We paid around 7,000 THB for this tour, which is very high for what you actually get. One day before the tour, I specifically asked the operator whether the weather could cause any problems. I was told everything would be fine. Despite this reassurance, Khao Daeng was cancelled on the day of the tour due to the weather. I understand that safety comes first, but being told in advance there would be no issues and then having a main part of the tour cancelled feels poorly communicated and managed.
The operator was willing to offer a refund, but the amount was very low, only 1,200 THB and I had to unnecessarily argue/contact them to get even that. Given the price and what we missed, this felt inadequate. A fair refund should have been at least one third of the total price.
The very first photo on the tour listing showed a beautiful lotus pond, which was a big reason I booked. However, this location is not mentioned anywhere in the description. After complaining, the operator removed the photo, but it could easily be added again. We did end up visiting the lotus pond, but during the tour the guide said it was not included in the itinerary. I could not have known the name of the place from just the photo, so it felt misleading not to list it properly. While the lotus pond was beautiful, it was never clearly communicated as an official part of the tour or as a replacement for Khao Daeng.
The guide was friendly, but compared to other tours I have taken in Thailand, he didn’t provide much information about the places we visited. For the price we paid, I expected a more informative experience.
Lunch did not include drinks. While it was only 50 THB, for such an expensive tour this felt unnecessary and added to the impression that the tour was overpriced and poor value for money.
I understand weather can change, but unclear communication, misleading photos, the low refund after unnecessary arguing, and the overall poor value make it difficult to recommend this tour. It did not deliver what was advertised or what we paid for.
We enjoyed this trip, it is a great day out and the tour guide is knowledgable and friendly, it may have been nice to spend time with the tour guide and then had some time to ourselves, particularly as this is a private tour, we enjoyed the views and wildlife, a nice spot to stop for lunch, the hike up the mountain was a bit difficult in the heat - maybe this could be done in the morning instead?
One negative is that I do not recall visiting the location that is shown on the picture of this tour.