Learn to drive a Tuk Tuk & holiday in Thailand
Description of Learn to drive a Tuk Tuk & holiday in Thailand
Tuk Tuks! Little three wheeler vehicles – essentially motorised rickshaws – that you might be familiar seeing in Bangkok’s traffic jams. On this holiday, the Tuk Tuk is unleashed on the mountain roads of Northern Thailand – and you’re in the driver’s seat.
Could this be the best driving holiday in the world? It’s definitely one of the most unusual. On this trip you get everything you need to learn to drive, and then you’ll hit the road on small group adventure – with no more than 12 like-minded pioneers.
After flying into Chiang Mai, you’re whisked to a small countryside village nearby for training over two days. You get to practise driving on quiet country back roads with little traffic first, and after your driving test – and a special blessing at the local temple – the adventure begins.
You’ll be heading up towards Doi Inthanon National Park, the site of Thailand’s highest mountain. You can expect steep switchback roads and plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the views which change with every turn, or stop at a roadside snack bar. On the way, you’ll stop at an elephant home, to spend time with Thailand’s gentle giants, and stay the nights in a Karen village. You’ll get a break from the Tuk Tuks to go on a hike through the National Park, on a route that has been designed especially for this tour.
This trip uses local guides who really care about helping guests forge meaningful connections with the places and the people they visit – you might be joined for dinner by neighbours, as well as staying in family run and locally-owned accommodation. There are no tourist traps, just roadside snack bars serving up no-fuss northern Thai delicacies, and the opportunity to relax at the end of each day, in good company, and with an ice-cold lager.
Your bright orange Tuk Tuk has been specially built with more legroom and headroom, so that driver and passenger can travel in comfort, and there are even Bluetooth speakers!
You’ll never drive for more than an hour at a time without a break, and the group always travels with a support vehicle and support team. The minimum age for drivers is 18, but anyone over the age of five can come along and be a passenger in the back.
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3 Reviews of Learn to drive a Tuk Tuk & holiday in Thailand
Reviewed on 18 Sep 2023 by Sam Tipple
Perfect, this is a must do if you want to explore Northern Thailand and enjoy driving. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Apr 2023 by Siobhan Hanrahan
Every day was different and memorable because of the wonderful staff that took care of us, who made everything seem to happen organically... 10 out of 10. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
PLASTICSingle use plastic is a major challenge in Thailand not only with water bottles but also with food wrappings (it's not uncommon to have 4-5 plastic bags for one serving of food). Whilst clean water and staying hydrated is very important we are committed to ending our use of single use plastic water bottles by the end of 2019. In addition, when trekking all food is wrapped in banana leaves, utensils are metal and all waste is carried out of the forest by our team.
EDUCATION
During the trek we always use not only our full-time guides but also a local village guide with huge expertise and knowledge of the flora and fauna. As part of the trek the local guide shows travellers how the community use plants and trees to manage and help a variety of ailments and illnesses and shows how important the protection of the forest has been to the sustainability of the local hill tribe communities.
WILDLIFE
We visit a very small elephant home during this adventure, and one that we have been lucky enough to support as it moved away from allowing any riding of elephants, which allows our guides - and the team at the home - to discuss the plight of elephants in Thailand, why they have been on the journey they've been on to move away from riding and how the way they operate allows for a much better and, importantly, sustainable future for the elephants. This is very close to our hearts and whilst it is only a small part of the adventure, it's a very big part of what we do and we feel privileged that we, and our travellers, are able to play a significant role in ensuring the future of the home and allowing the elephants have a much better standard of living than those which are used in the still very popular trekking / riding 'industry'.
People
BEING FAIR TO ALLWe have worked hard to develop very strong and mutually beneficial relationships with all of our partners on our adventures. We always ensure that we pay people fairly for the work and service they provide and we encourage all our travellers to appreciate the services and warmth of not only our team but also everyone they come into contact with throughout the adventure. Rather than seek out the cheapest 'supplier' we always look for the best, with 'best' including how they look after the staff working for them.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TRAVELLERS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
By employing local guides and ensuring that our team is made up of people who genuinely care about the communities and regions we travel through, we are able to ensure that a great deal of time is spent in real interaction with the local community by our travellers. Community members will often join us for dinner or drinks in the evening keen to share their stories and culture and we believe this is not only a highlight of any adventure but also an excellent way of strengthening cultural ties and helping understanding between very different groups of people.
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