G Adventures Northern Hill Tribes and Villages Review – Thailand

Thailand is the perfect place for young people to start their travelling adventures. As a whole, it provides the drastic culture shock that first time travel should but combines this feeling of discovery with an incredibly developed infrastructure for tourism. It allows you to really feel immersed in a new way of living whilst also supporting you along the way. This is seen even more in the huge array of tours on offer in the region. During my first Asian adventure, I chose to dip by toes in by booking the Northern Hill Tribes and Villages tour by G Adventures. Here is a quick summary of my time there and my thoughts travelling via a group tour.

Itinerary

• One night in Bangkok
• Overnight train to Chaing Mai
• One night in Chaing Mai
• 3 day hill tribe trek including river rafting and elephant bathing
• One night in Chaing Mai
• Over night train back to Bangkok

Highlights

• River boat tour of Bangkok
• Ladyboy show in Chaing Mai
• Home stay at local hilltribe villages
• River rafting
• Elephant bathing

Pros

• The main pro of taking a group tour is definitely that you fit so much in. Because you have a guide with lots of experience in the area you squeeze in all the best aspects of where you are into a short time. If I was on my own there was no way I would have known about rafting, trekking or a river tour, all highlights of the trip. They also provide you with loads of great food suggestions and optional activities to do in your free time.
• Another huge bonus is the people you meet. We had a group of 16 who spilt into smaller groups of friends but it was great to get to spent the time with new people without being forced into each other’s company. I don’t think I would have made such good friends with anyone if we weren’t on a tour.

Cons

• This wasn’t an issue for us but if you’re on a tour with people you don’t get on with I imagine it would ruin the experience a little bit.
• Although the tour wasn’t too expensive (£365 for 8 days), it can definitely be done cheaper on your own.
• If you’re the kind of person with a very strong idea of what you want to do in each city then you might find the lack of flexibility annoying, although many of the activities are optional.

Verdict

Whilst tours might not be for everyone, it was definitely the best decision I made. It may cost a little extra but the knowledge of the guide and the people we met easily made it worth every penny. G Adventures offer tours all over the world so even if Thailand isn’t for you, they’re sure to have something that is!

Katie x