Dear

In our part of the world, the new year has started with HUGE Songkran water festival celebrations in Thailand and the Thai government is really encouraging more tourists to visit the whole year round. We do agree with this idea; it’s more sustainable for people working in tourism in Thailand and indeed Thailand is a year-round destination. Maybe the only challenging month of the year to travel is May as it can be dry and hot. 

Exploration Travel Thailand is preparing for what looks like our busiest month ever: July. It’s the holiday season in Europe and we prepared fantastic experiences for families. To name a few: learning about the wildlife protection programs of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, having a home-cooked dinner with a local family in Sukhothai, meet with a real princess in Nan, going on an e-scooter through quiet lanes in Bangkok or biking around ancient Khmer temple ruins.  In this newsletter in-dept info on our new tour bordering Myanmar, the Further East Travel trade show, our fantastic staff and updates on Myanmar.

Burma Borderland and Ethnic fascination – a different look at Mae Hong Son province

Thailand has always been closely intertwined with its neigbouring countries, and a taste of Myanmar can be found in the western provinces of Tak and Mae Hong Son through food, architecture and ethnic minority traditions and attire. Stefan and Edwin went on an inspection trip in March and came up with a fantastic new itinerary in probably the most scenic province of Thailand. 
During this spectacular road trip, your clients will encounter Thai, Karen, Tai Yai (Shan) and other tribal people and travel through some of the most beautiful, forested areas of the country. There are a lot of good food tasting, boat rides, easy walks through national parks and good boutique hotels.

What we liked most about this new itinerary is the variation of local people you meet who tell the story of their region, their profession (great for coffee and tea lovers!), their ways of life and their community. 

Ideal routing is from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai (6 days), yet it’s also possible to do a shorter 4-day trip starting and ending in Chiang Mai or even do a self-drive. Excellent boutique hotels along the route including a hidden luxury gem: www.kanlaya-thailand.com.

This new route is perfect for adventurers, for people who are happy to miss some temples in other parts of Thailand and go for nature instead, food lovers (Tai Yai and Karen food is delicious and offers a very different palate) as well as luxury tourists who are happy to skip the busy Golden Triangle and prefer authenticity instead.

Have a look at our website for a draft itinerary or send us an email for detailed information. www.exploration.travel/burma-border-land-mae-hong-son-province

Khun Dream – a Chanthaburi orchard owner who loves to let our clients taste tropical fruit.

We always aim to reflect on local cultures, stories and, flavors, at each destination we select for our clients. As diverse as the cultural peculiarities in each of Thailand’s provinces, so are the flavors of the local food, and fruits! 

Chanthaburi is famous for its tropical fruits, with some people claiming the best of all Asia, with favorites such as durian and mangosteen. We clearly had a mission to showcase the sheer variety of fruits. While most people in the West have limited imagination on how fruits are supposed to taste – we found someone to show you the difference! 

We ventured out into the fruit orchards of Chanthaburi and were lucky enough to meet Khun Dream. While she has been living in Bangkok for many years working for an international firm, Covid made her realize how much she loved her hometown and her family’s orchard. Soon after, she became our local host for anything food and fruit related in this sweet region of Thailand. 

Are you curious about this unique experience with Khun Dream, check out our fruit tasting and home food experiences in Chanthaburi, either in combination with the Northeastern region of Isaan or the beautiful islands of Koh Kood, Koh Mak or Koh Chang. 

Sukhothai – 5 reasons to include this destination in your itinerary.

Not every travel agent knows Sukhothai, and we think it’s a shame to skip this destination. Famous for the UNESCO heritage site temples, yet also offering so much more.  Here are 5 reasons to include Sukhothai in your clients itinerary:

1. It is a UNESCO heritage site which is a stunning landscape AND it’s the cradle of Thai civilisation AND it’s important for rice cultivation in the country and shows Thai countryside.
2. Excellent boutique hotels that offer value for money. Our favourites are probably the luxury Sriwilai Resort and the charming Tharaburi Resort.
3. Great excursions that include home-cooked dinner with a local family, helping with farming, picnic lunches and dinners with a temple background, getting to know ways of life and visit nearby Sri Satchanalai temples, biking or going around with your own golf cart.
4. Excellent connection by flight, train or car AND on the crossroads to continue to Nan, Lampang, Tak & Mae Hong Son province.
5. It’s not too busy; on an average day there are 10 times less tourists then for example Ayutthaya or Doi Suthep temple while the area is much bigger.

How NOT to do Sukhothai: the vast majority of visitors to Sukhothai, just stop for an hour or 2, in the middle of the day and go to the most famous temple inside the park. That’s no fun! You should include the temples outside the park as well as the agriculture aspects of the area.

In short, you are missing out if you skip Sukhothai, but you have to do it right and stay at least 2 nights and plan great activities. 

On the boat with the team – A low carbon island

It has been a fantastic, wild and fun first high season for Exploration Travel Thailand. After one year of setting up shop in Bangkok, forming an awesome team, creating unforgettable experiences for travelers all around Thailand and having wowed our first clients, it was time for a little break. 

We went on a little island discovery to Koh Mak. While we agree that the beach is mostly to relax and rejuvenate, we could not help ourselves and explore this small island in the Gulf of Thailand a bit deeper. Surrounded by the more popular islands Koh Chang and Koh Kood, Koh Mak has always stayed a bit under the radar.

Does this sound like an island for your clients? Our accommodation pick is the Mira Montra Resort, right next to the beach, with comfortable villas and different water sport activities.

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.