If you’re travelling in Southern Thailand, it’s easy to book tours when you arrive at any of the main islands or resort areas. However, many of these trips are group tours, which can result in large numbers of visitors descending on a location at the same time. While these tours can be cheap, they can be rushed and crowded. There are, though, tour operators who operate differently. Companies like Discovery Travel can help you avoid crowded areas while focusing on responsible travel.
Discovery Travel specialises in private and small-group tours that focus on authentic and off-the-beaten-track experiences. Trips are run in an eco-friendly way, and the company works with local people and communities. The award-winning company also liaises with other locally run companies in the Khao Lak and Phang Nga area to provide travellers with a genuinely responsible travel experience.
Responsible Thailand Awards
In the 2025 Responsible Thailand Awards, Discovery Travel Khao Lak won the Responsible Destination Management Company category. The company earned praise from the judges for its commitment to sustainability and strong local ties, which support the Khao Lak economy.
The Responsible Thailand judges also gave kudos to Discovery Travel as the first (and, at the time of the Awards, the only) operator in Khao Lak to achieve international certification for sustainable tourism via Travelife. All staff, including interns and work experience students, have access to online Travelife training courses and qualifications. This creates a knowledgeable team that shares best practices with guests and the wider travel industry. Regular Travelife report updates ensure progress is verified by a third party and avoid greenwashing.
The Responsible Thailand Awards also recognised that Discovery Travel shares sustainability policies with key suppliers and audits them to ensure compliance. In doing so, this sets the right example across the supply chain.
Supporting local
Discovery Travel takes pride in its commitment to the local area. Based in Khao Lak in Phang Nga province, the company actively supports community livelihoods and prioritises local employment. All tours are led by professional local guides, a simple step that raises standards and spreads community benefit. In addition, Discovery Travel have forged partnerships with villages to increase income opportunities.
The company is an active member of the Phang Nga Tourism Association, which champions initiatives that protect the region’s natural and cultural heritage. The local environment is supported through various projects. This includes mangrove and seagrass regeneration, the installation of reef moorings, and regular coastal clean-ups.
Sustainable travel
Discovery Travel is a co-founder of the Sustainable Khao Lak Network, which unites businesses to promote responsible tourism practices. This includes raising sustainability issues with local government and decision makers, and shows how tour companies can bring about positive changes.
The Khao Lak company works with Tourlink, a national initiative that connects Thai tour operators, government agencies, and NGOs. The goal is to share knowledge and develop practical sustainability standards through responsible tourism projects that can be adopted across Thailand.
Discovery Travel aims to eliminate single-use plastics through the use of refillable bottles and reusable containers. This is a simple step that can easily be scaled across the travel industry in Thailand.
The company has improved sustainability by upgrading longtail boats with more efficient maintenance techniques to increase efficiency and longevity. They have also partnered with the Prince of Songkhla University to convert a longtail boat to a hybrid electric/diesel system.
In July 2025, Discovery Travel successfully launched its first carbon-balanced tour by offsetting emissions through reforestation with Khao Lampi–Hat Thai Mueang National Park.
Book a tour with Discovery Travel
Responsible tourism can deliver lasting benefits for people, communities, and the environment. When you book a tour with Discovery Travel, you can be assured you are supporting responsible travel in Thailand. Small group and private trips avoid overcrowding, showcase off-the-beaten-track destinations, and support sustainability.
To find out more about Discovery Travel and the trips they can arrange, visit their website and social media channels:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Photos: Discovery Travel Khao Lak Facebook page
