Friendly Planet Demographics - Please Help

I am considering the Thailand + Angor Wat trip with Friendly Planet. I have been doing some research and seem to find that people enjoy their trips. Anyone with additional info on the dynamics of the group would be great. I am a single gal in my early 30s. I have travelled a lot but don%26#39;t want to do Asia solo... they seem to have good prices but I can%26#39;t find anything on group size or typical demographics of the groups. I am not too concerned about everyone being younger but also don%26#39;t want to be the only person under 70 :)

Friendly Planet Demographics - Please Help

I%26#39;m going on that trip the February. I%26#39;m also a single gal but in my 50%26#39;s. I%26#39;ve never been on a tour with this company but I%26#39;ve done a number of tours with other companies. I wouldn%26#39;t worry about being the only person under 70. There were other people travelling alone on each of the tours. Ages were pretty varied. Most of the people on the tours have been middle aged or older but there have been some younger people on each of the trips I%26#39;ve taken. I%26#39;ve always found somebody to pal around with on my trips and really enjoyed myself. One of the nice things about tours is that the guides usually get you right into the sites without a long wait and give a good history of the site. I learn a lot more than when I go alone.

This tour company sounds like it gives you more time on your own than other companies. The other companies included most dinners in the tour price. It sounds like an advantage, but there is a downside to it. It takes up a lot of time. They usually get you to the hotel at least an hour before dinner. By the time you finish dinner there isn%26#39;t much time to do anything else.

Friendly Planet Demographics - Please Help

Hi - I just got back from the Friendly Planet trip to Thailand and Angkor Wat. We left on Feb. 19 and returned on Mar 6. I am 55, and traveled with my niece (35), sister-in-law (58) and husband (60). There were 32 people in our group, my niece was the only one in her thirties. Most were in the 50-60 age range. There were people from Totonto and all parts of the US. My family members enjoyed the trip very much, and we were fortunate to have an excellent guide, Chris, a native Thai. Some other of the travelers told us she was the best they had ever had, including other Friendly Planet tours they had been on. We felt very taken care of, she was very knowlegeable and professional, she brought us snacks, treats, fruit, even Mai Tais for the longer bus rides. The trip was organized, and the hotels were good, especially the one in Bangkok, the Dusit Thani, a 5-star hotel according to a couple websites I checked. All were spotlessly clean, with very good breakfast buffets. The northern Thai hotels were more basic, it is more rural up there, and the hotels got better as we went south. The hotel in Lampang was very nice, but the air conditioning wasn%26#39;t quite adequate for the heat.

We saw many beautiful temples, ate alot of really good Thai food, went on boat rides, and our guide even took us on an unplanned boat trip to Laos one afternoon. I personally could have seen a couple less temples at the beginning. The temples (and hotels) got more spectacular as we went south, and we were very glad our itinerary went from north to south.

Their seasons are hot, hotter and hottest, although it is slightly cooler in northern Thailand, especially evenings.

Our only major disappointment was that there was heavy smoke in the north part of the country from burning the fields for planting and religious reasons, which I had never heard about before. I was not able to get a clear answer about when it starts each year, but it sounds like early in the winter (Nov-Jan) might be the best time to go. The smoke apparently stays heavy through at least April.

This may be more than you needed to know, but I hope it helps. Some people told us they purchased the land tour only, and planned their trip to see other places while there. The Thai people are very gracious and genuine. This was our first tour group trip, and I would not hesitate to use Friendly Planet again.