Travel Aware - Tips & Advice

• Planning your trip
• Booking your trip
• Before you go
• Travelling around
• Accommodation
• Eating Out
• Shopping
• EcoTourism
• Other Tips & Advice

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Planning your trip

Research your destination. Find out as much as you can about the place you intend to visit. We aim to provide as much information for you as possible, so please check back regularly for newly added tips and advice on places to go and stay on your time in Chiang Mai.

Find out about local customs, religions and general way of life. Find out the best places to stay, the history of the area and make sure that you are prepared for most eventualities. It is also a good idea to be prepared in case the worst happens, do this by making sure you have a list of local Emergency numbers.

Booking your trip

• Book your accommodation and transport with hotels/airlines etc that are clearly interested in protecting our environment, and let management know that's why you've chosen them.
• For air travel, buy electronic tickets where possible, as this will reduce paper waste. Also, if tickets are lost or stolen they may cost a large amount to be replaced.

Before you go

Prepare your home for time away.

• Turn off your heating/air-conditioning or put it on to a low setting.
• Ensure all main electrical appliances such as Televisions, DVD players, cable boxes; are unplugged. Many appliances use a large amount of electricity even when they are off or on standby.
• Turn off the mains water. This will prevent flooding if there is a leak whilst you're away. Make sure you turn the water on slowly on return to ensure no damage has taken place whilst you were away.
• Cancel your newspaper delivery.
• If you intend to be away for an extended period of time then plan ahead; use up all food in fridge/freezers and turn off and defrost. If you can, turn off the electricity to the whole house, this would not only help save the environment but would also save you money too (which means more to spend whilst your away!).

Travelling around

• Use public transport where possible.
• Walk as much as possible (where it is sensible to do so). Take part in local walking tours.
• Instead of renting a car, think about using public transport, the hotel minibus, and try to share taxis. This can be a great way to meet other like minded travellers.
• Chiang Mai has a number of red buses, which take you to where you want and also pick up other people travelling near your intended destination on the way. This method is very cheap, and is a great way to experience things like a local. In failing that, why not share a famous Thai Tuk Tuk.
• Don't throw or allow other people to throw things out of car, taxi windows.
• If you must go it alone and are feeling a little more adventurous, then why not rent a motorcycle. Chiang Mai offers many rental options. Rental prices are cheap and parking is free in most places. Two people can ride on one motorcycle and you can benefit from weaving in and out of traffic. Make sure that you get the newest motorcycle possible as fuel consumption is much reduced and of course the safety of the bike is increased. (Please be careful. Ensure you have ridden a motorcycle before and that you have a license in your home country.)
• If renting a car or motorcycle, make sure you turn off your engine whilst idle. Also, encourage tour drivers to do the same.

Continued below...

Accommodation

• Don't change your towels and bed sheets everyday. Many hotels have linen programs to reduce the impact to the local environment. If not then don't be afraid to let the hotel know your opinions. For cleanliness, you may wish to make sure each member of the family knows whose towel is theirs. One was of doing this is to add their names to each towel, perhaps with the use of a safety pin.
• When showing or bathing, try to use less water or share a bath. Chiang Mai experiences long summers without rainfall and therefore water shortages become a problem every year so your efforts to reduce the amount of water you consume whilst here will certainly help.
• When you leave the room, turn of lights, air conditioning/heaters, TV and radio.
• If you have not used any of those little bottles you get in the bathroom, then please leave them there. Instead of wasting them, the next one to occupy your room can make use of them. If possible, ask staff to refill bottles instead of replacing them with new ones.
• For bars of soap, keep the wrapper and take used soap bars with you, otherwise they will end up in the bin.
• Write your names of bottles and disposable cups to reduce waste form forgetting which is yours and simply throwing them away and getting out a new one. Many hotels in Chiang Mai use glass bottles for providing free water daily, please make use of these and ensure they stay in the room to be re-used accordingly.
• Use the hotels recycling facilities. If you are unsure, ask the management where to put your rubbish.
• Some Chiang Mai hotels provide complimentary newspapers to you room daily. Try to read them and pass them on for others to read. Alternatively, give them back to reception and ask them to re-use or have them recycled.
• Try not to leave lights or fans/air conditioning on all night. Try to pack night-lights to be used on your time away.
• Turn off gym and sports equipment, saunas, Jacuzzi, whirlpool and many others where possible.
• Ask the hotels to reduce paper waste on checkout by not asking for a receipt etc when not required.
• Talk to management directly or write a letter to offer ideas about how to save more energy and reduce waste. Just by letting management know that your are interested in this can be very helpful to the hotels future plans.

Eating out

• Try not to waste food wherever possible. For example, on those lovely morning buffet breakfast's served in most hotels in Chiang Mai, try to take a little each time to make sure non is wasted.
• Whilst not always easy in Chiang Mai, carry a bottle of water with you and re-fill as required. If you aren't able to do this, then make sure all plastic bottles are kept with you until you return to your hotel where staff can place in recycling bins.
• Avoid polystyrene etc by carrying your own cup.
• Avoid room service and take-away, by eating in restaurants.
• If you like to take-away a lot or often take leftovers back with you then try to carry a washable container.
• If offered condiments in individual packets, only take what you need.

Shopping

• Take plastic bags with you. They are always handy when eating out or for the local shopping your bound to do in Chiang Mai. Use just one bag for your shopping. If you are given a bag (as you are likely to be given for nearly everything in Chiang Mai) kindly give them back to the owner with a smile and say no thank you.

Ecotourism

• Bring back everything you take. Make sure you leave no footprints, which means no rubbish, graffiti etc.
• When it comes to maps and guides, we can all get a bit over-excited but try to take only what you need and put anything you don't want back.
• Don't under any circumstances buy any products from endangered species. You are advised not even to bring back seashells. A list of items that you are unable to bring back to your own country can be found on most government web sites.
• Don't kill any creatures that are not a threat to your life. We all know mosquitoes can be a nuisance so ensure you wear the appropriate insect repellent and if in remote areas try to sleep in a net.
• Taking photographs is fine (most of the time) so don't take "souvenirs" or "keep sakes" from any historical site, temple or wat, natural area or even your hotel.
• Try, if you have the chance, to support local conservation efforts. This can be done with maybe using on of your holiday days doing voluntary work or by making donations to good local causes.
• Whilst Chiang Mai is a pristine and beautiful place to visit, unfortunately rubbish gets everywhere. Where you do see some rubbish, try to pick up just one or two pieces a day and put it into the bin as if everyone did this, it would really make a difference.

Other tips & advice

• Try not to use disposable cameras. As well as being expensive, they are very wasteful.
• Digital cameras are ideal for the conscious traveller. Click as many times as you like and then pick your favourite ones to print. Not only does it save on paper, it's cheaper and saves on film too.
• Film cameras still produce the highest quality results so if you are to use one, try buying 36 exposure films instead of the standard 24 exposure.
• Even toothpaste can be wasted. Instead of buying small tubes of it, try squeezing some from your normal one at home into a washable container that you can take with you.

Well, after all of that you'd think there couldn't possibly be more to think about but we are sure there is. If there is anything you feel could help further, or if you have any other general ideas then please do get in contact with us so we can add them here for other people (and the environment) to benefit from.

It is important to remember that businesses are responsive to their guests, customers and clients who voice concerns, so speak up. If you have compliments or comments regarding a company's environmental performance, write a note or speak directly to the general manager of the hotel, tour operator etc.

Thanks for your time.