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Travel Tips
1) Wear comfortable walking shoes. Always wear shoes that are comfortable to walk in. Many sights will require you to walk some distance to see and enjoy the totality of the location or site. Shoes that can be easily slipped off when entering temples, palaces, homes and some stores are very handy. Boots that require lacing and unlacing can be
frustrating when you are trying to keep up with a great guide. 2) Cotton clothing is best. The heat and humidity of Thailand can become very uncomfortable if the proper clothing is not worn. Usually 100% cotton is the best and it can be easily washed out and dried. Synthetic fabrics are many times hotter and sticky after only a few minutes in the high humidity. 3) Not all Thai food is spicy hot.
While Thai food is known for its spicy heat and extreme flavors, it is very easy to find extremely tasty dishes that are not chili spicy at all. Some of everyone's favorite dishes have no chilies in them and most of the extremely spicy dishes are toned down for visitors. In fact, if you crave hot spicy food you may have a hard time convincing the cook to make it hot enough for you. If this is ever the case then simply order your food "Thai spicy". |
Comments, questions, additional information , and suggestions on articles in this newsletter may be posted on the Facebook page for Hand Held Trips to Thailand.
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Tours The prices for all tours are pretty much all inclusive. This means that from the time you are picked up at the airport until the time you are returned to the airport for transfer home, everything is included in the price you have paid for the tour. Things included are: 1) Accommodations in air conditioned rooms unless specifically mentioned in the daily itinerary such as the Flotel. 2) Meals included are stipulated in the daily itinerary, but as a minimum include all breakfasts. Some tours include all meals. 3) All in country transportation is included. This means all flights, boats, buses, trains, elephant, horse carriage, samlows, ox carts, etc. that are mentioned in the itinerary are included. 4) Entrance fees to all sites and venues are included. 5) Tips to Thai guides and drivers are paid. What are you responsible for? 1) International flight to and from Bangkok. 2) Drinks other than coffee or tea at meals. 3) Tips to bell hops. 4) Your own travel/medical insurance. 5) Laundry and personal expenses. 6) Meals other than those stipulated in the daily itinerary. |
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Prices
2012 Tour 3 (Late June-early July) Dates and complete itinerary have been posted.
Price is $3526.00 per person in double room.
2012 Tour 4 ( November)
Christmas shopping tour Dates and complete itinerary have been posted.
Price is $3390.00 per person in double room.
2012 Tour 5 (December)
Relaxing tour itinerary and price now published on the web site.
Price is $3460.00 per person in double room.
Prices are in United States dollars per person in half twin rooms. Single supplements vary and are printed on the web site. Please contact Lee@H2t3tours.com for additional information.
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Another year is history and the new year is getting off to a wonderful start. I am once again trying to write this newsletter while on tour. The much written about Isaan tour is now in progress. The floods in Thailand have caused a few minor changes but we are still having a great time. The people of the northeast (Isaan) are truly the most hospitable people one will ever hope to find. While traveling here, it is easy to understand why monetary wealth is not the best standard to judge true happiness. This tour with its one day in Laos is hopefully just the forerunner of more tours to this little traveled region of the Kingdom of Smiles.
A few of the highlights from the tours for the remainder of this year include the Lenten Candle Festival and Parades of Ulbonratchathani. This once a year event is seldom seen by people who do not watch the Travel or Discovery channels on their TV. It will be a major part of the 2012 Tour 3. The 2012 Tour 4 will place emphasis on the Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai plus attendance at a three day cooking school. The last tour of this year will be the first time one of my tours will go to the beautiful area of Krabi. Here leisure time will be plentiful so each person can do their own exploring of the many beautiful beaches and islands available.
You can always check the web site for the projected dates of any of the tours. Also, for complete information and the itinerary for any tour, go to the Tours page of the web site. If you click on the highlighted words of each tour it will take you to a brief itinerary. At the end of each brief itinerary is a second link that leads to the daily itinerary of each tour. This will give you a breakdown of what will be happening each day of the tour. As of this moment only one tour has been finalized with prices and a complete daily itinerary, but the draft of tours through March of 2013 are already posted for your consideration and data is added as soon as it is available.
Beginning in 2012, I will only accompany tours with 6 or more persons. However, when only two or three people sign up for a tour, I will make arrangements to have a very good English speaking Thai guide who will act on my behalf. |
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Klong Intrabut b.2549 d.2554 BE
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Lee and Phii Klong photo by Donna Porter 2011 |
Many of you inquire about my Thai father after each visit I make to Thailand. It is with a heavy heart I must report that when I went to his home in February of 2012, I learned that he had passed away on 29 December 2011. I have written two previous articles about Klong, they were in the April 2009 and the April 2010 issues of the newsletter.
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Donna Porter 's first meeting with Klong Intrabut photo by Lee Porter 2011 |
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Long Tailed Boats
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Long tailed boat on Kwai Noi River photo by Wen Cheng Chou on tour in 2009 |
Everyone who has been to Thailand has seen or ridden in what is known as the "long tailed boat". The sounds of these water craft can be heard throughout Thailand on the rivers, lakes, canals, streams and the coastal waters among the many beautiful islands off of all the coasts.
The origin of these boats was probably from the late 1930's and was most likely started on the canals and rivers in the central part of Thailand. The size of these vessels can vary from the slender short boats used many times for racing to the longer wider boats with canopies which carry up to a couple of dozen tourists through the canals of Bangkok. The boats are also commonly used to transport cargo. The use for transporting tourists is really a secondary use of this craft.
 | | Long tailed boat on Kwai Noi River photo by Wen Cheng Chou on tour in 2009 |
The power for these boats is usually a second hand V-8 car or truck engine. The engine is usualy a diesel engine but it may be an unmuffled gasoline engine. The engine is always mounted on a turret like pole which must be able to rotate 180 degrees. The propeller is mounted directly onto the driveshaft without any additional gearing or a transmission. The driveshaft must be extended by a metal rod for several meters. This gives the boat its name. Because the engine is mounted in such a way to move up and down, the propeller can be raised out of the water to allow the boat to idle.
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Wen Cheng Chou standing in long tailed boat in river at Mae Hong Son in 2005 photo by unknown person |
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Wat Pho, Bangkok
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Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho photo by Donna Porter on tour in 2011 |
Wat Pho (also commonly known as Wat Po, but whose real name is Wat Phra Chetuphon) is the oldest and largest surviving temple in Bangkok. The history of the temple dates to the 16th century before Bangkok was made the capital of Thailand. Since its beginning it has been a location where traditional Thai medicine was taught. Many people consider it to be the first University of Thailand and its College of Traditional Medicine was the first place to teach the Thai Message. Today it is still a great place to get a traditional Thai Message. Since 2000, the teaching part of the temple has been relocated outside the temple complex.
The buildings of the temple were rebuilt in the late 18th and early 19th century. In the year 1832, Rama III opened the temple to the public for the study of medicine.
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Renovation work at Wat Pho photo by Lee Porter 2010 |
Most visitors see only a very small part of this very large temple complex. Take time and spend several hours here and find many treasures that are not seen by many others. The Eastern Bot is something that is passed over on many tours but is really worth a serious look. It is enclosed by statues of over 300 Buddha images, plus each of the four viharns each have a magnificent Buddha image not to be confused with the tremendous image in the Bot itself. The decorations on the stairs, doors, walls, etc. are all beautiful and if one is not careful it can over whelm you. Don't forget the Chedis for the first rulers of the Chakri Dynasty, the fierce stone guards to the many gates, the statues of the Indian hermits depicting various yoga positions and the dozens of other murals, paintings and inlayed work that are to be found here.
Of course, the reclining Buddha is not to be missed. It was originally built in 1825 of bricks and plaster but has been completely covered by gold leaf now for many years. Although various guide books and articles give different dimensions for the size of the reclining Buddha, suffice it to say it is very large. I will use the figures found in several articles that state it is 150 feet in length and 50 feet high. It is not a "sleeping Buddha" but shows the death of Buddha at the time he is ascending into Nirvana after reaching enlightenment.
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Statues at Wat Pho photo by Donna Porter on tour in 2011 |
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There was not much response to the December newsletter but I am still getting feedback from the October newsletter. While 2012 is just beginning, I am quite optimistic about the tours for the rest of the year and the initial planning for 2013. It seems to be taking longer to get confirmation of pricing but I am still trying not to raise prices anymore than is absolutely necessary. Two of the biggest reasons for the price fluctuations are the strength of the United States dollar and the price of oil. So far it has only affected one tour.
Once again my sincere appreciation to all of you who forward this letter to others. It is one of the ways new readers are added. Each month a few more people sign up with your help. When you forward the newsletter, the recipient is not automatically added, but they must sign up for future issues.
If you are traveling to Bangkok next year for either the Rotary International or for the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps in Thailand, please keep me in mind. I would love to help you enjoy your trip just a little more by assisting you in adding a one or two day trip from Bangkok or to extend your trip with a custom tour designed just for you. |
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Sincerely,
Lee Porter
H2T3 Tours, LLC
P.O. Box 2114
Springfield, VA 22152
571-244-4363
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