Kata also has much more of a village feel to it, with an enjoyable evening atmosphere. Nightlife in the area is fairly low-key, but the bright lights of Patong are only 20 minutes up the coast if you feel like dancing the night away.

The long-tail boat featured here is a super-sized version of what is now becoming a traditional means of water transport in Thailand. Long-tail boats are named for their unusual appearance, with the propeller mounted on a drive shaft that extends several metres beyond the rear of the boat, giving it a ‘long-tailed’ appearance.

It’s a great way to travel from bay to bay around Phuket or to explore the island from a different vantage point. Long-tail boats can be found off most beaches and can be hired by the hour or for tours. Smaller version of these boats ply the canals and waterways throughout Southeast Asia, a common mode of transport.

A young lady from the Akha hill tribe (Thailand) sports a traditional head-dress

As idyllic as it sounds, we believe that there is more to the experience of Thailand than your snapshot taken beside a giant Buddha or a secluded beach, no matter how stunning they may be. In each destination, our local partners connect travellers with a selection of socially conscious tours and experiences designed for real immersion in Thai history and culture. It’s the difference between “I was there” and “I was there and did this… and by doing this I was able to help!”

Consider these alternative tour options around Thailand, all able to deliver an experience that is unforgettable and possibly life-changing, not just for you, but for the communities you visit.

Bangkok: A Trip to the Floating Market and Jim Thompson’s House

Instead of shopping in Bangkok’s modern malls, try visiting the famous, traditional floating markets of Damnoen Saduak, 50 miles west of the city. Unlike most tours to the floating market, this one starts at 6:45am, so you see what happens before the bulk of tourists arrive. A small boat gets you up close to the action, so you can explore the commerce of this colourful and bustling daily gathering. On the way back to Bangkok, you stop at the 127-metre-high Chedi at Nakhon Pathom – the tallest stupa in the world – and then enjoy a scrumptious lunch at the house (now a national museum) of Jim Thompson, the renowned 20th-century American designer who revitalised Thailand’s silk industry.

The floating markets of Damnoen Saduak, 50 miles west of Bangkok, have been a popular tourist destination since featuring in the 1974 James Bond movie 'The Man with the Golden Gun'. Photo by Teamworkz

Chiang Rai: Hill Tribe Excursion

Like other Southeast Asian countries, Thailand is home to a variety of ethnic minority groups. The hill tribes of today living peacefully in the highlands of northern Thailand are the descendants of groups who migrated from China and Tibet centuries ago. On this tour near Chiang Rai, you get an inside look at the traditional culture of the Akha tribes (see photo at top) in the villages of Santikhiri, Therd Thai and Laoma. You also pass through an extensive tea plantation and even visit the former headquarters of notorious drug baron Khun Sa! There’s no better way to immerse yourself in remote village life than this.

Chiang Mai: At the Crack of Dawn

This unique tour sees you start the day in Chiang Mai at sunrise when there’s much more happening than you might have thought. On the grounds of an ancient temple, you get introduced to Buddhism ritual by witnessing the monks embark on their daily morning prayers and food offerings. Then it’s off to the market to purchase freshly delivered goods, followed by a morning rickshaw ride around town.

At the Wat Chedi Luang Chiang Mai in Chiang Mai, morning alms collection is a tradition dating back to the days of Lord Buddha. Photo by Asia World

Phuket: All-in-One Safari and Sunset Cruise

This action-packed and highly educational tour of Phuket Island begins in the Chalong Highlands, where you meet and greet the gentle beasts of the Siam Safari Elephant Camp. You climb aboard your favourite pachyderm and then trek across the highlands, learning how rubber latex is extracted from rubber trees, and watching how trained monkeys pick coconuts that are harvested for milk and oil. The trip concludes with a sunset dinner cruise of Chalong Bay on a traditional Thai boat. Even better, your tour fees help cover elephant vet fees and contribute to a fund for supplies at underprivileged schools in the area.

Elephant trekking with Siam Safari is a great way to see Phuket from a different angle - that of the back of an elephant! Photo by Siam Safari

Ayutthaya: Not Your Everyday Cruise

After time spent exploring Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand (for 417 years and more than 30 kings), this truly unusual cruise experience awaits you aboard the 12-passenger Thanantharee Rice Barge, when it makes the three-day trip down the Chao Phraya River to Bangkok. Stopping regularly along the way, it allows you to hop on a bike and ride through rural villages to visit famous temples, watch monks on their morning alms rounds and meet the hill-tribe children in a local orphanage. You can even accompany your cook to a local market to shop for the ingredients for your on-board meals. You learn about Thai cuisine, local life, drum making and even pottery – part of a journey of mind as well as body. In Bangkok, you’re dropped off at your hotel.

A Buddha statue at the Sukhothai Historical Park is just one reminder of why Sukhothai is considered the foundation of Thai culture. Photo by Thin Lei Win

Sukhothai: Reliving Grand History

Sukhothai is a must-see if you’re keen to explore the ancient past of Southeast Asia. As the first state and former capital of Thailand, this historic city boasts numerous monuments and temples from Thailand’s Golden Age. On this Sukhothai tour, you spend a full day exploring Sukhothai Historical Park and the Sri Satchanalai Historical Park by foot or bicycle. You not only get an intimate look at Thailand’s history, but your fees support an orphanage in Luang Prabang (Laos) and the Aspara Arts Association in Phnom Penh (Cambodia).

These are just some of the many experiential tour options awaiting you in Thailand. For more alternatives throughout this captivating country, visit the whl.travel portals in Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phuket and Sukhothai.

This natural stone pillar was, of course, featured in the 1974 movie ‘The Man with the Golden Gun‘, and continues to radiate the style and excitement attached to a James Bond film. There’s something very mysterious about this island – it almost seems to defy gravity – and to see it close up is quite an experience indeed.

It’s no longer possible to climb the rocky outcrop, but a swim out to it for a quick touch is permitted.  However most people do not as there is generally a large crowd present – up to 4,000 visitors per day. This rock is part of the Ao Phang Nga National Park, which is usually visited on a day trip from Phuket. While some areas (such as the one surrounding James Bond Island) can be busy, finding a slice of peace and quiet away from the crowds is always possible.

Teamworkz Consulting accepting its accolades as Franchisee of the Year 2008-2009 at the whl.travel Asia Pacific regional conference. Left to right are: Rob Shortland, whl.travel Asia Pacific Regional Director; Anne Done, Lee Sheridan and Mouk of Teamworkz; Len Cordiner, CEO of WHL Group

“An amazing effort,” comment Rob Shortland, whl.travel Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “Amazing especially when you consider they also won two of the three category awards (service and web marketing). They really worked hard for this over the last 12-18 months and it shows in their results, as well as in the growth of their business. A great job and well done.”

Reward and Recognition

The whl.travel Reward and Recognition (R&R) program is designed to encourage, recognize and reward franchise partners who show improvement in their pursuit of excellence in areas deemed important to the growth and wellbeing of the network, all in the spirit of friendly competition. The 2008-2009 program focused on three categories: sustainability (improvements in the quality and quantity of product with Caring for the Destination ratings); service standards (the ability of each franchisee to hit and surpass the 95% success level for responding to client queries within 24 hours, and to keep published rates current); and Web marketing. There were quarterly awards in each category, category leaders for the year and top honours given to the Franchisee of the Year.

Teamworkz Consulting basically dominated the rankings. While Vientiane sat atop the leader board, the next three positions were filled by Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Phuket (Thailand), and seven of the top eight spots included Koh Samui and Chiang Mai (both in Thailand) – all operated by Teamworkz. Only the whl.travel local partner in Vanuatu – the 2007-2008 whl.travel Franchisee of the Year – broke the run with its fifth-place finish tying with Luang Prabang as winner of the service category of the year. All 10 live sites in Laos and Thailand under Teamworkz management swept the Web marketing category for the year, while the local partner in Marmaris-Datça, Turkey (10th overall), was category leader for the year in sustainability, 87% of its accommodations and tours meriting a Caring for the Destination ranking.

“As much as I would like to take all the credit,” said Lee Sheridan, managing director of Teamworkz, “I have to admit that my team of Mouk, Anne, Vong, Phansee and Thouni have done all the hard work. A big thanks to them!! They are the ones who consistently demonstrate the power of the local connection.”

The R&R program rules will change in 2009-2010 based on important feedback from the local partners. The goal however remains the same: to ‘encourage, recognize and reward’. After all, “Who cares if we win or not again?” said John Nicholls, owner and operator of Vanuatu Hotels. “This R&R competition has greater rewards for all of us in the whl.travel organisation than a single franchisee winning a prize. It is an essential motivator for all of us to improve.”

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As a primary force in the Greater Mekong region, where whl.travel network coverage may soon know no equal, Teamworkz Consulting is the local connection in Laos (the Champasak, Luang Prabang [read more here], Vang Vieng and Vientiane destination sites are live, while Luang Mantha and Xieng Khouane are under construction) and Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phuket and Sukhothai).

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On 11 January 2009 the New York Times (NYT) published a piece entitled The 44 Places to Go in 2009. The introduction suggests that they are the new year’s ‘most compelling destinations’ and they’re presented in an order of preference ‘recommended’ by the NYT. At the article’s request, readers also voted on their favourites and, with the click of a button, the preferences can be shuffled to reflect readers’ recommendations too.

Reader comments on the article covered fairly predictable ground, lamenting omitted destinations (“Nothing in China? I am a bit surprised.” “Not a single Canadian destination?”), suggesting new ones (“Visit Poland!” “Tanzania? Kenya”?), criticising those on the list (“Dallas? You’ve got to be kidding!” “Beirut? Get real.”), questioning the division into sub-categories (“How is Greece not a cultural option?” “Can someone explain to me how $600 a night in South Africa is ‘frugal’?”) and even challenging the validity and sustainability of the topic (“Honestly, how many working people will be able to afford big vacations this year?” “Do the authors and publishers of travel pieces like this bear responsibility for the environmental damage wrought by those who go?”)

One of my personal favourites is this one: “Please add the category that shows where the jobs are that allow people to spend money to travel. In my world, most of these trips are the equivalent of more than a couple of month’s rent. Call it ‘employo-tourism.’ ”

I won’t add my own very long list of criticisms of the choices offered or of people’s responses. Well, OK, I can’t resist just one: Just how could Buffalo (New York) be the number three people’s recommended destination for 2009? I have nothing against the place, but, really, more appealing than the entire country of South Africa? Please.

Actually, I have another one: Like many of the people who commented, I find the presentation of the list to be incredibly disingenuous. While I can imagine the day when whl.travel will publish its own lists, I will endeavor to be more transparent about our selection criteria and more clear about our original pool being solely our suite of offered destinations.

Then again, I wonder if these lists serve any real purpose or if (as I sometimes suspect) they are really just a commercial obligation put forth as an opinion. Have you ever made a travel choice as a function of such a list (I haven’t)? And, in the end, is it fair for one set of apple destinations to be compared to the orange set and the peach set and the pineapple set? How can you ever measure the comparative merits of ‘A Pennsylvania Farm’ over all of India?

(On an related-but-different note, I find very encouraging how well whl.travel has anticipated this (dubiously accurate) New York Times overview. If you subtract the 10 American and 10 major European destinations (markets into which we have not yet pushed), of the remaining 24, whl.travel has active partners in or near 14 of them, including (in order of NYT preference) Beirut, Qatar (coming), Dakar, Phuket, Marrakech, the Aegean Sea (see Greece and Turkey), Penang (see other destinations in Malaysia), Florianopolis, Boracay, South Africa, India, Madagascar, Tasmania (see other destinations in Australia) and Zambia.)