Go on group tour or do it alone?
 

We are headed to chiang Mai. Hubby hates being in a group tour but we want to ride elephants, go to jungle, see waterfall, etc. can we do it alone? How? We are 5 - hire car with driver? How much? Which company?

Same question for a day trip to ayuthaya. We are in koh samui now. Thanks!

1800 baht for driver and car then pay for fuel.

You can hire cars yourself to. Driving up north isnt that hard.

http://www.northwheels.com/reservations.html

Ive used this company before for cars. Very good. They charge 500 baht for driver on top of car price.

Also some hotels offer a driver and car too. Ask your chosen hotel first.

Ayuthaya - ask your hotel or nearby travel agent in Bangkok.

Very easy.

Get an early morning train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, Ticket costs 15 (fifteen) bahts.

Takes 2.5 hours, and not only see areas of Bangkok that most tourists never see, but you'll be part of a big happy family for a couple of hours.

On arrival, a one minte walk to the river. Cross the river on the little passenger ferry (4 bahts)

Once across, there's pushbikes to hire, or relax in a tuk tuk while you see the sights.

Better to stay overnight, enjoy a drink or three by the river, and then the low key nightlife.

Great fun!

Currency is baht not bahts.

More knowledge happily absorbed - thanks.

You do not want to ride elephants. Baby eles are tortured to get them to submit to being riddwn by tourists. google "crush". Very sad (:

The Elephant Nature Park will, however, pick you up in Chiang Mai and transport you to and from their rescue park, where you can bathe and feed elephants. You can even stay overnight. Kathy, on this, board, mentions another good facility, but I can't recall its name.

Is your day trip to Ayuthaya from Bangkok or are you hoping to go there from Chiang Mai? Big difference. You do not mention a stay in Bangkok at all, just CM.

I agree, get a driver and plan everything yourself. No tours are necessary. rhkkmk is right. You can get a driver with a car the size you need right at the airport. The driver will most likely be very happy to transport you around CM for the next several days! It is also possible for you to hire a van and driver, if you need/want that much space. It will cost you a bit more per day but might be worth it. Again, ask a driver at the airport.

For elephants, choose the Elephant Nature Park or the Thai Elephant Conservation Center near Lampang if you care about how the elephants are treated. Do not go on one of those "all in one" tours where you ride an elephant, hike to visit a "hill tribe" and go rafting all in one day. Those tours give you the worst of each experience. Choose what is most important to you and concentrate on those activities.

Riding elephants is rather boring. Chiang Dao Elephant camp is on the way to Chiang Dao cave if you want to head in that direction.

Airports have car hire places so you can organise a car there but you can do it from your hotel or direct thru North Wheels in town not far from night market.