Heritage and Culture of Thailand

Bangkok

• Activities:

  Arrive in Bangkok, relax

• Meal:

  N/A

• Included:

  Airport pickup with guide, hotel in Bangkok

You will be picked up at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Bangkok - Thai House

• Activities:

  Transfer to Health Land Sathorn Spa & Massage, enjoy a tailored mix of treatments, drive to the Thai House

• Meal:

  Breakfast

• Included:

  Breakfast, guide, ground transportation, spa & massage, overnight in The Thai House

After breakfast at hotel, you will be transferred to Health Land Sathorn Spa & Massage. You will enjoy a tailored mix of treatments (Aromatherapy Body massage and foot reflexology) lasting 2 and half hours. Afterwards you will be driven to The Thai House, located in the rural outskirts of the city. The balance of the day is free to relax and explore this beautiful traditional house and its garden.

Thai House - Mekhala

• Activities:

  Take boat to discover Bangkok, visit fruit farm, reach the Chao Phraya river

• Meal:

  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Included:

  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guide, boat fee, overnight in Mekhala barge

This morning, you will take a boat ride starting from the pier of the Thai House to discover the very authentic and less-known area of Bangkok. Stop to visit a typical fruit farm hidden in the maze of the canals and taste some delicious local fruits. You will continue by boat to reach the majestic Chao Phraya river, all the way to the Supara River House, which overlooks the Grand Palace and Wat Arun. After your lunch at Supara River House, you will board Mekhala barge and start cruising up the Chao Phraya River with spectacular views. Just after the sunset, the Mekhala docks at Wat Kai Tia, a Thai temple set in a tranquil rural village. An exquisite candlelit dinner with mouth-watering Thai cuisine will be served on the deck.

Mekhala - Ayuthaya - Nakhon Sawan

• Activities:

  Depart for Bang Pa-In summer palace, visit Wat Phanancherng, the Historical Research Center and Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Pra Srisanphet, travel to Uthai Thani

• Meal:

  Breakfast

• Included:

  Breakfast, guide, ground transportation, entrance fees, boat fee, hotel in Nakhon Sawan

Early morning, you may opt out to serve offering to monks before breakfast. Then you will depart for Bang Pa-In summer palace. Continue by boat to visit Wat Phanancherng. Enjoy lunch at a local riverside restaurant in Ayuthaya. In the afternoon, you will visit the Historical Research Center and Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Pra Srisanphet. Be driven along the scenic road to Ang Thong to see the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand at Wat Khun Inthapramun. Continue to Utthai Thani to watch the sunset from Sakaenkrang hill, overlooking the city and the countryside. Improve your luck by trying to throw a coin in the belly button of the Chinese Buddha statue

Nakhon Sawan - Uthai Thani - Nakhon Sawan

• Activities:

  Drive to Uthai Thani to explore fresh market, stop at the unique Wat Chantharam, relax or bird watching

• Meal:

  Breakfast

• Included:

  Breakfast, guide, ground transportation, boat trip, entrance fees, overnight in Nakhon Sawan

Wake up to the sound of birds and enjoy your breakfast next to the lotus field on the lake. You will then be driven to Uthai Thani to explore the lively and colourful fresh market before you embark on a typical river barge for a boat trip along the floating houses, fish farms and picturesque temples. Before you return to the Country Lake, stop at the unique Wat Chantharam, a large meditation center with its "Crystal Hall", famous throughout Thailand. Lunch at the Resort. Afternoon is free for relaxation or bird watching. Or you may hire a bicycle or a kayak to explore the rural surroundings. In the evening, you will visit the local village temple and attend the daily Buddhist prayer with the monks. Listen to the sound of Sanskrit canons and experience this very unique atmosphere.

Nakhon Sawan - Sukhothai

• Activities:

  Drive to Kamphaeng Phet, visit the Historical Park and the National Museum, visit the famous Sukhothai Historical Park, visit the temples around the historical park

• Meal:

  Breakfast, Lunch

• Included:

  Breakfast, lunch, guide, ground transportation, entrance fees, overnight in Sukhothai

In the morning, you will be driven to Kamphaeng Phet to visit the Historical Park and the National Museum. After lunch at a local restaurant, you will continue to Sukhothai to visit the famous Sukhothai Historical Park. The ruins of the royal palaces, Buddhist temples, the city gates, walls and the water dyke control system are now preserved and have been restored by the Fine Arts Department with the cooperation of UNESCO. You will also visit the temples around the historical park: Wat Phra Phai Luang, Wat Sri Chum, and Wat Chang Lom. Then you will visit Sangkalok museum, where the collection of Sangkhalok wares and ceramic wares produced some 700 years ago in the Lanna Kingdom are displayed.

Sukhothai - Phrae - Nan

• Activities:

  Drive to Sri Satchanalai to visit the historical park and temple ruins, drive to Tung Hong village, visit a Mohom shirt workshop, the Sa paper production

• Meal:

  Breakfast, Lunch

• Included:

  Breakfast, lunch, guide, ground transportation, entrance fees, hotel in Nan

Be driven to Sri Satchanalai to visit the historical park with its impressive temple ruins in the forest. Then visit Wat Chom Sawan and the Vongburi house (museum). Continue to Tung Hong Village and visit a Mohom shirt workshop. Lunch at a local restaurant in Phrae before driving to Nan. Stop for a visit of the Sa paper production shortly before arrive at Nan. Afternoon visit of the Nan National Museum (closed on every New Year and Songkran Festival), Wat Phumin and Wat Chang Kham.

Nan - Phayao - Khum Lanna

• Activities:

  Visit a Thai Lua, Kwan Phayao, arrive at Khum Lanna, take the Thai cooking class

• Meal:

  Breakfast, Lunch

• Included:

  Breakfast, lunch, guide, ground transportation, entrance fees, cooking class, overnight in Khum Lanna

After breakfast, you will visit a Thai Lua. Proceed to Phayao to visit Kwan Phayao (Phayao Lake), the largest Fresh Water Swamp in Thailand and Wat Sri Khom Kham. Lunch at a local restaurant by the lake and afterwards continue to Khum Lanna. Arrive at Khum Lanna and be greeted by local Lanna people. A tasty welcome drink (herbal tea or fruit juice from the garden) will be served. Get your free sample of our Khum Lanna Thai Recipe Book before the Thai cooking class begins. Enjoy the fruits of your labors with a full 4-course sit-down Thai dinner with your host and friends. Get an introduction to Thai language (which will prepare you for your market shopping next day). Watch a million stars beside a campfire in the garden.

Khum Lanna - Lisu Lodge

• Activities:

  Visit early local market, visit the farmer’s rice and traditional tools shop, Wat Pa, Wat Tham Dork Kum

• Meal:

  Breakfast, Lunch

• Included:

  Breakfast, lunch, guide, biking fees, massage, entrance fees, hotel in Lisu Lodge

Early in the morning, coffee/tea will be brought to your room before we start our sunrise biking trip along the rural country road via San Kwang village to Phrao to visit an early morning local market where local coffee is available. With the help of your guide you may buy local cookies and the flower garland for the temple offering on the way back. Then walk to visit the farmer’s rice and traditional tools shop, chat with the owner and gain some knowledge of the rice. Cycle back to Khum Lanna with a stop to visit Wat Pa. Pay respect to the Buddha image under the sacred tree. Continue biking to Khum Lanna along the local canal with a stop in the rice fields to get more information about the rice- growing process and the place of rice in Thai life. Upon return, refreshment or shower before a local Lanna-style breakfast which is set on the riverside. After breakfast, you will take a garden tour around the compound, where you collect different seasonal herbs, vegetables, and fruits for cooking. Enjoy a hands on demonstration of a Lanna country – style BBQ lunch. In the afternoon, experience a hot-pressed herbal massage. (consisting of 8 kinds herb; ginger, zingiber, lemongrass, plantain, tamarind leaves, soap pod, camphor and Aom Kiew ). Leave Khum Lanna to visit Wat Tham Dork Kum with the big reclining Buddha image at the cave. Afterwards be driven to the Lisu Lodge.

Lisu Lodge

• Activities:

  Cycle to the Elephant Camp, travel to traditional Thai country village, return to Lisu Lodge, stop at Akha village

• Meal:

  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Included:

  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guide, biking fees, elephant riding, entrance fees, ox-cart, water rafting, performances, hotel in Lisu Lodge

Start the trip with 13 kilometers (8 miles) of cycling to the Elephant Camp. Enjoy an hour of elephant riding through the mountainous jungle scenery down to the river. After a healthy picnic lunch on the bank of the river, you will go on an exciting ride about 45-minutes of white water rafting that takes you to a traditional Thai country village. From there you return to Lisu Lodge either by bike or by local truck, whichever way you prefer yourself. On the way back, we stop at the traditional Akha village for a chat with the shaman (spirit doctor). Upon arrival at the Lisu Lodge, you will experience an ox-cart ride through farmlands and orchards to the Thai village of Baan Pang Mai Daeng (about an hour ending back at Lisu Lodge). Then our Lisu guide’ will take you for a walk through the village. You will start from Ton Lung temple to view the herbal garden then continue visiting some local families with a stop for a cup of tea and a spot of traditional medicine at the shaman’s house. Afterwards visit the cultural centre and ‘museum’ created by the villagers. Inside you will find a collection of typical household items and tools used by the Lisu and Akha mountain tribes. Evening, enjoy a Thai dinner with a traditional Lisu dance show.

Lisu Lodge – Chiang Mai

• Activities:

  Visit Wiang Kum Kam, depart for a visit to Chiang Mai City Art and Cultural Center, visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, visit White Hmong village

• Meal:

  Breakfast, Dinner

• Included:

  Breakfast, dinner, guide, ground transportation, truck, entrance fees, hotel in Chiang Mai

Morning depart for a visit of Wiang Kum Kam, the archeological remains of an ancient city before transfer to check-in at the hotel. Afternoon Depart for a visit to Chiang Mai City Art and Cultural Center (closed on Monday). Then, proceed to visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a famous temple the mountain. Change on to local truck to visit White Hmong villager with a coffee break at the Coffee Research Project. Evening, dinner at the Gallery Restaurant, a teakwood northern style riverside (Ping River) Restaurant.

Lisu Lodge – Chiang Mai

• Activities:

  Fly to Bangkok

• Meal:

  Breakfast

• Included:

  Breakfast, airport transfers with guides, airfare to Bangkok, hotel in Bangkok

At leisure until the transfer to Chiang Mai airport for your flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival, be transferred to your hotel. Bangkok is one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan cities and the place one can find skyscrapers next to charming Buddhist shrines, the traditional fresh markets next to modern shopping malls or the century old temples alongside high-rising hotels and condominiums at the bank of the Chao Phraya River. Bangkok is a city that never sleeps and you can enjoy the beats of Bangkok all around the clock.

Bangkok

• Activities:

  Explore the highlights of Bangkok

• Meal:

  Breakfast

• Included:

  Breakfast, guide, ground transportation, entrance fees, hotel in Bangkok

After breakfast at the hotel you will take a half day City and Temple Tour. Meet your tour guide at the lobby and be driven through the center of Bangkok to visit three of the most gorgeous Buddhist temples in Bangkok: Wat Traimitr with its impressive three-meter tall, 5 tons heavy solid gold Buddha image which gleams like no other gold artifact, Wat Pho, Bangkok’s oldest and largest temple, which features the largest reclining Buddha and the Chedi of the kings and Wat Benchamabophit, the Marble Temple, a prime example of modern Thai architecture. You will have some time enjoy shopping before returning to your hotel. Afternoon is free at leisure.

Depart Bangkok

• Activities:

  Departure

• Meal:

  Breakfast

• Included:

  Breakfast, airport transfer with drop-off guide

Transfer to the airport for your flight return home or next destination.