Thailand with Kristine - Travel Adviser, Telesales Branch

Kristine did the 9 day 'Northern Thailand Discovery with GAP Adventures.

This tour starts and ends in Bangkok travelling into the Northern region of Thailand where there is a mix of culture, history and shopping! It's the best way to get to see all the cultural and historical sites of Thailand within a short space of time while meeting new friends and grabbing a few souvenirs along the way.

It visits 5 cities in Northern Thailand and offers a range of activities: Bamboo rafting, hill tribe trekking, elephant rides, exploring ancient ruins and visiting their very cheap local markets! Transportation and breakfast is all inclusive and accommodation is all at 2-3 star hotels, which range from modern to traditional Thai designs.

Highlights:
The main highlight that comes to mind is visiting the Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang. Getting up close with such beautiful creatures was definitely a treat! We were able to feed them, see mother and baby interact at their nursery, see other elephants paint as well as purchase a painting done by one of them! You can also pay to go on an elephant ride for half an hour. All payments goes towards the conservation.

Another highlights was the bicycle ride around the historical ruins in Sukothai. Once the capital of Thailand it has tried to maintain and preserve as many of it's temples, some which date back to as far the 12th Century. A great place to take many pictures!

Also, a must-do is the cooking course in Chiang Mai - a very easy way to learn some of the popular traditional dishes. You get a free recipe book as well and can choose between doing a half day to a full day. You get a choice of learning an appetiser, main dish, a soup dish and a local desert dish, which you also get to eat once you've cooked them!

Lastly, the short boat trip across the Mekong River to Laos was pretty awesome. I can now say I visited another country, one that wasn't on the itinerary! Their local markets are full of colour and are good for purchasing souvenirs.

Lowlights:
The long bus rides and windy roads can sometimes take a toll on your stomach but sometimes the driver puts on DVDs with local TV shows. Even though you can't understand them, you can't help but laugh along!

Tips:
Don't be afraid to barter at the markets! The vendors want the sale so bargain away! But don't be afraid to walk away if you aren't happy with the price.

Be careful with your belongings, especially when walking around the markets as there are lots of pick-pocketers...and don't drink the water! Always buy bottled water!

Lastly, don't let the tuk-tuk drivers rip you off! Bargain the price before you accept the ride. Also, make sure your taxi driver puts on his meter rather than offering a set price.

Total holiday cost:
9 day tour $1089 including local payment
Return from $1100 approx

Score out of 10
9/10....the cheapest holiday ever!

Check out Kristine's pics in the photo albums section of this blog!

Want to know more about Kristine's trip? Email her at [email protected]