Discover Thailand (2012)

I had traveled with GCC before but this was my first trip with OAT. This was difinitely a trip of a lifetime. Our guide, Lift, was very knowledgable, fun to be with, flexible, and a complete joy. The whole trip was wonderful, educational, and certainly an adventure, but, even tho I am 75, I was able to do just about everything. Our facilities were great, we were on a lot of interesting vehicles and boats, the one long day of the bus was broken up frequent stops. My very favorite was the elephant camp - what wonderful animals they are. The optional show was incredible with special effects you would not believe. The weather broke the record of 50 years by hitting 114 degrees F but we survived. I reccommend this trip highly and I also would ask for Lift for a guide.

Traveler: Nancy Sawyer from Scarborough, ME traveled on April 24, 2012

OAT must revamp this itinerary completely, cutting down on the number of activities and eliminating the exhausting full days on the bus.

Traveler: Dana Parks from Culver City, CA traveled on January 21, 2012

Our 16th OATGCT trip which we combined with an independent trip to Myanmar. The trip was very good but had some long bus rides. If you like animals, definitely make arrangements to visit the tiger temple on day 6. Either do the morning program or the afternoon. A full day there is too much. It was our 2nd time to the temple and a definite highlight of the trip. Also consider doing a Myanmar trip now, before the country changes with the influx of tourists.
Myanmar (Burma) is very safe and friendly and has more to offer than Thailand.

Traveler: Rick Hachemeister from West Islip, NY traveled on February 18, 2012

This was our first OAT trip having been on GCT trips to Turkey and South America and we are now sold on OAT. Obviously, the trip leader is one of the most important things for any trip and we had the best in Jack Jeerawajara who went out of his way on so many occasions to satisfy everyone's requests.

All the hotels were either in great locations or offered unique accomodations such as the Hintok River Park (wonderful!) and the Golden Pine Resort in Chiang Rai (beautiful).

There were so many "highlights" that it is hard to describe each one. We loved the various river transportation from the Long-tail speedboats of Bangkok and on the River Kwai Noi to the Rice Barges on the Krang river. The Maetaman Elephant Camp was an experience not to be missed as well as visits to the Pa Luang Indigo shop, the Umbrella Shops and the various markets. Note: My wife would like a longer stay at the Floating Market at Damnern Saduak - perhaps a Pre-Trip of several days.

The visits to various Temples and meeting with and offering alms to the Monks was meaningful and educational. The visit to the Pu Ong Ka School provided time to meet the students and discover how much OAT has contributed over the years.

Finally, I must mention the food of Thailand. I am not a vegetarian and needed to and planned on losing a few pounds. No way! All the meals at the hotels and restaurants were great. Jack also introduced us to an unbelievable array of foods from Durian and sticky-rice to "Star Meat". For those of you wanting to know what Star meat is - spell it backwards.

In closing, this trip was so eventful and our fellow OAT travelers so interesting that we plan to return in the future.

Traveler: Louis Schultz from Fort Worth, TX traveled on January 21, 2012

My husband and I started this trip to Thailand with a pre-trip to Angkor Wat on our own, since one wasn't available through OAT for this timeline. It was wonderful and I would encourage anyone to feel comfortable to do the same as we did.
We stayed is a beautiful 4-star hotel in Siem Reap - Somadevi Angkor Hotel and Spa - deluxe room only $60night. We asked for the hotel to arrange for a driver for 2 days and a guide for Angkor Wat for a day. Our driver , Mr. Sear Brach ( brach09@yahoo.com) picked us up from the airport at 11 PM at night, took us to the hotel, then to Angkor Wat the next day with a guide, arranged for dance and dinner show that evening, and drove us out to the countryside the next day for a boat ride on
Tonle Sap lake to see stilted houses, he then took us to the airport that evening. The driver was $40day including his tip, guide $30. Well worth it!

We arrived in Bangkok, late on the 15th, but before the main tour group had arrived, so we were over any jet lag. Our guide Anya who we met the next morning was lovely, funny, knowledgeable, patient and very sharing. Absolutely the best for finding extra interesting things for us to do - White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, just outside of Chiang Rai. She ordered great food at the restaurants that we went to and shared openly real life aspects and political climate of Thailand.

The trip itself was wonderful, highlights include the Elephant Camp visit, cooking lesson in Chiang Mai, hill people,the White Temple, and the talk with the monk. We would have loved to have had an extra half to a whole day in Chiang Mai, just to explore on our own since our boutique hotel, The Rim was in a great location and walking around would have been easy.

The only negative in the whole trip were the accommodations in Bangkok, Pantip Suites. The place is old and dated, okay we can live with that, but it was dirty! Mold was growing on the bathroom tiles and in the air returns, the carpeting smelled, bathroom ceilings were crumbling, faucets were encrusted and you couldn't take a shower without flooding the whole bathroom. We woke with headaches and sore throats and complained the next morning and were moved to a different room that was marginally better. The hotel was also well away from the central part of town and wasn't conducive for our own explorations. The experience certainly colored our first impression of the trip.

Thankfully the rest of the accommodations were much better and at least carpets had been shampooed when we returned to Pantip Suites.

The Thai people are gracious and always smiling.

Traveler: Gail Mitchell and John Mitchell from Stuart, FL traveled on January 14, 2012

Our Trip Leader Pe Dhammasidhi was fantastic. Very spontaneous and full of energy and information. This trip is not for those who are not open minded. Thailand is not the United States and unless you go into this adventure knowing that transportation,restaurants etc are not of US standards you will be disappointed. This trip is for the adventurer who wants to experience a totally different culture. The people of Thailand are friendly. We never felt threatened or frightened. It was a great learning adventure and I would highly recommend this trip. We especially enjoyed our day at the Elephant camp. It was a unique experience I don't beleive you could get anywhere else.

Traveler: Mary Ann Krusling from Cincinnati, OH traveled on January 23, 2012

Thailand was quite an adventure with many colorful, unusual sights. Our guide, Lin Ratgan, was wonderful—besides being organized and knowledgeable, as she has been a tour guide for 25 years, she was also the warmest guide I’ve ever had with a wonderful sense of humor which had our group laughing often. As I was the only solo traveler on the trip, Lin was very attentive to my needs, even having meals with me a few times when I was alone.

The highlights for me were: the elephant ride, as well as having the opportunity to climb up myself on an elephant later, watching the elephants paint—all fascinating! Half of our group on our own went to the Tiger Temple near Kanchanaburi and were able to pet tame tigers allowing for great photo ops. Visiting the hill tribes with their colorful, exotic indigenous dress was marvelous—to see the Long Neck tribe, the Long Ears, and the Akha tribe was very special. I also enjoyed the opportunity to see the almsgiving to the monks before dawn. The Grand Palace as well as the other temples was also very exotic and colorful.

All of the spontaneous stops were interesting and unusual—watching the salt farmers gather the salt, the rice farmers planting rice, grilled rats being offered on the side of the road, the rice mill, the bamboo fields, etc.

This is more of an adventure trip than a vacation, if one chooses to do all the activities, as I did. The schedule is full. The weather can be hot and uncomfortably humid. One downside is the fact that all of our lovely hotels, were NOT centrally located, which means that in Bangkok, many sights took an hour of driving until arrival. The only time we did not see bumper to bumper traffic was at 3 AM on our way to the airport. Even in Chiang Mai, it took an hour in heavy weekend traffic to arrive at the night market. One also needs to be prepared to forget one’s dependence on western standards of safety, as we frequently were riding in taxi trucks—which means on a bench in the back of a pickup truck with no doors. There is also very little opportunity to walk for exercise on this trip, unless one is willing to walk in the street next to traffic. Of all my OATGCT trips, it was the most sedentary.

Nevertheless, it was a marvelous opportunity for an in-depth look at Thailand!

Traveler: Dorothy Hetzel from Oak Park, IL traveled on January 24, 2012

If you like a trip that is full of new and unique experiences then this is the trip for you. If you like being exposed to a new and old cultures then this trip is for you. If you like touring new and ancient sites in all their glory then this trip is for you. I was asked at the end of this trip what was the highlight of the trip for me. I could not name one. Every experience from the hustle of Bangkok and its temples to our rural visit with school children and riding elephants were all highlights.

Traveler: Thomas Shutt from New Haven, CT traveled on December 28, 2011

The theme of oat is learning and discovery and we had nop our guide who personified
this philosophy . He was outstanding . we would stop at thing that look interesting and talk to the people ie salt field , rice field, a rat stand . In the market he pointed out and discussed with the owner the different products for us and we tried many different foods etc
As far as the hotels and restaurants they all were quite good. We had a wonderful lunch by the river after our incredible experience at the elephant camp both riding them and talking to the trainer. They did a wonderful job . We enjoy chiang mai the most . OUr host dinner was the best we have had out of the 7 other trips.

Traveler: Ira Raff from Boynton Beach, FL traveled on January 09, 2012

HIGHLIGHTS
Visit to Tiger Temple in Kahchariaburi.
Being photographed while touching these magnificent animals was a real thrill. The attending staff was friendly, efficient and generous with the photo opportunities that they provided. Having been raised since birth among humans, in the protective environment of the Sanctuary, safe from poachers, they were a real attraction for the visitors that we chatted with from about a dozen countries. Why this is not a featured visit by OAT was difficult to understand by those of us who took advantage of the opportunity. Perhaps because of the unfounded rumors that the animals are drugged? Nonsense.
Maetang Elephant Park.
Everybody enjoyed the elephant ride with Moon Tuck and feeding him bananas as he reached for them with his trunk to our position on her back
Watching Suda paint a picture. I expected an abstract. Instead she painted a “landscape” with uncanny control. Fortunately I videotaped her performance. Friends who viewed the video could hardly believe their eyes, nor could I, even as I witnessed her in action. Elephants are truly intelligent, sensitive and beautiful animals. Her painting, soon to be framed will be hung on the walls of our granddaughter’s bedroom, along with a photograph of Suda working her magic.
The Farmers’ Market in Bangkok at the end of the subway line.
The subway is modern, clean, and easy for we novices to use, and cheap ($4.00 for an all day pass). At the end of the line we visited the Farmers’ Market, a huge, bustling gathering of vendors who sell every manner of fruits, vegetables, seafood, pastries, sweets, etc. Tables are available for people to have a delicious lunch of the endless selection available from the stalls. For us, this was the best lunch of the trip. This market should have been included in OAT’s itinerary.


Home Visit.
Having dinner with “Oi” and her family in Bangkok was a treat. Her English, which she said that she hoped to improve through these visits, was considerably better than that of our guide. It was a pleasure to meet with her family and we enjoyed the meal prepared by her mother. The trip to her home from our hotel was a distraction (though no fault of the hostess). It took over thirty minutes because of the inconvenient location of the hotel (noted below).
The People.
The people of Thailand, especially the women, smile with both their mouths and their eyes. It appears to be an integral part of their culture. Their poverty has not robbed them of their spirit. It was uplifting and did not go unnoticed. There are more beautiful women per square mile in Thailand than any place else on earth. The children that we met at the school visit were inspirational, their spirit providing hope that, through some miracle, they can be lifted out of poverty.
LOWLIGHTS
My wife and I agreed that the “included” meals would best have been excluded. Typically a variety (3-5) dishes of marginal quality were served concurrently as quickly as they could be brought out, ensuring that they would be cold before passed around and eaten. Recognizing that there are wide variances of opinion of food quality, the traveler should at least be given the option of receiving credit for the included meals in the form of a reduced trip fee and allowed to order from the menu, as we did on a couple of occasions, or, if practical, choose another restaurant. Our independent dinner at the hotel restaurant ($10 for two), was the best dinner of the trip.
Our trip guide in the Thailand segment was a control freak who spoke with an accent which was painful to decipher, suggesting that she should spend a lot of time listening to English-language broadcasts. (Full disclosure: English is my wife’s second language, so I am sensitive to the efforts of those for whom English is not their native language.) However, effective communications is an essential prerequisite for OAT’s guides and the failure of the guide to meet a minimum standard greatly detracted from the enjoyment of the trip. She generally provided information in the lecture mode which inhibited an effective dialogue.
Based on our experience on this and an earlier trip, OAT appears to be oblivious to the fact that Christmas and New Year’s are holidays which are widely celebrated in our culture. They should not have been ignored. On New Year’s Eve our hotel was located 30-45 minutes from civilization, making it impractical to seek out a nightclub for celebrating the occasions on our own.
Introductory meeting
The length of the initial briefing by the tour guide, about 60 minutes, was excessive. Much of the kindergarten level briefing could have been adequately covered by a handout. We were then rushed through the follow-up travelers’ self introduction part at the end (“keep it to 2-3 sentences”).
At the initial meeting we were offered, at an additional charge, an optional show (“Siam Niramit”). Having just spent several thousand dollars for the trip, still groggy from jet lag, and before experiencing any of the events on our itinerary, this is exactly the wrong time to be offered optional events at additional cost. (This is the second OAT trip where this occurred). We declined, and arranged instead to purchase tickets for the show independently for another evening at a lower price than was quoted by the OAT guide. This also occurred during our Cambodia extension trip – no one in our group accepted.

Traveler: Batts from Old Lyme, CT traveled on December 21, 2011

This was my 8th trip with OAT and it was the best.
Ole, our trip leader, was organized but flexible and an absolute joy to be around with his warm personality.
He truly made this trip special for me as well as my son.
We saw so many different places, but it was not rushed. I wish all trip leaders could follow in Ole's manner and sincerity.
We just had so much fun!!!

I have to say the Morocco (2000) trip is a close runner up, and we also had a tremendous trip leader, Aziz.

I hope the Tunisia trip will be on the same par as these two.
I recommend the Thailand trip highly!

Traveler: Sami Calado from Ventura, CA traveled on December 18, 2011

Thank you for inviting me to write a review on subject trip, but I respectfully decline at this time. Please pass this honor to another traveler.

Traveler: Eugenia Lew from Lincoln, CA traveled on October 27, 2011

We went to Thailand on November 6, during the publicity about the flooding in Bangkok.
Although the city was lined with sandbags, our trip wasn't impacted in any real way due to the flooding. It was primary media hype! When we rode up to the north of Thailand, we could see flooded fields, but that also didn't affect anything we were doing. It was sad to see that the Thai people had suffered, but they were already repainting, and using their cheerful spirit to put things back into good order. It was a great trip and some of the more memorable parts were the elephant ride, as well as the elephant painting. I bought a painting done by Suda, a six year old female elephant, and it is now a prized possession and memory of the trip. The Jim Thompson house was another highlight and I enjoyed the school visit, as well. Our guide, Lucky, was very warm and innovative, and we changed the order of a few events, but it all happened in an orderly way. I would highly recommend this trip and enjoyed the sights, the food, and the variety of experiences provided by our guide. Thank you!

Traveler: Barbara Taylor from Fort Lauderdale, FL traveled on November 06, 2011

Our trip to Thailand was great, and the main thing that made it that way was our trip leader, Mia! She went to every effort to make our trip smooth, flawless and full of wonderful discoveries.

One of our fondest memories was our SUPRISE one night in Chiang Rai when Mia had planed her own version of the festival Loy Krathong. Instead of floating candles downsteam, she had hot air luminaires for each of us. We fired them up, made a wish, and released them in to the night sky, and watched them climb there way towards the moon. It was magical!!!

As always , "A day in the Life", is one of the highlight of every OATGrand Circle trip, and something that we always look forward to. This trip was no exception. The visit to the Mae Yang Rong school was inspiring. When a young child grabs your hand and says "come with me, I want to show you my school". Then they show you the computers that the Grand Circle Foundation had bought the school. Then you know why you travel with OAT.
The visit to Baan Don Chum Village and to the senior club was touching. We sang Happy Birthday to Uncle Pat who was 84 that day, and he started to cry. The home hosted lunch was great, they taught us how to make Green Papaya Salad. The diners with the families are always a highlight with every trip.

I could go on and on, but I won't. Thailand is the land of SMILES, and that is the truth.

Traveler: Jose Garcia from Miami, FL traveled on November 23, 2011

This was our 2nd trip with OAT. It was a fabulous, fabulous, fabulous trip! We were a group of 14 travelers plus our wonderful trip leader, Lift. The highlights for me were the elephant paintings, elementary school visit and the charcoal painters and the optional tour of the dinner and show called Siam Niramit. This show should not be missed! I also will never forget our walk through Hellfire Pass.
We made friends that we would love to travel with again. I cannot end this review without mentioning the Thai food. Lift told us that the Thai people live to eat and no wonder. By the end of the trip and one fabulous meal after another our group said that we should change the travel group name from OAT to EAT!!

Traveler: Janis Newlin from Escondido, CA traveled on November 17, 2011

This was our first organized travel that we did not plan and hire the guides ourselves and OAT gets kudos for making this first trip an wonderful experience.
Our traveling companions were a delightful group fo people and everyone got along very well...no small task considering our diversity, Our guide, Lift, played a major roll making this all work.
The most exciting part of the trip for me was the "Day in the Life", we visited an elementary school, and old age center, the home of a spirit doctor and lunch with a local village family, all which made me feel that I really go tot know Thailand and some of its people, "up close and personal"
That is not to say the rest of the trip wasn't interesting....it was....before I leave this review, I must extoll the virtue and wonder of our tour leader. Lift was a whirlwind of activity, leading us ever onward, showing us little slices of Thai life wherever we went and sharing her own life experiences to make things more immediate and interesting. There was never a stop without a story or a taste of local cuisine.....THNAKS LIFT

Traveler: David Sandgrund from Brooklyn, NY traveled on November 17, 2011

This was both our first OAT trip and our first tour. Out guide, Mai, was outstanding. She knew how to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the group, she never let us down and was able to keep the trip exciting and interesting, even during some long bus rides.
Thailand was fascinating, with warm, polite and gentle people. There was so much to see and experience, and I felt we made good use of all of the time. The food was local and delicious. The hotels were lovely, clean and comfortable.
Luckily we had a terrific and spirited group. A typical day meant getting an early start to some wonderful venue. It could be a trip to Chinatown, a Golden Buddha or a visit to a shaman. That was followed by lunch in a local restaurant. It was back on the bus for another spot with some interesting stops in-between. While on the bus, Mai would give us a bit of Thai history, language or culture. It was always interesting. By the late afternoon we were at our hotel relaxing for a short while until dinner.
There is no way to describe all of the wonderful experiences we had but I would fully recommend this trip to anyone who wants to do more than just visit the usual tourist spots. We ate dinner in a Thai family home, visited and chatted with a Monk and went to a senior center and a preschool. There were hikes and boat rides, an elephant trek and a cruise down a river on a bamboo raft. It was all great fun.

Traveler: Jack Rothman from Bronx, NY traveled on October 02, 2011

This trip is a must on ones list of travels !
All of our tour guides were exceptional and made each day interesting, fun, and magical.
We were busy from sun up to to long after sun down along with many local connections such as meals and modes of transportation.
The people are very special, calm and polite.
Pleanty of ice water on the buses and cold hand wipes in both countires, and an attendant who met you with them.
In Cambodia the bus had a good supply of umbrellas, use them for the sun.
Changes I would make- less is more, travel lighter, all hotels have good laundry services and very reasonable.
ahenry36@satx.rr.com

Traveler: Ann Henry from San Antonio, TX traveled on August 03, 2011

The vegetarian food (we do not eat meat, beef, fish, or eggs) was excellent. This is the best vegetarian food that we have ever had on a group trip. My wife and I have been on 3 trips with a vegetarian tour company which had excellent food - but the food on the pre trip to Burma and the Thailand main trip was even better. They always had 3 separate vegetarian dishes for lunch and dinner for us.
A special thanks to Ole - our Thailand trip leader and to Htay Win - our group leader in Burma. Both of them went the extra mile to insure that our vegetarian meals were outstanding. Our mouths still water when we think of all the great food we had.
If you are a vegetarian and you like to eat this a trip for you.

Traveler: Paul C traveled on August 10, 2011

I took this trip in 2009 and enjoyed it very much. Why won't I go with OAT again? This year I was booked to go to Nepal with them and they cancelled 5 weeks before departure. My airline tickets already had the document # assigned to them! Before you book with OAT, check the social networking sites and see some of the comments. Some people had their trips cancelled 2 weeks before departure, some 1 week, and I even saw one cancelled the day before departure. Buyer BEWARE!!!!!

Traveler: Barbara Smith from Centereach, NY traveled on May 11, 2009

This was a terrific trip – from the friendly Thai people to the varied and enchanting activities. Ours was a cooperative and happy travel group, thanks in part to our outstanding guide, Mai. The hotels were delightful, each with a beautiful and welcoming pool. The food we ate was never the same – a true culinary delight at each meal. The planned itinerary was a feast for the mind and eyes from the first day to the last. We learned about Thailand and its people and then experienced Thailand life first hand everyday. Each Wat was breathtaking. Bangkok streets teamed with great color and unusual and interesting street vendors. The optional tour of the Marble Throne Hall and Siam Niramit is a must (and a deal). The floating markets are entertaining and delightful. The Grand Circle Foundation school visit to Baan Don Chum touched all of our hearts and our group together donated eight sewing machines to the school. We enjoyed thirteen or so modes of transportation and learned to speak some of the more important Thai phrases and helpful cultural “dos and don’ts”. Maetang Elephant Park was a once in a lifetime experience. Yes, the elephants can paint. Hell Fire Pass made you stop and think and remember the sacrifices made for future generations during WWII. Viewing the Golden Triangle was magnificent. Seeing the beauty of the long neck Karens took your breath away and purchasing of a scarf or two a must. The many surprise visits were fun, educational and at times thought provoking, from the salt mines, to the rice rat carts, to chopstick fields, to the relatively unknown Wat Rong Khun – The White Temple. Travelers should know there are 110 outlets in some of the hotels (for charging batteries, Kindle, etc.), laundry can be done cheaply at stores on the street, massages are great and less than cheap and packs of tissue should be packed. This is a once in a lifetime treat, highly recommended and greatly rewarding. Our guide Mai, brought all the many events and details together in a wonderfully entertaining way. Any group would be very lucky to have Mai as the tour guide.

Traveler: Thomas Halstead from Poughkeepsie, NY traveled on February 23, 2011

We loved Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. A note about Burma. The people in the villages will take US bills, but please realize that they pay a big penalty to change those dollars because they do not have exchange availability locally. The girls craved cosmetics. They were always asking for lipstick, mascara, shampoo, toiletries--even wanted the partially used ones from our handbags. Read OAT info--almost no credit cards can be used even in hotels. No ATMs. They cannot use US bills that are worn, torn, written on, etc. One place only took "big head" bills and even some years of those were not accepted in one place. Remember if you get them to take one, they may not be able to exchange it at the bank. We even exchanged US to US for our guide because he had large amounts he could not use and we could use them in Thailand. Myanmar a great experience and great people!
Like family style dining because everyone can have more of the things they liked, and less of others.

Traveler: Trudy Byerly from St Augustine, FL traveled on January 05, 2011

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a fit and active 40 year old traveling with my mother. I found this trip to Thailand as a last minute deal with a big discount and we decided to go. I had expectations that the trip would be at a slow pace. The pace of the trip leader was too slow which made some of the wonderful sites boring. Most of the temples and sites were worthy stops but the commentary of the trip leader was excessive to the point that it couldn't hold my attention in the scorching heat and the walking pace was painfully slow. The food, although adequate, was very generic and touristy although a few meals were very good. I was shocked that the others in the group, who were world travelers, were as a whole afraid or uninterested in doing anything off the beaten path. The guide was very friendly but gave us wrong information numerous times. He was also in charge of ordering the food and was not very willing to modify the menu to accommodate our requests. My main request was to reduce the amount of fried food. Half of the stuff he ordered was fried. He kept blaming the food on the budget he was given and the fact that we were tourists and shoukd like tourist food. I think most people would have been ok with less fried food and maybe more pad thai noodles dishes. My mom and I became "vegetarians" hoping to get better food but then all the fish that was ordered was deep fried. The little tofu we had was a nice change.

The hotels were above and beyond my expectations although the food was typical generic tourist hotel food. The pools were also incredible. My disappointment was with the location of two of the hotels. There was not much to do around the Golden Triangle. I would have preferred to stay in Chang Rai so I could have explored another city. The hotel in the Kanchanaburi region was in the middle of nowhere and there was not much to do. I think most people were fine with this as when the tours would end for the day they would go to the room and do nothing until dinner followed by bed. My mother and I would usually head into the city at night and do stuff. The hotel in Chang Mei was in a great location right next to the night market and seedy bars.

One of the things my mom and I did was to separate from the group in the middle of the city and to work our way back. We took a Tuk Tuk, the subway, motorcycle taxis, ate street food, went to an incredible shopping mall, saw a movie (which was a great experience), and ate really great authentic Thai food on our own (snails, scallops in the shell, squid, cuttlefish, unidentifiable meats, etc). These are all things that no one else on the trip did and I don't think they cared to do. In addition, I explored the cites and country by running early almost every morning, getting joined by neighborhood dogs, thumbs up from local people doing their morning exercises. I also abandoned the group, rented a bike in Chang Mei and rode out of the city to the top of the mountain at 5250 feet where I met some other bikers along the way and passed lots of busses and motor scooters on the way down before weaving in and out of traffic like a local scooter rider.

Overall, the trip was a bargain and something that would be hard to put together on our own. The hotels were beautiful. The stops were overly touristy but still things that should be seen. The travel between locations was pleasant (great bus driver) and would be extremely difficult to coordinate on your own. The food was very disappointing as was the pace of the tours.

My ideal version of this trip would be to cut out half of the included meals to give adventure travelers some more freedom. Lower the overall price and make more tours optional and more afternoons free. As an true adventure traveler I needed more free time to be adventurous and do my own exploring. I felt like I was overly coddled and protected. My 67 year old mother, except for the morning runs and bike ride, was up for everything that we did on our own.

Would I do another OAT trip? Only if I got a great last minute deal and was traveling with a friend who didn't mind skipping some included meals and some of the day trips and venturing out on our own.

Traveler: Andrew Kalter from South Fallsburg, NY traveled on November 07, 2010

We were lucky the whole trip had nice sunny warm weather.It is a very long plane ride to Thailand, I reccommend you take both the before and after trips for a great complete adventure. Each country had outstanding adventures. In Burma the Golden Pagoda- Shwedagon Pagoda, is a highlight, try and visit it at night. All the Pagodas require you to take off your shoes, a few require you to also take off your socks, look out for the little rocks they could hurt. Bagan is a fairy land of Pagodas, a sight not to be missed.. Bagan and Mandalay have puppet shows for your evening viewing. The optional trip to Mount Popa is very worthwhile, a pagoda on top of the highest mountain in Central Burma. You will see monkeys walking up to the Pagoda. Thailand had several outstanding sights such as the Royal Grand Palace in Bangkok, Sukhothai Ruins, the Eelphant Ride and show. In Bangkok the optional Marble Hall Tour Dinner and Thai Cultural is very worhwhile, as is the Thai Traditional Puppet Theater show and dinner. The Golden Trianglr boat tour with a short visit to Laos (goog shopping) was fun. In Cambodia the Killing Fields history was depressing. The highlight of course was Angkor Wat Temple. A visit to Swensons Ice Cream store was also a nice treat on the warm nights. A great trip.

Traveler: James Nelson from San Jose, CA traveled on December 31, 2009

The trip went by so fast. I wish I could do it all over again. Ya was our trip leader and he was just outstanding. The hotels and food were memorable. The hotels were locally owned and all had unique features. They all served the Thai grown coffee which was delicious.

It was fascinating to learn about the Thai people and their religion and beliefs.

My favorite of course was the elephant ride. It really was a dream come true. I loved walking around the camp with these gentle giants and their babies.
I felt very safe on this trip as a single traveler.

Traveler: Elizabeth Uchytil from Eugene, OR traveled on February 08, 2010

This was an experience everyone should experience. It;a once in a life time opportunity to visit Thailand and experience what they eat and how they live.

Our group leader "Anya" went above and beyond in every way to make our vacation memorable. She was always there in the markets helping us negotiate prices. My husband has a problem with shell fish and Anya was always there telling him what he should eat and what he could not eat.

We traveled via numerous means of transportations, tuk tuk, bamboo raft, farm truck and their train.

The elephant ride were great and exciting. At the elephant camp, we saw an elephant paint with a paint brush and we bought the painting.

A day at the tiger temple is a must. It is not on the itinerary but ask your group leader to make arrangements. You are able to take pictures with the tigers and hold the baby tigers.

The puppet show was wonderful. Bring your cameras and get ready to take plenty of pictures with the puppets. The puppeteers will come to your table and you are able to take pictures with the puppets on your shoulder.

There is so much to do in Thailand, visiting the Temples, we attended a lecture by monks, traveling to see the River Kwai, visiting the floral market, Hell Fire Pass and to top it all off, we visited the Royal Palace and the Emeral Buddha.

It was a very busy trip, days were a full, 10 hours each day, lots of walking. climbing, but always fun and enjoyable .Because of our small group 16, we had many unique experiences you could never plan. The bus boy was always there waiting to give us a cold bottle of water and a moist towel. It is safe to drink the water in the hotels and bus. We did not experience any sickness, we ate in the hotel and restaurants chosen by Anya. The food was not spicy, you added your own amount of spices. Most hotels are dimly lighted, so you might want to bring a small flashlight when you walk out doors. In closing, don't forget to bring plenty of tissue paper. Some bathrooms are eastern style, a hole in the ground.

Traveler: Bonnie from Ossining, NY traveled on December 30, 2009

This trip, my 12th with OAT, was really excellent! Why? Briefly because of the variety of activities and places visited, the beauty of the country, and the wonderful, friendly welcome of the people.
But, I just want to add, like several others of my OAT trips, notably Costa Rica, Vietnam, Bhutan (pre-) and Namibia, this one was really attained the "excellent" level thanks to our trip leader Pe (Rapeeporn Dhammasidhi). She has such a great sense of humor to accompany her enormous knowledge of her country and ability to share the Thai culture, both in personal moments as well as "tourist" moments, with her group. She is an accomplished singer and can take the mic in restaurants as well as in group sing-alongs with all of us. She is a wonderful Thai dancer and thrilled us several times with her performances. She meets all the needs of all the individuals in her group as well as what is necessary for the best experiences of the group as a whole. She helped me see my tigers at The Tiger Temple, and I had a wonderful experience on my own but which didn't interest the others in the group (although I think some were jealous when I told my stories and shared my pictures).
In any case, Thailand is just a great accumulation of experiences: people in the markets and the hill towns and in the school and community visited, the fun and beauty of an elephant ride in the jungle, artisans displaying their craft and their wares, fun river rides, yes, and all the temples.
Be more than happy to tell you more if you wish: 970-352-1832

Traveler: Kathleen from Greeley, CO traveled on December 29, 2009

This particular trip and its trip leader were the very best of the eight trips I have taken yet with GCTOAT.

Why did I rate the trip as number one?

I rated the trip as number one because of the beauty of the country, the number of "Discoveries", and the warm, friendly attitude of the people.

Why did I rate my Trip Leader (Boye) as number one?

Boye, of course, possessed the wealth of information that one expects of a trip leader. In addition to this, however, Boye had the ability to be serious when required, and to also display a great sense of humor which helped knit the sixteen of us into a friendly relaxed group. I have been on at least seven GCTOAT trips previously and have enjoyed them all. This one was extra special because of Boye’s attention to detail and his desire to let us experience as much of Thailand as possible in this short time.

I, for example, had mentioned to him that I did some blacksmithing as a hobby. Lo and behold, several days later we stopped at a small roadside stand that sold knives. He arranged for me to go behind the scenes and spend a little time with the smith while he was working the metal. Others had the same kind of experience.

I don’t know how GCTOAT manages to keep coming up with all the great guides, but keep ‘em coming! I’ll be back for more.

Bob Orcutt
Virginia Beach, VA

Traveler: Robert from Virginia Beach, VA traveled on November 16, 2009

In Oct Nov, I enjoyed a 3 week escorted tour of South East Asia, visiting Cambodia, Thailand , Mayanmar and Laos with a group of 12 people. It was an incredible, unique, exciting and Interesting trip.
First four days we spent on a Pre trip to Cambodia. Here we got to travel via oxen cart to the first rice paddies. We followed this with a boat ride up the Tonle Sap river , saw first hand the life of Cambodia's river people and the Floating Fishing villages.
We spent many hours at Angkor Wat, the historic ruins of the holy city that took centuries to build between A.D. 1133-1150. It covers an area of six by sixteen miles. You stand in disbelief at the magnitude of this building feat at that time.
We also visited the Killing Fields museum -a very sad, solemn place honoring the 1.7 million victims killed during the Pol Pot era. These people have suffered so terribly , yet are such warm,welcoming and happy people.
Back in Bangkok, we spent a total of four days here.enjoying the strolls through the breath taking Floral market { with every kind of flower,} also the bustling Floating market where you can buy anything and everything right off the boats on the river.
Leaving the city, we traveled by bus through the countryside, heading North to the mountainous areas,First visiting Kanchanaburi, where we walked over the Bridge over the River Kwai where Allied POW's and Asian conscripts were forced to build the World War 11 railway from Thailand to Burma through dense jumgle and 325 feet of solid rock. We then trekked through Hell Fire Pass where the many lives were lost building this railway.
Traveling North , we visit Thailand's largest collection of historic ruins called Sukhothai
After reaching Chiang Rai , we used songtaew taxi trucks to get up the narrow mountain roads to visit the hill tribes ,AKHA tribe getting a glimpse of life that has changed little in centuries- interesting people in their traditional dark clothing and elaborat headdresses. From this town, we walk across the border into Mayanmar to meet incredibly friendly people and visit a beautiful SHAN -style temple.Evident here are traces of Chinese facial features and customs. After returning to Thailand , we enjoyed a cruise down the Mekong river to Laos.
Next we moved on to Chiang Mai, the biggest city in the north. One morning we were up at 5 a.m. for the " Alms-giving " ceremony where the monks walk down the mountain from the monastery to receive alms. Daily the people go there to give almsfood to the monks and to receive their blessings-a very moving experience for me. we also visited the Buddhist University and attended a lecture by a monk.
I was excited here to visit the elephant camp, and to watch an elephant paint a picture of an elephant on paper before our eyes with his tusk. Later, we got to have an 1 12 hour ride - little "bumpy " but fun.
Throughout these towns ,villages we enjoyed all kinds of crafts, included wood carving, indigo dyeing , Thai silk weaving, lacquerware ,Bronze and wonderful hand made cottons. Back in Bangkok we toured the Royal Palace and the Emeral Buddha.
During our last few days, they were celebrating "Loy Kratong " -the last lunar moon of the year. . They celebrate for days with fireworks, parades , river floats , hot air balloons-making for very memorable moments.
We used every kind of transport possible, including oxen, elephant ,rice barges, rickshaws, longtail speed boats, sontaew taxi trucks, motorized bicycles Tuck-tucks, bamboo rafts, boats,trains, buses and planes to see every area of the country. Food was very good, could be spicy with lots of curry , but always so many dishes to choose from Our guide "NOP" who was nothing short of "wonderful ", made many delicacies available { not all did I partake of } such as fried crickets, tarantulas, dung beetle, grasshoppers, bamboo worms and B.B.Q'd rats.
I was extremely impressed with the choice of hotels we stayed in, great service and clean., and all decorated for Christmas.
It was a very busy trip, days were a full, 10-12 hours each day, lots of walking. climbing, but always fun and enjoyable .Because of our small group we had many unique experiences you could never plan i.e. stopping and joining a wedding party helping the natives cut rice in the paddies roadside etc. all of these gave us such a sense of their customs and culture,
Truly a trip of a lifetime and one I will always remember.

Traveler: Beryl from Charlton, MA traveled on October 19, 2009

This was our eighth OATGTC trip and it proved to fulfill the "adventure" part of the OAT name more than any other trip we have taken to date. One always has expectations for a trip and each of those expectations were surpassed as the trip unfolded.
We joined the pre-trip to Angkor Wat and our guide Rith shared his country, its history, its people, and himself in a wonderful way. By far the most third world country we have visited, yet the people we were able to visit and interact with were welcoming, warm and happy. From the ox cart ride the first afternoon, to visiting temples at sunrise and sunset, to one of the best home hosted meals we have ever had, to the floating village on Lake Tonle Sap, and to the high emotions of the killing field memorial, we have zero regrets and praise to those who arranged our visit.
As for the base trip in Thailand, the stage set in Cambodia just got better. Once again we had an amazing program director, Nop, little in stature when compared to my 6"5" frame, yet a giant when compared to the group of excellent tour leaders we have had on our previous OATGCT travels. Nop literally took our group under his wing and with national pride, expertise, gentleness, and emotion showed us his country, its sights and sounds, its people, and its history. Of special note is the fact that we literally ate our way through Thailand. The foods (some of them quite unusual like grasshoppers, bamboo caterpillars, and BBQ'd rat) were wonderful and no one left the table hungry or ill.
Our transportation while in Thailand deserves special mention since the bus we are typically familar with was replaced by such modes as tuk tuk, train, plane, pick-up truck, farm truck, long tail boat, bamboo raft, rice barge, and last but not least an Asian elephant. As I said earlier, adventure was the operative word.
By pure chance we booked our trip for late October and early November thereby coinciding with the full moon of November and the annual Loy Kra Tong festival. This event had parades, river floats, fireworks, and the absolutely amazing fire balloons filling the night sky.
Last but not least in a country that is 95% Buddhist we saw temples and we saw monks. These experiences were spiritual for all of us, no matter ones own religious preference and I believe we all walked away better for the experience. We all could learn a lesson from the monks in their "eating to live and contemplative lifestyle" verses the "super sizing and always running lifestyle" too many of us follow.
As I close I would say, do not take Asia off your travel planner. If you want some real adventure, Thailand, with its pre-trip to Cambodia, is for you.

Traveler: Russell from Boise, ID traveled on October 19, 2009

This was our first OAT trip. We were a little worried about what to expect, but the trip exceeded our best hopes. Anya, the tour leader, was outstanding. All our day to day needs were well taken care of and we could concentrate on the joys of travel and discovery.
We got to major tourist sites like the Grand Palace, but also to many places where tourists generally don't go, like road side stops (ever eat rat?). The school and home visits were highlights as were the Monk Chat and elephant camp (and we even got some Thia lessons from Anya).

The optional trips to Myanmar and Laos is well worth it.

We learned and discovered a lot about Thailand and had a great time doing it.

It was a great trip

Traveler: William from Salem, OR traveled on November 04, 2009

We had a wonderful trip to Thailand (this was our 3rd GCTOAT trip)! Highlights were the variety and ornateness of the temples, the school visit, the hill tribes, and the elephant camp. We also enjoyed the frequent boat rides. Actually, there wasn't anything we didn't like. Our trip leader Panu went above and beyond in many, many ways. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail us at VyVyC@hotmail.com, and write Thailand in the Subject Line (otherwise we probably won't open it.). We highly recommend this trip.

Traveler: Tom and VyVy from St. Petersburg, FL traveled on September 30, 2009

This was one of the best value trips I have taken. Our guide was absolutely the best that could be had. The frequent DISCOVERY at any turn made it more exciting and informative. Ya, (our guide) was so informative and knowledgeable that we never had to doubt about information. Several things made the trip exceptional, i.e. the Alms ceremony, elephant ride, and home visit. The Thai cooking lesson was exceptional as well. Our bus driver and crew were outstanding. I kind of adopted them as grandsons and they were so very good to me and were always around if we needed them.The very best!!!!,

I was impressed with the good food as well. The out of usual restaurants and all the new foods were great.

Our guide,, Ya, emailed each of us on return to our home and then beyond expectation, he followed up with a personal telephone call the next week That is above exceptional

I would recommend this trip to anyone, but be prepared to be busy and see lots. I took over 700 pictures and saved 650. I have a computer full of them.

OAT is great!! iFive stars for this trip..Go and enjoy it!!!

Traveler: Maxine from Tempe, AZ traveled on April 08, 2009

This tour was easily the BEST value for the money of any guided tour I have ever taken; which would number in the dozens. OAT spared no effort to ensure that we were never nickled and dimed throughout the tour. There was a surprise at just around every turn.
The Guides "Savon' in Cambodia and 'Tim' (a female - a girl name Tim) in Thailand were super, super. They know their country and it's history and were able to ansewr all our questions. The bus drivers and Bus assistance were also EXCELLENT. The were very involved in our well being and comfort; they sure were couttious, They took care of us.
I have never traveled by so many modes of transportation in one month (maybe well over a dozen). The seights, smell and sounds will long be remembered. I have been back now for four weeks and I still cannot stop talking about the trip, what I saw, did and have nothing but high prases with the package OAT put together; they addressed down to the finest details, to make everyone happy; and that is a major task that was accomplished!! No penny pinching to make everyone satisfied.
A unique item on the trips were the home visits for a meal with a local family. I wanted to pass up on those visits and stay at the hotel on the three visits (or four) we had. Was I happy I did not stay home. I would have missed out on some unique highlights and experiences.
Our visit to the "elephant camp" will long, long, be remembered by me (those HUGH animals are stars) for years to come; that "camp" visit will be hard to beat especially for animal lovers. The bambo raft ride on the river was also wonderful. I never ate so muh food in any one month of my life before; and all meals were outstanding. The hotels we stayed were wonderful. The Grand China Princess rooms were very clean, comfortable and their food was great; However I did not like the area of the city where it was located and the lobby was like a 'flee market!".
Our Guide told us there are 32,000 Temples in Thailand, I am sure we visited them all. I do not have the vocabulary to even come close to describing the major ones (Temples), they have to be seen to be believed!! The main tour bus through Thailand was magnificent, cool, clean, quite, upper deck and COMFORTABLE!
OAT you hit a "long ball" on this one, you hit it out of the park; a solid "HOME RUN". I woul not hesitate to travel with OAT again, your service and value for my money will be shared with my friends and family!
I hope you have got the message. It would take me a book to fully describe this wonderful experience. I have some family members who like to adventure out on their own and go at there pace. They could NEVER visit the sights and met the people that I did on their own -- not in five years, in a strange country with a new language; just Impossible!
I recommend this "Discover Thailand" trip to anyone in the world! Don't skip the Cambodia 'pre trip' you will not regret it. Why go that far and not go ALL the way?
THANK YOU OAT!!

Traveler: Norman from Kennesaw, GA traveled on March 26, 2009

Because I had time constraints I did not do the pre or post extension trips but from all the comments of my fellow travelers I now wish that I had worked something out to do it. I can't say enough good things about this trip. First of all I can't believe they can do a trip of this magnitude for such a low price! I loved the elephant ride, the elephant show, the rides on the barge, train and bamboo raft! What experiences! I really enjoyed the home hosted meal and the excellent services of our tour guide, Tim who really was a walking encyclopedia! I found the people warm and friendly and the countryside absolutely beautiful. This was my first trip with OAT but definitely not my last.

Traveler: Elaine from Austin, TX traveled on March 30, 2009

Kathy and I have just returned from our OAT Thailand trip this March. Wow, we never stopped! So much to see and do, so little time. Our guide, John Sroysumrong, was wonderful. He was extremely knowledgeable, and went out of his way numerous times tokeep all of us happy. (I had forgotten my battery charger and John took me to an out of the way camera store in the backstreets of Bangkok to find one. This was way beyond the call of duty, and it made my day.)

There were many high points, but probably the most enjoyable was a visit to a Grand Circle Foundation school in Kanchanaburi. A precious young girl named Vee took me by the hand and showed me her home and rose garden as well as her school. She even made me a ring from a palm frond. Kathy's escort, Carl, played the drum while she danced with Vee. He even photographed her with his school friends.

Experiences like these made our trip memorable. We rode elephants, and somehow had time for two exceptional home visits. All in all, this was one more great adventure from OAT. Five stars anbd truly a great value for the money.

Traveler: Jan from Bristol, RI traveled on March 11, 2009

How to begin?? First Cambodia: chanthu was an inspirational guide. So attentive , as we have become to expect from OAT, humble and so informative. Where does OAT find these peopel. Angar Wat(Temple) was overwhelming, as were Angar Thom etc. But most impressive was our guide's tour of the boat people. To see happy people being so gracious and kind ,living in . what we americans, consider extreme poverty was , an education in itself. Its hard to describe the feeling we had. We have since rerad everything we could find on Cambodia since prior to POL POT,
In Thailand we had probably the best guide ,ANU, we have experienced in our many tours around the world. And, until the last day didn't know he was voted the #1 guide in Thailand last year. And, he certainly lived up to his accolades. To have the opportunity to understand Budism and its influence in the peoples of Cambodia, Thailand and Burma, made our trip through the many villages and beauiful country' so meaningful and almost life changing and humbling. The people ;of Thailand are so gentle and so beautiful. and so kind. The trip encouintered so manky sites and expeciallyk experiences that ordinaryk tours never even approach. The beauty of Thailand is also in the land as well as the people. We always felt so safe wherever we went.
As to Burma (Myanmar), don't believe the stories we all hear about it being unsafe. We couldn'dt have felt as safe any where in america. Again the people were the highlight of our tour. There were on 6 of us on the tour, and our guide ,Yan, couldn't have been better. Yangoon, was so interesting and the street vendors offering so manky ullnuksuall items were so interesting. Bagon with its 5000 temples (Wats) was more impressive than the tour advertised. Our trip on the river and the suklnset at the temples was an experienced of a life time. But, again our being with the people was the highlight.
OAT lives up to its reputation . Actuallykthey underplay the many adventures and oportunities in their trips.

Ned and Dixie Gregerson

Traveler: Ned & Dixie from Saint George, UT traveled on January 19, 2009

The trip was exceptional. We loved trying the many different modes of travel that were provided. Our guide, Ray, was professional, congenial and great to have as a leader. Every day was an adventure, with new discoveries. We loved the elephant ride and bamboo rafting. The people of Thailand were always smiling, it was wonderful to be welcomed by them.

Traveler: William from Surprise, AZ traveled on January 28, 2009