First time visiting with my family..do I book the tours (ie) temple tours , tigers etc and river kwai,,,floating markets here in Australia
or organise (book through local guides when we get there? ...sugestions???)

No need for temple tours or any in-city tours, this is an easy do-it-yourself.

Unless you want a particular guide (i.e. Tong) there is no need to book ahead. It's always easier and cheaper to book any tours you want once you are there. And decide whether you want a guide or a car and driver.

if you want a private driver/guide its best to book now from aus... for organized tours-- group-- you can wait for arrival...private tours often work out cheaper if thyere are more than 2 of you in the group

You can booj everything when you get there. However, Tong is a wonderful guide and needs to be booked ahead of time at TourwithTong.com. We went to the floating market with her and had a great time. We had been there with another guide and it was a tourist trap. Tong made it come alive for us. I stongly recommend her.

BTW, I played wing forward for the Washington DC Rugby Club for a number of many numbers of years ago.

Befgfore visiting the Tiger Temple please read these distrubing reports...


FAQs - http://www.careforthewild.com/defaul...0&section=Home

http://www.kanchanaburi-info.com/en/saiyok.html#tiger

National Geographic.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...-temple_2.html