Highlights of Thailand vacation

Planet

We choose to work with hotels that that are committed to sustainable and environmentally-friendly tourism practices. In Bangkok you’ll stay at Anantara Riverside Resort which is part of the luxury hotel group Anantara. The company shares our ethos with regards to sustainable tourism and their hotels and resorts strive to preserve local environments, minimise water consumption, reduce energy consumption, and recycle waste. Anantara Riverside Resort has been awarded a Green Growth certification which is based on a range of internationally recognised environmental and hotel industry sustainability standards, including ‘Sustainable Design & Construction of Buildings & Infrastructure’ and ‘Environmental Stewardship - Conserving Resources’. In January 2018, Anantara stopped using plastic straws in all of its hotels and resorts in Asia and, along with sister brand AVANI, it became the first major hotel brand to eradicate plastic straws at every property in Asia. Anantara hopes to inspire more hospitality operators to follow this lead, and to encourage our own guests to carry their new knowledge back home and continue to replace plastic straws in their day-to-day lives.

In Phuket you’ll stay at The Vijitt Resort. This beautiful beachfront landscape has been cared for over the past 60 years allowing the coconut palms and rubber trees to mature, and tropical plants and fruit trees to flourish. During the construction of the resort the unspoilt landscape was developed with utmost respect for the environment - the mature trees and native flora were preserved and the villas were carefully positioned to blend with the surroundings rather than impose on it. The resort was built by workers from the local community using natural materials from Southern Thailand.

People

This Thailand vacation offers an opportunity to experience traditional Hmong culture with a stay at Hmong Hilltribe Lodge in Mae Rim district in northern Thailand. During your stay here you’ll visit remote hill tribe communities where you can interact with the villagers and gain an authentic insight into the lifestyle and culture of Hmong people. There will be opportunities to buy authentic handmade products, such as embroidered bags and silver jewellery, and if you choose to purchase anything here you’ll be providing an income for the families in the villages, as well as helping to preserve traditional hill tribe arts and crafts.

If you wish you can spend a night with a hilltribe family in a remote village. A ‘homestay’ offers a unique and authentic travel experience, plus it provides valuable sources of income for local people. The people in this region are known for their warmth and hospitality and you’ll be treated like a member of their extended family - a totally different experience than staying at a hotel. (If this is something that you’re interested in please speak to one of our Luxury Travel Consultants about incorporating a homestay into your tailor-made itinerary).

We encourage positive cultural exchanges during our vacations and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to interact with local people whilst you’re in Thailand. The ‘wai’ greeting – where you slightly bow your head with your palms pressed together in a prayer position – is the customary way of saying hello and we encourage you to return this respectful gesture when it’s directed at you (don’t forget to smile while doing so). Thai people are very warm and welcoming and they will appreciate the same attitude reciprocated back to them in this simple way.

We ask our clients to be sensitive to Thailand’s local culture. Please remember that it is a conservative country with Buddhist and Muslim values, therefore you should ensure that you dress respectfully. Shorts and vest tops are acceptable on the beaches and islands, however you should ensure that you cover up if you’re leaving the beach areas. Women should cover their legs and shoulders, especially if visiting remote villages or religious sites. We suggest that you buy a sarong from a local market as this can be used to cover shoulders when necessary, and it can also be used as a towel, blanket or scarf.