Thailand multi activity tours
“Kayaking down the Mae Taeng River is quite gentle, the rapids aren’t all that rapid,” says Mike Stewart, Thailand General Manager at our partner Intrepid Travel. “We’re talking easy-going fun rather than high octane adventure.” His colleague, Product Manager Yata Ketchai (but known as Jub), laughs, “Don’t forget the water buffalo!”
“Oh yes,” Mike corrects himself. “Every now and then you might see a water buffalo bathing in the river, so you have to steer around them as well.”
After you’ve negotiated the river, the rapids, and the buffalo, you’ll moor up and enjoy a riverside barbecue before transferring to your boutique campsite – time for a spot of ‘glamping’ in the Mae Tamaan Valley, with tents that are not only en suite, but have their own air conditioning too.
All of this sounds immensely appealing to me. After all, who doesn’t love fun river stuff, barbecues, and very low-effort camping? But what makes our Thailand multi activity tours so special is actually not so much what you do, but who is showing you around.
“Let me give you an example of how holidays like this make a difference to local people,” says Jub. “One of our boat skippers, Tip, he’s in his fifties now. He started out as a trekking porter and poleman for bamboo rafting. Over the years he’s increased his skills and knowledge and training, and worked his way up to guiding guests. And it’s a similar story for many people from these rural communities – tourism has given them more diverse career opportunities and progression. It has allowed them to raise and support their families and be there more to spend time with them. And something we encourage our staff to do is to share their stories with their guests, because I think when you personalise holidays like that, you add emotion, you make them more memorable for the traveller.”
“Oh yes,” Mike corrects himself. “Every now and then you might see a water buffalo bathing in the river, so you have to steer around them as well.”
After you’ve negotiated the river, the rapids, and the buffalo, you’ll moor up and enjoy a riverside barbecue before transferring to your boutique campsite – time for a spot of ‘glamping’ in the Mae Tamaan Valley, with tents that are not only en suite, but have their own air conditioning too.
All of this sounds immensely appealing to me. After all, who doesn’t love fun river stuff, barbecues, and very low-effort camping? But what makes our Thailand multi activity tours so special is actually not so much what you do, but who is showing you around.
“Let me give you an example of how holidays like this make a difference to local people,” says Jub. “One of our boat skippers, Tip, he’s in his fifties now. He started out as a trekking porter and poleman for bamboo rafting. Over the years he’s increased his skills and knowledge and training, and worked his way up to guiding guests. And it’s a similar story for many people from these rural communities – tourism has given them more diverse career opportunities and progression. It has allowed them to raise and support their families and be there more to spend time with them. And something we encourage our staff to do is to share their stories with their guests, because I think when you personalise holidays like that, you add emotion, you make them more memorable for the traveller.”
Our holidays are definitely for people who always pack their trainers as well as their flip flops.![]()
Hike, bike, & kayak
I tell Mike and Jub about my own long-ago travels in Thailand, fresh out of university and still naïve about when to save money, and when to spend it. Specifically, how I once took the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai but chose a third-class seat without a cushion in a non-air-conditioned carriage, instead of paying a bit more for a bed. They find the idea appalling, and it absolutely was.
“We don’t do it like that!” says Mike, shaking his head at my foolhardy stinginess. “Our groups travel in comfortable 2nd class sleepers, so everyone will have their own bunk bed in a cabin with air conditioning. And we aim to get the whole group into the same carriage wherever possible, of course. There’s a dining car too, so we eat with local people who are on their own journeys – most people in Thailand travel by train.”
You may ride the overnight train between Ayutthaya, Thailand’s ancient capital where you’ll cycle around the UNESCO-listed historical park, and Chiang Mai, in the mountainous north of the country. On arrival in Chiang Mai, you might like to hike the 300-odd steps up to the Doi Suthep temple complex, where orange-clad Buddhist monks chant hypnotically amid clouds of incense.
“We don’t do it like that!” says Mike, shaking his head at my foolhardy stinginess. “Our groups travel in comfortable 2nd class sleepers, so everyone will have their own bunk bed in a cabin with air conditioning. And we aim to get the whole group into the same carriage wherever possible, of course. There’s a dining car too, so we eat with local people who are on their own journeys – most people in Thailand travel by train.”
You may ride the overnight train between Ayutthaya, Thailand’s ancient capital where you’ll cycle around the UNESCO-listed historical park, and Chiang Mai, in the mountainous north of the country. On arrival in Chiang Mai, you might like to hike the 300-odd steps up to the Doi Suthep temple complex, where orange-clad Buddhist monks chant hypnotically amid clouds of incense.
These holidays help people enjoy a higher standard of living, to give their kids a better education.![]()
It’s a good idea to stretch your legs, because the following day you’ll embark on a 10km trek along mountain ridges and forest trails to a hill tribe village, where you’ll spend the night. This is a trip for people who always pack their trainers as well as their flip flops. In this Karen farming community, you’ll stay in a bamboo house, with separate accommodation for men and women. A separate building holds a squat toilet. Your hosts will prepare a meal of simple but hearty home-cooked food. “These are places that traditionally make a living from agriculture, but supplement their income through hosting tourists,” says Mike. “That difference helps them enjoy a higher standard of living, to give their kids a better education.”
You leave the village by kayak and – water buffalo permitting – should moor up by lunchtime, so there will be plenty of time for some optional white water rafting afterwards, if you have the energy. Jub emphasises that the relaxed pace leaves plenty of time to take in the scenery: “Along the riverbanks you pass stretches of uninhabited jungle, and elephant camps. You see people fishing, just living out their daily routines.”
Returning to Chiang Mai you’ll spend a day cycling along tracks through teakwood plantations outside the city before a ride out to a Tai Lue community to learn about their traditional agricultural lifestyles. Depending on the season you visit you might help out with the rice harvest, or collect duck eggs from the fields, and settle down for a home-cooked lunch.
You leave the village by kayak and – water buffalo permitting – should moor up by lunchtime, so there will be plenty of time for some optional white water rafting afterwards, if you have the energy. Jub emphasises that the relaxed pace leaves plenty of time to take in the scenery: “Along the riverbanks you pass stretches of uninhabited jungle, and elephant camps. You see people fishing, just living out their daily routines.”
Returning to Chiang Mai you’ll spend a day cycling along tracks through teakwood plantations outside the city before a ride out to a Tai Lue community to learn about their traditional agricultural lifestyles. Depending on the season you visit you might help out with the rice harvest, or collect duck eggs from the fields, and settle down for a home-cooked lunch.
What do multi activity tours in Thailand involve?
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Trips range from around eight to 15 days, moving from place to place regularly and with a different activity to look forward to most days. Some are small group tours, with group sizes of 12 or so and a minimum age of about 15. Others are tailor made holidays, giving you greater freedom on your dates of travel, the type of accommodation you stay in, and your program of activities.
The emphasis is always on having fun but make no mistake, you’ll need a good degree of fitness, as there is a fair amount of exertion involved. A 55km cycle over mostly flat terrain, with the odd hill, might be followed a day later by a 10km (5-6 hour) trek through jungle, or a 15km kayak down the river.
Our Thailand multi activity holidays usually start in Bangkok, from where you might head north to Chiang Mai, or south to the coast and islands. Other activities you might try are hiking and canoeing around the limestone karst formations of Khao Sok National Park, snorkelling expeditions in the Surin Islands, or an early morning cycle ride through Chiang Mai, as the city is coming to life. In the Klong Klone mangrove forest an hour south of Bangkok, you can head out in a longtail boat to try mud surfing, while chattering monkeys scamper along tree branches and local fishermen pick through the mud looking for blood cockles.
Cultural immersion is always part of the mix, from village homestays to street food tours. Your tour leaders know the communities well – in some cases, they may have been born and raised in them. There’s no-one better to show you around and explain how your holiday is making a positive difference.
The emphasis is always on having fun but make no mistake, you’ll need a good degree of fitness, as there is a fair amount of exertion involved. A 55km cycle over mostly flat terrain, with the odd hill, might be followed a day later by a 10km (5-6 hour) trek through jungle, or a 15km kayak down the river.
Our Thailand multi activity holidays usually start in Bangkok, from where you might head north to Chiang Mai, or south to the coast and islands. Other activities you might try are hiking and canoeing around the limestone karst formations of Khao Sok National Park, snorkelling expeditions in the Surin Islands, or an early morning cycle ride through Chiang Mai, as the city is coming to life. In the Klong Klone mangrove forest an hour south of Bangkok, you can head out in a longtail boat to try mud surfing, while chattering monkeys scamper along tree branches and local fishermen pick through the mud looking for blood cockles.
Cultural immersion is always part of the mix, from village homestays to street food tours. Your tour leaders know the communities well – in some cases, they may have been born and raised in them. There’s no-one better to show you around and explain how your holiday is making a positive difference.
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