Dear

The monsoon has started and with it the ideal circumstances to travel; pleasant temperatures hoovering around 30 degrees and stunning green landscapes. In this month newsletter we have a closer look at highlights in Thailand; which ones to avoid and what to offer instead and update you on the situation in Myanmar.

Why a traveller needs you, especially when visiting Thailand? 

Since the opening of our office in Thailand; we promised to show a different Thailand, offer authentic experiences and get your clients away from the crowds. After a year in operations, we can say that we 100% achieved this and often hear from our clients “we thought Thailand was overly touristy, but we have hardly seen any other tourists, thank you for showing us the real Thailand”.
Every traveller contacting a tour operator probably has a friend who visited Thailand before and a quick Google search gives you all the so-called highlights including Damnoen Saduak floating market, the Golden Triangle, the Chiang Mai Night bazaar and James Bond Island. The experience in these spots is generally a bit like this: get transport to go to the “highlight”, queue for entrance tickets, follow the crowds to the photo spot (it’s easy as these spots literally get on average 10.000 visitors a day), queue for unimpressive food, pass souvenirs sellers and be transported back to hotel.
It’s easy for any DMC to arrange this, yet we like to raise the bar and give clients genuine experiences that show what makes Thailand so special: 
It’s the gentleness of daily life that ensures everybody finds their own path to explore, it’s the “sanuk” way of life, meaning that having fun is important in any life situation. And maybe it is the fascination with local aesthetics, the eternal love of Thais to ensure things look pretty, the food that is full of flavours and the stories of the people and their cultures continues to fascinate.
We see on the ground that most travellers usually end up following the classic algorithm tourism spots and are not really impressed. Therefore, we REALLY ask our tour operators to communicate with clients the different possibilities of Thailand and dare to propose something different. Your clients will thank you afterwards.

Our Bangkok signature Tour: Bangkok klongs and reclining Buddha  

One of the classics of a Bangkok itinerary is the “klong tour” and a visit to the reclining Buddha at Wat Po. Together with our sister company The Roots Routes we are offering an excellent alternative tour that visits the unknown klongs from Thonburi by boat yet also parts on foot to get this really good photo opportunities from the shore. One of the stops during the tour includes a royal temple with a 20 meter long reclining Buddha that was the actual blue print of the Buddha at Wat Po and built by the same king a few years earlier. It’s very serene at this reclining Buddha and the surrounding temples which makes it a perfect spot for the guide to explain quietly about Buddhism,  the patterns on the feet of the reclining Buddha and meet ordinary Thai people performing rituals at the temple including sticking gold leaves on one of the Buddha statues or diligently place coins on the Big Buddha’s footprint. End the discovery of klongs and reclining Buddha’s with a fun local train ride back towards town and an great lunch.  

Thai Classic experiences and our proposed Exploration alternatives 

The above Bangkok signature is just one example to experiences cultural highlights that add value while avoiding the crowds. We have plenty other examples that showcase the diversity or Thailand in an authentic way. Keep this list handy next time you talk with clients about a trip to Thailand.  

Availability & last minutes

Thailand can be busy yet there is plenty of availability for hotels as the country has a very wide variety of accommodation throughout the country. Yes, some hotels or room types get early fully booked (see my story above about algorithm tourism) yet there are plenty of excellent alternatives.
Exploration Travel trained guides throughout the country who are eager to show visitors their own region; meeting different guides is the most authentic and fun experience AND is also sustainable as it helps dividing the tourism dollars throughout the country to people with passion for tourism and their culture.
Also, for the coming months of July and August there is plenty of availability especially in the central areas, north-east and north of the country.  

Bangkok to Cambodia 

Many clients combine Thailand with a visit to Cambodia and Exploration Travel has an excellent cooperation with Cambodian DMC’s. We developed a new luxury overland tours that connects Bangkok with Siem Reap in Cambodia. The trip is partly by train, partly by private car and include picnic in paddy fields in an Isaan village, discovery of the beautiful Phanom Rung temples, cooking class and a typical Thai lunch. Overnight in luxury hotel or add a luxury homestay in the trip and enter Cambodia through a small hidden border post that easily connects to the beautiful temple of Banteay Srei, also known as the Citadel of Beauty or Ladies’ Temple before arriving in Siem Reap. 

Meet Exploration Travel at Further East in Bali from 4 – 7 Nov 2024

We think there is one travel trade show in the world that really gets “experiential travel” and that’s Further East in Bali. It’s basically the Asian little sister of Pure in Marrakech. The set-up is casual, bare-foot luxury but at the same time efficient and a great way to meet like-minded business partners who believe in doing-good in travel and create real value in unique experiences for clients at a luxury level.

Edwin has attended before Covid and is excited to meet existing and new partners in November in Bali. Are you planning to visit? Let me know: edwin@exploration.travel  

Have a look at their current Guest List to see who else has been invited to join: Further East 2024 – guest list

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Edwin Briels and his team have been creating experiences for travellers for over 20 years. Edwin Briels continuously finds new paths to travel and new experiences to show clients the story of Myanmar and Thailand and engages you in a fascinating journey through this part of Asia with the most fascinating stories.