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Thailand is a wonderful country full of amazing things to see and do. As a result, it’s been on many people’s bucket list travel destinations for a long time. From the Andaman Islands on the west coast to the bustling city of Bangkok, there’s always something for everyone in Thailand.
But, why is a laidback Tuk Tuk Adventure the perfect choice for a trip to Thailand? Well, here’s 5 reasons to start you off…
Northern Thailand itself
The traditional itinerary – landing in Bangkok and exploring for a few days and then heading north to see the mountains before heading down to the beach – is still a spectacular itinerary, but for many its grown stale. Amazing beaches can be found all over the world, and without an extended period it’s hard to really see what differentiates a big city from any other. That’s why we think it’s time people started exploring all the other things Thailand has to offer.
The Northern mountains of Thailand lie at the very base of the Himalayan Mountain Range, creeping further north through Myanmar, India and into Nepal. Thailand’s highest point lies within this mountain range – and is visited on our 5- and 11-Day Tuk Tuk Adventures. Doi Inthanon, the roof of Thailand, is nearly twice the height of Ben Nevis and nearly 10% taller than Australia’s highest point – so climbing it in a three-wheeler is no easy feat (nor is it particularly easy for a ‘normal’ car).
What that does mean though, is the views and experience are well preserved. Very few others make the trip to Northern Thailand, internationally and domestically, so much of the trail is untouched and raw with the very best parts still to be discovered.
Northern People
Thai people are known to be very hospitable and friendly people, after all their country is often referred to as the land of smiles. But the people of Northern Thailand take this to the next level. They are wonderfully accommodating and almost always very happy to meet travellers and visitors – often far more so than their southern or central counterparts who have understandably become jaded by the endless stream of tourists that have flocked to Thailand’s islands.
The communities we travel through love to see our Tuk-Tuk convoys passing through, and we always make sure we give back to them in the right ways. Our accommodation is carefully chosen to make sure we only stay at the very best locally owned hotels. Our guides have spent years travelling through the area finding the best and most adventurous food to make sure we eat at the best locally run restaurants and through a series of our own exploration we’ve hand-picked the best local sites and temples to visit.
Northern Food
Northern Thai food is almost unrecognisable when compared to the classics you might be able to find at home. The spread below includes a fermented sausage dish originating in Northern Thailand as well as the Thai version of a charcuterie board – with various boiled veg and pork crackling that is all then dipped in a green pickled chilli sauce.
By the Myanmar border you can then experience special curries, created by the Hmong and Karen tribes. Ask for Ob Gai for a chicken based mixed curry of all sorts of ingredients that could be found in the hills of Thailand – a real comfort meal that throws all sorts of ‘leftovers’ into one giant pot. Alternatively, try Gaeng Hang Lay for a pork belly-based stew of sorts – traditionally only eaten during periods of celebration such as weddings or funerals as it takes such a long time to prepare!
All this doesn’t mean you can’t still find your favourites though, almost everywhere we stay has enough of a population that there are a number of restaurants that can be visited for different types of Thai food.
The Tuk Tuks themselves
We really should mention the major component of our laidback Tuk Tuk Adventures! You may be familiar with the traditional Bangkok style of Tuk Tuk, it’s been prevalent in pop culture and media throughout much of the past few decades and that’s what our custom built Tuk Tuks are all based on.
Our Tuk Tuks are nothing like what you’ll see in Bangkok once your inside though. They’ve been built with an extra foot of leg and headroom, just to make our adventures that much more comfortable and they even have extra padding on the seats to make sure you stay comfy for the full 11 Days. The differences don’t end there! All our Tuk Tuks are equipped with seatbelts for added safety – rarely needed but better to be safe than sorry. And finally, they’re all equipped with much higher capacity 650cc Daihatsu engines and automatic transmission to make sure they get up all those mountains with no trouble at all.
Our Team of Guides and Drivers
And finally, our fantastic team of guides and drivers at the Tuk Tuk Club are all carefully chosen for their skill and knowledge of the local area.
Not sure you believe us? Well head on over to our TripAdvisor page to read some real reviews from our previous travelers! And if that isn’t enough to convince you then consider following our Facebook page to see more stories and photos from our adventures. Alternatively, get in touch to speak to us directly.