Thank you so much for our wonderful holiday. As I
said on the tour, it was
our 10th wedding anniversary and I felt I was taking a bit of a risk coming
to Thailand as I wanted it to be a perfect holiday for my wife. It turned
out to exceed all our expectations. Thailand itself is wonderful and we are
desperate to return - although not to Bangkok! The tour and the sites were
great and very well planned. You struck the perfect balance between the
tourist 'must sees' and allowing to feel like we had seen the real Thailand.
The biking was also great, even if I thought we were on 500s for 2 weeks!
And B.J., you were the best possible guide and friend for the tour. You
turned a wonderful bike tour into an unforgettable holiday and experience.
You and the Grand Tour will stay in our hearts for ever. We hope that we
will be able to come and visit you again soon.
G. H . (United
Kingdom)
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We enjoyed the Siam Explorer immensely, sure it rained a lot more than BJ
had experienced in the past, for us it added a
new dimension we had one month of fun- food-
Heineken- and terrific hosts in BJ and Noi. BJ
seemed to know everything there was to know; ask
and he had the answer to it. The accommodation
was tops we like comfortable clean digs and we
got them no complaints. The highlights? Well
everything was a highlight so much to
see-experience. I arranged my own insurance. I shopped around via the Internet
and the AA came up with the best deal, accepted
an old guy yeah I am 70, pre existing medical
condition as well. I recommend the trip to you,
BJ and Noi are such fun.
I echo what my husband has said. It did rain
a lot but that presented its own challenges and
triumphs that added a dimension to the trip that
we continue to talk about more than the non
rain. In terms of comfort, Richard never
suffered from sore bottom syndrome as the rider.
As pillion I was ready for the stops to get off
and stretch. Food was great and we ate at some
of the most interesting road side eateries that
we would have bypassed without BJ and Noi - we
would have missed out big time. Highlights for
me were all the country areas we went through
and low lights if anything would have been
Bangkok. I was a little disappointed with Chiang
Mai but guess that big cities are not really my
thing and at least I can say that I have been
there. As a non rider it would be a bit cheeky of me to
make comment on the bike but as a pillion I went
on the trip because it was a tour - not the
races and it was great. Would I go on a trip again with BJ and Noi -
tomorrow if I could afford it and it is
something I am working towards.!!!
R.W.& L.W. (New Zealand)
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We had an excellent time in Bangkok and arrived home safely
yesterday. Back at work now. Thank you for making our trip
as exceptional as it was. We really had an incredible time -
full of awesome memories. I hope our paths will cross
sometime in the future, be it in Thailand or even South
Africa.
Please
CLICK HERE
to read what one of our clients from New Zealand wrote about
the Grand Tour on
BMW Motorcycle Club forum.
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We had a wonderful
trip with you and Noi and I would like to thank
you for
such a great introduction to Thailand. I think
we have seen an awful lot and certainly much
more than the average tourist. We both
thoroughly enjoyed your company, couldn't have
asked for nicer people! Don't loose that
personal touch!!
So now I am sitting here, still a bit shell
shocked to be home, days are
getting shorter and temperature seriously
dropping, I would turn round on my
heels and go back, but hey, that's life..
"I just returned after completing the Grand Tour with Avalon. Previously I had been on
several organized tours worldwide and last October I rode solo around Cambodia. All the tours and my solo ride were different
in many aspects, but I thoroughly enjoyed each of them. Grand Tour is probably less demanding
than rides in India. It was certainly less physically demanding than either of the
two tours I took in Bolivia and Peru . I can say without any reservation that BJ won't disappoint you in his hospitality,
planning or execution of the ride. He speaks the Thai language, knows the customs, and has
developed this tour to encompass all the various types of roadways in Thailand. His attention
to the details impressed me; he never had to refer to a map even if circumstances forced us
to alter the planned route. I felt I didn't have a care in the world; never had to worry
about where to sleep or where to eat. I looked forward to the ride each day.
I might add that the Honda bikes BJ uses are perfect for Thailand. We often cruised at
100-110 kph, and the bike still had the fire for passing. Bottom line: without hesitation, I strongly recommend BJ and Avalon.
I thoroughly
recommend the Grand Tour of Thailand. It was
well organized, and the tour guide/manager, B.J.
was excellent. It was a very relaxing holiday,
and as for comments about the feint hearted,
there is nothing to worry about or freak you
out. Hotels were excellent, nothing was too much
trouble for B.J., he is one hell of a good
bloke. I also did the Mekong trip, the South and
Cambodia because I was so impressed with my
first holiday, and that was first class as well.
B.J. has a friendly manner, and made the tour
very relaxing.
"I think Avalon Tours and BJ (the tour leader) are the greatest.
In my opinion, BJ is an old-world-type gentleman who enjoys
interacting with his clients and ensuring they have memorable
experience. I've been on two motorcycle tours in northern
Vietnam, and although they were well organized, I think BJ was
more thorough in the planning and execution of the routes,
lodging, meals, etc. As you know, even small details can make or
break the overall enjoyment of exploring new horizons.
As far as old coots, although I don't feel like one, when
reality sets in I realize I am one. I went on the Grand Tour
with BJ about a year ago, and he didn't treat me any differently
than the much younger guys who also rode with us. I believe
another senior was planning on riding with us, but a last minute
medical problem caused him to cancel. If not, there would have
been two old codgers on that tour.
When I went on the Grand Tour a year ago, I found the Honda
motorcycles more than adequate for cruising in Thailand (much
better than the Belarusian Minsk bike I rode in Vietnam). My wife doesn't ride, and she doesn't care to
ride pillion on a tour...a little too much togetherness.
I didn't find the rides to be the least bit tiring as we usually
rode from about 0900 until 1630 or 1700 hours with frequent
coffee/rest and sightseeing stops during the day. We always had
breakfast at the hotel, and BJ always knew the best places to
eat good Thai food for lunch and dinner and away from touristy
places. Another thing that made the ride less tiring was the
fact that the roads are very good in Thailand. In Vietnam, it
seems like most roads were either muddy, gravel or under
construction...these conditions often caused delays so we
sometimes arrived at our destinations well after dark. That made
for long days and on those days I was especially happy to
dismount, shower and have a cold beer. The panniers are
certainly adequate for carrying your clothing, etc., since BJ
schedules a laundry layover every 3 to 5 days or so. But I also
carried a small bag over my shoulder for things I wanted to have
easy access to, such as water, snacks, etc.
I had planned on taking the Mekong River tour with BJ last
October, even had my airline ticket and hotel reservations in
Bangkok. But due to medical condition had to bail out of that
tour. I fully intend to take the Mekong River tour this
December.
The bottom line is that I can recommend BJ and his Avalon Tours
without reservation. So book your tour and mount up".
Just to say we had an amazing time and I have raved about it
to whoever will listen since we got back. My rave was so
enthusiastic that one of the women at work is seriously
interested in doing a trip with you. They all loved the
photos, especially of the embalmed monk and the pictures at the tiger temple. We got all our luggage back OK, including the wood carving. And the snake whiskey made
it back in one piece too. The motorcycle
tour was definitely the best bit and we will be looking at
doing it again (when I have another job).
I just returned after completing the Grand Tour with Avalon.
In the past two years I had been on two tours in South
America and have done several solo tours too. Both tours and
my solo rides were different in many aspects, but I
thoroughly enjoyed each of them. Grand Tour was certainly
less physically demanding than either of the two tours in
Bolivia and Peru. The tour leader can make or break the overall enjoyment of the trip. I can say without any reservation that BJ won't disappoint you in his hospitality, planning or execution of the ride. He speaks the Thai language, knows the customs, and has developed this tour to encompass all the various types of roadways in Thailand. His attention to the details impressed me; he never had to refer to a map even if circumstances forced us to alter the planned route. I felt I didn't have a care in the world; never had to worry about where to sleep or where to eat. I looked forward to the ride each day. I might add that I am taking another Avalon tour in near future. One last comment; the Honda bikes BJ uses are perfect for Thailand. We often cruised at 100-110 kph, and the bike still had the fire for passing. Without hesitation, I strongly recommend BJ and Avalon.
