Best of Northern Thailand

We loved our recent visit to Northern Thailand. We were lucky enough to be guided by Wit who was an extremely knowledgeable and friendly guide. He explained everything in detail was always happy to answer any and every question and managed to negotiate our travels smoothly and efficiently and ensure that we covered large distances comfortably.

Trip exceeded my expectations! Particular highlights were the elephant sanctuary and the floating hotel at Chiang Mai. Our tour leader, Pok, was excellent and the rest of the group were great company. If you arrive in Bangkok in the early morning so you can do the optional long boat trip on arrival at Bangkok (would definitely recommend), it is worth booking an extra night at the hotel for the day before to ensure you have a room to nap in as soon as you arrive. Although I did this, the only slight disappointment was that the hotel had no record of my extra night booking and so I had to wait two hours with all the people who hadn’t booked an extra night, despite having paid extra. Otherwise, would have given 5 stars

Great tour with a fantastic tour leader - Pok was so helpful and knowledgeable. He was also very good at noticing individual preferences and interests which enhanced the trip for all of us in our separate ways.

Pok was an excellent tour leader. He was very caring, well informed and organised. There was nothing he would not do for the guests. We were lucky to have him as our guide. Top of the pops for Pok.***

Our explore leader, Pok, was brilliant. He was knowledgeable as well as enthusiastic. He shared information as well as answered any questions that were put to him. His suggestions for options when we had free time worked really well. I had a great time and would highly recommend this trip.

Our first visit to Thailand and this tour was a wonderful introduction! We had an outstanding, very experienced tour leader in Worasak Paiboon (Pok) - he was one of the best (we have taken many trips with Explore). A great group which worked well. The start of the tour was rather full-on with the overnight rail journey - but well worth it. Hard to pick a highlight, but the Elephant Sanctuary stands out, as well as the homestay and raft hotel. Thoroughly recommend!

We were a group of 16 travelling in 2 minibuses. Had we been in 1 coach we would have been able to ask our leader for information about the country's way of life, eg health, education, politics etc., for the whole group to benefit from. For me this info is an important part of the visit to a foreign country.

Very enjoyable tour with lovely group of people. Our guide, Nuii, was also very helpful and informative. The itinerary was nicely varied to include some boat and train trips as well as some rural walking and a bit of cycling. The highlights for me were the elephant sanctuary visit and the home stay which included seeing local crafts, as well as visiting the Hellfire Pass and commemorative site of the building of the bridge over the river Kwai. Only suggested improvement would be to cut down on several days of very long drives in the minibus, although I appreciate we did have to cover some long distances, and perhaps staying in a few more places for two nights rather than one. Overall, I would definitely recommend this holiday, and Thai food is wonderful.

This was a most amazing and unforgettable experience which for some of the group will probably be life changing. We were fortunate to be in a friendly, supportive and cohesive group which was led by the wonderful Wit. Wit was the catalyst to the group bonding so well but he was more than just a guide and leader. He organised our tour seamlessly and supported every member of the group when required over and above what could be expected. We were so privileged to know him and to have him as our guide and mentor. The tour is stated to be "full on" and it certainly matches that description so don't expect a restful holiday but be prepared to be on the move with early starts and time spent in a minibus which was necessary to complete such an intensive itinerary. If asked to chose a highlight I wouldn't be able to as there were so many highlights throughout the tour. I have so many great memories and been very fortunate to be included in such a fine group but also to be blessed with Wit as our very special leader.

A nicely varied trip with an insightful leader, great sights, interesting history and good food. Night train between Bangkok and Chang Mai is an unnecessary inconvenience and the lack of sleep didn’t make for an engaged group the best day.

Although the itinerary was intense we did waste quite a bit of time during the first couple of days especially before and after the train journey. As such I don’t think the train was a practical mode of travel. We visited some amazing sites in Sukhotai and Ayutthaya, and the lesser known site of Si Satchanalai. However, I felt that we were a little pushed for time especially in Ayutthaya. Also, we didn’t have enough time to explore Kanchanaburi or do the extended walk at Hellfire Pass. On the plus side our guide ‘Wit’ and our driver were excellent.

This trip is varied and covers a lot of different areas of interest, cultural, historical and natural. It is important to have realistic expectations of the overnight train and the homestay - neither are luxurious but that isn't the point. Our guide was very knowledgeable and very helpful, really looked after us and was thoughtful in booking us space on the train over the River Kwai which isn't routine. That day is particularly powerful and thought provoking. We did the skywalk in Bangkok in a free afternoon which is amazing. As you would expect there are some longish drives - up to 4.5 hours, so not too bad. Elephant sanctuary a highlight for me, homestay, River Kwai and Chiang Mai night markets also. Lots of temples!

I LOVED this trip!!! Everything about it was outstanding! Our travel companions were loads of FUN and our tour leader, Wit, was AMAZING! We became a 'group' rather quickly as everyone had a great sense of humor and an inquisitive mind which are two essentials for any exciting travel experience and we made new friends along the way that we’ll continue to keep in touch with. And what an experience it was!!! There was beautiful scenery; exciting history; night markets; excellent food; elephants; stunning temples; quaint villages; overnight train journeys; a beautiful homestay with traditional food; 2 nights in a raft house on the River Kwai, exploring an old city on bicycle; a journey on the Death Railway; a visit to the famous Bridge over the River Kwai; and I could go on and on!!! THIS tour was OUTSTANDING and I have to say I credit our wonderful guide, Wit, for sharing his culture and for being so personally sensitive to all our needs! I learned so much from him about the Thai people, their way of life, their spiritual beliefs, their history, and so much more!! He is an exceptional person…kind, caring, great sense of humor, humble, sensitive, professional, and, frankly he made the trip extra beautiful for me!!! He is a true gem! It was an amazing journey and we made new friends along the way! THANK YOU EXPLORE!!

We had an excellent experience travelling around Northern Thailand with Explore. Our guide, Wit, was largely responsible for making this one of the most enlightening, interesting, and fun trips we've ever taken. We felt that the entire group received an intimate insight into the people, the culture, the history, and the landscapes of this beautiful country. Highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in visiting Thailand!

Wit was amazing. Honestly it was he who really took this trip to a new level. He is an amazing person… kind, patient, caring, professional, fun- loving, knowledgeable. We learned so much and felt so so lucky to have Wit as our guide. We’ve traveled a lot w different organizations, and this trip was exceptional and we really feel a lot of this had to do w having Wit as our guide.

The tour as always was well organised and flowed seemlessly ably aided by the excellent local guide/tour leader, Wit. It is the first Discovery type holiday I have been on (usually doing the cyvling ones). Whilst the itinerary was followed I personally felt an awful lot of time was spent sat in a minibus visiting temple after temple. It cannot be helped where the sites are, but for me, I wish Explore could arrange a cycle tour as Spiceroads do run them covering the same sites. The definite highs of the trip were the visit to the elephant sanctuary, the paying respects at the River Kwai bridge cemetery and going to Hellfire Pass. Additionally the costs in country are ridiculously cheap (£3.25 for a restaurant meal including a genuine bottle of coke)