Thailand: Elephants & Islands Expedition‎ > ‎

Flight Information and Early Arrivals

BEFORE YOU PURCHASE FLIGHTS, PLEASE VERIFY IF YOUR TRIP IS GUARANTEED TO RUN! YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION ON IF YOUR TRIP IS GUARANTEED IN YOUR REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION EMAIL OR CHECK WITH YOUR TRAVEL COORDINATOR - jenny@discovercorps.com

We have very specific arrival and departure times for your program. Please carefully read below and call us with any questions.  Note, we always recommend that travelers arrive a day early to avoid any potential flight interruptions. See below for early arrival hotel details.

Fly into and out of Phuket International Airport in Phuket, Thailand (airport code HKT)

• Arrive on the first day of the trip between 7:00 am-4:30 pm.

  • * Check-in at the hotel is not until  3 pm. You can always leave your bags at the front desk, but you will not likely have access to your room until 3pm.**

• Depart on the final day of the trip after 6pm.*

• *IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR DEPARTURE DAY - You will be taking a speed boat from Koh Phi Phi to Phuket on the final day. There  is one speed boat per day departing around  12 pm. You can coordinate your departing flight based on these times but you must allow time for sea travel and land transfer, for this reason please not schedule flights until after 6pm. Please note that we drop off all travelers directly at the airport upon arrival to Phuket from Koh Phi Phi, typically arriving to the airport around 2pm. If you wish to book a hotel to relax/spend the day please see below at some alternative options we suggest in the Early Arrival/Late Departure section.

Bangkok Extension:

If joining the Bangkok Extension, please follow the instructions below:

• Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day between 7:00 am-4:30 pm for the Thailand Elephants Islands Expedition. 

• Depart Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) anytime after 6:00 pm on the last day of the extension. We recommend scheduling your departure flight as close to 6:00 pm as possible since there will only be one airport drop-off around 3:00 pm on the final day.

The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement

Chiang Mai Extension:

If joining the Chiang Mai Extension, please follow the instructions below:

• Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day  between 7:00 am-4:30 pm for the Thailand: Elephants Islands Expedition.

• Depart anytime on the last day of the extension from the Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX). The trip will end with breakfast on the last day; however, transfers can be made any time of the day for your flight home. 

The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement

 Angkor Wat Extension:

If joining the Angkor Wat Extension, please follow the instructions below:

• Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day of the trip between 7:00 am-4:30 pm for the Thailand: Elephants Islands Expedition.

• Depart from Siem Reap (SAI) on the last day of the extension anytime after 12pm .

The one-way international flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement.

Early Arrival/Late Departure

Discover Corps recommends that you arrive a day prior to the start date to avoid missing part of the trip in case of any flight delays or cancellations. Please note that if you decide to arrive earlier:

• You can book an early night at the hotel directly. 

• You are responsible for the transfer from the airport to the hotel.  

• We can arrange to pick you up at your hotel on the first day of the itinerary. Please let your Travel Coordinator know where you will be staying.

The recommended hotel for early arrivals is where you will be staying on the first night of your trip:

• My Beach Hotel - This is the first 3 nights of the trip - if you are arriving early and wish to stay at the same hotel you can book an early night directly through the hotel.

If your outbound flight from Phuket departs late in the day and you do not want to wait at the Phuket Airport, there are two hotels within a 5 minute- drive from the HKT airport that Discover Corps can drop you off at. They can arrange airport transfers. 

• Dewa Phuket

• Proud Phuket

Please email your confirmation to your Travel Coordinator. 

If you plan to arrive before the trip start date or stay extra days and need help with booking a hotel and airport transportation, our partner Wings Travel can assist you. Please note, you do not need to book flights to use the hotel and airport transfer service. To get a quote from Wings Travel, please click here for their contact information.

Book Your Flights

Discover Corps' dedicated flight partner is Ask Ros, She Travels! The team knows Discover Corps’ flight windows and details for each of the destinations that we work in. Please always make sure that your trip is guaranteed to run before confirming any airfare!

To get a quote from “Ask Ros, She Travels,” please complete the webform here!

*Inquiries are always free; a $60 service fee per traveler applies at the time of airfare booking, and a $15 fee applies for pre/post-trip hotel and transfer arrangements.

Business Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm PST

Email: dc@askrosshetravels.com

Phone Number: 858 898 1676 Discover Corps: Ext. 2

Emergency Assistance: Ext. 9