Who: Alana and Mark Greenberg of Greenwood Village, Joanie and David Tinkleman of Evergreen, Linda and Lloyd Chavez of Castle Pines
Where: On an elephant-back trip in the north. Elephant trainers are called mahouts, and they lead the elephants through the jungles and rivers.
Best meal: The snacks along the way were wonderful. We stopped at street vendors for fried bananas, dried fruits, satays and local teas, and to our surprise no one ever had any tummy troubles. For the big hotel splurge, the Four Seasons in Chaing Mai had incredible food. Thailand truly has something for every taste and budget.
Best deal: Do not hesitate to shop and ship. Great quality and prices. We gathered our treasures and shipped a small crate home. Received it in a month.
Best time to go: We traveled in January-February and found it pleasant – little humidity and temperatures in the 70-80s.
Best travel tip: The Thai people are very friendly and kind. Splurge on a three-hour massage anywhere but a hotel – get recommendations. Thailand is the Venice of Asia. Wherever you go be sure to take boat rides. Don’t mix Thailand with other destinations. Thailand deserves all the time you can give it. We went to Krabi and Phuket and found some rebuilding after the tsunami. The foliage is lush, hotels in great shape, and the scenery some of the most beautiful in the world.
