Itinerary Details: 12 days/11 nights

Day 1: Bangkok Arrival

Welcome to Bangkok! Upon exiting customs, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a bustling and vibrant city of contrasts. Evening at leisure and overnight in Bangkok.

Day 2: Bangkok

After breakfast, take a city tour of Bangkok. The tour includes three of the most unusual Buddhist temples in Bangkok: Wat Trimitr with its invaluable Golden Buddha; Wat Po, the most extensive temple in Bangkok with its colossal Reclining Buddha; and the Chedis of the Kings. The Grand Palace is one of the most beautiful samples of an ancient Siamese court. It used to be the residence of the Kings of Thailand. Here you will see palaces which were used for different occasions: the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House, and the beautiful Emerald Buddha Temple. Afternoon at leisure and overnight in Bangkok.

Day 3: Bangkok – Ayutthaya - Bangkok

Today, enjoy a full-day tour of Ayutthaya. Be introduced to Ayutthaya's rich historical and architectural heritage, starting at Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and temple ruins of the 14th and 16th centuries. You will then embark on the Grand Pearl Cruise for the return journey to Bangkok. A lunch buffet is included on the boat. Enjoy the nice scenery along the Chao Phraya riverbanks while cruising back to Bangkok downtown. Evening at leisure and overnight.

Day 4: Bangkok – Chiang Mai

Morning at leisure. Optional tours and activities available, including a traditional Thai cooking lesson. Visit the local markets to sample the fare, and then continue to a home-style learning environment. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and fly to Chiang Mai. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in Northern Thailand. It has emerged as a leisure destination and attracts visitors from all over the world. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Day 5: Chiang Mai

After breakfast, enjoy a ½ day temple tour. Drive up the serpentine road to the magnificently situated Wat Doi Suthep. Perched on a forested mountain, this most sacred Chiang Mai temple (3,280 ft) provides a superb view over the city, as well as a wealth of images and frescos. You will then pass the city's biggest market, Talat Warorod, before visiting two important temples - Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Sing. In the evening, explore the popular night market. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Day 6: Chiang Mai

Day at leisure. Optional: Spend an incredibly rewarding day assisting in the teaching of basic English in a Chiang Mai district rural school to enhance struggling academic programs and increase the students future professional opportunities. In the afternoon, after returning to your hotel, you will learn about exciting agricultural developments in the highland areas surrounding Chiang Mai city at the Teen Tok Royal Project located near the school in a beautiful mountain setting. Evening at leisure and overnight.

Day 7: Chiang Mai – Phuket

In the morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Phuket. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Phuket is Thailand's oldest island and was once on the major trading route between China and India. It is an oasis of clear waters, sandy beaches and a traditional Thai way of life. Later, enjoy kayaking inside Phang Nga Hong with marine limestone karst islands, macaques, water monitors, kingfishers and Sea Eagles. Self-paddle through tunnels and lagoons. When darkness falls, the stars shine overhead in the circle of black night, fireflies flash in the cliffside jungle and, most of all, the sea glows with phosphorescence. Enjoy a spiritual ceremony with your own made Krathong before boarding the escort boat back to the land. A truly magical experience! Dinner included. Return to your hotel and overnight.

Day 8: Phuket

Day at leisure. Optional excurions available, including a ½ day bike ride through the Northeast of Phuket Island, an area known for its small traditional Thai villages. You will also have an opportunity to visit Phuket's Gibbon Rehabilitation Center and see how gibbons are cared for before being released back in to the rainforest. Cycle on small country roads and bike off-road through palm, pineapple and rubber tree plantations along dirt tracts. Return to your hotel and afternoon at leisure. Overnight.

Day 9: Phuket – Khao Sok

In the morning, transfer to Khao Sok. Khao Sok is part of the largest area of tropical rainforest in southern Thailand. It connects with Klong Phanom and Si Phangnga national parks as well as Klong Naka and Klong Seng wildlife sanctuaries. Proceed to Phangnga province passing small rural villages, rubber and oil palm plantations. Explore the rivers that cut through the mangrove forest by dinghy with outboard motor (speed cat). There is a maze of channels between the island and along the coast. Emerging further along the coast, meet up with our classical Burmese junk where lunch will be served. Spend the afternoon on a deserted beach, swimming, relaxing or paddling canoes. The panoramic views of distant mangroves and banyan trees stretch to the horizon. Few people live in the area and little has changed here in hundreds of years. Cruising on the junk gives the feeling of traveling back in time when nature was untouched. Late afternoon transfer to Khao Sok for dinner and overnight at a luxury tented property.

Day 10: Khao Sok

When the sun comes up and clears the mist over the mountains and jungle, the gibbons start to make their morning territorial calls that echo down the valley. After breakfast, transfer to elephant camp where you will see, touch, and learn about Thai elephants and the conservation initiatives. Your guide will also explain about the life of the mahout, the man who takes care of the elephant. After lunch, take a jungle river canoe trip down the Sok River. Drift along the jungle river passing limestone mountains and cliffs covered with exotic tropical vegetation. Sometimes hornbill can be seen flying high overhead or reptiles basking in the sun on the riverbanks. Dinner and overnight at your resort.

Day 11: Khao Sok – Phuket

After breakfast, explore the jungle by foot! This is a great way to discover the ecology of the rainforest, to see a great variety of exotic plants, tropical hardwood trees with huge roots, orchids, palms, ferns, bamboos, mosses; the variety is unlimited. Weather permitting, lunch will be served in the rainforest cooked in bamboo, a tradition of jungle explorers for centuries past. In the afternoon, return to Phuket. Overnight in Phuket.

Day 12: Departure

Day at leisure. You will be transferred the airport for your onward flight.

Inclusions

• 11 nights of room accommodations
• Daily breakfast buffet (All meals included in Khao Sok)
• Economy airfare from Bangkok – Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai - Phuket
• Phang Nga Hong kayaking with dinner
• Chiang Mai and Bangkok guided tours with entrance fees
• 3-day jungle safari in Khao Sok
• Airport transfers with representative
• Road/Interstate taxes, fuel surcharges, and parking fees
• Taxes, fees, and government surcharges

Exclusions

• Any items of a personal nature
• Gratuities
• Travel Insurance
• Passport and Visa Fees

Supplemental Information

• U.S. citizens carrying a tourist passport and in possession of an onward or return airline ticket do not require a visa to enter Thailand. The passport must have at least six months validity remaining to be allowed entry.
• To protect your travel investment, Sodha Travel strongly recommends Travel Insurance.
• Visit our FAQ page for additional information on traveling to Thailand.

The Thailand Explorer