Oasis Journal “Orchid Safari Western Thailand ”

Tour Schedule & Terms and Conditions.
 

P.O. Box 74 , Kanchanaburi. 76000. Thailand . (General inquiries & cheques).

Thailand : 0852 166 569; International: ++ 66 852 166 569

Australian info line: Coming Soon

Email: oasis_journal@yahoo.com or oasis_orchid_tours@yahoo.com

10 Day Orchid Safari Package in Western Thailand

an Educational Adventure of a Lifetime!

Total: (based on twin share rooms) ex Bangkok $3662.00 (AUD)
Does not include international airfare

or

Total: (single person per room) ex Bangkok $3972.00 (AUD)
Does not include international airfare

Note: Price includes a free ‘Kanchanaburi Orchid Safari T-Shirt', a copy of the new book “An introduction to the wild orchids of Kanchanaburi Province Western Thailand” (due for release October 2007) and a subscription to “Oasis The Journal”. All proceeds from our safaris go back into funding orchid research.

Methods of Payment:
Payment can be made via a cash transfer through Western Union or a direct cash deposit into the Oasis bank account. Personal and bank cheques are also acceptable and should be posted to the ‘Mansfield Australian' address above. We will have card services through our Thai bank in place at a later date.

10 Day Orchid Safari Tour Dates 2008:
Friday March 28th until Sunday April 6th
Group size: 2-10 people.

“Larger groups are welcome to inquire about any of our safari destinations”.

An orchid safari adventure in Western Thailand will be one of the greatest and most educational experiences of your life. Something not to be missed! Especially at such good value for your money! So what are you waiting for? Ring and book you and your friends and or your local orchid society to go on ‘Orchid Safari' now!!

Only ten seats available per tour, book early so you do not miss out!!

What You Get For The Price Of A 10 Day ‘Orchid Safari'!!

On our orchid safari tours we really look after you and we basically supply everything including all transfers to and from Bangkok/Chonburi international airport, roomy air conditioned mini bus with all fuel and freeway travel costs and charges, 9 nights hotel and resort accommodation, daily breakfast and hearty lunch and dinner (choice of Western or Thai food or both) including fresh fruit every day, up to 3 bottles of drinking water per person per day, all staff and tour guide fees and licensed English speaking tour operator, all National Park and temple entry fees, boat hire, all four wheel drive vehicle costs, all Thai booking fees and administrative costs.

We do not supply the following & would be additional costs for each guest;
International air tickets to and from Thailand, personal expenditure items including souvenirs, room service, alcohol, all laundry or dry cleaning costs, any foods not supplied at breakfast, lunch & dinner i.e. sweets, snacks etc., travel insurance (compulsory), any medical costs, excess (air line) luggage fees, departure taxes and or any other taxes etc. associated with air fares (see terms & conditions for further details). All other internal taxes and booking fees (within Thailand ) are paid by Oasis Tours .

10 Day ‘Orchid Safari' Tour Schedule.

Day 1. Pick up from Bangkok international airport, check into hotel in Bangkok . Spend the evening at your leisure to do some shopping at the night markets etc.

Day 2. After breakfast we drive to Kanchanaburi check into 4 star River Kwai Hotel. After check in and a brief rest and an early smorgasbord lunch we drive to Sai Yok to observe the habitat of dry medium forest home to many Nervillia, Dendrobium, Liparis etc. On the return to our hotel for an evening at your leisure, we visit the infamous “Bridge over the River Kwai”.

Day 3. After breakfast we drive to some tall closed forest at Nam Tok National Park for a day of orchid hunting. Taking lunch with us, we will be eating in the forest. Returning to our resort late afternoon/early evening. The evening at your leisure.

Day 4. After breakfast we drive to Erawan National Park home of the beautiful ‘ Erawan Falls ' and hundreds of orchids. After a smorgasbord lunch we drive back to visit the ‘ Kanchanaburi Orchid Species Research Station ' Lowland living collection.

Day 5. After breakfast we drive north some 220km into the beautiful and magnificent surroundings and mountains of the Sangkhla Buri district, stopping on the way at the famous ‘ Tiger Temple ' where monks live with full grown tigers.

Day 6. After breakfast we drive to the Laem National Park home to thousands of orchids then after lunch we drive back toward Thong Pha Phum to look at more orchids growing ‘ in situ '. Then returning back to our Sangkhlka Buri resort.

Day 7. We drive to the shores of Thailand 's second largest natural reserve of water, being more than 1000km 2 to explore some of its many inland islands for orchids. After lunch back on shore at a very old local temple we visit a local river to observe numerous orchid genera and species growing locally before returning to our resort.

Day 8. After breakfast we drive into to the Sanglia Valley of lush jungle littered with orchids and in the afternoon we visit the Sangkhla Buri Research collection of living orchids part of the Kanchanabrui Orchid Species Research Station .

Day 9. After breakfast we drive up to the ‘Three Pagodas Pass' orchid markets for a brief look around before driving back to our resort at Kanchanaburi stopping along the way to look at more orchids ‘ in situ ‘. Just before we get back to our Kanchanaburi Hotel we will stop at some of the larger road side orchid nurseries for a look around.

Day 10. After breakfast we make our way back to Bangkok then onto the international airport at Chonburi for your return flight home.

“Book now for the experience of a life time!”

Please note, being able to observe wild orchids first hand growing in their natural monsoonal habitat of Western Thailand , i.e. a climate where the plants go through a very distinct prolonged dry period with quite cool to cold nights (very similar to temperate Eastern & Western Australia), will aid and improve further your own domestic culture of orchids substantially!

Checklist for trekking:

As the treks are day treks, i.e. departing from your hotel or resort daily, a minimum of equipment is needed. A good pair of hiking boots with the sides coming up to at least your ankles is essential. Anyone wearing thongs or sandals etc. wont be permitted to participate on the treks (of course wearing thongs, sandals etc. are acceptable when not trekking). Long sleeved shirts and trousers are essential/recommended to prevent scratches etc. A small to medium sized shoulder bag or backpack will be required to carry your lunch, water, insect repellant & camera when trekking. A large pack is not needed on these day treks and would be cumbersome.

Terms and Conditions:

• A non refundable deposit of AUD$350 (per person) to be paid at the time of booking your tour. The full amount to be paid no less than 40 days before tour starting date. Failure to pay in full by the due date may result in cancellation of your booking and made available to another party.
  
  
• It is the participant's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of entry into Thailand (most countries require this to permit entry), purchase of comprehensive travel insurance and all visa fees (if any). Any fines, penalties, payments or expenditures incurred as a result of such documents not meeting the requirements of those authorities will be your sole responsibility.
  
  
• It is the participant's responsibility to ensure you are aware of any health or medical requirements for your travel destinations and to ensure you carry all necessary medical and or vaccination documentation.
  
  
• The tour leader is in charge of the tour group at all times during transit and trekking.
  
  
• In case of an emergency all tour guests/participants are to follow the direction of the tour leader.
  
  
• All tour participants (i.e. the guest of Oasis Tours) agree to follow all Thai laws and respect local customs.
  
  
• All tour participants (i.e. the guest of Oasis Tours) agree not to remove any living plant or animal material from any forest locations. To do so is not only a breach of National Thai laws but also a breach of the international CITES laws. Any person/s found doing so will be asked to leave the tour immediately (without refund).
  
  
• Any person/s whom choose to leave the safari/tour party to pursue other interests which would affect the flow and punctuality of the tour schedule are welcome to do so but will not be allowed to rejoin the tour party later and no refund will be supplied.
  
  
• All tour participants (i.e. the guests of Oasis Tours) are fully aware that there is by law of averages, some chance of receiving injury during an eco/trekking tour and by signing the ‘Participation Form' indicate their awareness of this fact and in no way hold Oasis Tours liable or responsible of what ever nature, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, in case of any accident or unforeseen event occurring - resulting in injury. The tour participant (i.e. the guest of Oasis Tours) acknowledges there is some risk of injury and that Oasis Tours has brought this to their attention via Oasis Tours making ‘comprehensive travel insurance' compulsory to participate in an Oasis Orchid Safari.
  
  
• We at Oasis Tours, do not accept any liability of whatever nature, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, for the acts, omissions or default, whether negligent or otherwise, of third party providers over whom we have no direct control. Under circumstances where liability cannot be excluded, such liability is limited to the value of the purchased travel/tour arrangements. We do not accept any liability of whatever nature, whether in contract, tort or otherwise for any injury, damage, loss (including consequential loss), delay, additional expense or inconvenience caused directly or indirectly by force majeure or any other event which is beyond our control which is not preventable by reasonable diligence on our part.
  
  
• Our tour price covers only the items and services listed under “ What You Get For The Price Of A 10 Day ‘Orchid Safari ”. The tour price does not cover international airfares or departure tax, any excess or lost luggage/property fees, any booking immigration or visa fees from country of origin or upon departure from Thailand, any taxi or other transport fees from country of origin or any other taxi or transport fees after one has completed any Oasis tour, travel insurance (compulsory), snacks or any other meals not supplied on the tour schedule, souvenirs, alcohol and or other drinks not supplied on tour schedule, room service and or purchases including mini bar bills, purchase of personal items and expenditure; any phone calls, photos and development, legal or medical costs, insect repellents, dry cleaning & laundry bills; stamps & envelopes etc., and or anything else not listed as supplied on the tour schedule.

 

Note: Thailand has traditionally had a 500 Thai baht departure tax on all international flights leaving Thailand to be paid in cash on the day of departure. This is at each participant/guests cost. However, this situation seems to have changed recently since the opening of the new international airport at Chonburi ( Bangkok ) and departure tax from Thailand can now be built into the price of your air ticket. Please check with your travel agent that this is possible. Otherwise, you need to budget for it.

Foods Supplied:

As already mentioned above the tour price includes a hearty daily lunch. The lunch menu will consist of a selected mixture of the following Western and Thai foods, the menu changing daily with not all listed supplied on the one day: Variety of Green salads, variety of sandwiches, fried chicken (Thai style not spicy), omelet's, Bar-b-qued sausages, gai yang (Thai style bar-b-qued chicken not spicy), moo yang (Thai style bar-b-qued pork), boiled rice, sticky rice, boiled eggs, stir fried bamboo shoots (not spicy), green chicken curry (mildly spicy), hot dogs, fried rice, coleslaw, som tam (Thai papaya salad mildly spicy), pumpkin soup, fresh fruit (and one can of soft drink or fruit juice per lunch per person).

On day 3 where carrying cooking equipment etc. into the forest is not possible, a packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit and some non spicy Thai food (optional) is supplied to each guest: Daily breakfast consists of bacon & eggs or chicken, toast, tea or coffee & fruit juice. The evening meals for each guest are either Western or Thai food and consist of an entrée, a main meal and soft drink or fruit juice. Or one may have two main meals and no entrée with a soft drink or fruit juice. Any one with any special diet requirements need to contact us in advance and be aware that depending upon your requirements may incur additional charges on the tour price.

Note: The evening meal on day 1 is only supplied if the guest/s arrive in Bangkok before 8 p.m. local Thailand time. Otherwise only a light meal is supplied.

Cancellation fees and refunds:

Cancelled bookings will incur charges. These charges can be up to 90% of the booking, regardless of whether the tour/travel has commenced;

Any booking (per person) cancelled 65 days or more before tour departure date will receive a full refund minus the non refundable deposit of $ 350.00 (see terms and conditions).

Any booking (per person) cancelled between 64 and 35 days before tour departure date will receive a 50% refund of the tour cost.

Any booking (per person) cancelled between 34 and 11 days before tour departure date will receive a 25% refund of the tour cost.

Any booking (per person) cancelled between 10 and 1 days before tour departure date will receive a 10% refund of the tour cost.