Honeymoon & Adventure

Day 1 : BANGKOK - ARRIVAL (-/-/-)

Arrive in Bangkok and transfer by private vehicle to your  hotel

Day at leisure or join an optional tour in the afternoon

Optional: Essential Grand Palace Excursion (time  on request - duration 3 hrs)

A thrilling visit to the dazzlingly ornate Grand Palace, the former seat of the king, his court, and the entire government administration. The palace, official residence of the kings  of Thailand from the 18th to the mid-20th century, is brilliantly coloured and gilded, a glorious expression of Thai art.  In the palace grounds stands Wat  Phra Kaew  (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), the most sacred temple in Thailand. Construction of the temple began in 1785  when King Rama 1 moved the capital from Thonburi to  Bangkok. The  Emerald Buddha (actually carved from a single piece of jade)  is only  17 inches tall, but  it is the most revered object in Thailand. The  Royal Reception halls  are still used for important ceremonial occasions, like coronations, and are magnificent examples of Thai architecture.

Accommodation at Navalai Hotel

Meals  included : none

Day 2 : BANGKOK (B/L/D)

Breakfast at hotel and morning at leisure

12:00  - 21:00  Best  of Bangkok

Meet your  guide in your  hotel lobby  at approximately 12.00  pm  and head to  the nearest pier  on  the Chao  Phraya River (either by walking,  skytrain or public riverboat depending on your  hotel location). Then  board a long-tail boat to explore Bangkok's maze of canals or Klongs. The trip takes us to Klong Bang  Luang,  a canal side  artist's community of preserved wooden homes, small art  studios, vintage antique galleries and an Artist House. Here you will have a tasty local lunch before continuing by long-tail boat deep into  the Klongs for further exploration.

Eventually you will re-enter Bangkok's iconic  Chao  Phraya and see the magnificent Wat Arun, also  known as the Temple of Dawn.  Here you  will be  given  an  in-depth tour before crossing the river  to the 17th century Wat Po, famed for its stunning Reclining  Buddha. The complex also  includes a renowned massage school and here you'll experience a traditional Thai massage.

Then  you  make the short trip  back  to the river  and head down river  towards Chinatown. You will be  guided through some of China Town's most characterful alleys,  and then enjoy the magnificent views  of the River from a hidden away  local  rooftop bar. Here you'll enjoy a drink  (beer or soft  drink)  whilst  watching the setting sun.

Then  jump on board a Tuk Tuk to head deep into  Chinatown to Yaowarat Road,  with its neon lights  and bustling atmosphere. You'll be able to sample different dishes including dim  sum, & your  knowledgeable guide will explain the background to all the different food and the history of the local area.

At around 20:30 the tour finishes with a drink in a lovely open air bar  from where you can  sit in comfort and watch the hustle and bustle of China  Town before transferring by private vehicle back  to your  hotel.

Accommodation at Navalai Hotel

Meals  included : Breakfast at hotel, Snacks, dim sum & drinks for dinner at Chinatown

Day 3 : BANGKOK - MAE KLONG - KANCHANABURI (B/L/D)

Breakfast at your  hotel

07.30  Depart to Mae  Klong Railway Market. Walk around the market, then ready yourself for the hectic activities of the vendors along the railway  tracks, when they raise the awnings of their stalls to clear the passage for the train on  its return journey to Mahachai at around 09:00hrs. The train passes right  through the bustling fresh market, which  offers unique photo opportunities

Note: Trains are now  scheduled to  arrive at Mae  Klong station at 08.30  /11.10 /14.30 and Depart Mae  Klong station at 09.00/ 11.30/15.30 (Train schedule is subject to change. According to the railway  station in Mae  Klong, trains often run  20-30  minutes late,  hence, the from-to arrival times).

Continue to Kanchanaburi and make a brief  visit to the War Cemetery, Thailand Burma Railway Museum and of course the iconic Bridge over  the River Kawai

After lunch at local restaurant, visit Hellfire  Pass Memorial Museum. During the Second World War, thousands of forced local laborers and Allied Prisoners of War  suffered and died constructing and maintaining the Burma-Thailand railway. The  museum explains to visitors the story of why and how  the railway  was  built  and attempts to convey the hardships and suffering endured by so many who were forced to work  in extremely harsh conditions. A walking  trail  follows  the alignment of the original Burma-Thailand railway  from Hellfire  Pass to beyond Compressor Cutting.

Transfer to River Kwai Jungle Rafts located on the Kwai River by long-tail boat. Set dinner included at Jungle Rafts

Accommodation at Jungle Raft

Meals  included : Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4 : KANCHANABURI - AYUTHAYA - CHIANG MAI BY TRAIN (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel

You will have a morning free at leisure to enjoy the stunning surrounds. You may  want to visit the nearby Mon Village, swim  in the river or just  simply  relax  on your  wooden riverside deck  in front of your  room.

11.00  Depart the river  and after lunch in a local restaurant board the local train for the 45-minute scenic train ride  across wooden viaducts and the Wang  Po Viaduct,  which  offers wonderful scenery along the Kwai River. We depart the train and have the unique opportunity to walk over the wooden viaduct at Thamkrasae.

At approximately 14.00pm, transfer to Ayutthaya then visit Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Panangchern the most revered temple which contains the oldest large Buddha image in Ayutthaya.

19.00  Transfer to Ayutthaya Train Station for 2nd  class  new  cabins train directly to Chiang Mai at 19.45  hrs. Overnight on train

Meals  included : Breakfast

Day 5 : CHIANG MAI (-/-/-)

07.15 Arrive in Chiang Mai then transfer from train station to your hotel

Morning at leisure

Hotel  check-in time is at 14.00  (Early check-in subjected to room availability)

Optional Tour: 13.00 - 16.00 Chiang Mai Temple Tour by Samlor

Your Samlor driver will be waiting for you  at the Thapae Gate. Start your Chiang Mai Temple Tour  by samlor. You will visit some very famous but also  some lesser known temples that are located within the Old City of Chiang Mai.

First of all, we will head off to Wat Laam  Chang. This temple has a very old brick chedi. Next  up is Wat Chiang Man.  This is Chiang Mai's oldest temple. King Mengrai, the founder of Chiang Mai, built  this  temple in 1296.  We leave through the backdoor and head for Wat Phra Sing. This is probably Chiang Mai's most revered temple. Wat Phra Sing currently houses Phra Chao  Thong Tip, the most venerated Buddha statue in northern Thailand. From  Wat Phra Sing we make our  way to Wat Phuak Hong,  one of the lesser visited temples with a characteristic Mon style  chedi. We continue to Wat Phuak Taem where local people make ornaments for temple roofs by hand.

After this  we will visit Ban Phor Liang Meun's Terra Cotta Arts, a garden with remarkable statues. Next stop with be the Chiang Mai Gate market, the most popular market located within the moat. We taste some of the local delicacies on offer  before we hop on the samlor to  go to  Wat Chedi  Luang  with  its giant chedi. An earthquake in 1545  damaged the chedi. Next  to  Wat Chedi  Luang  is Wat Phantao which  is a beautiful wooden temple. Finally get  on your  samlor for the last  stretch of your  Chiang Mai Temple Tour  which  will take you to Thapae Gate where the tour ends.

End of tour then transfer back to your  hotel. Accommodation at Rimping Village

Meals included: none

Day 6 : CHIANG MAI (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel

This morning enjoy an active tour which provides a wonderful way to discover the beautiful countryside surrounding Chiang Mai.

Firstly bike ride through tranquil villages  and pass shimmering rice paddies, taking time out  to visit Buddhist temples and see the local people at work  in the fields.  Cycling affords you a rare opportunity to get close to rural Thailand and visit an interesting water-buffalo farm. Follow peaceful back roads close to the Ping river,  before embarking on  a boat for a short cruise back  to Chiang Mai city. The program (times are approximate):

08.30 Meeting at guest's hotel and bike fitting.  Short vehicle transfer by local pick up truck (songtaew) to Mae-Rim.

09.00 Begin cycling following the river northbound. Cycle through rural countryside, rice fields  and plantations. (Cycling distance approximately 10 kms).

09.30 Stop for a visit of Elephant Poo Poo Park, where you can observe the steps in making world famous paper product from elephant poop fibers.

10.30 Continue cycling through the countryside.

12.00 Lunch at local restaurant

13.30 Back on the saddle, cycle toward the Ping River and follow scenic small routes southward towards Chiang Mai. Approx total 18 km cycling in the afternoon.

15.30 Arrive at a riverside house for refreshments. Embark on a motorboat for a cruise down the Ping River back to Chiang Mai city.

16.30 Arrive at disembarkation point with an interesting local temple, Wat Chaimongkol, on Charoen Prathet road. Transfer to your hotel.

Accommodation at Rimping Village

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7: CHIANG MAI - CHIANG RAI (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel

After breakfast transfer from your hotel to spend a spiritual morning with your own  private blessing by a monk at Wat Jet Yot. The name means 'temple of seven spires' due to its seven-spired Chedi.  This is a quiet and extremely peaceful setting to receive a blessing.

Then  continue to Wat Phra That  Doi Suthep, tucked away  in the mountains at an  elevation of 3,280  feet (1,056  meters). To reach the temple itself  requires a climb  up  a Naga  staircase of 290 steps. The monastery was  built  by King Gue-Na in 1383.  In its center stands a huge Chedi  (spired pagoda), which  contains partial relics  of Lord Buddha.

After lunch at local restaurant, transfer to Chiang Rai. En route we stop at Chiang Dao  Caves  which  penetrate deep into  the limestone hills. The caverns contain an assortment of Buddha and hermit images as well as some impressive natural rock  formation. Continue to Wat Thaton, a large temple only a few kilometers from the border with  neighbouring Myanmar. The temple is located on top of a hill overlooking the village of Ban Thaton and the Mae Kok river.  It is built over several levels  of a forested hill offering magnificent views over  the surrounding rural area.

Arrive at Phu  Chaisai Mountain Resort & Spa in the late  afternoon and overnight in the Bamboo Cottage.

Meals  included : Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8 : GOLDEN TRIANGLE (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel

09.00  Drive from hotel to the Golden Triangle, where the borders  of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos converge then continue by long- tail speed boat on the Mekhong River to visit the river bank scenery and Don Sao Island.

After lunch in a local restaurant visit the Hall of Opium, the 5,600  sq.m. state-of-the-art exhibition will journey through more than 5,000- year history of the use and abuse of opiates. They will learn about the origins of the opium poppy, the medical and ritual use of opium in ancient civilizations, its spread throughout the world, the Opium Wars  and their impact on  China,  the century of legal  opium use in Thailand, the role  of opium and other narcotics in modern medicine, and international efforts to control narcotics. Vivid and thought provoking presentations of the effects of drug abuse and case studies help visitors to understand the severity of addiction and choices available to fight the temptation of drugs.

Then  transfer back  to your  hotel for the rest of the afternoon at leisure (why not  enjoy the pool  or a massage). Accommodation at Phu  Chaisai Mountain Resort & Spa

Meals  included : Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9 : CHIANG RAI (B/-/-)

Breakfast at hotel

This morning, we visit 101 Tea Plantation, which focuses mainly on producing and selling various kinds of tea. The most popular is Mae

Salong tea;  Assam tea,  Ching Ching No. 12. Enjoy your tea whilst admiring the tea plantation and stunning mountain backdrop.

After the visit, you  will have a beautiful trip  down the scenic Kok River, on  board a traditional Thai long-tail boat. As we lazily cruise along the water way, we will take in the sights of the countryside, and learn a little about the land that surrounds us.  Arrive in Chiang Rai and after a local lunch (payable locally) we visit two unique and very different sites.

Firstly, the Black House (Ban Dum),  a unique creation of national artist, Thawan Duchanee. Part art  studio, part museum, part home, Baan Dam  is an eclectic mix of traditional northern Thai buildings interspersed with some outlandish modern designs.

Continue to your  hotel in Chiang Rai and check in. Accommodation at Le Patta (Superior Room)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 10 : CHIANG RAI - PHUKET - KHAO SOK (B/-/-)

Breakfast at hotel

Check out  and transfer to Chiang Mai with stop en-route at the White  Temple (Wat Rung Khun). While most temples visited by tourists have a history going back  many centuries, this  extraordinary place of worship was  built  only recently. It is the realisation of a dream for Thailand's noted artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed and supervised the construction of this  beautiful white temple and its many statues of figures based on religious beliefs.

Then 3 hours driving to Chiang Mai Airport for your flight to Phuket. Suggested flight is PG - 248 at 14:30-16:40 (CNX - HKT)

Schedule flights are subject to change.

Arrive in Phuket then overland private transfer to your  hotel in Khao Sok, arriving in the mid-afternoon. Accommodation at Our Jungle House (Deluxe  Gingah)

Meals  included :Breakfast

Day 11 : KHAO SOK (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel

This morning you  will be  collected from your  Khao  Sok hotel and discover the first  ethical, community-based Khao  Sok Elephant Experience where you  get  to feed and bathe your  own  elephant! Somboon was rescued from a trekking camp, where he worked long days carrying tourists in harsh conditions. Now he is the star of this intimate experience where he  is lovingly tended by guests under the tutelage of a mahout (elephant trainer). This experience is ideal for guests who wish to learn about Somboon's story and interact with him on a more personal level. By participating in this program, you are helping to fund the rescue of more abused elephants and helping to send a clear message that these majestic creatures must not be  exploited. You will meet the Family that is taking care of Somboom, prepare his food consisting of fruits, vegetables and handmade sticky rice medicine pies.  Then  bathe him  by taking him  to the Mud  Spa  and scrubbing him  down with  an  organically made "coconut elephant loofah". The experience ends planting sugar cane for Somboon and his elephant friends to eat in the future.

Then after waving  goodbye to Somboon you'll be  driven to a local hamlet reached via a picturesque hanging bridge that overlooks the Saeng River. Here there is a small collection of traditional Thai wooden houses set  in the jungle surrounded by different fruit  orchards. The area is home to a small local community who  are working together to protect the stunning environment that they live in (much of the proceeds of the tour go to them). You will be  given  a tour of the orchards (it's great fun  to see which  fruit  you recognise!) and then you  will sit down with  your  hosts to  enjoy a typical  Southern Thai lunch with  the local  community. After  saying goodbye, you  will transfer back  to your  hotel arriving in the mid-afternoon.

Meals  included : Breakfast

Day 12 : KHAO SOK - KOH YAO NOI (B/-/-)

Breakfast at hotel

Take in the sights on  a kayaking trip  in the morning. Gently float  down the Khao  Sok River. The journey takes you  past towering cliffs and shoals of brightly coloured river fish, and includes a stop to swim  in the cool waters and kayaking.

Then  transfer by private vehicle to Phuket before taking the shared speedboat transfer to Koh Yao

Accommodation at The Paradise Koh Yao Noi

Meals  included : Breakfast

Day 13 : KOH YAO NOI (B/-/-)

Breakfast at hotel - Day at leisure

Accommodation at The Paradise Koh Yao Noi

Meals  included : Breakfast

Day 14 : KOH YAO NOI (B/-/-)

Breakfast at hotel - Day at leisure

Accommodation at The Paradise Koh Yao Noi

Meals  included : Breakfast

Day 15 : KOH YAO NOI (B/-/-)

Breakfast at hotel

Day at leisure & transfer to Phuket airport