local crafts market and make small purchases in the Karen villages such as water and locally make snacks.
We have also made financial contributions to the local orphanage and to Karen and Mon refugee camps housing people fleeing the oppression they encounter in neighbouring Burma.
Wherever practical we use public transport such as the local bus from Sangklaburi to Kanchanaburi and the sleeper train to Trang. This is not only contributing to the local economy, but results in fewer carbon emissions per head than does smaller forms of transport.
Khao Lak village in Southern Thailand. A relatively poor farming community was inspired, partly through our interest, to organize a co-operative home-stay and trekking scheme and has since received grants, training and advice to that extent from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. We are also pleased to state that several local village lads are now keener to lead bird watching and nature tours than their traditional pastimes of shooting or trapping. We provided the co-operative scheme with textbooks on local bird and animal life.
Information: Providing suitable, relevant information for our customers; to help them to gain a wider understanding of our style of tourism that focuses on learning, genuine interaction with the local communities, reciprocity and cultural exchange processes. To be aware of the potential impact of tourism on the local society, culture and environment, and to behave and dress appropriately with a respect and appreciation for local customs, mores and traditions and a respect for the ecology of areas visited. Our guides and leaders thus facilitate communication of our values to both travellers and local communities, educating them in sustainable tourism practices
Group sizes: By limiting groups to small sizes we aim to reduce the impact on both local communities and the environment whilst allowing for greater genuine interaction with said communities. It also results in a higher guide/customer ratio thus greater facility for supervision and individual assistance and allows us to use smaller hotels and restaurants and employ the services of more genuinely ‘local’ operators perhaps not otherwise well equipped for larger groups.
Destinations: We combine the well known tourist sites with many off-the-beaten-track, rarely visited destinations thus diverting tourist revenue and contact with responsible tourism into areas not usually benefiting as well as providing a more authentic view of the region visited.
Local products: As much as possible we aim to employ local personnel, (guides, drivers, agents etc), use local restaurants and smaller privately owned accommodation. Customers are also encouraged to buy and use local products and services as much as possible in order to support and stimulate the local economy.
Instruction: By explaining our methods and the reasons behind them local agents, guides and hotels are encouraged by us to adopt further responsible tourism practices themselves and guides and drivers are provided with additional training in this respect.
The Impacts of this Trip
The tour operator is winner of the 2012 Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Excellence Award for Nature, Marine and Heritage Tourism, the 2010 Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Excellence Award for Best tour operator for Local Communities and the 2008 Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Excellence Award for Best Specialist Tour Operator


Our regular visits provide long term and sustainable extra income for these people. The benefits of our patronage are extended to local business people not immediately connected to the guides. We eat in small food shops and restaurants, encourage our passengers to make souvenir purchases at the local crafts market and make small purchases in the Karen villages such as water and locally make snacks.
We have also made financial contributions to the local orphanage and to Karen and Mon refugee camps housing people fleeing the oppression they encounter in neighbouring Burma.
Wherever practical we use public transport such as the local bus from Sangklaburi to Kanchanaburi and the sleeper train to Trang. This is not only contributing to the local economy, but results in fewer carbon emissions per head than does smaller forms of transport.
Khao Lak village in Southern Thailand. A relatively poor farming community was inspired, partly through our interest, to organize a co-operative home-stay and trekking scheme and has since received grants, training and advice to that extent from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. We are also pleased to state that several local village lads are now keener to lead bird watching and nature tours than their traditional pastimes of shooting or trapping. We provided the co-operative scheme with textbooks on local bird and animal life.
Information: Providing suitable, relevant information for our customers; to help them to gain a wider understanding of our style of tourism that focuses on learning, genuine interaction with the local communities, reciprocity and cultural exchange processes. To be aware of the potential impact of tourism on the local society, culture and environment, and to behave and dress appropriately with a respect and appreciation for local customs, mores and traditions and a respect for the ecology of areas visited. Our guides and leaders thus facilitate communication of our values to both travellers and local communities, educating them in sustainable tourism practices
Group sizes: By limiting groups to small sizes we aim to reduce the impact on both local communities and the environment whilst allowing for greater genuine interaction with said communities. It also results in a higher guide/customer ratio thus greater facility for supervision and individual assistance and allows us to use smaller hotels and restaurants and employ the services of more genuinely ‘local’ operators perhaps not otherwise well equipped for larger groups.
Destinations: We combine the well known tourist sites with many off-the-beaten-track, rarely visited destinations thus diverting tourist revenue and contact with responsible tourism into areas not usually benefiting as well as providing a more authentic view of the region visited.
Local products: As much as possible we aim to employ local personnel, (guides, drivers, agents etc), use local restaurants and smaller privately owned accommodation. Customers are also encouraged to buy and use local products and services as much as possible in order to support and stimulate the local economy.
Instruction: By explaining our methods and the reasons behind them local agents, guides and hotels are encouraged by us to adopt further responsible tourism practices themselves and guides and drivers are provided with additional training in this respect.

The Impacts of this Trip
The tour operator is winner of the 2012 Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Excellence Award for Nature, Marine and Heritage Tourism, the 2010 Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Excellence Award for Best tour operator for Local Communities and the 2008 Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Excellence Award for Best Specialist Tour Operator

3 Reviews of Family holiday to Thailand, jungles and islands
Reviewed on 24 Jan 2017 by Shefda Cattermoul
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It is hard to pick out one thing but it would include staying in the jungle in a treehouse, visiting some amazing temples, eating street food in an evening market before catching the sleeper train, treking in the jungles, canoeing down the river Kwai and the awesome beach on Koh Lanta.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take lots of Deet and diahorra tablets and travel as light as you can. Book an extra day at the beach at the end because you will need a good rest before the long flight home (and the beach is amazing).
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We ate at locally owned places. All trips were run by people from the local area and employed local people.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We are a family with two sons aged 17 and 14. We were all entertained all of the time. A great mix of culture, lots of activities and relaxation. We were never bored. Our guide Aor was fun, informative and made our trip a very relaxed one.
Reviewed on 06 Feb 2015 by Alison Hatchman
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many wonderful memories. The day trip in Bangkok was fantastic, boat trip on the lily and lotus covered lake at Thale Noi Bird Sanctuary beautiful, and meeting the elders at the Sakai settlement was both fascinating and humbling. My teenage children would say that the night train experience, canoeing at Ban Chao Mai National Park and swimming through the Emerald Cave were the most memorable bits.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring a waterproof camera for the caves and canoeing! Don't worry about your tummies - my children drank smoothies at all the restaurants and didn't have any problems. The food everywhere was fantastic!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Most definitely. It was lovely seeing our guide using local guides and helpers on our adventures.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
As our first holiday in Asia it was fantastic. Our guide was so friendly and helpful we really didn't have to do anything but have a great time! We experienced a bit of Thai culture and history, some exciting adventures and had a relaxing time at the beach! Wonderful food all the time. Wonderful holiday.
Reviewed on 17 Sep 2014 by Francoise Harris
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Tube riding on the river and swimming in the beautiful clear water in Koh Talu
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Extend the last two days to five days on the island. There is plenty to do.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
A lot of local people benefited from our visit and we are glad as we really enjoy their friendly welcome
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
10 out of 10
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