On arrival in Bangkok our guide will meet you at Suvarnabhumi Airport and take you to your hotel by limousine. You will have some time to relax and enjoy your beautiful hotel including its spa.
Overnight in Bangkok.
Meal Included: N/A
An early start will get you to Wat Po in time to experience the monks early morning chanting ritual (chanting starts at 09.00 Hrs). After this uplifting and often private experience visit the temple grounds and the famous 45-metre reclining Buddha. Continue to The Grand Palace, Thailand’s most important landmark, where you will be awed by the grandeur and majesty of the building and its throne halls. Then, of course, marvel at the mysterious Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Thailand.
Continue to visit Jim Thompson Museum, A Sumptuous Thai lunch is exclusively served at the elegant Jim Thompson Restaurant.
After lunch, explore the beautiful riverside teak mansion. This beautiful riverside teak mansion was the former residence of Jim Thompson, the charismatic American silk millionaire who spent years filling it with priceless antiques before his mysterious disappearance in 1967. Situated near the museum is Baan Krua, a Cham Muslim village whose artisans used to weave for Jim Thompson. Today, some of the original weaving families still remain and welcome visitors to learn about their history and traditions. This community houses a silk shop and gallery which showcases high quality Thai silk products- perfect as travel keepsakes or souvenirs for family and friends.
Overnight in Bangkok.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Morning pick up from your hotel and drive north to the ancient city of Ayutthaya where the temples and ruins of this great city have now been declared a World Heritage Site. Your first stop is to discover the magnificent ruins and ancient temples in the historical park. Briefly stop near the Muslim quarter and sample one of the most famous delights of Ayutthaya – candy floss roti. If time permits, visit local houses to see how handicrafts such as palm leaf fish mobiles and Khon masks are produced. Board your traditional rice barge boat, and enjoy a private cruise on Chao Phraya River and en route you can enjoy the views of Saint Joseph’s Church, Wat Phanan Choeng and Wat Chaiwatthanaram, while lunch is served on board.
Optional: “Kermit” Tuk Tuk Ride in the Historical Park
Kermit is a special type of motorized available only in Ayutthaya and Trang, experience for your trip to take it to explore the Ayutthaya Historical Park.
Supplement Charge: THB 500 per person (minimum 2 person)
After lunch, cntinue by car to Bang Pa In Summer Palace and explore the majestic royal mansions which are usually quiet in the afternoons and Wat Nivet Thammmpravat, one of the most distinctive Buddhist temples with its remarkable Gothic style architecture and stained glass windows. Return to Bangkok late in the afternoon.
Overnight in Bangkok.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast at the hotel, and then take an hour drive south of Bangkok to Samut Songkhram province. First we stop at an amazing country market along the railway tracks then we visit Tha Kha, one of the many floating markets in the area. We take a fascinating paddleboat journey through the klongs and stop to enjoy a glass of coconut sugar syrup with a friendly local family. We take a boat ride through the maze of canals stopping along the way to visit Buddhist temples before arriving at Rama II Park with its Thai style Pavilion Museum. Tha Kha Market is held every Saturday and Sunday. During the weekdays, the market day is subject to lunar cycle calendar; however tour operates on daily basis.
Return to the hotel in the afternoon, and free to enjoy the hotel facilities.
Overnight in Bangkok.
Meal Included: Breakfast
After breakfast, free at leisure until transfer to airport in Bangkok for flight to Chiang Rai.
Upon arrival in Chiang Rai, meet up with our tour guide and drive into the city of Chiang Rai, board a samlow (rickshaw), and start with a 15 minute ride to the main market area, to get a feed for local life in Chiang Rai. Continue by rickshaw to Wat Phra Kaew with its beautiful brass and copper Buddha image, and further still by rickshaw to the Hill tribe Museum operated by the Population & Community Development Association. Leave your rickshaw and continue by road to end your half day’s visit at Wat Rong Khun with its unique “kanok” architecture.
Check in at the hotel and rest of the day is at your leisure.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
Meal Included: Breakfast
In the morning, you will travel with your Mahout guide at lumbering elephant pace for an hour; through bamboo forest, woodland and grassland habitats, spotting the seasonal birdlife and mammals. Eventually reach the Ruak River and the Burmese border where you will meet your next mode of transport, a long tail boat, for an exhilarating ride to the mighty Mekong and the Laotian island of Don Sao for a quick visit. Continue by ox-cart for forty minutes through rice paddies and farmland. Picnic lunch. Continue driving up hill on the mud road to Akha Hilltribe village on the top of Doi Sa Ngo Mountain where you can witness the tribal life and get stunning views of Mekong River. Visit the old capital of Chiang Saen (AD 1260) on the steep banks of Mekong River before returning to your resort.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Visit the Doi Tung region, 2000 meters/6500 feet above sea-level. En-route visit hilltribe villages. In the past, the forest area around Doi Tung was destroyed by shifting cultivation. In 1987, the Doi Tung Development Project was established according to the King Mother’s initiative in order to protect the region, eradicate the cultivation of opium, and encourage farmers to use sustainable agricultural practices. Visit to Mae Fah Luang Garden with flowering plants and beautiful gardens. Drive on to Wat Phrathad Doi Tung, a sacred hilltop shrine, regarded as the holiest sanctuary by the residents of Chiang Rai and nearby provinces. The Wat was built in A.D. 911 and it is believed that the left collarbone of Lord Buddha is enshrined in the twin Pagodas.
Drive to Chiang Mai in the afternoon.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Meal Included: Breakfast
You travel to a local farmhouse in Mae Rim on the outskirts of Chiang Mai in the morning where you can take a leisurely stroll around the grounds before boarding a long-tail boat for a 30 minute cruise along the rural Mae Ping River. Along the river banks you will see traditional wooden houses and modern residences. Arrive at a boat landing and walk for about 10 minutes from the landing to Waroros fresh food Market for a visit and experience the Northern Thai way of life.
Our guide takes you to experience a sumptuous local delight – Khao Soy (curry noodles from its street food status to its rightful place as the signature dish of northern Thai cuisine)
In the afternoon, you will first explore ancient Chiang Mai, including its old city walls, gates and moat. After visiting Wat Suan Dok, where the ashes of Chiang Mai’s royal family are interred, and the historic Jed Yot temple, you continue to Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, the temple on the mountain, and the most sacred in North Thailand. Your experienced guide will explain the story of the temple, the white elephant and lead you around its impressive chedi and show its beautiful murals. In the late afternoon, the tourist masses have already left the temple grounds and dusk will give a very special atmosphere. After your private blessing ceremony, witness the magical evening chanting of the monks.
The tour ends with the spectacularly romantic evening view over Chiang Mai with its millions of glittering lights.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Meal Inlcuded: Breakfast, Lunch
Free day at leisure to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities or book one of our excursions in or around Chiang Mai city.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Meal Inlcuded: Breakfast
Day 10: Chiang Mai – Phuket (B/-/-) “]
After breakfast, day free at leisure until transfer to Chiang Mai airport for direct flight to Phuket. On arrival in Phuket transfer to your hotel.
We depart from the hotel at mid-afternoon, and will head to the harbour to board the Tail Walker for a romantic sunset cruise on a private fishing boat. When the boat stops by a scenic spot, enjoy a refreshing dip in the azure waters while relishing chilled rose wine served by a floating bar man. On the deck, relax on comfortable cushions and wine with canapes as our guide shares with you the stories and ways of life of the local fishermen. As dusk falls, the golden hues cast by a dipping sun onto the limestone karst formations and waters of Andaman Sea make breathtaking moments. After an afternoon of idyllic sailing, eating and resting, guests return to the hotel.
Overnight in Phuket.
Meal Inlcuded: Breakfast
In the morning, we drive to a rubber plantation and get an explanation how exactly the rubber is collected from the trees and how rubber is processed. Visit then the gibbon’s rehabilitation project in Tong Sai National Park where a volunteer is leading you around and explains all steps the gibbons go through before being brought back in the jungle. Before continuing, we have a break to taste the traditional Phuket Copi (coffee) with some local specialties. You will have a guided tour through the Thalang National Museum to get a glimpse of the former glory of Phuket, its people, its economy and its history. Stop at a cashew nut factory (so you finally discover why cashew nuts are one of the most expensive nuts on earth). Wat Prathong one of the oldest temples in Phuket and gives a deeper insight in Buddhism. It’s the last place to visit today and together with the guide you will discover different Buddhist rituals to pray for good luck.
Afternoon, return to the hotel and relax on the beach. Overnight in Phuket.
Meal Inlcuded: Breakfast
Free at leisure to relax on the unspoiled beach.
Overnight in Phuket.
Meal Inlcuded: Breakfast
You will be at leisure until our guide arrives for your transfer to the airport for your return flight including assistance with your check in and baggage handling.
Meal Inlcuded: Breakfast
