Holiday in Thailand, Northern explorer
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Golden Triangle, Northern Thailand |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 20 Sep, 18 Oct, 15 Nov, 13 Dec, 27 Dec 2009: 10 Jan, 7 Feb, 7 Mar, 4 Apr, 2 May, 30 May, 27 Jun, 25 Jul, 22 Aug, 19 Sep, 17 Oct, 14 Nov, 12 Dec, 26 Dec |
| price: | From £575 (10 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $150. We can arrange flights from the UK |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Explore the vibrant cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai and the infamous Golden Triangle; visit some of Thailand's most interesting and beautiful ancient sights; spend the night in a Thai village as guests of a local family; learn to cook the mouth-watering dishes that have made Thai cuisine a world favourite.
On this exciting trip you do all of this and more on a fabulous journey to the heart of Northern Thailand.
This trip gives travellers a wonderful opportunity to experience life outside of Thailand's bustling modern cities. We stay in small local hotels, employ many local guides and representatives and remind travellers of the need to be environmentally responsible.
Travellers are also encouraged to shop for local handicrafts in the vibrant night markets and maybe indulge in a traditional Thai massage.
On this exciting trip you do all of this and more on a fabulous journey to the heart of Northern Thailand.
This trip gives travellers a wonderful opportunity to experience life outside of Thailand's bustling modern cities. We stay in small local hotels, employ many local guides and representatives and remind travellers of the need to be environmentally responsible.
Travellers are also encouraged to shop for local handicrafts in the vibrant night markets and maybe indulge in a traditional Thai massage.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Bangkok. Arrival day. |
| Day 2: | Bangkok. Guided tour of the Grand Palace and the magnificent Wat Phra Keow (Emerald Buddha). This afternoon your tour leader will take you on an exciting journey along Bangkok’s canals or ‘Klongs’. |
| Day 3: | Phitsanoluk. Our first stop today is the ancient capital of Siam, Ayuthaya. We have a guided tour of the old palace and city before continuing to Phitsanoluk where we’ll enjoy the local culinary experience of "The Flying Vegetables". |
| Day 4: | Sukothai - Chiang Mai. Guided tour of the magnificent Buddhist site of Sukothai. Later we drive to Chiang Mai via the elephant orphanage at Lamphang. |
| Day 5: | Chiang Mai. An excursion to the hill top Buddhist Temple of Doi Suthep. Free afternoon to wander through the streetside market stalls or experience a Thai massage. |
| Day 6: | Chiang Mai - Tribal mountain village. We head out of Chiang Mai into the hills. After a visit to an elephant training camp we travel by pick-up truck to a small tribal village. We then continue on foot through mountainous terrain to a Palong village where we spend the night in a traditional village house. |
| Day 7: | Elephant ride and bamboo rafting. After breakfast we ride elephants through the jungle to a small river. We then continue by bamboo raft down the river. Later we return via an orchid garden and butterfly farm to Chiang Mai. There is time to relax around the pool before the evening flight to Bangkok. |
| Day 8: | River Kwai. A short drive west of Bangkok takes us to Kanchanaburi for our adventure on the River Kwai. We visit the floating market before boarding a train on the notorious Burma Railway. We then visit the Bridge on the River Kwai and take an exciting boat ride up river to our rafthouses, set amongst beautiful jungle scenery, where we spend the night. |
| Day 9: | River Kwai. Today we visit the War Cemeteries and JEATH Museum in Kanchanaburi before transferring to our hotel which is situated on a small island in the middle of the River Kwai. The rest of the day is free to explore the town or enjoy the swimming pool. |
| Day 10: | Bangkok. Drive to the nearby National Park and visit the Erawan Waterfalls. We can swim in the natural pools or walk up to the top of the falls. We later return to Bangkok, visiting the tallest Buddhist monument in the world on the way. |
| Day 11: | Bangkok. Tour ends after breakfast. |
travellers' tales
I loved talking with our guide "Mr. T" as we drove for hours through the countryside. I especially enjoyed being given the opportunity to ride bareneck on our elephant as we trekked through the woods. (more)
small group adventure holiday
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 its 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 seeing new places.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This trip gives travellers a wonderful opportunity to experience life outside of Thailand's bustling modern cities. We stay in small local hotels, employ many local guides and representatives and remind travellers of the need to be environmentally responsible. Travellers are also encouraged to shop for local handicrafts in the vibrant night markets and maybe indulge in a traditional Thai massage.
Just north of Chiang Mai we spend a night as guests of a local family in their traditional teak house where the money from our visits goes directly to the family. In addition to the inevitable interaction between hosts and travellers, we also become 'students' for the day as the family give us a real 'hands on' cooking lesson - starting with shopping in the local market for fresh ingredients, and picking herbs and spices from the family garden. The following day there is an opportunity to visit the local temple to gain an insight into Buddhism and the role of the temple in village life. We also visit the Elephant Conservation Centre at Lampang where we learn about the Centre's efforts to bring them back into the wild and have the opportunity to contribute financially to the preservation of these beautiful animals by taking an elephant back ride. |
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. |