 
|
 Thailand has that exotic, mysterious, exciting appeal to it. Just hearing the name “Bangkok” can send shivers down people’s spines, and the allure of the country’s jungles and mysterious culture is mesmerizing. Thailand is the Mecca of adventure, carefree living, and open-mindedness. There are fewer inhibiting rules or Western nonsense here, and the Buddhist zen-like culture makes the country one of the happiest places on earth.
An awe-inspiring place, Thailand has something for everyone. If you’re an adventure junkie, you’ll probably find yourself SCUBA diving with sharks, or taking Muay-Thai kickboxing classes. If the wilder side of life isn’t your cup of tea, don’t despair – between intricate temples, Thai cooking classes, and the world’s most exotic beaches we’re confident you’ll find more than enough to keep you happy. As one of the most gay-friendly destinations in the world, Thailand is an opportunity to feel completely comfortable being yourself while experiencing a whole new side to life.
This 13-day trip doesn't just spend the whole time in Thailand though - you'll be experiencing the famous lost city of Angkor Wat in Cambodia too! There's a reason the Temples of Angkor are one of the 7 wonders of the world. At 402 acres in size, this is the largest religious site in the world, lost in dense Cambodian jungle for hundreds of years and now an unforgettable place for us to explore together. Between the gorgeous beaches of southern Thailand, the buzzing city of Bangkok, and the jaw-dropping Angkor Wat, you're sure to head home full of memories of a fantastic adventure.
Our 13-day trips have been designed to maximize your experience. Instead of rushing around in a panic trying to visit as many places as possible, we’ve specially chosen only the our favorite spots in the region... spots we know you’ll fall in love with. How are we so sure? Well, we’ve spent years in this country tirelessly testing out beaches, bars, and bungalows just to make sure we can bring you the cream of the crop.
• All taxes
• All land and sea transfers
• 2 regional flights within Thailand & Cambodia
• Accommodations for your 13-day Detours gay tour experience
• All full breakfasts
• Group travel within Thailand & Cambodia
• Full day Bangkok and temples day tour
• Full day experience at local Elephant sanctuary
• 2 days at Angkor Wat temples including entrance and local guide
• Welcome dinner and drinks
• Knowledgeable and fun gay group leader
** - Trip prices based on twin share. Traveling solo? We'll match you up with another solo traveler at no extra charge, or just pay a $1240 single supplement for your own room!
• Meals and drinks outside of those listed above
• Cambodian Visa, $30 USD
• Activities outside of the ones listed above
• International Airfare
• Optional Gratuities
Your big-ticket items are included through the trip, but you'll want to budget for additional spending such as additional meals, drinks, shopping, activities, etc. These costs can vary dramatically with differing personal habits but we suggest expecting to spend an additional $700 USD at the lower end for the more budget-conscious and $1200 USD at the higher end for the splurgers. We suggest arriving to Thailand with approximately 10,000 local Thai Baht, and $100 US Dollars (for Cambodia).
Days 1, 2 and 3
 Most travelers will arrive in Bangkok on day one and head to our meeting spot for our 4pm start of our adventure on this day. This time in Bangkok is a great introduction to the incredible country of Thailand. During these couple days, we'll really get to know the city by checking out Bangkok's highlights using local tuk-tuks, boats, and trains. On our second day, we'll take a guided day-trip around the city visiting Wat Pho, Wat Arun, and more. At night we'll head down the street to check out Silom's famous night market and very lively gay scene. Bangkok is world famous for many reasons and never disappoints her visitors.
Included:
A full day of exploring Bangkok's highlights with our fabulous local guide, Yelli
Optional:
Eat your way through the street stalls of Chinatown, float along the famous floating markets, shop til you drop, check out the Jim Thompson House, soak in the unique nightlife, stand on the the glass floor of the highest tower in Thailand...
Days 4, 5 and 6
 Day 4 brings us to southern Thailand with a quick 1 hour flight and short 15 minute boat ride to the well known beachfront destination of Phuket.
It’s here you’ll find opportunities to feed wild monkeys, island hop, or get some sun on the local gay beach by day while socializing with people from all over the planet by night. Phuket is popular day and night and has tonnes of options for both early-risers and late-nighters. Get your shopping done, check out a cabaret show, relax on the beach, take a cooking class, spend the day at the spa... it's beautiful place to unwind... or windup. It's also here that you'll spend the day with the gentle giants of the jungle, the elephants... washing and feeding and interacting with these beautiful creatures in an ethical way that will leave you in awe.
Included:
An ethical elephant interaction experience in the jungles of Phuket province.
Optional:
Enjoy endless massages, parasail over the beautiful beaches, check out some of the unique nighttime shows, take a boat trip to "James Bond Island", go golfing, zipline through the jungle...
Days 7, 8, and 9
 On day 7 we travel just 3 hours overland to the jaw-dropping cliffs and white sand beaches of Railay. An idyllic paradise surrounded by the perfectly blue waters that have made the Gulf of Thailand famous. Railay offers hidden lagoons and caves for hikers, beaches for sun-worshippers, and plenty of opportunity to eat great food and meet people from all around the world. Stay on land, or jump in the water for some snorkeling, or SCUBA diving fun.
Included:
Hikes to the stunning views of the Railay viewpoint, and through the caves of Phranang Beach.
Optional:
Snorkel in the perfectly clear water, take a cooking class, pamper yourself in a day spa, kayak along the dramatic coastline, soak up the sun on the white sand beaches...
Days 10, 11, 12, and 13
 It's time to jet off to one of the 7 wonders of the world - the famous temples of Angkor! We'll touch down in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap, home to the spectacular ancient temple complex and a unique city full of new sights and smells. We'll spend our time here with a local guide who will join us in exploring the beautiful lost city of Angkor. It's an awe-inspiring experience sure to make everyone at home jealous.
Our trip together comes to an end here in Siem Reap on the 13th day and you're welcome to depart any time on this day, but don't worry, Thailand & Cambodia will be waiting for ya to come back! We encourage all travelers use Siem Reap's international airport (REP) to head home or onwards to more adventures.
Included:
Two day-visits with a local guide (including entrance fees) to experience the best parts of the ancient temples of Angkor.
Optional:
Check out the uniquely famous circus, experience the gay nightlife of Pub Street, take a guided bike tour of the city, explore the city's markets, visit the national museum...
We don't like staying in smelly shacks on our vacations, and we're pretty sure you don't either! After working hard for your trip, you deserve an enjoyable, comfortable place to wind down at the end of your day. We put a LOT of time into finding the perfect accommodation for your trip so after sniffing around, fluffing pillows, and testing showers we have narrowed down our favorite properties that won't disappoint. Check out our approved accommodation to get an idea of the types of places you can expect to lay your head during your Detours trip.
Bangkok
Amara Hotel
 The Amara Hotel will quickly feel like a home away from home, right in the middle of Bangkok. Centrally located in the Silom neighbourhood and minutes from the famous Patpong Night Market and Bangkok's gay area, the Amara is a favorite hotel amongst our guests. Featuring a modern design, a gorgeous rooftop infinity pool, exercise facilities and friendly staff.
Railay
Railay Village Resort
Set against the backdrop of Railay's limestone cliffs and swaying palms, is the beautiful Railay Village Resort. Featuring a centralized pool area and beachfront restaurant with delicious cuisine, you may even find the occasional monkey lounging on your room's patio. Each room has a full bathroom with bathtub and shower, complimentary wi-fi, room safe for your belongings, air-conditioning, and flatscreen TV.
Phuket
The Nap Patong Hotel
Located only a few steps from the beach, the Nap Patrong provides a contemporary facility in the heart of Patong in Phuket. Situated minutes away from the gay area (the Paradise Complex) and Bangla road, you'll find the location of this hotel couldn't be better. Property amenities include a sunny outdoor pool and an exercise facility.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Shinta Mani Angkor Hotel & Bensley Collection Pool Villas
The Shinta Mani Hotel is an upscale property in a tranquil leafy setting right in the heart of the French Quarter in Siem Reap. With a pool bar, restaurant, and wellness center with an array of spa treatments, you will have much to enjoy with your stay here. Each room as a balcony view of the tropical gardens and pool area and have air-conditioning, room safe, rainfall showers, and a flatscreen TV.
*Please note that due to availability, these exact hotels may not all be available during all our trips. However, we will always replace these with similar hotels, and will never downgrade.
|
|
The Climate
Don't worry about getting chilly, Thailand is a tropical country and the areas that we travel in are warm day and night. High temperatures of 35C/97F, and lows of 23C/77F can be expected through most of the year. Even if it rains it's usually in the afternoon, and these unlikely showers are a refreshing cool-down and make a great excuse to try out your favorite rain dance.
The People
95% of Thailand's and Cambodia's population are Buddhist, which makes for a laid-back, friendly country full of good-karma seekers. Great people that love their food, their king, and of course their international visitors, you’ll be hard-pressed not to make dozens of local friends during your stay. While you’re there, consider learning a few words their language, “Thai”. (Not “Taiwanese”, by the way – that’s from Taiwan) We recommend starting off with “Sawat-dee-khap” (hello), “Khap koon khap” (thank you), and of course “Hat yoo tee-nai khap” (where’s the beach?)
The Cuisine
South-east Asia is home to some of the most amazing food on the planet, and it's cheap too! Detours doesn't believe in limiting your choices by including meals at pre-decided restaurants as part of the trip package. Instead, we encourage you to explore all of the different restaurant options available to you. This way you can eat when you want, where you want, with whomever you want, and spend what you want! Your trip leader definitely has their favorite spots and will be excited to show you all of their favorites in each location, just check with them.
What to bring?
Our advice is simple. Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It’s common to hear people wishing they’d packed less stuff, but we’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough. Thailand is a very inexpensive country, meaning even if you realize you forget to pack some crucial item you can just pick it up on the trip for half of what it would have cost back home. We'll include some trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 60 days prior to your trip.
Money
ATM withdrawal fees can really add up, and credit cards aren't always accepted at shops and restaurants here, that's why we suggest grabbing some Thai Baht before you arrive to Thailand (around 10,000 THB is a good amount to start with). Bring your regular ATM card and credit card for additional needs too though. 1000 Thai Baht is worth around $30 USD, so don’t go nuts if your dinner bill costs 200 baht. Relax –that’s about 6 bucks. Your 300 baht, hour-long full body oil massage on the beach? Yeah, that cost less than $10.
Tipping
Tipping isn’t a native Thai custom, however, it’s become a part of what is expected from travelers. We suggest tipping for services in a similar way as you would in North America; that is, if your dinner bill is 200 baht then we encourage you toss 40 baht in on top of that. That extra bit is extremely appreciated by the local service staff.
Accommodation
We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we’ve done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots. To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a guesthouse must: be locally owned (to support the local community), be in an amazing location (close to the beach and other hot spots), have air conditioning (you can thank us later), AND be gay-owned or gay-friendly. We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves. Clean, comfortable, well-located spots that'll put a smile on your face, you can count on that!
Trip Leaders
All of our trip leaders are gay, and all certified leaders must undergo a rigorous training routine that includes deep-fried cricket eating, and impromptu dancing tests. Apart from these vital skills, we require our leaders to know their stuff really, really well. Underneath their fun and quirky facades, our guides are experts about all aspects of Thailand and especially the places we visit. Don’t hesitate to ask them to teach you some Thai or question them about a random statue you might see along the way. Their job is to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and making sure you experience everything you came to Thailand for.
Alarm Clocks
We do absolutely everything possible to avoid needing such a mundane awakening. A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of, and your “rise and shine” while in Thailand will come from the sound of crashing waves, an elephant trumpeting, or perhaps even the odd monkey jumping onto the roof of your bungalow.
Your Group
Our Detours groups are run with a maximum of 15 travelers. Ages of group members vary but around 90% of our travelers are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's. Whatever the age of the guys on our trips everyone's already got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new country! Each group is led by a Detours trip leader who is there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life!
A Little Bit About Modesty
As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll have a tough time finding a more open-minded and accepting region, and most people don’t have any issue at all with homosexuality. That said, they are a modest people, and public displays of affection (whether gay or straight) are generally frowned upon. In respect for their local culture we usually suggest keeping your excitement and affection for your partner to more private locations.
Solo Travelers
No problem! Don't worry, our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solos. As far as your accommodations go, you've got two choices. We can either pair you up with another group solo member in a two-bed room, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge.
Communicating with Home
Relax – we won’t keep you from updating your Facebook status the whole trip. Every hotel we stay at includes free Wifi and your trip leader can even help set you up with a local SIM card for your phone if you'd like to do that when you arrive too.
Further information can be found in your "Trip Preparations" guidebook which will be available to you after your trip signup. However, if you have any further questions about your Thailand & Cambodia experience please visit our FAQ page or contact us.
 
|
|
