DAY 01: BANGKOK
Upon arrival in Bangkok, meet will be greeted by our guide who will transfer you to your hotel. In the evening, you’ll dine at “Vertigo” up in the Bangkok skyline. This stupendous restaurant offers delicious food and cocktails in a unique, stylish setting. Enjoy the fabulous views of Bangkok on your first evening’s dining.
Overnight in Bangkok.
DAY 02: BANGKOK (B, L, D)
Bangkok-life starts early, and we’ll get into the local spirit of things with a morning trip to the famous temple of Wat Pho. Here you’ll see the temple’s monks begin their early morning chanting ritual, a serene and often moving experience. After this you’ll be able to walk around the temple grounds which are home to the famous massage school (rumored to be the first ever school in Thailand) and also the 45 meter reclining Buddha.
Next door to Wat Pho is Thailand’s most famous landmark, The Grand Palace, the heart of old Bangkok and home of the famous Emerald Buddha. The Temple of The Emerald Buddha shares the grounds of The Grand Palace and was built by King Rama the First, the founder of Bangkok, as a monument to his reign. Behind the breathtaking, opulent buildings and courtyards lies a fascinating history, which will be revealed by our knowledgeable guide.
For lunch, enjoy Thai food at a local restaurant. The meal ends with sarim, a delicious dessert made with vermicelli and coconut milk.
Next, go to one of the best food markets in Bangkok. Aor Tor Kor Market has a wide variety of interesting foods, snacks and agricultural products for you to buy and try.
Dinner this evening is at the famous “Cabbages and Condoms” Restaurant, which was established to help support the Population and Development Association of Thailand, a non-profit organization which works to promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning.
Overnight in Bangkok.
DAY 03: BANGKOK - KOH KRED - BANGKOK (B)
This morning, travel by speedboat to a canal-side cooking school. Amita Thai’s quiet location, expert cooks and organic garden make it the perfect place to discover the wonders of Thai cuisine. Your instructor will welcome you and take you on a tour of the garden, where you’ll be able to pick the fresh herbs which you’ll need for cooking.
You’ll then be taught some theory of Thai cooking whilst watching your instructor prepare the dishes. Afterwards, it’s your turn to try your hand at making these dishes. With help and guidance from the instructor, you’ll create a delicious Thai meal which you can then enjoy for lunch. You’ll receive a set of the recipes as a souvenir to take with you and make again.
After lunch, hop on a ferry and cruise to the tiny island of Koh Kred. Koh Kred nestles just beside Bangkok in the Chao Phraya River and is home to one of Thailand’s oldest Mon Settlements as well as some of the best snacks in this part of the country. Try the miang kam, with a set of ingredients to wrap in your own little leaves, the fried pork, or another local specialty, fried flowers. You’ll also take a boat to a dessert making village to see how these traditional delights are made.
In the early evening, head to Bangkok’s green space, Lumphini Park, in time to hear the National Anthem. Watch everyone stop what they’re doing to stand while it plays. Wander around the park seeing the various activities, which include public aerobics, tai chi and ta kraw, the Thai game played with a net and small wicker ball.
Got an appetite now? Good! Because next we prepare a delicious picnic for you in the park. Set on a bamboo mat in a scenic spot, enjoy barbecue chicken with sticky rice, somtam (papaya salad), laab (a mixed, spicy salad) and Singha beer. This classic Thai meal contains a range of flavors and textures which complement one another perfectly.
Overnight in Bangkok.
DAY 04: BANGKOK - THA KHA AND AMPHAWA - BANGKOK (B)
Experience the slowed-down rhythms of rural Thailand with an excursion to the countryside. We’ll head south to the city of Samut Songkram and start the day with a short train ride to a quirky country market that goes on alongside the railway tracks. What do the vendors do when a train comes through? Wait and see! Mahachai market is also nearby - one of the largest fish markets in the region.
Continue to delightful Tha Kha, a genuine floating market where local traders can be seen selling their wares (The Tha Kha market is held every Saturday and Sunday. Weekday availability is 5-6 times a month depending on the lunar cycle calendar. On days when Tha Kha is not open, we will head to Ladplee Floating Market). After visiting the market we’ll hop into a paddle boat for a trip along a maze of klongs (canals), cruising past Buddhist temples before stopping at a Thai family home to sample a glass of palm sugar syrup, a delicacy of the area.
Take lunch nearby at a local restaurant where an array of Thai dishes will be served, before proceeding to King Rama II Memorial Park, built to commemorate the birthplace of the second King of the Chakri dynasty, which still rules Thailand today. Next we’ll see a Thai-style pavilion museum with artefacts from the early Siam era (1782 – 1932) and a landscaped garden filled with native flowers. Head back to Bangkok in the afternoon.
In the evening, go to the famous “Thip Samai” Restaurant, which has been serving pad thai, the classic Thai fried noodle dish for over 60 years. Continue to Bangkok’s Chinatown or “Yaowarat”, as it is known. This colourful, bustling area boasts a huge selection of eateries, from high class restaurants selling exotic Chinese delicacies, to small street stalls specialising in single desserts.
Overnight in Bangkok.
DAY 05: BANGKOK - CHIANG MAI (B, L)
Take the short hop flight to the beautiful “Rose of the North”, Chiang Mai.
Enjoy lunch at Just Khao Soy, which sells Northern Thailand’s signature dish, Khao Soy noodles, served on an artist’s palette and surrounded with condiment dishes.
After this, we drive up the mountain on a dirt-road which leads to the Chiang Khien Coffee Research Project, and enjoy a cup of freshly made local Arabica. Next is the White Hmong hill tribe village of Chang Khien, where you can see the locals in their traditional clothes and witness their culture which goes back over 500 years. From here we’ll drive to the famous Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, the most sacred temple in northern Thailand.
Dusk is the best time to visit the temple, as the madding crowds have gone and the view is spectacular. You’ll take part in your own private blessing ceremony, after which you can witness the magic of the monks’ evening chanting ritual. Finally, as the sun sets, see the Rose of the North in its pure beauty as millions of glittering lights stretch over its vast plain.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
DAY 06: CHIANG MAI - CHIANG DAO - CHIANG MAI (B)
Head to Chiang Dao (Elephant Mountain) camp, set amongst the magnificent scenery of the Mae Sae valley, and take a one hour ride by elephant into the surrounding forest.
Leave the elephant camp for the Mae Ping River, where you’ll ride a bamboo raft, following the lazy current of the winding river as you pass its lush jungle riverbanks.
Lunch is at a scenic location, before you continue further into the hills to visit the villages of the Palaung, Akha and Lisu hill-tribes. These mountain people retain a different culture, language and way-of life unique to each and every group. Their traditional dress is also different, and you will learn how to distinguish different tribes from their dress.
In the afternoon return you to your hotel, where the rest of your day is free.
A traditional ‘Khantoke’ dinner will be served this evening (Tokeare small, circular tables). Enjoy excellent Northern Thai cuisine whilst watching a performance of folk dancing. After dinner, launch a paper lantern, or khom loy, in a traditional Northern Thai ritual. The belief is that as you launch it into the cool Northern sky, it will take any misfortunes away with it.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
DAY 07: CHIANG MAI - MAE KAMPONG - CHIANG RAI (B)
Now we head for Mae Kampong village in the countryside outside of Chiang Mai. It’s a 12 year old Community ecotourism project set up to help local villagers find a sustainable means of income to prevent them from illegal forest encroachment.
Stop en-route at a farmers market to choose fresh ingredients to be cooked for lunch.
When we arrive, we’ll be welcomed by the locals of the village, after which you can enjoy a walk through the village’s community forest, passing tea and coffee fields along the way. Afterwards, your hosts will prepare a delicious home-cooked Thai lunch for you. You’ll then be treated to an invigorating massage, before enjoying a stroll to see the processing of fermented tea leaves and other village products.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
DAY 08: CHIANG RAI - MAE SALONG - CHIANG RAI (B, L)
Go to the Chiang Rai Winery this morning, the largest fruit and herb winery in Thailand. You’ll get to see the production of their wines, which include lychee, black ginger and black ginseng.
Afterwards, we drive through the mountains to an Oolong Tea plantation, for which this area is famous. The plantation represents part of the Thai Royal Family’s efforts to eradicate opium production and to replace it with safer crops.
Continue to the charming Yunnanese town of Doi Mae Salong. The town was established in the 1960’s by member of the Chinese army after their civil war, and it retains a very Chinese look and atmosphere.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
DAY 09: CHIANG RAI - DOI WAWEE - CHIANG RAI (B)
Visit the hill tribe area of Wawee today - home to a variety of different hill tribes, including the largest Akha community in Thailand.
As well as learning about these people, you can sample some freshly brewed ‘Doi Chang’ coffee; an increasingly important and famous product of this region. Enjoy a Chinese lunch at a local restaurant, after which you’ll head to Saun Jarin Resort and sample their delicious home-baked goods.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
DAY 10: CHIANG MAI - GOLDEN TRIANGLE - CHIANG MAI (B)
This morning after breakfast, drive to the 13th century capital of Chiang Saen, on the banks of the Mekong River. Chiang Saen is in The Golden Triangle area where the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos meet. Board a long-tail boat next for a trip along the Mekong, from where you can see both Burma and Laos.
Afterwards, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.