Best of Thailand adventure tour
I had never done an escorted tour to Thailand before and decided to join one for this leg of my trip. Intrepid travel are a world renowned company who organise escorted trips in almost every part of the world including Thailand. They offer different tour types, ours was an ‘original’ tour meaning mid-range accommodation was used and there was a good balance of free time and included activities in Thailand. Our group size was small, there was only 8 of us.
To give you a better idea of what the tour to Thailand was like I will run through the itinerary we followed. With smaller groups and the number of different transport modes used allow you to immerse yourself into and experience local life in Thailand. All the guides are local and they give you so much insight that you may not discover if you were travelling alone. I really enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone thinking of going on one, not to hesitate.
Bangkok, Thailand
Nuovo City Hotel 3* in Thailand. Nice modern spacious rooms, swimming pool and spa available. Staff were very friendly. Good location about 10 minutes' walk from Khao San Road and other sightseeing locations in Thailand.
On the arrival day to Thailand, there is no activity planned until the Welcome Meeting in the evening. I would recommend arriving to Bangkok a day or two earlier as we only got one full day here. We all met to go for a dinner together to get to know each other. Our guide Jane took us to a local nearby restaurant. After that, we visited the madness of Khao San Road, Thailand. Bars and restaurants line this famous road, street food stalls selling fried scorpions and pad Thai, mango and sticky rice. There are people everywhere. After taking in the atmosphere, we could either stay out for drinks or head back to the hotel.
Overnight train to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
I was a bit apprehensive about an overnight train to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, and the comfort levels but there was no need to be worried. We travelled on 2nd class sleeper carriage bunk bed style (converted to seats at the beginning and end of the journey). Each bed had a little light, power outlet and privacy curtain. The carriage itself was modern and had toilets in between each carriage. There was also a food carriage on the train serving snacks, sandwiches, pot noodles, hot meals and hot and cold drinks. I was pleasantly surprised and had a decent sleep.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
We stayed in People Place 2 Hotel. About 15-20 minute walk into Chiang Mai centre, Thailand. A bit far out but it was situated right next to the famous Central Night Market which was fantastic.
The first day was free with a choice of optional add on activities. We decided to explore the city on foot. It is a lovely charming city with impressive temples throughout. I booked a foot massage for the equivalent of €4 for an hour - well needed! There are massage parlours / beauty salons on every street in Thailand so it is well worth getting one while you’re here!
On the second day I opted for the Thai Cooking class and I am so glad I did it. It was really enjoyable, one of the highlights for me. You choose 4 dishes to cook in the half day session. You get a chance to enjoy each dish before cooking the next one. Don’t have a big breakfast . We got a cookery book to bring home too so we could re-create our culinary masterpieces. Highly recommend.
In the afternoon, we took a trip to the most famous landmark in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Wat Phra Doi Suthep is a stunning temple overlooking the city reached by a winding hill road. Well worth a visit for the sweeping view alone. We were lucky enough to be there when the Buddhist monks were chanting hymns and giving thanks to Buddha. It was really special.
This evening the night market we visited was really busy but the food as always was delicious.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Today we visited Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) on the way to the border town with Laos. This temple was unconventional compared to the many others we had seen in Thailand, in that it was all white in colour and built quite recently.
Chiang Kong, the town on the border of Thailand, is really small and our tour leader explained that it is literally a stop over before people travel across into Laos. Our guesthouse was really simple and a block back from the Mekong river. There was nothing much to do in this town but relax. We had dinner and a few drinks with the group by the river looking across to Laos and it was nice to chill out.
On your bucket List?
For anyone considering travelling somewhere with a group, do consider Intrepid Travel. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable. The tours are at a good pace and there is a nice balance of free time and included activities. There is also no pressure to join in the group dinners or activities. If someone preferred to do their own thing on a particular afternoon, it was very flexible that way. But you meet so many great people on the tours that it is enjoyable to spend time with them. I would definitely use Intrepid again and would not hesitate to recommend!
Ellen
Travel Consultant at J Barter Travel
Currently travelling around Asia, with stops in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia and Hong Kong, and also Australia and New Zealand.