Due to significant rain and flooding it was not safe to hike the trail. I appreciated my safety being of top concern versus pushing through with a tour that could have proven dangerous. A Go With Joe representative contacted me well in advance providing the news and reason but offered several alternative tour options (including trip to elephant sanctuary) as well as the option to cancel without penalty. I greatly appreciated the various alternatives as I was wanting to make good use of my limited time in Chiang Mai. We opted to complete the same tour activities (giving alms to local monk, visiting Wat Doi Suthep, Wat Phra Lat, etc.) but in driving format and I had a wonderful day. It was clear very early on Go With Joe made the right call as visible trails proved slick, malleable, and unmanageable. My tour guide showed up on time for our early 6:00am start which proved to be an exceptionally beneficial start time as there were absolutely no crowds and no traffic/congestion. Guide was very personable, knowledgeable and generally easy to talk to. He shared his knowledge and the history of each location, eagerly answered my numerous questions, while allowing time for me to branch off at each location for a second look at items most of interest to me. Being a longtime local to the Chiang Mai area he took me to a delicious spot for a truly authentic Thai breakfast I would never have known or found on my own. We enjoyed conversations during our meal talking about family and culture. Knowing driving afforded us extra time to add unplanned site visits to our day, of which my guide offered several options to chose from, I opted for a visit to Thai Silk Village where I not only learned about the silk making process but I got to see and experience it first hand (caterpillars and all!) which really made me appreciate the hard work and effort that goes into producing such beautiful product. Of course I couldn’t stop myself from buying a few items in their shop. By end of morning tour I was so very pleased with all events of the day and would highly recommend booking with Go With Joe for a genuine experience with a local tour guide.
Come and experience with us in Chiangmai.
