THAILAND & CAMBODIA
Nov 13 – 26, 2024
PRICE
$3,900
DURATION
14 Days
GROUP MAX
14 People
PHYSICAL
EASY
WEATHER
Humid, Warm, 80F-90F
TOUR OVERVIEW
The best of Cambodia and Thailand! Participate in Loi Krathong Festival. Experience a hands-off elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. Ride along the klongs in Bangkok, once known as the Venice of East. Be awed by the Khmer masterpiece at Angkor Wat. The sombering feeling at Choeung Ek Killing Fields at Phnom Penh.
TOUR LEADER
Dan Brubaker
TOUR PRICE
$3,900
5 SPACES LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
DAY 1 • • •
Arrival into Chiang Mai. Meet your deaf guide at the airport and check into your hotel. Welcome dinner. Stay in Chiang Mai for 4 nights.
DAY 2 • • •
Spend all day at an ethical “hands off” elephant rescue sanctuary. Ethical participation would mean no riding and no bathing. Just observe them roaming, interacting and playing freely. Visit other rescued animals as well. Do some shopping at the Chang Klan Night Bazaar after dinner.
DAY 3 • • •
In the morning, we head up to Doi Suthep, high in the mountain with a beautiful view of Chiang Mai. Free time in the afternoon. Participate in the Yee Peng Sky Lantern Festival, which starts at 4:00 pm.
DAY 4 • • •
All day excursion to visit the Wat Rong Seur Ten (Blue Temple) and Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) in Chiang Rai. Participate in the Loi Krathong Festival in the evening.
DAY 5 • • •
In the morning, we fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. Take high speed train from the airport to Phaya Thai, then transfer to BTS Skytrain for our hotel. Free time in the afternoon to do some shopping at Siam Square (with 5 malls next to each other) or to visit Jim Thompson House. Evening cocktails at a sky bar. Stay in Bangkok for 4 nights.
DAY 6 • • •
In the morning, we visit the splendid Grand Palace, glittering Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho, where a 160 foot long Reclining Buddha reside. Then we take a boat tour across Chao Phraya River to Thonburi where we will go through the klongs (canals) with 2 stops at Wat Arun and for lunch. Afterwards, we take the Skytrain back to Siam Square for dinner.
DAY 7 • • •
Short visit at Setsatian School for the Deaf. Head up to Ayutthaya to see the majestic capital ruins of the Second Kingdom (as Bangkok is the capital of the Third Kingdom). Learn how Ayutthaya rose to prominence after Sukkothai, the capital of the First Kingdom, fell. Return to Bangkok in late afternoon.
DAY 8 • • •
We head out to Ratchaburi to see the interesting Mae Klong train market, as well as Damnoen Saduak floating market. Return to Bangkok by mid-afternoon. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.
DAY 9 • • •
In the morning, we fly to Siem Reap. Free time in the afternoon. Go swimming in the pool. Enjoy the pub street and night market. Stay in Siem Reap for 3 nights.
DAY 10 • • •
In the morning, we see deaf as well as “differently abled” craftspeople (artists, painters, embroiderers and sculptors) at Les Artisans D’Angkor. Then the rest of the day will be exploring Angkor Wat complex sites including Bantey Srey, Bayon Temple, Elephant Terrace and Ta Prohm.
DAY 11 • • •
We head out to ride on a boat at Tonle Sap Lake, where you get a glimpse of daily life on floating villages, complete with schools, restaurants and hospitals. After lunch, we visit Angkor Wat, including its spectacular sunset view. Humans only circus show in the evening.
DAY 12 • • •
5-hour drive from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh with a lunch stop enroute. Free time in the afternoon, including the option to go swimming or visiting the National Museum and/or the Russian Market. Stay in Phnom Penh for 2 nights.
DAY 13 • • •
Visit Wat Phnom, Lady Penh and Royal Palace. Lunch at a café for good cause, then visit Tuol Sleong Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Farewell dinner.
DAY 14 • • •
Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
• 13 nights in 3-star or 4-star accommodations.
• 21 meals: Breakfast (9), Lunch (7), Dinner (5)
• Services of a deaf Tour Leader on call 24 hours a day.
• Services of local deaf and/or hearing guides.
• All transportation expenses.
• All admission fees for attractions and museums mentioned in the itinerary.
• Single entry e-Visa for Cambodia. No visa needed for Thailand.
• Most tips, except for your Tour Leader.
• Informative travel preparation packet.
• Pre-tour and/or post-tour itinerary consultation.
• $100 discount per person on your next regular tour.
• Domestic and/or international airfares.
• All other meals not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses.
• Any COVID-19 related tests.
• Travel insurance.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MoreTOUR LEADER
Dan Brubaker
TOUR PRICE
$3,900
5 SPACES LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MorePRICE
$3,900
DURATION
14 Days
GROUP MAX
14 People
PHYSICAL
EASY
WEATHER
Humid, Warm, 80F-90F
GALLERY
Got a Question?
First, please scroll through our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions or need help with a specific topic, feel free to contact us! Thank you.
RESERVATION
Spots are based on a first come, first serve basis. A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your space and can be paid with a debit or credit card. Alternative payment options include personal check or wire transfer. After registration, you will receive an automatic email response with further instructions. Full payment is due 90 days before the start of your tour.
Absolutely yes! You can contact us by clicking this link and fill out the form and we will get back to you. Above all, we want to make your tour a memorable one for your group.
HOT is proud of the three distinct reasons that allow it to be different from other tour companies: they use sign language exclusively, travel in small groups which provide an intimate experience while also having more flexibility on their schedule, and spend time visiting places they love versus wasting time at places where there wasn’t much interest..
Generally, all tours will provide accommodations in double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast, transportation expenses including lunch and dinner (depending on the itinerary), museum entrance fees along with a $100 credit towards your next full tour. In addition we provide you with information about each specific tour so that you can be fully aware of what is included.
We will be happy to assist you with a custom-designed tour, tailored towards your preferences. If not, stay up to date by joining our mailing list in order for us to provide you with any future tours that we may have availability for.
Did you know that we have travel consultants who can assist you? You can go to our Travel Consulting page for more information. The best way to accomplish this would be to seek out friends and/or family members (usually in order of 6 people) so they will lower the costs significantly, or advertise open spots on your tour publicly. We also have discounts, and some other advantages! What’s more- we are able to lower the level of accommodations as well as remove extras all together which make it feasible for a low cost.
It is often easier for us to permit single travelers when it comes time to sign up for our tours. If you are unable to find a partner and need assistance, please contact us as we may have singles available on the list- pending your approval first. There are some tours that allow exceptions for those seeking not only with partners but also without them too!
If somebody backs out, please register on our wait list or contact us directly so that we can put you on the wait list for a similar tour. We will also keep your name up to date with our latest tours and alerts about similar upcoming trips in order to give you a chance at joining them.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Hands On Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. To learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment, visit the following link: TRAVEL PROTECTION
Don’t hesitate. We will stay in touch with you from the date of deposit until your arrival at the starting point of your tour, to make sure that all is well before departure. You can contact us via phone or e-mail any time for questions and we will remain in communication throughout your trip!
BILLING
No, we do not charge any extra fees or fuel surcharges. The listed price is the price you pay. Including tax.
You can find this under our Terms & Conditions. If you find it necessary to cancel your confirmed tour reservation, you must notify HOT about it by e-mail. You may transfer your space to another suitable person or request us to seek replacements. If your replacement is found, HOT will, at its discretion depending on the time frame, refund your deposits/payments or apply it towards a future Hands on Travel tour that is to be taken no more than 3 years after the dates of the original tour. If your replacement is not found, the cancellation of your reservation will become effective and the following charges will apply: (a) if cancelled more than 90 days before the first day of the tour, all installment or additional payments will be refunded to you minus the non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person and any non-refundable payments that HOT has made to suppliers. (b) if cancelled less than 90 days before the first day of the tour, no refunds will be made.
Since tour prices are quoted as a package, no partial refunds can be made for the unused portion of any tour including lodging, meals, or any other items that are included in the tour price. This does not apply to those who wish to participate in only a portion of a tour. In this case, we can pro-rate costs for the unused days.
After registration, you will receive an automatic email reply with further instructions. A $500 per person booking deposit is required to reserve your spot on the trip and can be paid by personal check, credit card and/or wire transfer. Full payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the trip.
If you need to cancel or postpone your trip 3 or more months before the start, all monies paid will be refunded minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. You can also transfer the entire amount of your deposit to be used for a later trip if we are able to find replacements.
DURING THE TOUR
Big coach buses separate us from local people. We fail to experience or understand the “hands on” lives of locals.
We started out as a walking tour company. Walking offers close-up experiences with local people and hidden gems to discover.
It’s much easier to communicate full to everyone in semi-circle and make sign language 100% accessible. No more missing what is being said.
We’d be able to dine in smaller, cozier and unique restaurants that would offer a local culinary experience unlike large, tourist-oriented restaurants. And, we’d be able to stay at smaller accommodations in prime locations unlike large chain hotels outside the city limits.
We strive to include local guides for certain days to promote maximum cultural experience as well as exchange deaf-related insights.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
