ONE DAY CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN TUK TUK ADVENTURE IN CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

Description

This is the perfect day for all authentic travel lovers. Explore rural Chiang Mai with your guide and driver in comfy back seats of our stunning Tuk Tuks. Visit remote Temples, forest waterfalls, small rural hill tribe villages, spend time with wonderful elephants and float gently downstream on bamboo rafts. And who knows, perhaps even enjoy a cold drink on your final Tuk Tuk drive back to base!

ITINERARY

07:45

You can either meet the group at the Chiang Mai Gate Hotel at 07:45, or we will pick you up from your hotel between 08:00 and 08:30, (note – pick up’s can only be provided for hotels inside the Chiang Mai ‘middle ring road’) and then transfer by minivan to The Tuk Tuk Club’s base nestled in the Mae Wang valley around 45-60 minutes from the city.

09:30 AM (APPROXIMATELY)

On arrival in Mae Wang, our team will introduce you to your Tuk Tuk for the day. All our Tuk Tuks have been specially modified to cope perfectly with the lovely mountain roads and to give you extra comfort and leg room (there is even a sunroof if you’d like!) to get the most out of your day. There’s no air-conditioning but the breezes in the back seat are perfect and keep you right in the heart of everywhere you visit.

You will then head off in a convoy of wonderful bright orange Tuk Tuks through the Mae Wang valley. Passing through small farming villages and along twisty roads your first stop is the remote and rarely visited temple of Wat Doi Sapanyoo. Huge Buddha statues and stunning 360 degree views await.

Then it’s back into the Tuk Tuks and more rural villages where visitors are still a novel rarity giving a great opportunity to see life well off the beaten track as we head North up the valley towards Mae Sapok, a stunning ‘picture postcard’ valley with rice terraces, water buffalo and often elephants hanging out by the local stream. You’ll take a short walk through the forest to a forest waterfall where, depending on the water levels, you can even sit in the pools to cool down!

1:00pm (APPROXIMATELY)

By around 1:00pm you’ll arrive in your Tuk Tuks at a small local elephant home where you’ll have a filling and tasty Thai lunch to make sure you have the energy for afternoon’s adventures.

At the elephant home you’ll learn about the history of the Thai elephant and also about the moves people are making to create better and better futures for them.

Once you’ve been introduced to the elephants – who have been taken out of a life of trekking and can no relax and enjoy their time more naturally – you’ll be able to help the mahouts feed them and then walk with the mahouts and their elephants (NOTE: No elephant riding is allowed) through the local countryside to the river where you’ll help the mahouts wash the elephants – a fantastic experience for you and the elephants!

Now it’s time to enjoy travel of a slightly different kind as you float lazily along the local river on a traditional bamboo raft. Don’t worry, there are no big rapids along the way! Rather this is a great way to see the local surroundings from a different angle and have a huge amount of fun negotiating the twists and turns of the river as your expert rafter guides you downstream.

Once you’ve finished your bamboo rating it’s time to jump back into the back seat of your Tuk Tuk and wind your way back down the valley perhaps enjoying a well deserved cold beer as you travel along the beautiful curving roads sweeping gently down the valley – and keep your camera handy to catch the surprise of local communities seeing a convoy of Tuk Tuks in this out of the way location.

5:00PM (APPROXIMATELY)

By around 5:00pm you’ll arrive back at The Tuk Tuk Club base in Mae Wang, say goodbye to your trusty vehicle and transfer back to your hotel / guest house in Chiang Mai arriving around 6:00pm giving you plenty of time in the evening to reflect on the incredible day you’ve had and the fact that you’re now a member of The Tuk Tuk Club!

Video

Additional Information

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Can I book on my own / can I take a whole Tuk Tuk?

·         We actively encourage solo travellers to book this trip – what better way to meet and make friends than sharing time behind the wheel of one of Thailand’s most famous icons

·         You can of course also book as a group of 2 and ensure that you have a Tuk Tuk to yourselves

Group size

·         The maximum group size for each trip is 12 – 2 adventurers per Tuk Tuk. However, you can fit a third person in your Tuk Tuk (under the age of around 12) depending on their size (but please note there are only 2 seat belts in the back of each Tuk Tuk)

·         Each trip will consist of up to 6 Tuk Tuks  - the lead vehicle driven by one of our professional guiding team and all others in the convoy driven by our experienced drivers

The Tuk Tuk’s

·         All the Tuk Tuk’s are original, classic ‘Bangkok style’ Tuk Tuk’s but modified slightly both for comfort (a touch more leg and head room) and also to ensure that they can cope perfectly with the mountain roads. They all also can ‘roll’ the roof back if you’re keen to see a little more sunshine!

·         The Tuk Tuks are bright orange – there’s no doubt people will see you coming – and all have their own names and, we think, different personalities!

What do I need to bring?

The most important thing to bring with you is a sense of adventure! After all you’re going to be exploring some of the greatest parts of rural Northern Thailand in a Tuk Tuk. There of course isn’t any air-conditioning (although the breezes keep you cool) and whilst we have rain covers, you might get a little wet in the heaviest of downpours – all part of the adventure!.

Clothing:

·         We recommend lightweight cool clothes (shorts and t-shirts are perfect) for the trip. You may also like to bring an extra pair of shorts / t-shirt to change into after you’ve been bathing the elephants and rafting.

·         Please wear shoes / flips flops that you don’t mind getting wet and or dusty / dirty – this isn’t the trip for you brand new spotless shoes!

Money

Water is provided throughout the day but you might like to bring some money with you to cover other soft drinks / snacks you may like to buy along the way, and even perhaps a nice cold beer for the final Tuk Tuk ride back to base camp! 200THB per person should be more than adequate

Inclusions

·        Transfers from and to Chiang Mai city – pick up either from our meeting point at The Chiang Mai Gate Hotel at 07:45 or from any hotel in the city (pick up time will be confirmed once we know where you are staying)

·         A super comfortable specially built Tuk Tuk to keep you right in the heart of the action

·         Passionate, professional Tour Guides getting you under the skin of the area

·         An experienced Tuk Tuk driver meaning you can sit back, relax and enjoy the views

·         A real rural Thailand experience as you drive through farming villages and hamlets

·         A visit to a local elephant home where you’ll learn about, feed and walk with the elephants and then help their mahouts bathe them in the local river. NOTE: No riding is allowed at this home

·         A filling and tasty lunch at the elephant home

·         Bamboo rafting along the local river

·         Re-useable Tuk Tuk Club water bottle (to keep!) and fresh water throughout the day

·         Passionate and professional tour guides looking after you every step of the way

Exclusions

• The adventure doesn't include any snacks or drinks (except water which is of course provided) throughout the day
• Gratuities for the guide team are also not included

Cancellation Policy

Meeting Point: Chiangmai Gate Hotel " Wuai-Lai Wailing Street "

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