Thailand Vacations.net

Responsible travel is a British online travel agent that offers rewarding holiday experiences designed in a more thoughtful way to help travelers relax and rejuvenate or bring them closer to local people, their cultures and nature.

It also helps local people to earn a fairer income from tourism, supports local conservation and social projects, and ensures that any negative environmental or cultural impacts are reduced.

Here are some of their programs in Thailand

1. Thailand beach resort
Location: 85 min by boat from Phuket, Southern Thailand
Price: From €75 - €150 per person per night, depending on the standard of accommodation chosen.
Things to do and see: Scuba diving, Yoga, Bird Watching, Cultural tours

Description
This is a remote eco-resort set in lush tropical forest on the edge of spectacular golden sands. Enjoy breathtaking seafront views and abundant wildlife (including turtles and rare hornbills) in one of the last unspoiled coastal areas of Thailand. We aim to provide a first class holiday experience in conjunction with the preservation of the natural environment.

The resort comprises beachfront and forest dwellings, unique and stylish accommodations most individually designed. Services include first class dining, focusing on fresh local ingredients and quality drinks served at our bakery and pub.

Of course, no Thai experience is complete without enjoying the service provided by the legendary Land of Smiles’ staff. Imagine the villas in Phuket without the crowds and you begin to get an idea of this amazing island getaway! We have been established for over 15 years, attracting a loyal following of discerning clients comprising families, groups and individuals that are looking for an experience that is unique, unsanitised and completely in touch with nature.

Rooms, food and facilities
Each house is unique and individually designed. Some are one-bedroom beachfront houses, while others are luxury lodges in the forest less than 75 meters from the Andaman Sea.

We have accommodation that is both suitable for families & groups and couples looking for privacy. Houses comfortably sleep between 2 and 4 people. All of the houses have open-air bathrooms and are supplied with fans and mosquito nets. (N.B. Water is not heated and there is no electricity after 11pm.)

Local facilities include laundry, shop, bar, internet, café, restaurant (buffet menu), snorkelling equipment, kayaks, tours to Surin, diving (with pick up at the resort), safaris, conservation projects (Turtles and Whale sharks), bird watching.

Family friendly: The site is great for kids who can enjoy all the activities listed above. They can also explore freely without traffic hazards and distractions from bars and TVs. Baby sitting is available.

http://www.responsibletravel.com/Accommodation/Accommodation100193.htm

The amazing things you’ll be doing
Experience untouched Thailand on a customized community-based tour in traditional villages just off the beaten track in the North Andaman, Southern Thailand.

By visiting the region and the villagers, you will contribute to the conservation and economic reconstruction of the area, ravaged by the tsunami in 2004.

Despite the region’s proximity to the touristy beaches of Phuket and Khao Lak, it is remarkably undeveloped and communities still survive by their traditional livelihoods. Located near the stunning Surin Nation Park, this area offers extraordinary ecological and cultural diversity.

As part of their post-tsunami recovery, villagers have opened up their homes and lives to allow you to experience their fascinating cultures and communities, in an authentic and non-intrusive way.

This undiscovered part of Thailand will captivate people who want to experience genuine cultural exchange and the traditional ways of life of Southern Thai communities. The trips are ideal for families wanting to educate their children about how other people live and also people wanting to get off the beaten track and away from built up touristy areas where you see more tourists than local people! Our trips are suitable for people of all ages, abilities and interests.

You can find yourself helping subsistence fishermen, rowing through dense mangroves, joining in community aerobics, playing beach football as the sun sets over the Andaman Sea, feeding baby goats, preparing the evening meal and even volunteering on a community-driven project.

We can assist you make the most of your trip by providing the link between small local communities who want to participate in community-based tourism and you, the socially and eco-conscious traveler, who cares about how and where they travel. We offer short-term volunteer placement for those of you that want to ‘give something back’ but don’t necessarily have the time to spend volunteering for months. You can help out for as little as an hour a day.

Homestay experience
For those who want to do a multi-day tour, it is recommended that you stay in-village in a homestay. Homestays are an opportunity to really engage with the villagers and experience genuine Thai hospitality and mouth-watering local cuisine. Alternatively, there are a number of accommodation options available near the villages to meet a variety of budgets.

Below is a sample itinerary showing a typical 3 days tour in Ban Tale Nok village.

Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Meet at head office in Kuraburi for coffee and pre-trip briefing before leaving for Ban Talae Nok village where you will meet your host homestay family. You will then get chance to take part in an interactive workshop with the Tsunami Craft Soap Cooperative followed by lunch with your host family. Spend the afternoon hiking in the jungle with a local eco-guide and then relax on the beach at sunset. Join your host family for dinner and perhaps a traditional cultural activity before heading to bed for a well earned rest.

Day 2: After breakfasting with your host family, head to Koh Kwai island for a snorkeling trip. Enjoy lunch on an uninhabited island then it’s time for more snorkeling, or just relaxing on the deserted beach. In the evening, help your host family to prepare dinner and get another taste of the local culture and traditions before drifting off to sleep.

Day 3: Take a morning rowing trip through the mangroves, after breakfast with your host family. An interactive Batik workshop follows lunch with your host family and then it’s back to the village for some free time to explore. Bid a fond farewell to your host family and then finish the trip with a debrief back in Kuraburi.

http://www.responsibletravel.com/Trip/Trip901445.htm

The amazing things you’ll be doing
Karen culture, wild natural beauty, diverse ecosystems, prehistoric caves, misty mountains, fast-running rivers, emerald paddy fields, self-sufficient agriculture, wild orchids, traditional lifestyle and healthy food.

This is community-based tourism at its best – share life with the local Karen people – interactive, authentic, fun and fascinating!

Mae Hong Son is the most mountainous province of Northern Thailand, known for its natural beauty and diverse ecosystems.

In this Karen village, visitors will have a chance to stay with the villagers and learn about their way of life by participating in daily activities such as cooking, basket making, and cloth weaving.

You can also trek to the top of the highest mountain in Northern Thailand, accompanied by your local Karen Guide, who will share how the gentle Karen people and the forest live in harmony. Here, villagers still wear their traditional costumes and have maintained their traditional culture despite the intrusion of modernisation.

Accommodation is basic but comfortable, food is local and tasty, and the people are amazing. In the evenings you can share photos of home, practice some Karen or just relax!

Please note: We can arrange this group for independent couples, but this will be expensive as costs cannot be shared.

Family holidays: Our homestays are a favorite with families. The guest family stays in a homestay with a Thai family and participates in all kinds of activities - there are plenty of ‘gentle’ options suitable for kids and parents. Also, activities can be tailored depending on what particular interests guests have.

Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: The group is met by our English speaking facilitator in the morning in Mae Hong Son, and sets of in 4×4’s. En route, we stop at a view point for an orientation - Kor Moo Temple - and also a Karen village, where we have lunch. After that, we arrive in Huay Hee, where we are based for the rest of the program. The programme is flexible, and the emphasis is on sharing the rhythms of real life. Hill tribes people will involve visitors in weaving and crafts activities followed by a demonstration by the blacksmith. There will also be the opportunity to walk around and explore the village and visit the local school. (L,D)

Day 2: Next day we will walk through the nature trail up to Doi Pui mountain. Along the way we will have an opportunity to see a great variety of orchids, fern trees and herbs. The area is protected and conserved by the villagers so the wildlife is very diverse. (B,L,D)

Day 3: On the last day visitors and villagers walk through to the rotation rice fields. Here, Karen people grow rice, corn and other vegetables in integrated fields. Your local guide will explain how they farm, and you can have a go too, if you like. We depart in the afternoon on day 3, getting us back into Mae Hong Son by early evening. (B,L)

http://www.responsibletravel.com/Trip/Trip100091.htm