When Thai International began service in the early 1960s, the Kingdom had fewer than a hundred thousand visitors a year. Today that figure is well over eleven million. Without question, Thailand is among the most popular travel destinations in Asia. It has to offer what many other countries can’t — variety.
   
In the past, and as it still is today, visitors were attracted to the Kingdom's unique cultural heritage, its exotic sightseeing and magnificent scenery, tropical beaches, remote forests and hill regions inhabited by colorful tribal folk. Travellers love Thailand for its unlimited shopping, gastronomic dining, for nightlife and entertainment — plus its superb range of hotels.         
 
 But travel trends do change. Thailand continues to attract visitors for all that mentioned above, and we are fortunate that Thailand can meet the new demands with flying colours. And here’s the bottom line: the travel industry is discovering that exotic, uncrowned destinations are experiencing a strong comeback the world over after a post-Sept 11 slump. The interest is a sign that travellers aren’t afraid to fly any more and they're taking longer trips. However, travellers are looking for something different too. They are turning increasingly towards more challenging experiences, to specialized tours (another name for adventure travel) and, especially, to activities which include the opportunity to explore unique environments.         
    Once again Thailand is proving its diversity in being able to fully satisfy such desires and, to achieve this end, Royal Orchid Holidays has created dozens of adventure tours as outlined in the ROH booklet “Soft Adventure Holidays.” The six-page booklet is available at Thai Airways offices around the world but, until you get your copy, I’ll outline some of the soft adventure activities available through ROH.

DIVING
Diving is one of the most sought after activities* and for good reason. The warm tropical waters of the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea provide ideal conditions for scuba diving. Vast areas of Thailand’s coastal waters and designated national marine parks are where the natural heritage is preserved. Thailand offers qualified diving courses which are internationally recognized and all gear can be arranged locally for organized diving tours. Let’s look at the options.

Pattaya
1. Mermaid's Scuba Diving Full Day (ROHA83). One-day scuba diving to view soft and hard corals and large schools of jacks, barracuda and tuna. Blue spotted stingrays and moray eels can be seen on virtually every dive. Full rental gear, dive master and lunch on board are included.

2. A Four-Day PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Open Water Course in Pattaya with accommodation included (ROHA84). The PADI Open Water Course is a four-day programme earning the diver an internationally recognized license. The course can be done on four consecutive days or scheduled to suit the diver.

3. PADI Open Water Course in Pattaya (ROHA84A), a four-day course earning an international PADI license. (Accommodation not included)

Phuket
1.  A Full-Day Trip Plus Diving at Phi Phi Island (ROHA8 1)
Two dives at Phi Phi Island, home to a rich diversity of marine life. Full set of West Coast Diver's equipment and lunch are included.

2.  A Full-Day Trip Plus Diving at Phuket Island (ROHA8 IA). Phuket offers many interesting diving locations, with depths ranging from 16-30 metres. Visit Racha Yai, Shark Point, King Cruiser or Anemone Reef depending on the day of operation.

3. A Four-Day PADI Open Water Diving Course in Phuket (ROHA82). Enjoy a four-day open water diving course with professional divers in Phuket and earn an internationally recognized PADI license. Join diving trips at one of the worlds' top diving destinations.

4.  A Five-day Live Aboard Diving at Phuket Island (ROHABO) aboard twenty-two metres of luxury vessel specifically designed and built for diving. She has a vast deck for sunbathing, a large and spacious dive station with every convenience and a cool and comfortable cabin area for relaxation.

If you want to combine cruising and adventure, you can do that too. For example, you can sail aboard a real Phuket classic junk (ROHA4A, ROHA4B). The cruise is four days and three nights. Sail to a new destination each day and spend the nights anchored in exotic bays.

Or, what about a Phuket Sea Canoe (ROHA9)? You paddle a kayak on a multi-day exploration through mysterious caves and hidden lagoons and camp out on the beach. It’s two nights and three days. You can also sign up for the Phangnga Bay Sea Canoe (ROHAIO) with a guided tour by self-paddled sea canoe to explore caves, hidden lagoons and the stunning islands of Phangnga Bay.
          
There’s more on both Phuket Island and around Phangnga Bay. Phuket Island Discovery (ROHA26) is a full-day excursion in which you experience an off-road adventure drive through the jungle, visit a gibbon rehabilitation centre and witness a Thai cook demonstration. The Four-in-One Phuket Adventure (ROHA28) takes you for elephant-back and buffalo cart rides, and includes a mangrove swamp canoe trip, off-road vehicle safari and Thai-style meal. You can see coconut-picking monkeys and rubber tapping.

A real excitement is the Phangnga Caves Exploration (ROHA24). You explore several major caves with unique ecosystems, some of which can only be reached by boat. And then there is the Elephant Trek & Mini Safari (ROHA27) Here’s your chance to learn something about elephants and to enjoy a half-hour ride through a dazzling forest. On the Khao Sok Jungle Safari (ROHA29) you enter a 656 sq. km. park dominated by forest-covered limestone crags rising up to 1,000 metres, and make a jungle river canoe trip.

A real experience is the Khao Lak National Park (ROHA36) that takes three days and two nights. Here’s your opportunity to explore one of Thailand's largest and most scenic national parks, plus elephant trekking, jungle walking and bamboo rafting.

Chiang Mai
The complete adventure tours in northern Thailand offered by ROH would take months. Decisions are difficult to make with so many options but I’ll outline a few possibilities. There is the Chiang Mai Trekking (ROHA4O) for a period of three days and two nights. This action-packed adventure leads to natural splendors and remote villages, to hot springs, hilltribe villages and an elephant camp. You experience an elephant-back ride, raft on a river and visit local temples and an orchid farm, and sleep in rustic lodges.

If you like motoring, there is the Northern 4WD and Rafting (ROHA2) that takes six days five nights. This is your chance to be Indiana Jones for a spell. Your journey by 4WD, elephant and raft takes you through some of North Thailand's mountain scenery close to the Burmese border. If a week is too long, try the Mae Sa Taste of Adventure (ROHA33) that takes two days and one night. You trek trough a forest and travel by 4WD to visit to a Hmong hilltribe. There are several other Chiang Mai Optional Tours, from elephant riding and rafting to biking and white water rafting.

Adventure tours that feature trekking are not suitable for children and the elderly. Travellers should be reasonably fit, as travel may be by mountain bike, open mini truck or 4WD. Accommodation may include simple forest lodges without private facilities. You must carry your own backpack for daily needs.

What I have outlined here is general soft adventure. In the coming weeks I will delve more into yachting and ocean exploring in the Andaman Sea, and take readers deep into Burma by a beautiful yacht called the Ocean Rover. I will also tell readers how they can manage some hard adventure, like exploring unexplored jungles, diving on forgotten wrecks and spelunking into deep, dark caves that have never been fully explored to this day. It's all there, waiting in Thailand and the seas beyond.

Next week I hope the new brochures will be printed and I can tell readers what to expect for travel 2007-2008.

Get behind the driver's wheel; it's easy

Riding a raft on a jungle stream

The author on elephant back

AQ Land rover of back road exploring

The author crosses a stream in his Land Cruiser

A real adventure, get married underwater

Caves are open for exploring, with a monk guide

Visitors can ride elephants in every district

Elephants here seen in the wild

Caves are not always underground

Ocean Rover in Phuket for scuba diving

Biking is always fun

Khmer temples in every corner of Thailand

 The author's schooner in Phuket

Ride the river on a hotel boat

Tourists love to feed elephants

The author with his fresh water catch

Train travel is always an adventure

Adventure can be finding an empty beach

Adventure can also be a tuktuk ride

QUESTIOINS & ANSWERS

Q. Dear Mr. Stephens. I will be travelling to Thailand in May with my wife and father. We have two weeks and want to see Bangkok, Chiang Mai and either Phuket or Ko Samui. If the train to Chiang Mai is good, we would like to take that. We also want to stop in Tokyo for a few days since we are passing through. Can you advise me what to do?  Robert Chase, New York.

A. Dear Robert, There was a joke they used to tell about travelling in Europe. Thirty cities in thirty days. What happen is, at the end of such a journey, you can’t remember one city from the next and they all become a blur. Try not to do too much, and concentrate on a few areas only. For you stop in Japan, you might want to see Narita City, a town near the airport, with a free bus to take you there. Narita City is Japan in miniature. You truly get a feel for Japan here, and don’t have to travel the long distance to Tokyo.

Although it is a pleasant train trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, your time is limited and I would fly.

As for Phuket or Ko Samui, both are great resort destinations, and both easy domestic flights from Bangkok.

Harold Stephens
Bangkok
E-mail:   ROH Weekly Travel

Note: The article is the personal view of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the view of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited.

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