Thailand Boutique Tuk Tuk Adventure (Self Drive) - 5 Days

We’ll pick you up at 10:00am from the Chiang Mai Gate Hotel in Chiang Mai city and transfer you to our training base for the adventure ahead.On arrival at our ‘base camp’ in Mae Wang at around 11:30 we’ll check you in to your accommodation, have lunch together and then begin your driver training. Once everyone has got to grips with the basics we’ll head on your first test drive to a local Temple where we can ‘make merit’ and receive a blessing for the journey ahead! You'll be driving for around 1 hour and 30 minutes covering 25-30km to really familiarise yourself with your new wheels but this includes plenty of stops! In the evening it’s time to spend more time getting to know your Tuk Tuk and enjoying a great Thai feast.

After breakfast we’ll go through more driver training, building on what you learned yesterday, and run through all the nitty-gritty of the trip ahead. Then it’s time to venture a little further afield with a test drive through small country roads to a fantastic elephant home that is leading the way in taking elephants away from a life of trekking and instead creating an environment where people can learn about and spend time with elephants on their terms, not ours! We’ll head slowly in convoy to the elephant home giving all the opportunity to get some ‘road time’ and confidence. On arrival, you’ll learn about the history of the elephants, what the team at the Elephant home are doing and then, after a great lunch at the home, it’s time to enjoy the company of these wonderful animals. You’ll be able to feed them, get to know them and then walk with them (no riding allowed!) to the local river where you’ll watch them bathe. In the late afternoon we’ll have a change of pace as we float gently own stream on bamboo rafts before it’s then time for more driving practice as we head back to the base camp for dinner. Today you'll cover around 55km in your Tuk-Tuk and spend around 2 hours and 30 minutes behind the wheel but you'll be out and about for most of the day as there's plenty of stops incorporated. Now you're used to driving and have had plenty of practice on the smaller flatter roads you'll be raring to go tomorrow.

After an early breakfast we’re hitting the road and heading along small country roads towards Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon. Your guide will be in the lead Tuk Tuk and we’ll travel in convoy with the support vehicle at the rear. The first 20-30km of the route is simple with gentle curving roads but we soon hit stunning switch back bends, incredible scenery and tiny Karen hill tribe villages as we make our way towards the National Park. Enjoy the look of complete surprise from everyone as they see Tuk Tuks this far up in the mountains – trust us, novelty doesn’t not even begin to cover it – and we’ll stop frequently to have a look at different villages / views and of course to sample some of the great coffee and snacks in small villages. Lunch will be in a roadside snack bar – real Northern Thai style. We arrive at our accommodation mid-afternoon having covered around 75km in total after about 3 hours of driving. Don't worry you're not in the Tuk-Tuk for 3 hours straight, you'll spend about 5 hours travelling through at a leisurely pace. Once you arrive jump into another classic Thai mode of transport - a ‘Sorngtaew’ - a shared taxi adapted from a pick up truck, which drives us to the summit of the mountain.

The Tuk Tuks have a well-earned rest today as you head off and explore the foothills of Doi Inthanon on foot! Starting with a quick transfer by truck you then walk up into the forest led by a superb local guide (who knows everything about every tree and plant – and can spot a snake from miles away!) and then hike past stunning waterfalls, babbling rivers and under towering trees. You’ll have a packed lunch (wrapped in leaves) in a clearing in the forest. The hike ends with a walk back down into the village where you stayed last night and there’s the chance to enjoy the freshest coffee around at a local old-style mountain coffee shop (it’s such a cool place we couldn’t possibly do it justice here!) The trek / hike is suitable for all. The total distance is around 5-6km, we take it at a gentle place and after the initial uphill, the majority of the hike is flat or downhill. This evening it’s time for another superb feast – again overlooking the rice terraces – and perhaps one or two well deserved cold beers!

The 5 day adventure comes to an end this morning as you say goodbye to your Tuk Tuk, driver and potentially fellow travel buddies as they may be staying on for the 11 day adventure and transfer back to Chiang Mai City. The transfer will take place in the morning taking between 1 hour and 30 minutes and 2 hours depending on traffic so you'll arrive in Chiang Mai (The Chiang Mai Gate Hotel) before midday. We recommend not booking flights departing before 4pm on this day unless you are happy to pay for a private transfer earlier than the group.