"The Dutch" Working & Living Abroad #8: Frans Betgem - Green Trails

Who?

Frans Betgem

Where?

Thailand

Which Initiative?

Green Trails

What?

Green Trails: 1-2-3-+4 day(s) trekking tours, trails and exploration tours with an emphasis on and respect for local culture
Chiang Mai a la Carte: "umbrella" website about Chiang Mai with a focus on festivals, traditions, architecture, culture and meaningful encounters
Tong Bai Elephant Tour: elephant friendly day tour about the issue of the involvement of captive elephants in tourism
Chiang Mai on Three Wheels: Chiang Mai tours by samlor (bicycle taxi)

Something special?

Chiang Mai on Three Wheels, a social tourism enterprise, aims to preserve the samlor, a Chiang Mai heritage, as a means of transportation in the future. With these samlor tours they try to improve the livelihood of the taxi drivers by offering them jobs and (extra) education. In the old days, before the age of the automobile, there were hundreds of samlors in Chiang Mai. Nowadays there are less than 70.
Family Tours: these tours include trekking but also interactive and educational elements, with several trekking itineraries in the Chiang Dao area. This area is very suitable for family tours; there are lots of villages and lots of children.

And last but not least...a little insight in 'Why'

Frans Betgem is a Dutch national who has been living in Chiang Mai for more than 20 years. Frans' travels brought him to Southeast Asia in 1987. In 1990 he started working for Baobab Travel as a tourleader in Thailand. Frans worked for this company in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Australia from 1990 until 1998. In 2012 he started his own business in Chiang Mai, Tiger Trail, nowadays re-branded as Green Trails. Green Trails commit to offer the best and most innovative cultural, outdoor and trekking tours in North Thailand. Green Trails believes in sustainable and responsible travel and always tries to create meaningful experiences, both for visitors and for the host communities.