Thai Girl

Thai Fishermen

Thai Fisherman

Thailand/Laos Adventure

Price per Person	From around GBP 1100 (depending on the time of year)
Cost includes
Cost does not include
Minimum group size	2 people Or if you're travelling alone, let us know as we occasionally have small groups operating on a similar itinerary
Starting Point	Bangkok
Start Date	Any time - subject to availability
Duration	14 days, 13 nights
Suitable For	Especially good for second time visitors to Thailand looking for something a bit different or families with adventurous teenagers...
Trip Style	Gentle Adventure
Comfort Level	Range from basic homestays to 3 star local hotels
Notes	ALL our trips can be tailormade to suit your specific requirements - please contact us to discuss.

What others have said about this trip...

In summary, if one’s preference is sitting in the sun then this holiday is a "no, no.” But if one wants a holiday that will always be remembered, one that touches every sense, then this is it!
Thailand Adventure

We had a wonderful time and the boys loved it. We particularly enjoyed our time in Laos and if we went again would probably want more of that kind of experience. N invited us to a party on Christmas Eve and it was very good to meet him, his wife and some of the people who work for him - we spent a bit of time with them in Nakorn Phanom on the way back.

Our boys had a great time with the children in Ban na Kok, and raised some money by doing the Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) which N is putting towards a project there to pump fresh water to the school.

Khao Phra Viharn was a highlight, and the boys at times suffered less from "temple fatigue" than one might have expected as the guides were so delightful. We had two guides in Thailand - Tee and Aum - who were very different from each other and so made a great team. One thing we felt was not so good was that they introduced themselves to us with Western names, which we felt was a bit patronising, but maybe some visitors prefer it...

In Laos, Vong and the rest of the team were wonderful, and not only did they look after us very well, but Vong became a good friend and we have exchanged emails since.

Altogether it was a powerful experience for us and the boys which will stay with us for ever. The bits we enjoyed most were when we were interacting most with local people. There is of course a bit of a dichotomy here as what is delightful to us is largely being able to experience cultures untouched by the West, but by that very experience one is changing that...

It is a very delicate balance and one which we felt was very well managed on our trip, but while we were in Ban Na Kok we were given an example of how not to do it when a Canadian family, who seemed very decent people in themselves, arrived in Kayaks with a (Lao) guide who did not behave well. Vong told us that he had violated a number of conventions and clearly the local people were not happy. That night some of our and their shoes were stolen and we couldn't help feeling that the presence of tourists in the village could soon have unfortunate results.

We didn't hear about the tsunami until we got back to Thailand. The trip certainly gave all of us a lot to think about. Many thanks for organising it for us - we would certainly use your services again.

Thai Laos Adventure, Cope Family, December 2004

I deliberately delayed replying immediately because we wanted to let the experience sink in first. Was it all for real? To say “Go Differently” sums it up, even from day one. But more of that later.

At the end of every day we would review what we had seen and done and agreed that it could not get any better. But it did! Every day! Our friends and relatives cannot believe that such a holiday exists. The fact that we took nearly 300 photographs and 5 rolls of videotape helped us prove that it does, and also demonstrates that the trip’s content is truly worthy of recording in every detail.

We thought that the contrast between the style of trip between Thailand and Laos particularly excellent. The service was superb. The staff’s attention to details was first class. To give just one example: M took a dislike to sticky rice. Quite happily eating raw fish, deep-fried fish skin and chicken’s feet demonstrated that she has a broad taste. But sticky rice – no way. Without even mentioning this the Chef who accompanied us to Laos always served up steamed rice as well as preparing the sticky rice for the others. No fuss. No questions.

The sights that we saw, the things that we did, the food that we ate were more varied than most people would experience in a lifetime.

Back to day one. Or rather the second day. We were being driven to the bus station in Bangkok for our journey to Ubon Ratchatani, the train having been cancelled due to floods. Even though we had left the Hotel 1 ½ hours before the Bus was due to leave the traffic was such that it eventually (with 10 minutes to go) became clear that we weren’t going to make it. So the guide asked the driver to pull over to where there were some lads on motorcycles. After a brief discussion with them he asked us to get out and hop on the back of the bikes, one on each. So, hanging on to our luggage, and closing our eyes, we were treated to a demonstration of how to beat the Bangkok rush hour and caught the bus with seconds to spare! So, from that moment on, we knew that it was to be “Go Differently”!

WE all got so much from our SE Asia experience. Thank you for organising it. The boys are looking to do a sponsored hill walk here in Scotland to raise money for the school we visited. All the very best and keep organising these wonderful experiences.
Thailand Adventure