When Should You Use A Tour Guide?

I don’t typically hire a tour guide.  I’m the type that does intensive research, develops a “must-do” and “must see” list, rents a car or hops on public transportation and just goes.  If I see something interesting along the way, I can stop and explore.

That routine has served me well all over the world.  I’ve rented cars and driven in Ireland, South Africa, Spain, Ecuador, Belize, Australia, Dominican Republic, Panama, England, Mexico and Aruba and never once had a problem.

The common theme for all of those countries is that signs use the Roman alphabet.  However, I would have no idea that  ห้ามเข้า  means Do Not Enter in Thai.  As a practical matter, many signs are in both Thai and English, but what if I wander into an area where they aren’t?

On two occasions – Burma and my second trip to Thailand – I actually hired a tour guide because I thought that would allow me to get the most out of my trip and minimize any difficulties.  In both cases, it was the right decision.

The decision to retain a guide is one of those things that is totally personal but you should consider the following:

• Are you comfortable navigating a foreign country when you don’t speak the language?
• What about renting a car or using public transportation?
• Are you confident in your research skills or would you rather leave it to a local expert?
• If leaning towards hiring a guide, do you want a personal escort or join a group?  The latter is likely to be less expensive, but also less flexible.
• If you take a tour, will you be able to see and do more than if you struck out on your own?
• Can a tour operator get you access to sites that otherwise wouldn’t be possible?

My friend Pim is the owner of Lets Tour Bangkok and did an amazing job of not just getting us into the major tourist sites in and around Bangkok, but making sure we had special experiences along the way.

In addition (and this is really important to me), if we saw something that wasn’t on the schedule but struck our fancy, she found a way to fit it in and still make our itinerary work.

We traded many emails in the weeks prior to our trip.  Pim asked lots of questions about what we wanted to see, what we like to do, whether we wanted adventure activities or were more focused on history and culture.

Is traveling by tuk-tuk or motorcycle taxi OK?  Are we interested in nighttime activities as well as during the day?  Are we adventurous when it comes to food?  Were we interested in health and wellness activities?  Do we want to spend time in the traditional markets?

She left no stone unturned in her effort to make sure we got exactly what we wanted.  And she delivered!  At one point we passed several blocks of custom tailor shops and I jokingly said I should get a suit made.  She made it happen.  I paid $175 for a custom-made suit that still fits like a glove and it was made in just two days!

Pim met us at our hotel the day we arrived and went over the week’s program.  It was mid-afternoon and our tour wouldn’t start until the next day, but she had already arranged with the concierge to have us delivered to the Royal Palace by town car the next morning and had a printout of restaurants near the hotel.  We discussed how to find the best street food and handle ourselves when negotiating prices in the markets.

Like many countries, Thailand requires that tour guides be licensed and that they undergo rigorous training so their clients can see not only the sights but understand the culture, appreciate Thai history and come away from the experience knowing that their lives have been enriched.  That was certainly our experience with Pim.

We traveled by subway, taxi, river bus, tuk-tuk, water taxi and motorcycle.  We ate “dancing shrimp” (small, live shrimp), roasted chicken feet and hot fried banana rolled in coconut and sesame seeds from street vendors.  We pretty much saw and did everything we wanted and much more.

We visited the Grand Palace, various Buddist temples, the flower market, the Damnoen Saduak floating market, and the Maeklong Railway Market in Samut Songkhram.  We had a private viewing of the art restoration project in the Grand Palace, saw a six-foot monitor lizard while on a khlong (canal) tour, and watched alms bowls being made by the same craftsman who makes them for the royal family.

For me, Thailand is almost magical.  It’s a combination of ancient history, wonderful food, friendly people, incredible sights with a touch of grittiness thrown in for good measure.  My favorite site was the Maeklong Railway Market.

The market predated the railway and the vendors refused to move.  For over 100 years, the two have co-existed.  Four to eight times per day the train rolls through the market.  When a signal is given, the vendors retrieve their wares from the tracks, pull up their canopies and stand back while the train passes.  Less than a minute later, the market is back in business.  Amazing.

If Thailand is on your bucket list, contact Pim; in business for 16 years, she can help you with whatever you need.  From airport transfers to cooking classes or tours from one day to ten days, Lets Tour Bangkok will give you a trip you will never forget.  You can also visit the Lets Tour Bangkok Facebook page.

Brian

As an avid traveler, Brian has explored and enjoyed cultural encounters in over 40 countries while spending many years refining The Points Game — using credit card sign-up bonuses and other tricks to get nearly free travel.  Getting the most out of every trip is an art and Brian launched My Travel Traxx to help others enjoy the art of travel.