Thailand culture and beach vacation

Planet

As with all of our luxury vacations, this itinerary has been crafted to ensure that it positively effects the local communities and environments visited.

This itinerary includes trips to some of Thailand's protected areas of natural beauty, including Erawan National Park and the UNESCO-listed city of Chiang Mai. By visiting these sites (all entrance fees are included in your luxury tour), you are supporting the protection of these areas, and indicating to authorities that tourists are interested in protecting Thailand's incredible natural environments.

Whilst exploring areas of natural beauty, such as national parks and beaches, please ensure that you don’t leave any litter – everything you carry in, you must carry out. Aside from the environmental damage, litter can be harmful to wildlife.

We also make a special effort to recommend activities and accommodation providers which have responsible and sustainable initiatives. For example, Elephant Nature Park is an ethical elephant sanctuary which rescues, treats and rehabilitates elephants previously used for logging, riding and entertainment purposes. A trip here helps provide much-needed funds for the elephants (many of which suffer health problems as a result of their mistreatment, leading to them being abandoned by their previous owners) and makes you an ambassador for elephant welfare, educating friends and family about your trip and the ethical ways to interact with elephants in Southeast Asia.

People

All the local guides referred to in this itinerary are paid a fair wage. We believe that using local guides is important, as it helps generate local incomes and creates jobs, plus it offers a more authentic travel experience for travelers.

We recommend independent local hotels, lodges, guesthouses and campsites, rather than international chain hotels, which helps support local communities and allows you to experience true Thai hospitality. For example, at Raming Lodge in Chiang Mai, guests can learn about traditional Thai cuisine by joining a cookery course at the Cooking School, which uses organic food, made from ingredients grown locally.

This Thailand vacation also includes the option for cultural experiences learning about local traditions with trips to hill tribe villages, where you can engage in cultural exchange. What's more, getting to know a destination and the diverse people who live there means that you will have a more authentic and meaningful travel experience.