Day 1: Bangkok Arrival
Transfer from the airport to your hotel (with guide).
Meals: None
Accommodation: The Peninsula Bangkok Hotel/Deluxe
Day 2: Bangkok
After breakfast, drive to Wat Pho in time to experience the monks’ morning chanting ritual. One of the oldest temples in Bangkok, Wat Pho is home to the famous 45m reclining Buddha; it is also the original school of traditional Thai massage. From here, take a tuk-tuk ride via Pak Klong Taland Flower Market towards the Grand Palace, the most important and spectacular royal palace in Thailand. The mysterious Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Thailand, now is housed here. Continue with a walk to the pier for a long-tailed boat ride along the “klongs” (canals) of Thonburi to get a flavour of local life. Stop at Wat Arun, once the grand royal temple to King Rama II. After lunch at local restaurant, cross the river again and drive to Chinatown and get a first-hand look at old Bangkok. Walk along Yaworat Road where there are many interesting shops selling everything imaginable. Enjoy a cup of Chinese tea with the locals at a very old teashop before exploring the bustling Talad Kao market, where a variety of food, fresh and dry fruits, and Chinese herbs are on offer. Return to the hotel afterwards.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Peninsula Bangkok Hotel/Deluxe
Day 3: Bangkok
Pick up from the hotel and drive to the River City Pier from where we set sail on one of Bangkok’s “must do” gourmand experiences, Apsara, the ultimate riverside dining pleasure along Chao Phraya River. Navigate the sights and sounds of the bustling waterways and enjoy a feast fit for a king, with authentic Thai cuisine. Create a unique event by chartering for your own private party in the midst of Bangkok’s impressive scenery. After cruise, return to the pier and transfer back to the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: The Peninsula Bangkok Hotel/Deluxe
Day 4: Bangkok – Chang Mai (By flight, flight TBA)Transfer from your hotel to the airport (with guide).
Transfer from the airport to your hotel (with guide).
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Tamarind Village Hotel/Lanna
Day 5: Chiang MaiStart with a visit to some of the local Meo hill tribe villages. The Meo still wear traditional costume and live a lifestyle unchanged in centuries. Your guide can function as a translator if you wish to talk to the local people. The drive offers a spectacular view of Northern Thailand as you head through mountains and forests, ending with a visit to Wat Phrathat on Doi Suthep Mountain, which was founded in 1383 A.D. In 1935 a road was built to the top, but nowadays people climb the 309 steps from the car park to the top or take a tram for a small surcharge. The climb up is rewarded with a superb panoramic view over the city. Return to the car park for the transfer back to Chiang Mai.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Tamarind Village Hotel/Lanna
Day 6: Chiang Mai
Free day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Tamarind Village Hotel/Lanna
Day 7: Chiang Mai – Luang Prabang (By flight, flight TBA)
Transfer from your hotel to the airport (with guide).
Transfer from the airport to your hotel (with guide).
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel/Garden Wing
Day 8: Luang Prabang
Start the day with a beautiful boat trip on a traditional long-tailed boat and cross the Mekong. Disembark at the village of Ban Pakleung, an area that is home to the authentic sights and sounds of Laos. A tuk-tuk will pick you up and drive you to Hoy Khua waterfall. Observe the impressive cascades that plummet down from a height of over 50 meters into a deep pond at the bottom which is perfect for a refreshing swim. A picnic lunch is served after which you drive back to the pier for a short cruise to Ban Chan, a pottery village. Potters produce a variety of clay items including vases, urns, flower pots and figurines. Observe the entire pottery making process and perhaps purchase some of the small items or figurines that are produced by students. Continue by boat and stop at various temples north of Luang Prabang. Wat Xieng Maen is particularly sacred to the local villagers. Continue to Wat Long Khoun, which is a quiet temple in the forest before ending the day at the hill top temple of Wat Chompet to enjoy superb views over Luang Prabang town and the two rivers which border it.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel/Garden Wing
Day 9: Luang Prabang
Depart in the morning and drive about 40 minutes from Luang Prabang to Ban Long Lao, a Hmong village. Here we spend some time to learn more about life in this rural lowland Lao and Hmong community. Later, take an easy trek through the surrounding countryside, paddy fields and farms and finally into the jungle. We follow a trail that reaches some forest with steeper parts. A cave is explored on the way, which during the Second Indochina War served as a bomb shelter for the villagers living in this valley. One more hour of trekking takes us to the crystal clear water of just one of the springs that feed Tad Kuang Si: a beautiful pool full of big sacred fish. After descending from the top of the waterfall, a Lao-style lunch is served in the lush forest setting around the waterfall. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the pools and enjoy a swim if you like. We will also stop by the Bear Rescue Center close to the entrance gate, where more than 10 animals, Sun Bears and Malayan Black Bears, are cared for after they’ve been rescued from bile farms or wildlife traffickers. Also walk around the most beautiful pools of Tad Kuang Si. We return to Luang Prabang by private transfer.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel/Garden Wing
Day 10: Luang PrabangFree day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel/Garden Wing
Day 11: Luang Prabang Departure
Transfer from your hotel to the airport (with guide).
Meal: Breakfast
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