Thailand family tour

Planet

We manage water consumption and reduce waste on this trip by encouraging people to bring along re-usable bottles and by supplying a large tank of fresh drinking water on our coach, available for refills. We also include an overnight train journey on this trip. Traveling by public transport is not only a great way to get a flavour of the country and mix with local people; it’s better for the environment as it reduces our reliance on specially chartered vehicles.

We also work in conjunction with the Mahouts Foundation, a UK charity working to improve the lives of Asian elephants by returning previously captive elephants to an 8,000 acre protected forest in northern Thailand. We have recently provided funds to build a guesthouse in the village that works to protect the elephants, whilst also offer a 4 day trip to visit the village and witness the elephants roam in the the forests.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

In order to really be a benefit to the local people in the areas we travel to, we use an entirely local crew, the hotels we use are locally owned and we eat out at a variety of small restaurants and street stalls, thus spreading their spending wealth. We also think this gives you a better experience as you get more personal service, get that bit closer to local life and are able to sample the best of the fantastic local cuisine.

We like to support communities through business and often that helps the more vulnerable in Thailand. On this trip we overnight at a homestay in the small village of Klong Noi, where we stay with one of the local families who participate in the Community Based Tourism program. This has been set up not only to showcase but also help preserve their traditional way of life, we learn how boats are built at the local shipyard and have the chance to try our hand at weaving. here there is the opportunity to buy these handmade crafts at source - ensuring the money goes directly to the villagers.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.