About me:My name is art. I am a licensed guide in Thailand for 5 years now, and have worked for TruTravels for two years now. I love my job because its like traveling with friends and family, and showing them everything this beautiful country has to offer. Come see thailand with me, free wifi!!
Leave a review
Share your thoughts on the itinerary, guide, and overall organization of the adventure.
M
Loved it! But the accommodation in chiang Mai could be more for backpackers
B
Art was amazing and such a laugh! He was so helpful and answered all our questions and even tips for our on going travels! The best parts of the tour was koh sok national park for food and accommodati…Art was amazing and such a laugh! He was so helpful and answered all our questions and even tips for our on going travels! The best parts of the tour was koh sok national park for food and accommodation and also the amazing scenery. Tiki beach was amazing for accommodation and food and it should definitely stay in the tour as I know it’s new to the itinerary. Weather made a few things not go to plan which can’t be helped of course, however i would advice that there would need to be a organised back up instead of thinking of random places to go to which was very boring.
Overall fully enjoyed it
Thank you Art (PUNANI)
H
Art was a great tour guide and was very, fun helpful and informative
The 8 day thailand experience trip is well suited to experienced and relaxed travellers however the itinerary could be improved wi…Art was a great tour guide and was very, fun helpful and informative
The 8 day thailand experience trip is well suited to experienced and relaxed travellers however the itinerary could be improved with more activities such snorkelling, cooking classes, interactive activities with local wildlife...etc.
Transportation was great and meals were great, accommodation is good.
E
Art was very helpful and funny. Great with helping us on our next adventures. The itinerary could of been planned better/more organised.
Tiki beach was amazing accomodation to end our holiday - be…Art was very helpful and funny. Great with helping us on our next adventures. The itinerary could of been planned better/more organised.
Tiki beach was amazing accomodation to end our holiday - best place to stay so far.
During rainy season I think the tour should be put on hold until weather is better as the bungalows weren’t enjoyable due to rain.
N
Art was really lovely and a laugh! He was so helpful with any questions or queries we had and lots of tips for our onwards travel. The trip was good but needed be more organised when things didn’t go …Art was really lovely and a laugh! He was so helpful with any questions or queries we had and lots of tips for our onwards travel. The trip was good but needed be more organised when things didn’t go to plan as it ended up wasting our day and being very boring. Most of the accommodation was good with some needing to be refurbished. Really enjoyed koh sok national park was amazing. It’s a lovely way to meet new friends from all over the world!
A
Overall experience was great, the itinery could have included more activities and things to see and do. We had a lot of free time which was great to relax but I could have got a lot more out of seeing…Overall experience was great, the itinery could have included more activities and things to see and do. We had a lot of free time which was great to relax but I could have got a lot more out of seeing and experiencing Thailand if more things were included. Some of the accommodation was a little run down but facilities were accessible. Meals included were amazing the food everywhere was great. Our tour guide Art was really helpful and helped organise onward travel, joked with us and gave us the space and freedom to do our own thing which was appreciated. I would recommend tru travels and book again somewhere else :)
R
Meeting newpeople and completing this tour with Art's guidance was incredible and unforgettable! the Highlight of the trip were the river cruise on kanchanaburi, the grad canyon water park ( even thou…Meeting newpeople and completing this tour with Art's guidance was incredible and unforgettable! the Highlight of the trip were the river cruise on kanchanaburi, the grad canyon water park ( even though i got incredible burnt) and the elephant sanctuary - which was utterly amazing and the best part of the trip for me!
The jungle trek was fantastic - advise people to bring small gifts for village children as they loved this and made them more friendly + an enjoyable experience.
Accommodation was really nice and good facilities like pools etc.
i felt very safe through out whole tour. Amazing experience with incredible acclivities/tours, Fab tour guide ( art) - Loved every second.
H
This was a last minute booking to go with my partners, as somebody who usually prefers trips totally in my control. I thoroughly loved this trip. It had the perfect balance of packed activities and fr…This was a last minute booking to go with my partners, as somebody who usually prefers trips totally in my control. I thoroughly loved this trip. It had the perfect balance of packed activities and freedom in our own time.
Overall i loved the trip and felt i got a sea experience of Thailand!
E
Had an absolutely amazing experience on the 14 Northern thailand trip. Art was an amazing tour guide! gave us the perfect amount of freedom to do our own thing whilst advising us and telling us where…Had an absolutely amazing experience on the 14 Northern thailand trip. Art was an amazing tour guide! gave us the perfect amount of freedom to do our own thing whilst advising us and telling us where to go. My favourite activities were the elephant sanctuary, getting to feed and wash the elephants, The zip lining through the jungle, the seven tier waterfalls and also really loved the cooking class. Going up and down the river Kanchanaburi in the boat was also amazing!
The tour guide for the Jungle tour and elephants was funny with a good sense of humour and very informative. Cooking class teacher was also very good! the water canyon on the last day was amazing! it was the perfect end! Art was always good to help us with places to ea in the evening and to go out!
Had a great time with Great people and the best tour guide ever!
the highlight of the trip were the erawan waterfall, elephant sanctuary, the Hill tribe stay zipline.... Everything to be honest.
J
An amazing 14 days with a great group of people. I really enjoyed myself on this tour as i felt we had a good mix of learning about the Thai culture( which Art was very good at explaining to us) and f…An amazing 14 days with a great group of people. I really enjoyed myself on this tour as i felt we had a good mix of learning about the Thai culture( which Art was very good at explaining to us) and fun activities. The elephant sanctuary was my favorite day and also getting to explore the markets and hill tribe life!.
Art was a great leader who looked out for us at all times and was extremely helpful. Both Him and Justin always ensured we were having a great time and were enjoying ourselves! Both two lovely and friendly leaders were always enthusiastic and up for a good laugh. Such a great tour.
Sad it is over.
Thanks for it all!
Jordan. xoxoxoxoxo
R
I had an amazing holiday. Justin + Art were lovely and went out of their way to make my experience as amazing as possible. The trip would not have been the same without them. ( thanks guys!) i made so…I had an amazing holiday. Justin + Art were lovely and went out of their way to make my experience as amazing as possible. The trip would not have been the same without them. ( thanks guys!) i made some really great friends and am very sad to be leaving. The overall experience was amazing and the guides made me feel welcome, safe and supported, even when i was stressed.
The trip was run like clockwork which was good and meant we could make the most of everything.
Cheers boys!
R
The Northern Thailand Adventure was a great mix of culture and chilled party vibe that Thailand has to offer. Our guide Art did everything he could to give us information and history about everywhere …The Northern Thailand Adventure was a great mix of culture and chilled party vibe that Thailand has to offer. Our guide Art did everything he could to give us information and history about everywhere we went. He constantly updated our group chat with information. I always felt safe and looked out for when in the company of our guides. especially when out at night i really felt like they cared a lot about our group and they always ensured we made the most of each day and activity. The activities such as the Elephant sanctuary ( No riding, No chains) are things i will always remember and look back on with smiles.
R
I thoroughly enjoyed my 14 days exploring Northern Thailand. Our Tour leader Art, was helpful in every way and was really enthusiastic.
Every temple that we went to, Art gave us a great understanding…I thoroughly enjoyed my 14 days exploring Northern Thailand. Our Tour leader Art, was helpful in every way and was really enthusiastic.
Every temple that we went to, Art gave us a great understanding and knowledge of the History of Thailand.
Justin was also a great help and always showed us the best places to go out at night.
The Northern Thailand tour was very well organized and Art never failed to be attentive and organized,
My Favorite activity was doing the jungle trek and going to the elephant sanctuary.
Overall it was an amazing trip and our tour guide Art was brilliant!
Had a brilliant time Art was hella lit. Had a small group but the people in it were great, some fabulous memories to take home.
K
It was such an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend Tru Travels to anyone :)
M
Amazing experience glad I went definitely recommend to friends and family had a really good time art was incredible and very helpful and not a only a good tour guide he is a true gentleman as well
E
Tour guide made us very welcome and we learned a lot about the Thai culture. We were there for new year so got to celebrate songkran which was an added bonus. Great money for the amount of activities …Tour guide made us very welcome and we learned a lot about the Thai culture. We were there for new year so got to celebrate songkran which was an added bonus. Great money for the amount of activities that were included, enjoyed every day!
?
Art was an amazing tour leader and definitely made the experience. The trip was completely packed and an unforgettable experience!
?
Art was a fab tour leader and helped make the experience! Would definitely look into another tour because of him!
?
My experience in Thailand in August 2018 was out of this world! It is almost a year on since the tour with TruTravels, guided by Art and Justin and not a day has passed when I haven’t thought about m…My experience in Thailand in August 2018 was out of this world! It is almost a year on since the tour with TruTravels, guided by Art and Justin and not a day has passed when I haven’t thought about my experience in the land of smiles! It was a truly life altering experience that I will honestly never forget. I struggle to find the worlds to describe just how fantastic my tour was! Art was very knowledgeable about local culture and architecture and is a huge asset to the trutravels team! He is always willing to help to ensure that everyone sees the true beauty of Thailand. A fantastic tour lead by an even more fantastic guide!
S
Best Tourguides ever
H
Art was the best tour guide I could have asked for anything we needed he helped us with! With out him my Thailand experience wouldn’t have been the same! Was greatful to have him there and wish to see…Art was the best tour guide I could have asked for anything we needed he helped us with! With out him my Thailand experience wouldn’t have been the same! Was greatful to have him there and wish to see him when I come back!!
M
Art was the dogs bollocks. Legend
M
Amazing experience full of fun activities, good information provided about temples and Thai culture.
Good recommendations on activities to do during our free time and on further travel once the tour …Amazing experience full of fun activities, good information provided about temples and Thai culture.
Good recommendations on activities to do during our free time and on further travel once the tour finished.
M
Amazing experience that I'll never forget. Full of fun activities and cultural experiences that are completely new to me. I learnt a lot about how Thai people live and worship and spend their day to d…Amazing experience that I'll never forget. Full of fun activities and cultural experiences that are completely new to me. I learnt a lot about how Thai people live and worship and spend their day to day lives.
We were also given a lot of recommendations and activities to do after the tour had finished as we had a couple of days remaining in Thailand before going home.
S
This was an amazing experience and a great way to see the highlights of Northern Thailand when you aren't sure of doing it on your own. The staff are fun and approachable, offering the best advice on …This was an amazing experience and a great way to see the highlights of Northern Thailand when you aren't sure of doing it on your own. The staff are fun and approachable, offering the best advice on what to do in the various stops long the way.
The highlights of my trip included the jungle trek and elephant sanctuary, closely followed by Chiang Mai canyon.
The small group setting made it easy to settle in and become a Tru family. There is something for everything on this tour, whether it's adventurous, ziplining or chilling at the pool bar in Pai.
I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking to explore Northern Thailand.
I
I really enjoyed this tour! I made great experiences which I probably wouldn't have done without the tour! I really like the elephant sanctuary and the Thai cooking class! Everything was very good org…I really enjoyed this tour! I made great experiences which I probably wouldn't have done without the tour! I really like the elephant sanctuary and the Thai cooking class! Everything was very good organized! Our group leaders Art and Arthur were so nice, helpful and lots of fun!
I would book the tour again because I made so many unforgettable memories!
S
I had an absolute blast on this tour. It is so reasonably priced for all the activities you get to do. My highlight of the tour was seeing the elephants at the sanctuary. The accommodation and transpo…I had an absolute blast on this tour. It is so reasonably priced for all the activities you get to do. My highlight of the tour was seeing the elephants at the sanctuary. The accommodation and transport was also really quite good. This was the first time I have visited SE Asia so I was unsure what to expect but I feel I made the best decision by coming on this tour before setting off solo. Our guides Arthur and Art couldn't have been more welcoming, friendly and helpful. I will be recommending this to friends. Thank you so much for an adventure of a lifetime :)
E
Mother nature did not want to co-operate but sometimes that happens and cannot be predicted. Although it somewhat dampened the views/sunsets all the locations were beautiful and i'm glad I did the sou…Mother nature did not want to co-operate but sometimes that happens and cannot be predicted. Although it somewhat dampened the views/sunsets all the locations were beautiful and i'm glad I did the southern portion in addition to the northern tour. Even though the weather can't be helped it would have been nice to have some more option available for us to do in our spare time. The quad bikes were fun and we booked a cooking class on our last evening as well. Super appreciative of all the considerations taken towards my dietary requirements!
D
It's been an experience backpacking this 8 day Thailand tour. From long boat excursions, sleeping on overnight trains, riding 4x4 quad bikes and ferries. All this a great experience. Great meeting new…It's been an experience backpacking this 8 day Thailand tour. From long boat excursions, sleeping on overnight trains, riding 4x4 quad bikes and ferries. All this a great experience. Great meeting new people from all over the world, good times dining, drinking and chilling.
S
We booked this holiday as out honeymoon with STA travel. We didn't know this was going to be a backpacker tour and realized this when we go to Bangkok. So some things were a surprise to begin with (ma…We booked this holiday as out honeymoon with STA travel. We didn't know this was going to be a backpacker tour and realized this when we go to Bangkok. So some things were a surprise to begin with (maybe STA should have told us in detail before.) All in all it was very interesting and entertaining. We had bad luck with the weather in the south. We had a good time with nice people in this beautiful country, it was a lot of fun, going to come back again!
G
Had an amazing time- it was the first time I had experienced travelling as such. They made it very easy and comfortable for us. This was Sophie's first tour and she was absolutely amazing, what a pro!…Had an amazing time- it was the first time I had experienced travelling as such. They made it very easy and comfortable for us. This was Sophie's first tour and she was absolutely amazing, what a pro! Thank you so much Sophie, Art and TruTravels.
B
Had an absolutely amazing time! Wish we could have stayed longer. Value for money is great and you get a varied experience. Tour leaders were fantastic! Transport was only an issue for me really becau…Had an absolutely amazing time! Wish we could have stayed longer. Value for money is great and you get a varied experience. Tour leaders were fantastic! Transport was only an issue for me really because of the weather, it was necessary though to keep it great value for money, so didn't affect my overall experience.
A
weather was awful which can't be helped- more contingency plans could have been handy
My 4th trip with TruTravels. Loved it and will keep going. Bit sad that the weather was a bit bad on Koh Phangan but it did not ruin the mood or the fun. Art & Sophie were total toppers and I would gl…My 4th trip with TruTravels. Loved it and will keep going. Bit sad that the weather was a bit bad on Koh Phangan but it did not ruin the mood or the fun. Art & Sophie were total toppers and I would gladly go with them again. Can't wit for my next TruTravels tour - hopefully next year!!!
P
I had a fantastic experience on the Northern Thailand tour. The activities were well planned and something I would have never experienced outside of this trip. All details right down to the transport …I had a fantastic experience on the Northern Thailand tour. The activities were well planned and something I would have never experienced outside of this trip. All details right down to the transport were very well organised.
S
The experience was brilliant, I am excited for my next two tours with TruTravels. The people on the tour were amazing. Staying in the Hill Tribe was such an awesome experience. I Also Loved the waterf…The experience was brilliant, I am excited for my next two tours with TruTravels. The people on the tour were amazing. Staying in the Hill Tribe was such an awesome experience. I Also Loved the waterfalls. Very Impressed with the tour :)
C
This trip was alot of fun and everyday i did something that i have never done before. My favourite activity was the Jungle Trekking and staying at the Hill Tribe
Vietnam Explorer
The trip was very good overall. Everyday was something new and all incredible. I would highly recommend TruTravels. Excellent. Seeing and feeding the elephants was the highlight for me. It was somethi…The trip was very good overall. Everyday was something new and all incredible. I would highly recommend TruTravels. Excellent. Seeing and feeding the elephants was the highlight for me. It was something special :)
?
Vietnam Explorer
The tour was very good. Everyday was something new and all incredible. I would highly recommend the tour. It was excellent :) Seeing the elephants was amazing and my favourite activity. Feeding them w…The tour was very good. Everyday was something new and all incredible. I would highly recommend the tour. It was excellent :) Seeing the elephants was amazing and my favourite activity. Feeding them was something special.
OVERALL: Great tour at a great price! After deciding I wanted to go to Thailand, I started looking into booking activities for a two week trip and quickly realized that booking a tour was probably a b…OVERALL: Great tour at a great price! After deciding I wanted to go to Thailand, I started looking into booking activities for a two week trip and quickly realized that booking a tour was probably a better way to go. I wanted a tour with (1) elephants and (2) outdoor activities that (3) leaned more towards sightseeing rather than focusing on partying. This trip definitely satisfied those criteria.
ITINERARY: This tour takes you through five cities in Thailand: Bangkok -> Kanchanaburi -> Ayutthaya --> Chiang Mai --> Pai --> (then back to Chiang Mai). I picked this tour because it seemed full of activities, and I was not disappointed. The itinerary is jam packed. Most days are full with travel and activities, with the occasional half day thrown in to recuperate. Highlights for me included elephant feeding/bathing, a cooking class, tons of waterfalls, and hiking. Ayutthaya and some of the buddhas and temples were cool to see, but by the end of the trip, I had very little interest in seeing more temples. I know a lot of people like ziplining as well, but I've always been underwhelmed with it, even here in Thailand. **READ the itinerary before you book this trip!** A bunch of people in my tour group seemed surprised at the amount of hiking/walking during this trip and complained the whole time. Don't let this be you! If you can't walk/hike for a few hours at a time, this trip is probably not for you.
TRANSPORTATION: Most of the trip we were transported around in an air conditioned van. The exceptions to this were the overnight train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai, and most of the transportation to activities in Chiang Mai, which used red trucks, which are covered pick up trucks upgraded into kind of a super tuk-tuk with a bench on either side of the bed of the truck. Spending an 1 hour+ on these on winding mountain roads of northern thailand was a little rough on the stomach, and I frequently got nauseous. An air conditioned van to these locations would have been nice.
ACCOMMODATION: No hostels. All hotels with bathrooms connected to the rooms. Varying quality though. The Chiang Mai hotel was by far the nicest. The bathrooms there actually had shower curtains separating the shower area from the rest of the bathroom (most Thai bathrooms don't have this). The accommodations in Kanchanaburi and Pai were decent, while the Bangkok hotel was the most grungy. Two people to a room most of the time, but because we had an odd number of guys in our tour, I usually got a room to myself, which was amazing.
MEALS: Most meals are paid for on your own, although some are provided. Most places you go will have options for both Western and Thai food, although the Western food will be considerably more expensive. Provided meals are usually Thai food. Street food is great and cheap. Never got sick once, with the exception of one morning where the whole group came down with something, although my case was definitely mild in comparison to everyone else's.
GUIDE: Art did a great job. The tour ran like clockwork. If we were ever running behind, it was always because of people in the group being late rather than tour leadership. The tour guides are there to make sure everything runs smoothly; THEY ARE NOT YOUR PARENTS. I think some people on our tour were needy and expected to be babied. Just act like the normal, independent adult you are, use your brain, and you'll be fine.
