Affordable Vacations in Thailand – Hurry and Book Them!

As I am sitting here watching the rain fall and sipping my hot coffee, I cannot help but picture more interesting morning scenery to wake up to. How about green mountains, lush forests and picturesque villages? That sounds like Thailand to me and, right now, the deals are incredible. If you like to hike and don’t mind being challenged, Thailand is a great choice for such a vacation.

The deal

You can spend 8 days in Thailand for prices starting at $479 per person. The next available departure is on November 8.

Don’t expect five star facilities. You’ll be traveling by train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (and back) and each journey takes 13.5 hours. While trekking, you’ll be spending the night in shared accommodation, on the floor of village huts.

The details

First you need to find cheap airfare to Thailand because the package doesn’t include the flight.

The vacation starts in Bangkok, but you don’t need to worry about finding cheap hotels in Bangkok because the accommodation is already included in the price. You’ll be staying two days in the capital and on the second day you can visit Wat Po or explore the canals of Bangkok in a longtail boat.

Then you are off to Chiang Mai, by train. The journey takes 13.5 hours and you’ll be sleeping the night away in a sleeper. You’ve got a day to explore the city on your own and in the evening you can tour the famous temple complex of Doi Suthep. And by the way: don’t miss the Night Bazaar, the covered markets, where you can find pretty much anything you want.

The next day you’ll start the 3-day Hilltribe Trek and visit various minority tribes. You’ll be able to ride an elephant and try rafting. This is the part of the vacation which challenges your fitness skills. You need to be able to walk daily for 4-5 hours on various terrain and be able to carry your backpack. The nights are spent in village huts.

The weather can be cold during the night, so make sure to pack some lightweight warm clothes. If you happen to forget some of your gear, you can rent it before leaving Chiang Mai.

On the afternoon of day 6 you’ll be back in Chiang Mai. The next day is again a free day in Chiang Mai when you can do some souvenir shopping before going back to Bangkok by train.

On day 8, everyone is heading for the airport to catch their cheap international flights back home.

Is November a good time to visit Northern Thailand?

The winter months in Northern Thailand start in November and end in January. But winter is not extremely cold in the country. Especially compared to Europe and Northern America, the winter in Thailand is comfortably warm. The mountains region is colder, with temperatures dropping around zero during the night. Without a doubt, this is the best time to visit the region.

Photo credits:

Wat Po by Alberto Perdomo on Flickr
Market in Chiang Mai by marhas1 on Flickr