Dear

In many parts of the world the dark and cold autumn and winter days are approaching, and travellers start planning their trips overseas to warmer places. Time for an update on what we offer in Thailand, how to encourage your clients for something new and being an explorer!

Thailand – Genuine food experiences.

Thai food has many flavours, which made it popular all around the world. Yet, also in Thailand, there are good, as well as mediocre or even bad food experiences. To be honest, at our Exploration Travel office, we sometimes wonder how far from the original version of a Thai dish tourist restaurants can adapt the explosion of flavours. In tourist areas, the well-intended adaption to western palate, has squeezed even the last bit of spiciness, sourness, saltiness or sweetness (the traditional combination of local flavours) out of some Thai dishes.

We’re a strong advocate for genuine experiences and are not scared to let a client taste dishes that are full of flavours; even if that is something completely new to the palate. We love our clients to taste for example a punchy fermented fish dish, a soup that is made with produce that sometimes are unidentifiable, or an overload of sweetness that come with some desserts. The variety and the adventure of trying something new brings the best traveller stories to the kitchen table afterwards!

Thai food offers much more than the tourist favourite’ s like “chicken cashew nut” or “sweet and sour pork”. And we totally get it if you are more a food eater than a cook during your holidays, so we didn’t limit ourselves to cooking classes. 

Here is our top 5 of Exploration’s unique food experiences: 

1) Sukhothai home-cooked food – meet a local farmers family living in rural area and join for a fantastic outdoor home-cooked dinner.

2) Favours of Isaan: Cook, Taste and Sip; the creative chef, who is also a local artist, takes you into a beautiful, country-style decorated kitchen to taste and cook Isaan food. 

3) The Nature’s Bounty: Home-Cooked Lunch and Exotic Fruit Tasting: wander through a fruit orchard, chat with the owner and have the most delicious home cooked lunch. 

4) Taste something from neighboring countries and learn all about home-cooked Intha food from a Burmese chef in Chiang Mai.

5) Walk with one of the residents through a rural Tai Yai tribal village in Mae Hong Song province and enjoy a home-cooked Tai Yai in a traditional house. 

How to choose the best beach for your clients 

A Thai friend of mine always says “a beach is a beach” and while we tend to agree; there are some points to take into consideration. The sand is soft, the sea water has a decent water temperature, it’s never cold and there is always good food nearby, all Thai beaches have that in common.  

When looking for a beach to relax at the end of a trip through Thailand, I would suggest to avoid some of the famous beaches. During the last year, we often get feedback from clients that all was perfect until the beach with big crowds of other tourists including the sounds and sights of these other tourists 🙂

Our suggestion; avoid the crowds and skip Phuket, Krabi or Ko Samui (and definitely Pattaya!) – they actually were recently listed as most overcrowded holiday destinations. Instead, we suggest considering the following beaches: 

maps.app.goo.gl/YiQSbjgFmCMJD76E9

Pranburi Beach: for the more mature crowd who likes beach walks, a quiet swim and nature
Advantage: within easy reach of Bangkok (4 hrs. drive to Suvarnabhumi airport) and excellent to combine with Kaeng Krach national Park, Kuiburi National Park and Sam Roi Yot caves.
Preferred hotel: Praseban Resort: www.prasebanresort.com

Ko Kood: A green and lush island with beautiful beaches and some good hotels. 
Advantage: away from the tourist crowds yet enough choice of hotels and restaurants. Excellent to combine with Isaan and Chanthaburi
Preferred hotel: Tolani Resort Ko Kood: http://www.tolanihotels.com/tolani-resort-koh-kood

Ko Phra Thong: This is what a tropical paradise looks like! Beautiful beaches, and places to explore on land and in the sea.
Advantage: away from the crowds yet within 2 hours from Ranong airport, unspoiled and excellent for nature lovers.
Preferred hotel: Baba Ecolodge: http://www.samedtamarind.com

Ko Samed: island feel at Bangkok’s doorstep with a good mix of Thai tourist and others. Relaxed atmosphere
Advantage: Just 2,5 hours from Bangkok, decent choice of restaurants, fun to meet with Thai tourists.
Preferred hotel: Samed Tamarind Beach Resort: http://www.samedtamarind.com

Other beaches to consider:  Ko Chang (The Dewa), Ko Mak (for remote island experiences), Khanom Beach (pink dolphins, wide beaches), Khao Lak (busy with tourists, yet the Sarojin is a true oasis), Ko Phangan (clients love the Chantaramas Beach Resort), Ko Yao Yai (the new and luxury Anantara Resort). 

Availability in the high season and avoiding the peaks.   

With a bit of flexibility, there is no problem to find excellent hotels for your clients, also in the high season period in Thailand. Exploration Travel wants to show the real Thailand and we have plenty of availability in the secondary destinations…..and to be honest; it’s simply a MUCH better experience for your client if you arrange for them avoiding the tourist crowds. Besides that, it’s more sustainable to support hotel and restaurant owners and staff in regions of the country that aren’t overrun by tourists (which still exist!)

If your clients are flexible in travel dates, we suggest choosing the following periods to travel:

• 1 October till 15 November 2024  
• 1 December till 20 December 2024
• 6 January 2025 – 29 January 2025
• 4 February 2025 – 12 April 2025

Main rule to avoid disappointment is of course booking early (or book within 1 month before arrival date when hotels have released their allotments) 

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

As mentioned in our last newsletter, we think there is one travel trade show in the world that really gets “experiential travel” and that’s Further East in Bali. The set-up is casual, bare-foot luxury and 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. 

Exploration Travel Thailand is excited to meet existing and new partners in November in Bali. Are you planning to visit? Let me know: edwin@exploration.travel   

What to watch / read 

Leaving on a more positive note, a Thai pygmy baby hippo has become a worldwide internet sensation due to an overload of cuteness. In case you have missed it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhD_zcCmkuw  

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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.