Enchanting Adventure through Thailand and Cambodia (20D19N)

Early in the morning, we drive southwest of Bangkok, visit the Maeklong railway market, take photos, enjoy the local snack in the market before driving to Damnoen Saduak, a rural floating market. Stop for a long-tailed boat trip along the waterway to the picturesque floating market of Damnoen Saduak. 

Then we continued on the road to the city of Kanchanaburi. Upon arrival, visit the World War II memorial including the Jeath War Museum, Cemetery. Lunch is served in a floating restaurant next to the Kwai River Bridge (by your own account). We continued to Wang Pho to take photos with wild monkeys. And get on a train ride along the railway to enjoy a beautiful river view for around 30 minutes. Overnight in Kanchanaburi 

Accommodation : At the hotel in Kanchanaburi

Meals: Breakfast 

Morning breakfast and depart for Erawan Waterfall - a beautiful seven-tiered waterfall. Located in Erawan National Park, Walking up to see each of the picturesque falls, it is best to bring good walking shoes. Also, guests should remember to bring their swimming suit if they wish to swim in the fall’s natural pools. 

In the afternoon after lunch time, we continued on the road to Ayutthaya. The ancient city of Ayutthaya is known as the 'Venice of the East’ because it is found along the Chao Phraya, the tributaries that surround the province of Ayutthaya River. Many monuments and remains of the period can be visited in this city founded in 1350 by King Uthong when the Thai had to migrate to the South under pressure from their neighbors to the North

Accommodation : At the hotel in Ayutthaya 

Meals: Breakfast 

Morning after breakfast we will catch Kermit tuk tuk. These ‘cute’ tuk tuks are found in only two of Thailand’s provinces : Ayutthaya, and Trang. Along the ride, explore the temple highlights of the city from Wat Yai Chaimongkol, Wat Mahathat (with a Buddha face emerging from a tree), and strolling through a local market en route to Wat Phra Srisanphet. And after that we will visit the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace, built during the Ayutthaya era. The palace showcases an eclectic collection of buildings that blend European, Khmer, Thai and Chinese architectural styles. It’s the favorite summer palace of the King. 

And transfer to the station to embark on the night train to Chiang Mai. Overnight onboard. 

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast served at the hotel. The morning will be mainly devoted to the walking tour of the old town with a stop at the old wall, the moat and a door of the old town. You will see the most beautiful temples of Chiang Mai: Wat Phra Singh temple, Wat Phan Tao temple, Wat Chedi Luang temple. 

Then you will stroll along small streets lined with traditional houses, where you will take a rickshaw tour. 

After that, you will take a walk through the central market of Warorot. In the afternoon you will visit the Doi Suthep hill. 

Then visit craft villages: lacquer factories, silk weaving, manufacture of umbrellas, wood carvings and goldsmith work.

Then transfer back to the hotel. To brighten up your evening, browse the Night Market for yourself. Stay overnight in Chiang Mai.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast 

After breakfast, depart from your hotel in a private car for a day of trekking in the villages of the white Karen tribe. You start with a walk in the jungle (around 2 hours) to the village where you meet and interact with the villagers.

Continue walking in the jungle (about an hour) to go to the beautiful waterfall. You will enjoy a relaxing swim and picnic lunch.

In the afternoon, you take a pleasant bamboo raft ride along the river.

Return to Chiang Mai around 17h – 17h30. 

Overnight in Chiang Mai. 

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast , Lunch 

The day begins with a transfer to Doi Inthanon National Park. It will take about 2 hours to reach the highest peak in Thailand. When we arrived, we spent 2 to 3 hours through the jungle along a narrow mountain path that would lead us to beautiful waterfalls in the middle of a lush jungle. Along the way, before reaching the village of Karen tribes Pangangayaw we cross farmlands where you will see the coffee plantation, farm flowers and beautiful rice fields. Discover the village of hill tribe Pagagayaw Karen and enjoy a cup of coffee grown locally, then go to the waterfall Vachiratharn, a thunderous cascade of 70 meters high. Enjoy the fresh cool air to the waterfall before continuing to the ground. After that, you will visit the beautiful architecture of Napamaytanidol Chedi and Phra Mahatat Napaphon Bhumisiri, built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. Please bring your tower, swimsuit, camera, spray anti-insect, sun cream

Overnight in Chiang Mai

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast 

Morning after breakfast, we will pick you up and transfer you to Chiang Rai. Upon arrival visit the local market to discover the local products. After that we visit the world-famous Wat Phra Kaew where the Emerald Buddha image was once enshrined. Move on to Wat Phra Singh where one of Thailand’s most beautiful Buddha images is now enshrined. Then a short drive from Chiang Rai City to Black House. Baan Dam (Black House) is the 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. Overnight in Chiang Rai

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Rai

Meals: Breakfast 

After breakfast we continue the trip by heading to northern Thailand - a wooded, mountainous and beautiful area. This morning, you will explore the surroundings and the first road you will take is the one that leads to Mae Salong. Climb up and down the green hills, covered with tea plantations. Here, you will get a chance to taste the delicious tea produced by one of the many plantations of the region, before continuing your way towards the Golden Triangle. 

From Doi Mae Salong, we will visit two villages of ethnic minorities: the village Akah of Loyo, and the village Lisu of Ban Hanygo. 

Afterwards we will visit the Mae Fah Luang botanical garden. Last but not least, transfer to the Golden Triangle where we take a boat trip on the Mekong River to see Thailand, Burma & Laos triangle.  Transfer back to hotel in Chiang Rai for your overnight

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Rai 

Meals: Breakfast 

08:00-08:30 AM Pick up from your hotel or accommodation

08:30 Drive approximately 1.5 hours South of Chiang Mai through rolling hills, forest, and local farming areas.

10:30 Arrive at the Sanctuary. Meet your guide and walk for 10-15 minutes through the Jungle to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. Change into traditional Karen clothing. Enjoy an introductory lesson about elephant anatomy, history, and behavior.

11:00 Meet the elephants. Feed, interact, and play with the elephants in a natural environment as you learn about their behavior and history. Take photos with the elephants.

12:00 Enjoy a lunch of traditional Thai food and fresh fruit.

13:00 Learn how to make herbal medicine balls, feed the Elephants and then walk with the elephants to the river. Bathe and brush the elephants.

14:00 Join the elephants for a therapeutic mud spa. Swim in the river and take photos with the elephants.

15:00 Change clothes and say goodbye to the elephants

15:30 Leave the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and drive approximately 1.5 hours to Chiang Mai.

17:00-17:30 Drop off at your hotel or accommodation.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast , Lunch 

You have free time until we arrive to transfer you to the airport for your flight to Bangkok and then connect with your international flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival pick up and transfer to your hotel overnight. 

Accommodation : At the hotel in Siem Reap 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast at the hotel at 6 AM 

At 7.30 AM, our guide and driver pick you up from the hotel for the full day to visit the main temples (Angkor Wat – Bayon – Banteay Srei – Ta Prohm temples) in Angkor Archeological Park.

We start the visit with Angkor Wat temple another way opposite to others by entering from the East Gate and exiting at the west gate. We walk further to visit Angkor Wat Temple at level 1, level 2, and level 3, an architectural marvel, one of the world's most impressive ruins to understand in depth Khmer Culture and Civilization. The temple has fine carvings of Apsaras in stone made during the Angkor period. Continue to explore the mysterious Royal city of Angkor Thom. Its 50-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance, it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic, silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Start from South Gate and further visit Bayon, Baphuon, Royal Enclosure, and Terrace of Elephant. 

Enjoy the home-made lunch at the local house (Mr. Peanut and his wife, Mrs. Gin living in a small house with a peaceful atmosphere and green garden will serve you a great lunch and share their life story during the Khmer Rouge to present). 

After lunch, we continued to visit the jewel of Khmer art, Banteay Srei temple, located one hour from Siem Reap. This red sandstone temple is one of Angkor’s most significant structures as its walls are decorated with elaborate carvings in an amazing state of preservation. On the way back to Siem Reap we visit the photogenic Ta Prohm temple of "Tomb Raider" fame, the temple that had nearly disappeared into the jungle and remains overgrown, an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that you may remember forever. Undisturbed by crowds of tourists you can better appreciate the interplay of man and nature at this magical site. Drive back to the hotel for relaxation, and dinner on your own.  

Accommodation : At the hotel in Siem Reap 

Meals: Breakfast

Early wake up in the morning for a transfer to Phnom Krom (13 km south of Siem Reap), we climb up the hill to view the sunrise over the rice paddies and the floating village of Tonle Sap Lake and enjoy the picnic breakfast on the hip of Phnom Krom. 

Return to the hotel for breakfast and check out. Drive to Battambang within 2 hours and 30 minutes. Visit the Ancient Khmer Traditional House upon arrival, Battambang is the second biggest city in Cambodia, lunch at the local restaurant and check in at the hotel. 

Afternoon, drive around the premises with your guide and walk through the village on the banks of the Sangker River, which is home to many well-preserved traditional Khmer wooden stilted homes and tropical fruit farms. This is a great opportunity to taste juicy oranges, sweet pineapples, and many other fruits available in the region as much as the activities of the villagers making rice paper, and the process of brewing Rice Whiskey. Continuing to visit the striking hilltop pagoda of Phnom Sampeau, this massive limestone outcrop is dissected by a number of caves with some containing unexpected reminders of Cambodia’s turbulent history. On the top of the hill, we can view the surrounding countryside, small villages are dotted in and around the endless rice paddies, punctuated with sugar palm trees. Walk downhill back to the foot of the mountain to wait to see the bats flying out of the cave when the sky gets dark – enjoy a bottle of cold beer or one soft drink before we get back to the hotel in Battambang, and dinner at the local restaurant. 

Accommodation : At the hotel in Battambang

Meals: Breakfast 

To avoid the hit of hot weather, and also to get on time to see the activities of the villagers working in the field, we will wake up early today and at 6.00 am to drive to Bamboo Train Station. Enjoy the Bamboo Train riding through the villages and rice paddies, the unique creative bamboo platform attached motor-engine which runs over the train rails provides a beautiful landscape, and fresh air and you absolutely have fun. Return to the hotel for a late breakfast, check out, and drive to Kampong Luong in Pursat Province, which is one of the biggest floating villages in Tonle Sap Lake. Take a boat ride to visit this village. The floating village of Kompong Luong offers the opportunity for you to discover the everyday life of Cambodian families on the Tonle Sap Lake. The families live in floating houses with a constant movement of boats that brings people and goods to the village. The village consists of both the Cambodian community and the Vietnamese community both living in the same floating village. Return to the mainland and drive to have lunch at the local restaurant in Pursat. 

After lunch, continue to the small riverside town of Kampong Chhnang, it is famous for its beautiful landscape and local villages that produce pottery in the midst of the rice fields. Visit this community and learn how the community makes pottery the traditional way and observe how sugar is collected from the sugar palm trees. Let your guide assist you with translating if you are interested to learn more about village life. Dinner at the local restaurant and overnight at a hotel in Kampong Chhnang

Accommodation : At the hotel in Kampong Chhnang 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast at the hotel. 

We drive through the countryside to the Chambok Ecotourism community in Kampong Speu Province with the scenery of rice fields, palm trees, and sugar cane plantations. On the way, we will stop to visit the Natural Hot Spring in Oral District, which is called Te Teuk Pus, 100 meters in diameter. The surface of the water, which comes from six sources and smells like sulfur or limestone, is 80 square meters. The water temperature is 70 degrees Celsius. The entire site covers 5 hectares and is full of tall grass, Kok (a kind of reed), and red rock. And continue to drive to the Chambok Ecotourism community for lunch, and take a short trek to visit the Chambok Waterfall, it is a natural waterfall from the Kirirom National Park and only 2 km trekking away from the community office. 

Continue to drive up to the top of Kirirom National Park, check in at Vkirirom Resort, and get refreshments. Then, our guide will arrange the local motorcycle taxi to ride you through the jungle pine to the Thmor Loy which is the nicest spot to view the lush forest from the top of the hill. Return to the resort for dinner and overnight 

Accommodation : At the hotel Kirirom National Park 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast at the resort. 

We drive around on the top of Kirirom Mountain Range, and visit the old silver houseware and the former King Residence before heading out to SihanoukVille. Lunch at the local restaurant in SihanoukVille, and then we drive around SihanoukVille to figure out how the city is before riding the speedboat to Koh Rong Sanloem. The team from Eden Resort will come to welcome us at the boat pier upon arrival and assist us with check-in. Free at leisure 

Dinner on your own

Accommodation : At the hotel in Koh Rong Sanloem 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast at the resort. 

Free at your own leisure 

Any activities such as diving, boat trips, and hiking can be arranged on spot with the resort (on your own account). 

Accommodation : At the hotel in Koh Rong Sanloem 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast at the resort. 

Ride the speed boat back to SihanoukVille, and drive to Phnom Penh, lunch on the way. 

On arrival, check-in at the hotel. Afternoon, the guide and tuk-tuk driver pick up from the hotel to ride to visit Wat Phnom, which is the center of Phnom Penh that gives the city its name. At 27 meters above sea level, it is the highest point in the area, and as a town gradually grew up around it, the settlement became known as Phnom Penh, the hill of Penh. It is the zero point of the city. Then continue to visit Wat Ounalom (Buddhist Monastery), this pagoda serves as the headquarters for one of Cambodia's most revered Buddhist patriarchs. In addition to the pagoda, there is a post-Angkorean stupa at this monastery. 

And continue to enjoy the tuk-tuk ride for the food tours to ride through the city and riverfront, get the first stop at one of the lovely bars on the riverside where you get a briefing and tour presentation by the tour guide along with one glass of cocktail or one drink. Then, we take a thorough tour of a lively local night market before sitting down with the locals at a popular local street food spot. Savor the flavors of Cambodian-style fresh seafood, a special recipe Saba (mackerel) fish dish, and squid with world-renowned Kampot pepper. We then ride through the bright city lights to a trendy nightspot with live music to enjoy some exciting local delicacies. Afterward, ride to the much-celebrated Independence Monument for a quick insight into the city’s history and a fantastic photo opportunity. We finish the evening at one of the city’s most stylish bar areas with trendy locals and foreigners on the top roof with a panoramic view of the heart of Phnom Penh City. This tour includes free-flowing drinks and all-you-can-eat, so come with an appetite!

Accommodation : At the hotel in Phnom Penh 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, which was a high school prior to 1975, an interrogation prison known as S-21 during the Khmer Rouge era, and today as a genocide museum. Continuing to Central Market, a landmark building in the capital, the art deco Psar Thmei (literally 'New Market') is often called the Central Market, a reference to its location and size. The huge domed hall resembles a Babylonian ziggurat and some claim it ranks as one of the 10 largest domes in the world, and return to the hotel for check-out and go for lunch at the local restaurant. 

Next, visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, two of the most striking buildings in the capital which are considered some of the finest examples of Khmer architecture. They were initially constructed in 1866 by the French. The Royal Palace is home to the current King Sihamoni. The neighboring Silver Pagoda stands out in its own distinctive way. The floor consists of 5,329 solid silver tiles to which the building owes its name.

Late afternoon, our guide and driver picked you up again from the hotel for the Mekong Cruise. 

Phnom Penh is situated between two rivers, the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap River. At night when the sunlight fades and the neon lights appear along the river banks, a small cruise boat will take you out onto the river to take in the city from a different perspective. Witness the sunset over the Royal Palace and the Mekong River while enjoying cold drinks and local snacks. Enjoy a leisurely cruise and take in the sights along the river bank to observe many local Cambodian families and friends socializing. Cruise back to the port and transfer back to your hotel

Accommodation : At the hotel in Phnom Penh 

Meals: Breakfast 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to the Phnom Penh Airport for departure 

Accommodation : NA 

Meals: Breakfast