Asia
Thailand, in three parts
Bangkok for temples and street food, Chiang Mai for mountains and craft, and the southern islands for beaches and diving. Ten to fourteen days covers all three.
We hold no photography of our own for this destination yet, so this page is set in type rather than dressed in pictures that are not ours. We also publish no fixed rate card here: it is quoted to order.
In short
Which island you choose follows the calendar, because the two coasts have opposite rainy seasons.
Two or three nights in Bangkok for the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the river boats. Three in Chiang Mai, which is cooler and slower, with mountain temples, cooking schools and observation-only elephant sanctuaries.
Then five or more on an island. Andaman side, Krabi and Phuket, from November to April. Gulf side, Koh Samui and Koh Tao, from May to September, when they stay drier through the Andaman monsoon.
Cheap domestic flights and good trains make a three part itinerary painless, and food, transport and mid range hotels are inexpensive by any standard.
Signature
Temples, food, islands
Core areas
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, islands
Best months
Nov to Mar
Trip length
10 to 14 days
Why go
Four reasons travellers choose Thailand
01
Bangkok
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho, the river boats, and some of the best street food anywhere.
02
Chiang Mai
Cooler and slower, with mountain temples, cooking schools and craft villages.
03
Two coasts
Opposite weather patterns, which means there is a good island in almost every month.
04
Diving
Accessible warm water diving, including good beginner courses.
Practical
Getting there, and how we quote it
Travel and access
Connections from Nairobi run via the Gulf or Addis Ababa to Bangkok.
Many nationalities receive a visa exemption on arrival for short stays.
Domestic flights are frequent and cheap, so distance is not a problem.
How we handle this destination
We arrange Thailand as an outbound tour, quoted to order.
We match your island to your travel month rather than the other way round.
We only use observation-only elephant sanctuaries, and we will name the sanctuary.
How we work
Quoted to order, with the camps named
We do not publish a rate card for Thailand because the prices move by season and by availability, and a number on a page that we cannot hold is not useful to you. Send us your dates, your group and a rough budget, and we will come back with named properties, a routing and a total. For destinations outside our own operating area we work with vetted local operators, and we will tell you when that is the case.
Quoting
To order
Properties
Named before you pay
Office
Westlands, Nairobi
Registration
Kenya and TRA
Questions
Thailand Tours questions
Which island should I choose?–
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It depends on the month. Andaman side, Krabi and Phuket, November to April. Gulf side, Koh Samui and Koh Tao, May to September.
Is Thailand good for families?+
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Very. Short flights, safe food, warm shallow beaches, and plenty for children in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Do you use elephant camps?+
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Only sanctuaries where elephants are observed rather than ridden, and we name the sanctuary in your itinerary.
Kenya registered tour operator
TRA registered
Our own 4×4 safari vehicles
In-house driver guides
Westlands, Nairobi
Start planning
Send your dates, group size and rough budget, and we will build a Thailand itinerary rather than send you a brochure.