{"id":15628,"date":"2019-09-24T15:22:37","date_gmt":"2019-09-24T14:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=15628"},"modified":"2023-04-24T15:04:22","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T14:04:22","slug":"a-sceptics-guide-to-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/a-sceptics-guide-to-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sceptic’s Guide to Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1569334841123{padding-top: 60% !important;background-image: url(https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Thailand3.jpg?id=15639) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/3″ offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-9 vc_col-lg-3 vc_hidden-md vc_col-sm-offset-4 vc_hidden-sm vc_col-xs-offset-3 vc_col-xs-6 vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text css_animation=”none” css=”.vc_custom_1608117989653{padding-top: 24px !important;padding-right: 24px !important;padding-bottom: 24px !important;padding-left: 24px !important;background-color: rgba(0,48,83,0.7) !important;*background-color: rgb(0,48,83) !important;}”]<\/p>\n

How to find unique experiences in Thailand<\/span><\/h2>\n

A story by Amelia Curran, Content Editor<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” full_height=”yes” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” parallax=”content-moving”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_single_image image=”15672″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1567006408117{margin-right: 100px !important;padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-0 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Unique experiences in Thailand?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ll admit it. Until recently, I was a bit of a Thailand sceptic. I\u2019d read the articles about over-tourism, forced beach closures, how amazing it used<\/em> to be. I\u2019d heard rumours about rampant backpackers, stampeding over communities and culture with their gap yah shenanigans. My vision of an entire country was eclipsed by a Full Moon party.<\/p>\n

OK \u2013 this is a bit of an exaggeration. Working at Experience Travel Group<\/a>, I did know that there were still plenty of places that hadn\u2019t been hijacked by mass tourism. And, having experienced ETG holidays myself, I was aware that we had ways of avoiding crowds even in the must-see spots. But still, I had a feeling that finding so-called \u2018hidden gems\u2019 and unique experiences in a country as popular as Thailand would be pretty hard work.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1515676545726{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column parallax=”content-moving” css=”.vc_custom_1515676642847{margin-top: -35px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”15645″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1569329502904{margin-bottom: -35px !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” full_height=”yes” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” parallax=”content-moving”][vc_column css_animation=”none” css=”.vc_custom_1567006418174{margin-left: 50px !important;padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-0 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_column_text]At this point, you can probably guess that I was wrong. In the two weeks I spent there, it quickly became one of my favourite countries in Asia \u2013 if not, the world. As this was a (very gruelling, obviously) business trip, we covered a lot of ground in order to research as many hotels and unique experiences in Thailand<\/a> as possible, and I can honestly say that every destination revealed a new and exciting side to the country \u2013 in turns surprising, interesting and beautiful.<\/p>\n

It did take a couple of days for my fears to subside completely. Our first stop was Chiang Mai, where we headed straight from the plane to the night market; the first people we saw were a loud group of Brits wearing ballooning elephant print trousers. The following day, we visited a temple where a tourist was drinking a beer while banging loudly on a ceremonial gong, ignoring the \u201cDo Not Touch\u201d signs emblazoned above. His friend was taking a picture, of course.<\/p>\n

But as we spent more time in the city, I softened. The atmosphere was buzzy, the markets were overflowing with extraordinary knick-knacks and the food was incredible (Chiang Mai is the home of Lanna food, which is widely regarded as some of the best in Thailand). While the tourists were noticeable, and a multitude of elephant trousers did zigzag around us, I grew to like Chiang Mai very much.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_single_image image=”15643″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” full_height=”yes” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” parallax=”content-moving”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-8 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_single_image image=”15638″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1567006408117{margin-right: 100px !important;padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-0 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_column_text]And, as it turned out, Chiang Mai was the most touristed destination on our itinerary anyway. The purpose of our visit was to scope out unique excursions that would show our clients a different side of Thailand<\/a>, and we ended up in some phenomenal, little-visited locations. Over the three days we spent in Phayao as part of a community-based tourism scheme, I encountered some of the most mind-blowing scenery I\u2019ve ever seen. One of my favourite moments of the trip was crawling up a steep forested hill, in what looked like a tractor born in the Summer of Love. We had no idea where we were going \u2013 our guide, Nutty, was keeping it as a surprise. After several minutes of shaky trundling and ducking under branches, we emerged at a vast clearing and the most incredible, sun-drenched lake. All of us from team ETG were taken aback by its beauty. There wasn\u2019t a single other tourist in sight.<\/p>\n

(I tried to take a good photograph, but my amateur skills couldn’t do it justice – which, in a way, I’m glad about now. Not knowing what to expect made it all the more special. If you’re curious, I suppose you’ll just have to see it for yourself.<\/a>)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1515676545726{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column parallax=”content-moving” css=”.vc_custom_1515676642847{margin-top: -35px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”15641″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1569416442030{margin-bottom: -20px !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” parallax=”content-moving” css=”.vc_custom_1567003615159{margin-top: 100px !important;margin-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2\/12″][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”8\/12″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1569416398288{padding-right: 10% !important;padding-bottom: 10% !important;padding-left: 10% !important;}”]What\u2019s more, we didn\u2019t even have to stray miles from the beaten track to find these experiences. Phayao was only an hour\u2019s drive from Chiang Rai, a city that\u2019s very much on the map (and also well worth a visit), yet provides some of the most unique expeirences in Thailand. Even in Phuket, where the damning finger of over-tourism is often pointed, there were still many idyllic pockets. We stayed in some brilliant beachside hotels, and visited the colonial old town, where a distinctive blend of Chinese, Malaysian and Portuguese influence takes hold. It is quite unexpected and makes for a wonderful afternoon\u2019s exploring.<\/p>\n

But ultimately, I didn\u2019t just like Thailand for having fewer tourists than I\u2019d imagined, or because I had seen a side to it that others, to my self-congratulatory mind, didn\u2019t see. One afternoon, as we took a riverboat ride back to our hotel – bellies full of som tam and sticky rice, basking in the warm November sun – it became clear to me that the reason Thailand is so popular is that the core ingredients for a great holiday stand up to the test. The food really is as absurdly delicious as everyone says. Those beaches are some of the most beautiful I\u2019ve ever seen. The people are warm and friendly, despite the influx of us ‘farangs’. It just is that good<\/em>. I smiled, as my inner snob was cowed.<\/p>\n

And elephant print trousers?\u00a0 They\u2019re actually pretty comfortable…[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Curious about Thailand?<\/h3>\n

To talk about a future holiday, get in touch with one of our Thailand specialists on 020 7924 7133<\/span>\r\n \t or click here to start your journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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YOUR TRAVEL STORY<\/span><\/h2>\n

After every great adventure, there is the story. There are the stories you tell at dinner parties, the happy accidents that always get a good laugh; there are the \u2018had-to-be-there\u2019 tales, the ones that you recall fondly with your family or travel partner. Then, too, there are those personal moments \u2013 the wonder at the beauty, the shock of the new, a fleeting exchange with someone you meet along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

We like to think that all Experience Travel Group (ETG) travellers are united by these stories. Wherever you choose to go and whatever you like to do, our holidays are designed to facilitate those magical moments that become memories. And, by getting to know each traveller, we hope that we can reveal the side of the destination that will resonate most deeply with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019d like to invite each and every one of you in our community to share your favourite travel stories. No matter if it\u2019s big or small, any holiday, experience or encounter that reminded you why you love travel is worth telling. Get in touch by emailing <\/span>info@experiencetravelgroup.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For now, though, here is one such tale. Remember: the holiday itself is always, always over too soon. It\u2019s the stories that live on.<\/span><\/p>\n

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FREE YOUR CURIOUS SIDE WITH\u00a0<\/strong>EXPERIENCE TRAVEL GROUP<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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020 7924 7133<\/span>\r\n \t<\/h5>\n
hello@experiencetravelgroup.com<\/a><\/h5>\n

www.experiencetravelgroup.com<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”bottom” css=”.vc_custom_1573563231707{background-image: url(https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Meghamalai-Drone-034-Small-2.jpg?id=15619) !important;}”][vc_column width=”5\/6″ offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-3 vc_col-lg-6 vc_hidden-lg vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”11636″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1573220780668{padding-top: 10% !important;padding-right: 25% !important;padding-bottom: 10% !important;padding-left: 25% !important;}”][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1573563294097{padding-top: 48px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #faeee7 !important;}”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

FREE YOUR CURIOUS SIDE WITH\u00a0<\/strong>EXPERIENCE TRAVEL GROUP<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

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020 7924 7133<\/span>\r\n \t<\/h5>\n
hello@experiencetravelgroup.com<\/a><\/h5>\n
www.experiencetravelgroup.com<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n

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Thailand is far from “over”. Here’s how to find special spots that are an inch off the map and reveal a side to the country you didn’t know existed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":15635,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,1314],"tags":[1350],"coauthors":[1261],"class_list":["post-15628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thailand","category-your-travel-story","tag-travel-community"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":3808,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15628\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15628"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=15628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}