Information about tours running from Bangkok to Chiang Mai - trekking, kayaking, elephants, hill tribes etc
I'm leaving the UK on a world trip in March 09 and am looking at my options once in Bangkok. I will be travelling independently (for the first time) so most tours you can pre-book here are mega expensive. Can anyone suggest any companies/tours in Bangkok that offer this type of trip or is it better for me to travel to Chiang Mai and do it from there?
Reply to this The only one I know of is Intrepid....they do a six day one I think from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Reply to this Just pick up a copy of Lonely Planet or another book and decide on your route, you can do everything on the fly. In SE Asia, you just book tours once you are in certain towns through travel agents.
I would not book a tour in advance for a world trip as you will never know how long or how short you want to be in a certain area.
In Chiang Mai, you can easily book these tours through your guesthouse as well...
Reply to this Excellent, thanks guys. I'll check out the Intrepid one and just wing it once I get there!
Reply to this There's an Intrepid office on Soi Rambuttri near Khoa San Road in Bangkok, so you can always check out that one and other options in the area when you get there. It's near the Viengthai hotel.
Around Bangkok and in Chiang Mai there are millions of tours offering trekking, elephants etc. Most people just arrange it when they get here - it's certainly alot cheaper that way.
Reply to this May I suggest you consider taking the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiangmai? It's very easy to book yourself (google "trains bangkok chiangmai) and is a pleasant way to meet other people. You also save one night's cost in a hotel/guesthouse.
For treks/tours from Chiangmai, shop around. As others have said there are lots of places to choose from and prices vary for the same trip. Be wary of staying at the very cheap guesthouses that make their money by selling you overpriced tours.
In my opinion, organised tours visiting hill-tribes are to be avoided. For one thing it is like going to a human zoo with kids and adults dressed up in traditional costumes purely for the camera. The kids won't let you take a photograph without paying them first and it is quite pathetic to see a 6 year old dressed up as a hilltribe villager with a sign on his back saying "Photograph - 20 Baht".
If you want to see real hill-tribe people, then plan a visit to Doe Mae Salong. There are tea plantations here and the people that work in the fields wear their traditional clothes because they are best suited to the work they are doing - not put on to please tourists.
Also if you plan to visit an elephant camp, consider going to the Elephant Hospital on the Chiangmai-Lampang road or the Elephant Nature Reserve run by a Thai woman called Lek. In both these places yur money goes towards helping rescue elephants from poor living conditions. In other places, elephants are trained to perform a lot of tricks for the benefit of tourists. Do you really want to watch elephants playing football or being made to beg for bananas? I'm not saying the elephants are not well treated in these camps - if it weren't for them there would not be a business, so it makes sense for the owners to take care of their money spinners. I just think it is demeaning to see such magnificent and intelligent animals reduced to performing party tricks.
I seem to be rambling on a bit here and moving away from the original question, so I'll stop!!
Reply to this In Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai if you want a tour just find the nearest travel agency. They will have a menu selection of tours popular with tourists. These tours are cheaper than what you would get buying one while you are still in your own country. There are lots and lots of travel agencies, even some hotels offer tours.
Thailand has 2 tier pricing. There is the price a Thai citizen pays (pretty cheap) and a price that a tourist pays that is not so cheap. In some cases when you have a tour through a local travel agency, the tour gets you in at the lower Thai price plus you always get a pick up at your hotel and ride back to your hotel. Any time you go on a tour in Thailand bring some TP and handwipes, some toilets will not have paper and there will be times when you want to clean your hands before you eat.
Wait until you get to Thailand to change your money over to Thai baht. You can change money at the airport and there are ATM's available too. Since you are on your own you have to read up on how to get a taxi or bus from the airport, arrange for a hotel and what area to stay at. If you want a hotel recommendation say what price range meets your budget constraints use a baht figure - not cheap, economy or budget.
Overnight train to Chiang Mai is pretty good, you also save paying for another night in a hotel in Bangkok. For the sleeper car book that at least 2 days before. My advice for a hotel is to get one near the Skytrain route so you can use that overhead rail service, perhaps the Siam or Sukhumvit area. The Skytrain route goes by or near several malls such as the MBK, you can also go to Chatuchak Weekend Market, connect with the subway and even the Ekamai bus station by Skytrain. The subway has a stop for the national train station for your ride to Chiang Mai or elsewhere.
Good luck.
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