Photos are from a French language, Thailand family tour organized on behalf of Club Aventure, so firstly a big merci to Lauren who provided us with some excellent photos and Jean-Daniel for additional pix and his – as always – first class tour-leading abilities! So without further ado here is the homme in question. (Though JD would like it pointed out that he in fact hails from Lausanne in Switzerland, not France).
JD explaining something or another on the local train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi The local train from Bangkok does rattle along, stopping in about every tiny village it goes through but is a fun and authentic alternative to a minibus or the official ‘tourist train’.
A wide selection of dried prawns Going back a step, JD’s quirky Bangkok tour always includes a visit to the highly fragrant, (a matter of opinion), dried fish market at Tha Thien. Bet you didn’t imagine there were so many varieties of dried shrimp!?
Kayaking on the Kwai Noi River A great day kayaking on Kanchanaburi’s picturesque Kwai Noi River also included a visit to one of the area’s elephant camps. Here’s Lauren bathing with one of the gentle giants.
Elephant having a joke at Lauren’s expense! Our Kanchanaburi programme also included a visit to the highly unusual temple of Wat Phu Wa, a modern construction incorporating an eclectic mix of Thai, Khmer & Mon styles.
Wat Phu Wa After Kanchanaburi, the tour moves across the Central Plains to Ayuthaya Province where we stay as guests of a local family in a homestay in the small village of Chan Loke. Discovering the village life and meeting the locals is always a popular element of the trip.
Traditional stilt houses in Chan Loke Village A particularly excellent photo from Lauren was this shot of a white-handed gibbon in Khao Yai National Park – right place at the right time but a steady hand too! Our Khao Yai itinerary includes an evening hike which, aside from the thrill of being in the jungle as night falls, is also one of the best times of day for spotting wildlife such as gibbons or elephants.
Khao Yai – white-handed gibbon After our jungle sojourn, we head to the Gulf of Thailand and the unspoilt island of Koh Mak – lying just south of the famous Koh Chang but still largely untouched by mass tourism. So to conclude the post here’s a rather nice ‘sunset with deckchairs’ taken on Koh Mak.
Sunset with deckchairs, Koh Mak Thanks again to JD and Lauren for their Thailand Family tour photos.
Cheers!
