Essential Southern Thailand

Traveler Reviews

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  Michele

  May 8th, 2026
  The tour leader was very unprofessional, superficial and was not culturally prepared about the the things that she...
  The tour leader was very unprofessional, superficial and was not culturally prepared about the the things that she showed us. This is a not fully comprehensive list of her shortcomings, some very serious when it comes to safety: 1: on sunday march 8th, she let one of the travellers change the meeting point from reception to resturant just because of some rain. 3 of use were already at reception at 8:30 (scheduled meeting point) but the meeting point was changed to the restaurant in the group chat by one of the travellers. When the 3 of us went to the hotel resturant at 8:36, she was waiting there too. It was raining so we had to reach the agreed meeting point at 8:30 under the rain, then move from reception to restaurant again under the rain, then again from restaurant to reception to board the van again under the rain. 2: on march 10th, she communciated a group dinner start at 19:00. When I reached the table at 18:57, I found that all the rest of the group including herself was alreadt eating. This dinner was a group activity in the original itinerary, not an option activity. It was in the original tour schedule visible when making the reservation. When I reached the table the food was already had eaten like the group had already been eating, like for at least 6/7 minutes. When it comes to shared food, it is important that all the people who share it see what happens to the food from the moment it is served on the table, while I had to eat food already handled by other people without seeing how: if people had dirty hands, if they spilled something on it, etc. Secondly, as group activity, all the group must have the possibility to enjoy from it from the start, and should not be anticipated if some members of the group have not reached the meeting point at agreed time yet. She was supposed to monitor the situation and make sure that all the group members could start the group activity together, and not be one of the people who started to eat before the ageed time. 3. on march 11th the tour leader slept most of the time (at least 80%) doing the transfer on the boat from the rafthouses across the lake and then in the minivan to Phuket. from the general terms, point 18: "If, in our or the Leader’s reasonable opinion, your behaviour is illegal, unsafe, inappropriate, breaches our Community Guidelines or Responsible Travel Guidelines in a non-trivial way, interferes with the well-being of other participants, or materially affects our ability to run the trip as planned, the Leader may in their discretion direct you to leave the trip immediately". How could the tour leader monitor this while sleeping? (please answer this question, there are no rethorical questions) from intrepid's "safety in the field" guidelines 1.1: "If your leader believes a bus driver is driving dangerously, they will ask the driver to slow down and, if required, arrange for the group to get off the bus at the next opportunity. An alternative means of transport will then be arranged." How could the tour leader assess how the driver was writing while sleeping? from intrepid's "safety in the field" guidelines 1.2: "We endeavour to provide, or ensure availability of, lifejackets for all boat and ferry journeys included on our itineraries. We rely on the boat operators to judge local conditions and determine whether the conditions are safe for travel. You may encounter public ferries that are crowded, and where the leader deems any risk unacceptable, they may arrange alternative transport." How could the tour leader make sure that everybody was wearing a lifejacket while sleeping? How could she assess the risks if she was sleeping? from intrepid's "safety in the field" guidelines 4: "Each leader is First Aid trained and qualified and has a medical kit which they will carry with them throughout the trip. This medical kit contains basic first aid supplies. Our Leaders will apply first aid where appropriate until medical assistance can be provided." How could the tour leader be assess the assess if the use of first aid was appropriate if she was sleeping? In general, already normally people should be always awake during working ours. I don't know about you, but I could get fired for that. But 9. Also, during the vist at the temple in Ko Samui, while she was saying the few things she new about the temple, she interrupted her speech to answer 2 phone calls. One of them was from her boyfriend. She decided to put this call with her boyfriend on speaker. To me, she sounded like she wanted the group know that she had a boyfriend. A tourist guide should not take phone calls while presenting something to the group, Also, there was no need to make strangers aware of the conversation by putting it on speaker (english conversation). That was also very unprofessional. was also responbile for our safety so sleeping during the group transfers on boat and minivan was unacceptable. She should be always vigilant and be able to report to intrepid managament and local authorities if an accident had happened. 4. On the way back from the early morning excursion on March 16th, most of the people on the boat did not wear a lifejacket and she did nothing about that. 5. the group was boarded on 2 different minivans during the transfer from the national park to phuket on March 11th. Obviously 9. Also, during the vist at the temple in Ko Samui, while she was saying the few things she new about the temple, she interrupted her speech to answer 2 phone calls. One of them was from her boyfriend. She decided to put this call with her boyfriend on speaker. To me, she sounded like she wanted the group know that she had a boyfriend. A tourist guide should not take phone calls while presenting something to the group, Also, there was no need to make strangers aware of the conversation by putting it on speaker (english conversation). That was also very unprofessional. could board only one of them and then she fell asleep. Even if she was awake, how could she monitor safety of both vans (driver state, driver driving style, etc.) if she was on one minivan only? 6. When we visited a temple in Ko Samui, I asked why Buddha statue had a 10 rays wheel behind the head and not 8 like the famous buddhist 8-ray wheel that all the worls knows about. She did not know about this wheel. How can a buddhist not be familiar with this symbol?? How can a thai tourist guide not be familiar with this symbol? She replied something about the buddhist "4 ways" but my question was about the famous 8-ray wheel. 7. When we unboarded the ferry from ko samui to mainland, she did not make sure that the group followed her. I was able to find her by chance but she left me behind very far. 8. Also, during the vist at the temple in Ko Samui, while she was saying the few things she new about the temple, she interrupted her speech to answer 2 phone calls. One of them was from her boyfriend. She decided to put this call with her boyfriend on speaker. To me, she sounded like she wanted the group know that she had a boyfriend. A tourist guide should not take phone calls while presenting something to the group, Also, there was no need to make strangers aware of the conversation by putting it on speaker (english conversation). That was also very unprofessional. In general, 9. Also, during the vist at the temple in Ko Samui, while she was saying the few things she new about the temple, she interrupted her speech to answer 2 phone calls. One of them was from her boyfriend. She decided to put this call with her boyfriend on speaker. To me, she sounded like she wanted the group know that she had a boyfriend. A tourist guide should not take phone calls while presenting something to the group, Also, there was no need to make strangers aware of the conversation by putting it on speaker (english conversation). That was also very unprofessional. lacked of leadership, organizational skills, knowledge, planning skills, etc. She acted more like she was a tourist too and was very laid back. Many times she replied me that the spirit of the tour was to "relax" and "be easy" but she does not really understand that some people are at ease and relax when they are taked care of and everything goes smoothly. I was not supposed to accept any mistake and be extremely flexible only because of her relaxed mindsetShow more
  Traveled in March 2026
  

  Reply from: Intrepid Travel

  Hi Michele, we appreciate the opportunity to address the listed concerns- as we are grateful for all firsthand insights- so that we can continue to improve our touring experiences. The safety of our travellers is paramount to us on all of our tours. We are sorry to know that certain aspects did not meet expectations, and we are glad that we have already had the opportunity to connect with you to provide a resolution, as well as take action for any shortcomings mentioned. Stay well.

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  Melanie

  March 30th, 2026
  There were quite a lot of transfers compared to how much we actually got to see. We would suggest that Intrepid skip...
  There were quite a lot of transfers compared to how much we actually got to see. We would suggest that Intrepid skip the Raft House—this would reduce travel time and allow you to go straight to Phuket and spend two days there instead. In Phuket, we only got to experience a small part of the nightlife. In general, the transfers were very long, and considering the trip only lasts eight to nine days, we spent a significant amount of time traveling. However, we did take plenty of breaks along the way. I would recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to stay longer in Thailand plan a longer trip in order to see much more. The Raft House is probably not suitable for people who are a bit picky or used to a certain level of comfort. We are really talking about very basic wooden huts—with just a mattress inside, and that’s it. There were no clean showers or toilets. You also couldn’t bring a large backpack, so you need to remember to pack a smaller bag with the essentials for this part of the trip. Overall, you don’t see or do enough at the Raft House location for the stay to really be worth it. However, the stay in Koh Samui was definitely worth it, and three days there felt like the perfect amount of time. The additional activities are also highly recommended. The guides were also very helpful when it came to gluten-free food.Show more
  Traveled in March 2026
  

  Reply from: Intrepid Travel

  Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We appreciate your honest comments around the number of transfers and your thoughts on the Raft House experience, which is intentionally very basic but isn’t the right fit for everyone. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Koh Samui, found the optional activities worthwhile, and felt well supported by your guides, particularly with gluten-free requirements. Thank you again for your insights, which will be helpful for future travellers considering this trip.

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  Jules

  July 19th, 2024
  Great tour if you want to see and do a lot in a short amount of time! It was so nice to be able to sit back and be...
  Great tour if you want to see and do a lot in a short amount of time! It was so nice to be able to sit back and be told where to go when, and end up in some incredible destinations! Make sure to check the optional extras before booking - I did a lot of research as there were too many good ones to choose from. Would definitely travel with Intrepid again!Show more
  Traveled in July 2024
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  Chiara

  September 18th, 2019
  People in the same age Nice places for the price
  Traveled in January 2019
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  Samantha

  September 18th, 2019
  Very well planned out. Great guide and had lots of fun
  Traveled in January 2019
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  Michael

  September 18th, 2019
  Amazing tour guide taking us through a jam packed itinerary, featuring both interesting inclusions and easy to access...
  Amazing tour guide taking us through a jam packed itinerary, featuring both interesting inclusions and easy to access optional extras. James (our guide) made this trip the unforgettable memory it was!Show more
  Traveled in January 2019
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  Mary

  September 18th, 2019
  It was great!
  Traveled in January 2019
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  Camille

  September 18th, 2019
  Such a fun trip with a great guide! We went to all the best places!
  Traveled in January 2019
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  Aaron

  September 18th, 2019
  Great tour, fantastic tour guide. Really enjoyed it all.
  Traveled in January 2019
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  Matthew

  September 18th, 2019
  Found it to be a good mixture of cultural experiences and activities. Particularly liked the smaller group sizes. I...
  Found it to be a good mixture of cultural experiences and activities. Particularly liked the smaller group sizes. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone though as I can see some not liking the long days of travel, not that it bothered me any.Show more
  Traveled in December 2018