Thailand with Go See Touring
This item appears on page 32 of the October 2015 issue.
Having enjoyed many of the world’s great gardens and floral events, I found the Chiang Mai Thailand Flower Festival via the Internet and discovered that Go See Touring (4/99 Racecourse Rd., Ascot, Queensland 4007, Australia; phone +61 1300 551 997, www.goseetouring.com) had been offering tours to Thailand and the festival for nine years.
From my first email to GiGi Huxley (gigi@goseetouring) until the fabulous farewell dinner our group had in Chiang Mai, our tour and the staff of Go See Touring exceeded all of our expectations.
My wife, my sister and I met 21 Aussies in Bangkok and spent Jan. 31-Feb. 10, 2015, seeing Thailand. Go See knows how to treat its guests. Each hotel was outstanding, the meals were delicious and served in exciting places, and the sites we visited were interesting. The staff, especially Maree, Pixie and Michael, were the consummate hosts.
We toured Bangkok before traveling by coach to Kanchanaburi to see the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum and the Allied War Cemetery and to visit the Tiger Temple, where we had multiple photos taken with tigers.
Accessible by long-tail boat, our lodging for two nights in Kanchanaburi, the River Kwai Resotel (55 Moo 5 Tambol Wangkrajae; www.riverkwairesotel.net), was our favorite hotel of the trip.
A moving visit to the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum and walking trail, along the Thai-Burma “Death Railway,” was followed by a short train ride on the historic railway overlooking the famous River Kwai.
We returned to Bangkok, then flew to Chiang Rai for two days of touring the Northern Highlands, visiting the Mae Fah Luang Garden, a spectacular display of plants and flowers; Mae Sai, Thailand’s northernmost border town, near Myanmar, and the Golden Triangle. One lunch was on a lovely hotel veranda overlooking the Mekong River with views of Myanmar and Laos. We could have sat there forever!
Our air-conditioned, 50-passenger coach took us from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, where we spent our final five nights. One memorable morning was spent feeding, watching and riding elephants at Maesa Elephant Camp. Our elephant ride took us to a village with long-necked women of the Kayan tribe to learn about their culture.
At 7:30 on a Saturday morning, we were seated in premium seats for the 39th Chiang Mai Flower Parade. The morning was made even nicer by the seat cushions, refreshments and pre-parade entertainment provided by Go See.
The colorful parade, similar to the Rose Parade, was a photographer’s dream and a highlight for us. Lasting 2½ hours, it included hundreds of costumed marchers, many bands and 29 floats covered with flowers and plant material. Afterward, Go See took us to the city park to see the floats more closely as well as a large floral exhibition.
An included activity was a 2-hour Thai massage or a Thai cooking class. We chose cooking, and it was an unforgettable experience. After going to a market in Chiang Mai’s Old City for ingredients, we made (and ate) cashew chicken, spring rolls and spicy shrimp.
Our final day was spent touring Chiang Mai’s handicraft factories for silk, jewelry, leather, etc.
For all that was provided in our 10-day adventure, we felt the cost of AUD3,000 (near $2,105), all-inclusive except for drinks, was a great value. (Our international airfare was separate.) We highly recommend Go See Touring.
WILLIAM JOHANNES
Columbus, OH