HIGHLIGHTS
Bustling
Bangkok, river trips, nature and outdoors, mountains and
tropical islands, temples, ancient ruins; hill tribes, arts
and crafts, shopping, delightful
lodgings,
delicious cuisine
ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrival in Bangkok. Welcome Dinner
Day 2 Bangkok. "Good
Karma" tour: Grand Palace, Wat Pra Keao temple,
and Emerald Buddha; Wat Po and reclining Buddha; National
Museum;
exquisite riverside brunch at Oriental Hotel; optional
afternoon spa visit
Day 3 Bangkok. "Hidden Bangkok" tour:
Visit Wat Tubtim, an unusual, riverside fertility shrine;
Jim Thompson's House, a fantastic museum of antique Thai
houses, furnishings, art and artifacts; and the section
of Bangkok specializing in the sale of all things related
to Buddhist temples and shrines (a veritable "Buddhas-r-Us"!).
Romantic dinner on the Chao Phrya River, aboard
a converted teakwood rice barge
Day 4 Ayutthaya. Visit
the capital of ancient Siam, taking in ruined temples
and royal palaces. Enjoy a cruise on an antique teak
wood rice barge and visit to neighboring craft villages
Day 5 Chiang Mai. Fly to Chiang
Mai, Thailand's number two city, in the North.
Walking tour
of charming
old city, taking in the ancient moat, city walls
and gates; spectacular
temples, varied craft workshops. Visit
to ruined Wat Chedi Luang temple and monastery,
where we meet the student monks during "Monk Chat"!
Sunset trip to Wat Doi Suthep, Northern Thailand's holiest
Buddhist
temple. Delightful riverside dinner in romantic
gay-owned restaurant and shopping
in night market
Day 6 Chiang Mai. Scenic excursion
to Lampang, one of the North's most laid-back
provincial capitals. Explore the old city, with its hundreds
of traditional
teak houses,
on
foot and
by
horse cart.
Visit
Baan Sao Nak
museum - a century-old teak mansion turned museum;
Wat
Phra That Luang, one of Thailand's most beautiful
and serene Buddhist temples; and a unique shrine
atop a
high mountain
pass en route to ensure safe journeys for vehicles.
Return to Chiang Mai
Day 7 Chiang Mai. Day at leisure
to further explore the old city, relax by the
pool, explore
the nearby
villages with their hundreds of cottage craft
industries, or pay a visit to a delightful
spa just outside
of town
Day 8 Doi Angkhan. Excursion
to remote hill tribe villages and Chiang
Dao Buddhist
caves,
followed by a visit to an elephant camp,
including an elephant
trek through
the
forest.
After lunch, continue
to Doi Angkhan, a remote mountain on
the Burmese
border. Check in at mountain resort. Late
afternoon visit to Royal Agricultural Projects and hill
tribe villages;
visit
with local hill tribe school children
Day 9 Golden Triangle. Transfer
to a small Lahu village for scenic boat
excursion on the
Maekok
River
to Chiang Rai, stopping at hill tribe villages
en route. Continue on to the Golden Triangle
Day 10 Golden Triangle.
Tour the Golden Triangle, visiting
Doi
Tung mountain,
the Hall
of Opium museum, and traveling along
a series of seldom-traveled byways through
breathtaking
scenery
(in the not-so-distant
past, lands ruled by opium warlords)
to Mae Sai, on the Burmese border. Time permitting,
we'll
cross over
into
Burma to browse
the sprawling market in Taichilek
Day 11 Ko Samui or Krabi*.
Transfer to the airport for your flight
to either Ko Samui or Krabi.
Accommodations are secluded, boutique
resorts on each island - delightful!
Remainder of day
at leisure
Day 12 Ko Samui or
Krabi. Day excursion kayaking (no
rowing required!)
to Phang
Na Bay (ex
Krabi) or Angthong National Park
(ex Samui) to view the spectacular
limestone
mountains
jutting straight out of the sea,
enjoy the marine life, and witness the Chao
Lay (sea
gypsies)
way of life.
These are unforgettable journeys!
Day 13 Ko Samui
or Krabi. Day at leisure to enjoy
the
beach, the
resorts, or
take
an excursion
into town
Day 14 Bangkok.
Transfer to airport for flight
to Bangkok. Remainder
of
the day at
leisure for
last-minute shopping, perhaps
a visit to a spa, or night out on
the town.
Farewell dinner at Bangkok's
best-known gay-owned restaurant
Day
15 Transfer
to airport for departure flight
Meals
Program includes daily American Breakfast, about half of the lunches
and three dinners.
