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Destination
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Trip duration
10 days, 9 nights
Exclusively created to take guests to some of the less visited destinations in Thailand where unique experiences await, this 10-day exploration is packed with exceptional adventure activities and high-end stays.
Day 1
Bangkok – Hua Hin
The opening day of our exploration is packed with diverse and unique experiences. An early start from Bangkok takes us to Mae Klong Railway Market, a unique trading spot alongside a railway track. As trains approach, the vendors quickly collapse their awnings and pull back their stalls to enable the trains to pass through and the entire process is reversed afterwards. Next is enchanting Amphawa, a picturesque riverside community full of wooden homes, abundant restaurants and coffee shops on the bankside. We take a long-tail boat to view traditional life in this bustling destination and disembark at Wat Bang Kung, an amazing Ayutthaya-era temple covered with the roots of a Banyan tree. Afterwards, we head to Wat Pumarin Kudi Thong, a shrine famed for its teakwood chapel and temple museum. Our journey continues to Phetchaburi, with a stop at Khao Luang Cave which contains abundant Buddha statues, followed by King Mongkut’s hillside Summer Palace. We enjoy a sunset dinner and overnight at the I Love Phants Lodge in the seaside resort town of Hua Hin. This unique place is surrounded by a sanctuary that is home to many animals, including rescued elephants. Overnight at I Love Phants Lodge.
Food
-/L/D
Accommodation
I Love Phants Lodge
Day 2
Hua Hin – Chumphon
Discovery of the great outdoors follows with an adventure that takes in attractions in the area surrounding Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, south of Hua Hin. Our excursion gets underway after breakfast with a scenic drive alongside pineapple and coconut plantations to the picturesque fishing village of Bang Pu, a traditional location locked in time. On arrival, a long-tail boat will convey us to Laem Sala Beach, the start point for a short hike to Phraya Nakhon Cave. This contains one of the most iconic religious structures in Thailand, a four-gable roofed royal pavilion called Phra Thinang Khuha Kharuhat. This was built in 1890 for King Rama V. At certain times when the sunlight shines from a particular angle through a sinkhole above, a penetrating beam of light is cast onto the pavilion, creating an exceptionally photogenic image. Those not wishing to climb to the cave can spend time lounging on the beach. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit Wat Tang Sai, a beautiful Buddhist temple atop Thongchai Mountain which is dedicated to Thai royalty. We then proceed to Chumphon where we overnight at the Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort. Overnight at Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort
Day 3
Chumphon – Ranong (Koh Phayam)
The third day of our exceptional excursion starts off with a ‘high’, an elevated view of Chumphon from Khao Matsee Viewpoint. The panorama includes a breathtaking 360-degree view of sprawling hills, a river and the sea. We then proceed to Ranong, a mountainous and heavily forested southern province that sits on the border with Myanmar. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit Waree Ban Phot, a stunning Thai-Burmese style temple close to the provincial capital of Ranong. We continue to a pier where we board a speedboat to Koh Phayam, an Andaman Sea island off the coast of Ranong province. This is home to tree-clad hills and long stretches of pristine beaches and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful of Thailand’s tropical island retreats. On arrival at the Phayamas Private Beach Resort, the rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight at Phayamas Private Beach Resort.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Phayamas Private Beach Resort
Day 4
Ranong (Koh Phayam) – Ranong
Relaxation on a tropical island paradise is the focus of day four. Following breakfast, we cruise around Koh Phayam and spend time snorkelling in a bay among schools of exotic fish and above thriving coral reefs. Lunch is either a picnic in a shaded area on the sand, or at a local restaurant. We then stop at one of the many picture-perfect beaches that dot this idyllic island and relax on the shores, or take a dip in the turquoise waters. This is a destination dedicated to a laidback existence. Before tourists found this getaway, cashew plantations were the main source of income for the islanders. In the late afternoon, we board the speedboat back to Ranong and visit the famous hot springs at Raksawarin Park. The three natural spring pools are believed to contain healing properties, with the temperature at a constant 65 degrees celsius. We then continue to our overnight accommodation, the Sook Hotel Ranong. Overnight at Sook Hotel Ranong.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Sook Hotel Ranong
Day 5
Ranong – Khao Sok
Our adventure takes us from the beaches of Southern Thailand to Khao Sok National Park, home to a 160-million-year-old rainforest – the oldest in the world. En route, we explore the verdant landscapes of Phu Khao Ya (Grass Hill), a grass-covered elevation known as the ‘Swiss pasture’ by locals. We then head to Namtok Tam Nang, a 60-metres-high waterfall surrounded by lush vegetation. We then check-in to our accommodation in Khao Sok, an elevated treehouse, followed by a set Thai lunch in the riverside restaurant. In the early afternoon we undertake some solo exploration on local nature trails, or visit an organic farm. We meet the guide at 4 pm and head to a riverside platform for instruction into the creation of a ‘jungle dinner’ using locally sourced ingredients and cooked in bamboo over an open fire. After enjoying this meal, the guide takes us to Khao Sok National Park where we set off an a 90-minute night safari to spot nocturnal wildlife, with a return at around 9 pm. Overnight is in our elevated treehouses, with the sound of nature as a soothing backdrop to enhance a restful night’s sleep. Overnight at Our Jungle House.
Food
B/L/D
Accommodation
Our Jungle House
Day 6
Khao Sok - Nakhon Si Thammarat
We wake to the sound of nature and a view of macaque monkeys playing on the riverbank early in the morning. Breakfast is served in the Jungle Restaurant, with a view of the floating mist over the nearby mountain range. After checking-out of our accommodation, we set off on a one-hour long-tail boat journey across 185-sq-km Cheow Lan Lake, a man-made natural attraction. We will see a spectacular environment of abundant karst formations across this expansive man-made body of water and towering limestone cliffs, the highest of which is 960-metres-high. The adjoining jungle is home to varied wildlife such as gibbons and elephants. After lunch we explore the amazing subterranean world of Coral Cave on a bamboo raft. This contains amazing 10,000 year-old rock formations. We then set off for Nakhon Si Thammarat province where we overnight at the Aava Resort in Khanom Beach. En route, we stop at Khao Na Nai Dharma, an impressive Buddhist temple atop a mountain. Dinner is by the beach. Overnight at Aava Resort in Khanom Beach.
Food
B/L/D
Accommodation
Aava Resort in Khanom Beach
Day 7
Nakhon Si Thammarat
We absorb local life on day seven of our discovery. We visit ornate Wat Chedi, followed by exploration of a traditional local community in Ban Laem where the primary occupation is a small-scale fishery operation. On the way we drive along a scenic route that offers a stupendous view of Khao Plai Dam and stop briefly at a viewpoint to take pictures. The view from the adjoining road is considered to be one of Thailand’s most spectacular, with a vista of a 2-km long beach and a wildlife sanctuary, framed by a mountain backdrop. On arrival in Ban Laem, we experience community life and participate in some local activities, including a fun mud-spa experience in the open sea and visits to a pottery village and a mulberry farm. Lunch is fresh local seafood, followed by a transfer to the Aava Resort, with the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at Aava Resort in Khanom Beach.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Aava Resort in Khanom Beach
Day 8
Nakhon Si Thammarat – Koh Samui
Our discovery today reveals Nakhon Si Thammarat’s hidden attractions. After breakfast, we take a 30-minute drive to Laem Prathap Pier, followed by a long-tail boat to Khanom Bay. The journey is part of the experience as we will see a spectacular landscape of rock formations known as Pancake Rock. This consists of layers of sedimentary rocks, with animal fossils wedged in between and true to the name, these ancient limestone formations look like stacks of pancakes. We also head to the habitat of rare pink Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. An estimated 60 dolphins reside in these waters and we will try to spot them without being too intrusive. After a coffee and refreshments break, we explore 1,000-year-old Sacred Coral Pagoda and the impressive Khao Wang Thong Cave. Lunch is at a local restaurant, followed by a stop at Suan Ta San Natural Fish Spa where we can dangle our feet in rock pools and allow fishes to remove dead skin from our feet. We then travel to Donsak Pier to catch the ferry to Samui, followed by a transfer to our overnight resort, Kirikajan in popular Chaweng Beach. Overnight at Kirikajan Resort.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Kirikajan Resort
Day 9
Koh Samui
A true tropical paradise is revealed on day nine of our adventure. After an early wake up and breakfast, we prepare for an exciting full-day of island hopping by speedboat around the stunning Ang Thong National Marine Park. Situated north of Koh Samui, this sanctuary consists of a pristine archipelago of 42 islands within the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of 102 sq-km and features towering limestone mountains, thick jungle, white sandy beaches, abundant waterfalls and hidden coves and lakes. Our exploration includes Mae Koh which has an exceptionally beautiful beach and an emerald saltwater lake called Thale Nai which is connected with the sea through underwater caves. A picnic lunch is served on the remote and peaceful island of Koh Paluay. Afterwards, we enjoy some free time to swim, canoe, or just relax on the pristine white sandy beach. In the afternoon we cruise back to Samui, with free time at our luxury resort. Overnight at Kirikajan Resort.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Kirikajan Resort
Day 10
Koh Samui
All good things must come to an end and we conclude a magnificent 10 days of exploration of Thailand’s southern regions on the idyllic island of Koh Samui. After enjoying a few hours of free time to swim, sunbathe or get some last-minute souvenirs, we check-out from our accommodation and transfer to the airport at 2 pm.
Food
B/-/-
Create the experience of your dream with our travel experts
Make your own trailIncluded
- Tours and transfers with licenced English / German-speaking assistance. Other languages are on request and are subject to availability;
- Accommodation in sharing twin / double room with air-conditioning;
- Accommodation in sharing twin / double room without air-conditioning at Our Jungle House;
- Transportation for tour and transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, unless otherwise stated;
- All entrance fees for visits as mentioned in the program;
- All applicable taxes and service charges;
- All meals as indicated in the program (food only).
Not Included
- Voluntary Carbon Offset Compensation: USD1.50 per person per day;
- Personal expenses such as other meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees and optional tours/ visits, unless otherwise stated;
- Hotel accommodation in the destination of commencement;
- Any domestic / international airline tickets, airport taxes, visa fees, specific camera / video fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general pick-up / drop-off regions (such as airports, out-of-town resorts, ports, harbours and accommodation in surrounding towns);
- Any accommodation expenses of a personal nature. This includes (compulsory festive) meals and drinks, mini-bar consumption, laundry, room service, any telephone or other communication cost not mentioned in the program;
- International travel and medical insurance coverage for customers.
Payment and Cancellations
- Full payment is due 30 days prior to departure. We reserve the right to release all services in case of payment default.
- Intermediate bank charges and fees are the responsibility of the client.
- Cancellation policy: In case of cancellation, the following cancellation fees will apply:
• Between 30-15 days prior to departure - 25% of total price
• Between 14-7 days prior to departure - 50% of total price
• Less than 7 days prior to departure – 100% of total price
You are booking
10 Days Southern Explorer
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Destination
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Trip duration
10 days, 9 nights
About your trip
RESERVATIONS
All tours and services can be booked directly with our office in China
A TRAILS CHINA / DAOCHENG
Beijing Office
Suite 810, SunFlower Tower
#37 Maizidian Street Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100022, P.R. China
Tel: (86-10) 6515 9259
Fax: (86-10) 6515 9293
Email: info@atrails.cn
CONFIRMATIONS
All reservations are confirmed by return with the up-dated booking status within 2 working days. Due to occasional delays in communication with more remote destinations, it may take a few days longer to get confirmation.
RATES AND AVAILABILITY
All rates are quoted in RMB and are subject to change without prior notice. Inclusions and exclusions in the tour packages are indicated at the end of each itinerary. Commonly our package tour rates include accommodation, transfers, certain meals, and other tour related services. Domestic or international airfares are included where mentioned. Our tour itineraries do not include visa fees and expenses of a personal nature. The validity of our rates is November 01, 2018, until October 31, 2019, unless otherwise specified.
SERVICES
Local English speaking guides are accompanying tours and transfers in each destination. German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian and Chinese speaking guides are available on request in major cities and subject to confirmation.
DELIVERY FEES
A delivery fee will be charged according to the distance traveled, if any train tickets are required to be delivered to clients’ hotel.
PAYMENT
Full pre-payment by bank transfer is required 30 days before the commencement of services.
Our bank account details are:
Bank Name: Bank of China Beijing JianGuoMen Wai Sub-Branch
开 户 行：中国银行北京建国门外支行
Account Name：ATC TRAVEL SERVICES (BEIJING) LTD.
账 户 名：北京道成国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3259 6908 9747
账 号：3259 6908 9747
Swiftcode : BKCH CN BJ 110
For itineraries operated outside China
Account Name：BEIJING GLORY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE CO, LTD.
账 户 名：北京千乘假期国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
账号：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
Bank Name: Industrial Bank Co., Ltd Sanyuanqiao Sub-Branch
开 户 行：兴业银行三元桥支行
CHILD POLICY
For children aged between 2 and 11 years following rates will apply:
- Child in shared adults’ room with extra bed will pay 80% of the total package price
A maximum of two children per party is granted such a discount. Besides this general policy, specific conditions may apply case by case.
CANCELLATIONS
For cancellation of confirmed reservations, following general cancellation charges apply :
- Between 30 and 15 days prior to arrival : 20% of the total amount
- Between 15 and 7 days prior to arrival : 50% of the total amount
- Less than 7 days prior to arrival : 100% of the total amount.
Special conditions apply for cruises, beach resorts as well as for some of the boutique and landmark hotels. Expeditions and specific products may have different conditions.
Domestic and international air tickets are non-refundable once issued. You are obliged to pay full airfare (inclusive of any tax and fuel surcharge) of any cancelled tickets based on the contract rate.
PROGRAM CHANGES
We reserve the right to re-arrange the order of any tour program, to cancel or substitute elements of any tour itinerary without notice, when local conditions require such changes. All itineraries depending on domestic flight confirmations are subject to changes.
Any increase in taxes or fuel surcharges imposed by the authorities will be advised as soon as we are informed of them, and they will be added to the invoice.
Flight and train details mentioned in our itineraries are for indicative purposes only.
CONFIDENTIALITY
This agreement, its contents and all related documentation sent over to the customer/tour operator are strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to any third parties.
COMPLAINTS AND IRREGULARITIES
We consider complaints as valuable feedback to improve service delivery levels. We request that service delivery failures or customer concerns, be reported during the customer’s stay, to one of our representatives. It is the aim of the company to solve any irregularity on the spot. The company reserves the right to refuse to take action on perceived irregularities submitted to the company 14 days after the customer returns back home.
FORCE MAJEURE
During the term of this agreement, neither party shall be in default of its obligations to the extent that its performance is delayed or prevented by causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, bankruptcy of a vendor, strikes and other labor disturbances, acts of war, or civil disturbances, or other equivalent or comparable events.
INDEMNITY
The client agrees to indemnify and to save A Trails – Daocheng from harm and against all damage or injury (including death) to property or person(s) resulting from intentional or negligent acts or omissions from their respective officers, employees, agents, contractor or subcontractor in connection with the performance of this agreement.
LEGAL NOTE
This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of China (and/or applicable in relation to the country it is legally represented) for the time being in force and the parties agree to submit any dispute arising between the parties under this agreement to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the respectable Arbitration Institute, Office of the Judiciary applicable at the time of submission of the dispute to arbitration and the conduct of the arbitration thereof shall be under the auspices of the specific Arbitration Institute accordingly.
IMAGES
Images displayed on the website have a promotional intent only and are not necessarily reflecting the actual destinations and service conditions. These may belong to ATrails staff, customers, photographers we are collaborating with or retrieved from websites such as Pexel, Pixabay, Unsplash or Originoo. While trying to be the most accurate as possible, is agreed that those images do not necessarily depict the actual services promoted.
LIABILITY
We act as an intermediary between the concerned airlines, hotels, all transport operators and local tourist offices providing the services. The Company is therefore not responsible for any loss, injury or damage sustained by the tourists, including those occurring outside the touring programs. Additional expenses incurred due to delay, accidents, natural and disaster, political actions and unrest must be borne by the tourists. Programs and prices, services and conditions are based on those valid at the time of printing and are therefore subject to change without advance notice before or during the tour. Acknowledgment and confirmation of the above-mentioned conditions is active, once clients participate in one of the provided services via us. The itinerary of the excursion, package and/or tour cannot be altered or changed without prior permission from us. We cannot be held liable if you amend the excursion and its content in your brochures or give wrong descriptions to clients that are travelling.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING AUTONOMOUS REGIONS IN CHINA
The Company is not responsible for any last-minute closure of specific regions or tourism sites caused by decisions taken by local or national authorities to restrict access hereto. We will provide alternative itineraries where necessary and reduce cancellation fees to a minimum, however, such imposed closures are beyond our control and constitute a case of force majeure.
The areas concerned include but are not restricted to : The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, minority regions in Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Travel breaks down borders and brings people together: The nearly 900 million people who travel every year make the sector one of the biggest in the world, a major employer and a key element in the global economy. But this has its downside, too: increasing pollutant emissions from the tourist traffic, loss of coastlines and other landscapes through excessive building development and sexual exploitation of children are just some of the negative consequences of the growth in global tourist travel. In order to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the positive ones, our Corporate Responsibility Strategy focuses on four prime issues:
- We increase efforts to ensure that children and adolescents in tourist areas are protected against sexual exploitation, one of the worst forms of abuse of young people today.
- We promote fair working conditions and sensibly service provider partners to social and environmental concerns.
- The supply and saving of clean water is a further key issue.
- We develop our own projects to meet the growing threat posed by climate change. Indeed, helping counter the adverse effects of global warming is one of the biggest challenges faced by the world tourist.