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Bangkok’s bustling markets, busy restaurants and chaotic traffi c are softened by
incredible scenery, amazing cuisine and the charming smile of the friendly locals – the
perfect starting point in Thailand, says Lucy Clarke from Premier Travel in Saffron Walden
During our stay we toured beautiful
temples, shopped until we dropped
at the department stores, bartered at
local markets and experienced a high-
speed TukTuk ride – an absolute must!
The food in Bangkok is some of the
best in Asia and offers fantastic value
too, with endless amazing restaurants
to choose from across the city.
Next we fl ew to Phuket and
transferred to Elephant Hills resort
in the Khao Sok rainforest, driving
through rural villages and palm
plantations with natural wildlife in
abundance. Escorted to a mangrove
forest by speedboat, we enjoyed
a delicious Thai lunch on board a
traditional Burmese Junk boat before
paddling along the creek in canoes;
stopping to relax on a beautiful beach
before driving on to Elephant Hills’
Jungle Camp.
The stunning Jungle Camp is like
something out of a fi lm, surrounded
by the Khao Sok rainforest with a
tropical mist over the mountains
and the sound of natural wildlife all
around. After a fantastic dinner in the
open-air dining area we retired to our
luxury tents for the night; each with
electricity, running water and en-suite
bathroom!
The next morning excitement fi lled
the camp as it was time to meet the
elephants. Our experienced guides
talked about the resort’s conservation
project and their female elephants in
residence (along with baby Haha, who
loves to play football with coconuts!)
After learning about how Elephant
Hills protects these beautiful animals,
I was really excited to spend the
afternoon interacting with them.
We set to work preparing the
elephants’ lunch, chopping vegetables
and fruit into huge buckets before
feeding them ourselves. Next it was
time for their mud bath, where we
each had the chance to scrub the
gentle giants with coconut husks and
hose them clean! After an amazing
day we said a sad goodbye to the herd
and set off on a guided kayak trip
along the Sok River; spotting lizards,
birds, monkeys and reptiles along the
way.
The next day we visited Elephant
Hills’ fl oating Rainforest Camp set
on the Cheow Larn Lake - a stunning
National Marine Park with a beautiful
rainforest backdrop. Boarding a
long-tail speedboat we set
off to explore, amazed by the
stunning scenery all around.
Huge limestone rocks created
breath-taking silhouettes
against the turquoise water
and we enjoyed a quick dip to
cool off before heading back
to the Jungle Camp.
After a guided trek through
the ancient rainforest to spot
natural wildlife, it was off to
Khao Lak - a gorgeous beach
resort in the south of Thailand. The
coastline is beautifully framed by the
Andaman Sea and complimented by
world-class spas, traditional shops and
restaurants and a popular local market
- great for practising your bartering
skills!
We spent a week relaxing on the
golden sands and exploring the
neighbouring islands by boat (a must
P le a s e m e n t i o n ‘ T h e F l yer ’ wh en r esp o n d in g t o ad ver t isements
FREE Win
e
with Prem
ier
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day
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ng!
is the iconic ‘James Bond Island’ from
the Bond fi lm ‘The Man with the
Golden Gun’) before saying goodbye
to Thailand and departing for home,
with a lifetime of wonderful memories.
Premier Travel can offer a 14-night
Thailand holiday from £1,299pp
including four nights in Bangkok, three
nights at Elephant Hills Jungle and
Lake Safari with full board and a range
of activities, and seven nights in Khao
Lak. The price is based on two adults
sharing and includes return fl ights and
transfers.
For more information, contact Premier
Travel’s Saffron Walden branch on
01799 505000 or visit the website
www.premier-travel.co.uk
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