As congested, polluted and hectic as it is, Bangkok has plenty of appeal. With towering skyscrapers pressed up against Chinese shop-houses and brand-new Mercedes squeezing past vendors with pushcarts, this is a city of distinct contrasts. Culture fiends will delight in the dazzling Royal Palace and the city's countless pagodas, while shoppers could spend weeks sifting through Bangkok's malls and open-air markets. Entertainment ranges from highbrow (classical Thai music concerts) to low (transvestite revues) with everything in between. Dining options are equally varied. Whether you're eating French cuisine in a plush hotel restaurant or sampling fried crickets on the side of the road, prepare to have all of your senses engaged. This is the place to eat, drink and be merry. 

Travellers will be arriving at all times today so there are no activities arranged. Please try to arrive by 6pm for an important group meeting where you can meet the tour leader and the other group members. You have the day free to relax and adjust to the frenetic pace and humid heat of Bangkok. 

Day 2-3 Sukhothai

On Day 2 begin our day with a visit to Wat Po, home of the giant reclining Buddha before heading off on a longtail boat to explore the canals of Bangkok


At lunchtime we depart by public bus to the town of Sukhothai (5 hrs). The ruins of Sukhothai date back to the mid-13th century, when the site became the capital of Thailand’s first kingdom. Located about 450km from Bangkok, this World Heritage Site features lotus-strewn ponds, pagodas and serene Buddha statues.  

On day 3 we head out on bikes to explore the historical park. Sukhothai was the original capital of Thailand's first kingdom and is viewed as representative of 'the Golden Age' of Thai civilisation. The religious art and architecture of the Sukhothai era are considered to be the most classic of Thai styles. The Sukhothai ruins contain the remains of 21 historical sites with awe-inspiring Buddha images and 4 large ponds often filled with stunning lotus flowers in full bloom. Explore the remains of the ancient royal realm, now one of Thailand's World Heritage sites and marvel at the evocative religious art and architecture of the classic Sukhothai era.

Day 4 Lampang

A 4 hour drive takes us to Lampang. Located approximately 100kms from Chiang Mai, Lampang was an important trade town during the Dvaravati period (around the 7th century), and was supposedly founded by the son of Queen Chama Devi of the Hariphunchai Empire (she was the first ruler of the state which was one of the important ancient towns of the Khmers). The state was eventually absorbed into the Lanna kingdom in the 13th century when King Miengrai (the founder of Chiang Rai) defeated the Khmers.

The city of Lampang was an important trade centre for teak wood both domestically and internationally. During that time (1900’s), Britain still controlled Burma (who possessed great knowledge about teak), sent a large company over to Lampang to ply their trade resulting in the construction of several temples.

Lampang was made the temporary capital of the Lanna kingdom between 1776 and 1791 when Chiang Mai was deserted as a result of successive wars with the Burmese. Arriving around mid day you have a free afternnon to explore Lampang.

Day 5- 6 Chiang Rai and Golden Traingle

As we drive to Chaing Rai we stop at the Lampang Elephant Conservation Centre where we tour the facilities of the elephant hospital and see how young elephants are weaned from their dependence. All the money raised by this centre goes towards the care of the elephants. We have the opportunity to take a ride on the back of these majestic animals, an experience which many find to be a highlight of their visit to this enchanting country. (**please note that we can not guarantee the opportunity to ride an elephant at the centre. Due to the availability of the elephants the centre is unable to accept reservations for elephant riding in advance.**)
 
Heading onwards to the provincial capital of Thailand’s northernmost province, Chiang Rai, is a good base from which to explore the Golden Triangle, the remote area where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet. Mountains form a natural border between Thailand and Myanmar, while the mighty Mekong River divides Thailand from Laos.  

Populated by diverse hill tribes, this region has long been associated with the opium trade, although poppy fields have now given way to vegetable plots—at least on the Thai side. Visitors can trek on foot or by elephant through the region’s treed hills, river raft down jungle rivers, and meet the residents of isolated ethnic minority villages.

A visit to the border town of Mae Sai on day 6 gives you the opportunity to see some local Burmese traders and pick up a few souvenirs. Pay a visit to the Opium Museum to understand the history of the region before heading back to Chiang Rai.

Day 7 - 8 Chiang Mai

Catching a public bus on day 7 we head to Chiang Mai. Surrounded by rolling hills, Chiang Mai offers both pretty surroundings and architecture. Enclosed by a moat and crumbling walls, the old city features great cafes, shops and accommodations. An important Buddhist centre since the 14th century, Chiang Mai is home to more than 300 temples. Many visitors come here to attend meditation retreats, massage classes or yoga lessons. It is also a centre of handicraft production, with a long history of silverwork, woodcarving, pottery-making and weaving. Not to be missed is the Night Bazaar, a series of covered markets, shops and stalls that offer the best selection of handicrafts in Thailand.


We arrive in mid morning of day 7 and have free time to explore for the rest of the day. In the late afternoon we set off to visit the famous temple complex of Doi Suthep about a 45 minute drive from the center of the city. n the late afternoon we visit Doi Suthep, one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples. Our local guide explains the history of the temple to us. A naga (dragon) staircase of over 300 steps leads to the temple at the top of the mountain from which there are wonderful views of the surrounding countryside.

Day 8

Gives you free time to catch up on shopping or maybe a cooking class before catching the overnight train back to Bangkok.

Day 9 Bangkok

Arrive back into Bangkok at before 8am where the trip finishes and everyone is free to depart from the train station.

Group Leader:   Tour Leader, local guides.

Group Size:   Max 15, Avg 10

Your Fellow Travellers:   As you travel on a group trip you will be exposed to all the pleasures and maybe some of the frustrations of travelling in a group. Your fellow travellers will probably come from all corners of the world and are likely to be of a variety of ages too. We ask you to be understanding of the various needs and preferences of your group - patience with your fellow travellers is sometimes required for the benefit of everyone's travel experience. Remember too that you have responsibilities to the group. If you are requested to be at a place at a certain time, ensure that you don't keep the rest of the group waiting. We have found time and time again that the very best trips we operate are those where the dynamics within the group work well - this takes just a little effort on your part.

Meals Included:   No meals are included.

Eating is a big part of traveling. Travelling with us you experience the vast array of wonderful food that is available out in the world. Generally meals are not included in the trip price when there is a choice of eating options, to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat. It also gives you more budgeting flexibility, though generally food is cheap. Our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There is no obligation to do this though. Your group leader will be able to suggest favourite restaurants during your trip. Included breakfasts will usually be asian style consisting of noodles or congee (rice porridge) or bread and eggs. Vegetarians will be able to find a range of different foods, although in some areas the choice maybe limited. While trekking in remote regions food is included, plentiful and made of fresh local ingredients. For all trips please refer to the meals included and budget information for included meals and meal budgets.

Transport:   Train, public bus, taxi, walking, elephant, songthaew, bicycle.

Local Flights:   All local flights are included in the cost of your tour unless otherwise noted. It is important that we have your passport information at the time of booking in order to process these tickets. Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to the flight departure.

Single Travellers:   We believe single travellers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently and single travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price.

Accommodation:   Guesthouses/hotels (7 nts), overnight train (1 nt).

Joining Hotel:   Bangkok - Royal Hotel
Rajdamnern Avenue
Bangkok, Thailand 10200
Phone: 66-2-222-9111
Fax: 66-2-224-2083

Joining Instructions:   When arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced 'su wan na poom') in Bangkok you will want to exit Customs into the chaotic Arrivals Hall. Once here you can change money into Thai Baht to be able to pay for your bus or taxi. You will be approached by nicely dress official looking touts offering an expensive Limousine service into Bangkok for around 1000 Baht. Just ignore these guys.

You have two options bus or taxi.
Buses are one level down. The Airport Bus operates 4 bus routes to downtown for a cost of 150 Baht for the entire route. Bus AE1 goes to Silom, Bus AE2 goes to Bang Lamphu, Bus AE3 goes to Sukhumvit 3 and Bus AE4 goes to Hua Lamphong train station in Chinatown. Our hotels are located in both the Bang Lamphu and Hua Lamphong area so you would take bus AE2 or AE4.  

Head straight out on this level for metered taxis. If you are taking a taxi then Suvarnabhumi Airport is a 30km drive downtown Bangkok. The taxi counters have English speaking officials who you tell where you are going and they write it down on a piece of paper and which has the hotel name and the taixis registration details. Taxis should always use their meter. There is a 50 Baht airport surcharge on top of the metered fee and any tollway fees which usually don't come out to more than 70 Baht depending on where your hotel is. With all the fees included the total cost will be around 250 Baht to the Sukhumvit area and 350-400 Baht (12 USD) to Bang Lamphu where most of our hotels are located. The journey downtown will take from between 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the traffic and where you're going.  

The closest popular tourist area to the airport is the Sukhumvit road district, which on a good day will take around 30-45 minutes to get too. Silom, Sathorn, and Siam Square will take about 45 minutes to an hour to reach while if you're heading over to Khao San road it could well take over an hour. Heavy traffic can make this journey a lot longer though, and so you have the option of using the expressway downtown for an additional charge of 25B to pay. This is paid for by the passenger, though the driver may pay at the time and you'll be expected to pay at the end. The expressway is substantially faster at any time during the day, though if you're arriving late at night it's not usually necessary to go on the expressway as the traffic is light on the main roads. To tell the taxi driver to use the expressway, you can say either ""kuen ton-way"" (from 'tollway') or ""kuen taang duan"" in Thai, although he may well use it without being told anyway. If you have paid for an arrival transfer when you booked your trip then please proceed to the ATTA counter in the Arrivals Hall of the airport where our local Thai representative will be able to assist you to your hotel.

Arrival Complications:   We don't expect any problems, and nor should you, but if for any reason you are unable to commence your trip as scheduled, as soon as possible please contact your starting point hotel, requesting that you speak to or leave a message for your trip leader (if you are not on a group tour please refer to the emergency contact details provided in this dossier). If you are unable to get in touch with your leader, please refer to our emergency contact details.  

If you have pre-booked an airport transfer please meet your driver at ATTA Counter (the Association of Thai Travel Agents) located at door 6 and/or door 10 of the arrival hall (level 2). If for any reason you can not locate you driver please our emergency transfer phone number at (+66) 083 826 8484 - Ms. Pornchuen. If you have still have not made contact with our representative within 30 minutes of clearing customs and immigration, we recommend that you make your own way to the Starting Point hotel, following the Joining Instructions. Please apply to your travel agent on your return for a refund of the transfer cost if this occurs.

Emergency Contact:   Should you need to contact us during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call our local office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.

Flying British Airways Sydney – Bangkok Return
Total Price $1260.00

overnment Fees and Taxes to be Added
Taxes Approximately $355.00
(Fees and Taxes can Fluctuate Due to International Currencies and Fuel Surcharges)