Re-starting Thailand bookings 

with some fantastic stay 3 – pay 2 promotions

As we mentioned in our last newsletter; since the beginning of Iran / middle east crisis the number of enquiries and bookings reduced considerably. As a result, we still see a very good availability of hotels in Q4 from 2026, including the peak season. 

We do see an uptake of last-minute bookings (for August and September) as well as 2027 bookings. Together with some of our preferred hotels, we have been working on a promotion that is easy for you to communicate to your clients: stay 3 nights – pay 2 nights.

This promotion is only valid for new bookings and some conditions apply (black-out dates, only for certain room categories etc). Some other partner hotels have come with reduced rates for certain periods.

Exploration Travel preferred hotels that are offering special promotions include the recently opened luxury Lost Horizon Resort and the Khao Sok Riverside cottages both in the stunning tropical forest surrounded by limestone mountains. The very special hideaway Koh Jum beach villas offers barefoot luxury on an island that reminds me of Ko Samui when I first visited 30 years ago. Up north, the always fun and charming Riverside Lampang, the Nan Season’s Boutique Resort in this beautiful and historical city and Kanlaya Resort near Tham Lod, a popular stop during our Burma Border tour. 

We do see more and more families going straight to Ayutthaya on arrival in Bangkok and the Iudia hotel is a perfect boutique resort to start your trip in Thailand. Some of our favourite beach properties are the luxury High Season Resort with private pool villas on Ko Kood and Dolphin Bay Resort in Pranburi which is great for families. The stunning architectural pearl La a Natu Resort even extended the “stay 3 – pay 2” promotion into the next year and offers big rooms, amazing food and a secluded beach.

Contact us if you want to discuss any other possible ideas to get your clients to book for October, November and December 2026 and create towards the end of the year some special and positive Thailand memories.

Send Edwin an email if you would like to meet and discuss how to grow the number of happy clients to Thailand: edwin@exploration.travel 

 Why the Burma Border Road should be your next adventure!

There are some destinations in Thailand that have a special place in our heart. The Burma Border Road is certainly one of them. Here are ten reasons to suggest your clients to discover this part of Thailand:

• Stunning nature with a lot of variety: mountains, paddy fields, tropical forest and tea plantations
• A colourful mix if different tribal and Thai people including Tai Yai (Shan) people and Karen hilltribes
• Authentic and remote: no guesthouses with pancakes or loud backpackers (as we skip Pai 😊!)
• Food variety; we include different home cooked tribal lunches in the trip with a very different taste; did you know the Tai Yai (Shan people) use soya beans instead of fish paste to flavour their dishes
• Special boutique hotels along the route including a teak wooden hotel and a hidden gem with just five rooms.
• A perfect way to combine Sukhothai with Chiang Mai (away from the crowds)
• Self-drive is possible and we’re pretty sure this is one of the most scenic routes your clients will ever drive
• National Parks, rivers, caves and even some very interesting WW2 history along the way
• Meeting the most friendly, local story tellers along the way to connect with your clients
• It’s a whole year-round destination; each season having its own advantages.

Southern Thailand without the masses: hidden spots to love and busy ones to avoid

We continuously trying out new destinations and experiences ourselves and get away from the tourist crowds which is especially important in the south of Thailand. Destinations as Phuket, Phi Phi island and Ko Samui continue to bring in tourists from all over the world, unfortunately, including the ones that don’t behave very well, and we do advise avoiding these destinations. Not just from a sustainability point of view, also because it’s just not a pleasant experience to be around tourists who misbehave.

Instead of following the crowds we suggest following excursions:

Khlong Phanom National Park (instead of Khao Sok) 

It’s the little sister of Khao Sok just across the road that crosses through the 2 parks. Instead of following 300 other tourists on the same path in Khao Sok you are probably alone with a ranger in Khlong Phanom National Park. Highlight is the hidden cave that is over 500 meters deep and shows great rock formations. The views of limestone rock formations are as impressive.

Remote beaches on Koh Jum or Khanom (instead of beaches full of sunbathers and vendors in Phuket or Samui) 

The beaches in Thailand are popular with people from all over the world and that can feel suffocating. The excellent infrastructure in Thailand makes it easy to find alternatives that are much quieter. Some of our favourites are Koh Jum; a small island with just as its population counts just about 2,000 people). Another excellent beach is the wide Khanom beach with the possibilities to see pink dolphins.  

Thale Noi Lake (instead of Cheow Lan Lake) 

One of the most beautiful lakes in Thailand is certainly Thale Noi (also spelled Talay Noi) with its colourful lotus flowers, amazing sunrises, fisherman nets, grassy islands and a variety of vegetation. Enjoy a boat tour in the morning and relax at the hotel overlooking the lake.  

Talking about the elephant in the room…………

Many discussions have been held about elephant tourism and the focal point in the discussion has always been on the well-being of the elephants. As an experiential travel company, we focus throughout Thailand on genuine experiences that are not staged for tourists. Therefore we don’t recommend visiting elephant camps that are specifically set-up for tourists, yet we love to take you to places that are set-up for elephants.

One of these special places is the world’s first elephant hospital, where the patients are elephants who are facing physical (and sometimes mental) injuries and receive professional treatment. The BBC made this short documentary about it and Exploration Travel is currently in the process to enhance the visit by curating a booklet with information on all the patients for English speaking visitors. An excellent half an hour stop while visiting the beautiful Lanna city Lampang.

What to read / Listen

Bangkok: Almost Utopia

Watch this short (about 15 minutes) documentary exploring Bangkok’s history and present via its less heard from voices. Featuring historians Edward Van Roy and Narisa Chakrabongse (yes, indeed the owner of the special Chakrabongse Villa which is a good place to stay or go for diner at the terrace with view of Wat Arun. 

The documentary explains very well why Bangkok is such a special place and we certainly agree. If it was up to us, we would have every guest staying a week and seeing and experiencing every day very different aspects of this capital. Have a look at this YouTube link

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The Exploration Travel team has been creating experiences for travellers for over 20 years. It’s our mission to inspire you with our love for Thailand and Myanmar, with occasional quirky travel experiences, in a sustainable and respectful way, leaving a positive impact and a smile on everybody’s face.