What about tours?
 

My husband and I have recently booked a trip to Thailand in July. It seems to be the most popular time. We were warned by our travel agent not to eat at street vendors, or to drink the water. he also informed us to book any site seeing trips before we leave because it would be difficult to negotiate a rate to see things out of town? Any suggestions wil be gratefully accepted. We are staying in Chiang Mai and Bangkok for a week each place. What is value for money and gives you a great taste of culture?

Hi Murray, Went to Bangkok (12 days) and Phuket (8 days) in October last year. We had no problem booking tours. There are always tour desks in your hotel, and you will also see small tour places round the streets. Just check if your booking at one of the cheaper places on the streets that it includes the same things (e.g. lunch, etc) as the more expensive tours. Many of the tours available are well out of the city and therefore you have to be prepared to rise about 5am for pickups. Feel free to email me if I can help with anything more specific. <BR> <BR>Teresa

We have been to Thailand several times and have found it more expensive to book tours from our home country (Australia) than buying from the hotel tour desk on arrival. <BR>One tour we definitely recommend is to go to Ayutthaya - it was the capital of Thailand until it was destroyed in the seventeen century. The best way is to go by coach in the morning and return by boat along the river in the afternoon. Lunch is usually served on the boat. The tour usually also goes to Bang Pa-in - one of the royal palaces. It is really interesting and the trip along the river really relaxing. The tour we did left from the Oriental Hotel and we made the effort to get up early and had breakfast at the Oriental before leaving. <BR>Another good day trip is to the Rose Gardens - Thai cultural show and handicrafts in a very pleasant setting. The tours are usually a full day with lunch at the Rose Gardens before the show. This tour sometimes includes a visit to the floating market on the way. <BR>Chiang Mai is known for handicrafts - you can do a half-day tour to different factories. Another good half-day trip from Chiang Mai is to the elephant camp - make sure you take a ride on the elephants. <BR>Hope you have a good holiday

Murray, <BR> In addition to the agent' s erroneous advice on booking the tours (Teresa is correct), I think you will be missing out on the Thai experience if you avoid the street vendors. Food cooked while you watch will be OK, as will food in the stalls at the big shopping centers (a good food court is in the big computer store). <BR> I even had things from street vendors made with ice - different fresh fruit drinks and something made with crushed ice, coconut milk, and various sweet candies, corn and beans. If the ice was coming out of a factory bag like here in the US, I figured it was safe (never got sick). KC

Sunny Tours and Treks. <BR>193 / 13 Sridonchai Road, <BR>Chiang- Mai.Thailand <BR>Tel : (66) 53 273442 <BR>mobile : (66) 01 4433609 <BR>fax : (66) 53 405244 <BR>email: [email protected] <BR> <BR> <BR>Hello, <BR>Thank you for taking an interest in Sunny Treks. I am a local man who has lived in Chiang Mai for 18 years and has been a trekking guide for over 6. I have recently started my own business and I hold a T.A.T license from the Tourist Board. I have a very good knowledge of the local hill-tribes and my trekkers and I aim to make a minimal impact on the daily lives of the villages. <BR>There are 2 areas in Northern Thailand that I trek in. The first is the Pai region, where we will meet the Lisu and Lahu people from Tibet and the Karen tribe from Myanmar. The second area is very close to the border with Myanmar where we meet the Lahu, Lisu and the Akha tribes from Tibet. I avoid the more touristic areas. <BR>Chiang Mai is the base for all my tours and the second largest city in Thailand. The people here are extremely friendly and the pace of life is very relaxed. There are many beautiful temples and sights to see. The night bazaar is a fantastic place to see the locals and their produce, and to buy your souvenirs. <BR>Accommodation in Chiang Mai is varied depending on how much you want to spend. For a double room with fan and bathroom in a clean and quiet hotel, with a large swimming pool it is 300 baht. For something simpler you can have a clean and quiet room with fan for 150 baht. I can arrange accommodation for you in advance to suit your budget, and have relationships with several good guesthouses. I do not take any commission on accommodation. I can also pick you up on your arrival to Chiang Mai. <BR>My trek includes elephant trekking, visiting a local waterfall, bamboo rafting and 2 nights accommodation in the jungle. All food is included and cooked by myself and is traditional Thai. The recommended T.A.T price for a 3 day 2 night trek is between 1500-1800 baht, depending on what is included in the trek. My tour is an all inclusive price of 1600 baht, which includes transport to and from the trek. <BR>Thank you for showing an interest in Sunny Tours, if you need any more information please get in touch. If you'd like to book, please send me rough dates that you are going to be in Chiang Mai and I will start to organise your trek. I generally start a trek on the Friday of every week, but I can arrange other days if needed. <BR>I hope to hear from you soon, <BR> <BR>Sunny