Explore Cultural Mosaic in Thailand and Indochina (18D17N)

Today, we will take the whole day to explore Bangkok – the city of golden temples.

The first destination is the Grand Palace. This huge architecture complex is over 2 sq. kilometers, including 3 main sites: Royal Palace, Royal Office and pagodas (Wat) built in the 1770s. Nowadays, the Grand Palace is no longer home of Thailand Royal, most of the national significant events take place there. Wat Phra Kaew is the most out-standing architecture in the complex, built in 1785 when King Rama I moved the capital to Bangkok. The pagoda is famous not only for its beauty of unique Thailand Buddhism architecture but also for the sacred jade Buddha statue. 

Nearby the Grand Palace is Wat Pho - the oldest and biggest pagoda in Bangkok with more than 1000 Buddha statues and the huge one sit-back Buddha in gold. This pagoda is also famous for being a birthplace of traditional Thai massage, since there is a traditional medicine school established in 1982, educating the arts of Thai massage. 

We will board a boat to pay a visit along the Chao Phraya River, watching the life of local people close by. On route, we stop at Wat Arun, known as the most beautiful pagoda in Bangkok not only for its location on the Chao Phraya’s River bank but also for the different architecture from other pagodas. The pagoda was decorated with glass pieces and Chinese ceramic, in a complicated style. 

After having lunch, we visited the last destination of the day: Wat Traimit. This pagoda is famous for its unique and historic beauty, and also for the huge golden Buddha statue. Thai people believe that the statue represents prosperity and purity, as well as strength and power. 

Return to the hotel and you are free to explore Bangkok by night.

At evening we start a night food tour. A short ride brings you to the first stop, a Northeastern Thai restaurant. We will share famous dishes from the region like spicy raw papaya salad, deep-fried crispy catfish meat with spicy sauce, spicy pork salad, and spicy pork meat balls. Our next stop is chicken crispy noodle, with a choice of runny or well-cooked eggs.

Then we will take a digestion break by visiting the flower market where you might have small snacks. The bar follows. Our last stop is Bangkok's best Pad Thai. The tour finishes by or close to the Cinderella’s time with the Tuk Tuk dropping you off at your hotel.

*The itinerary can be changed due to unexpected circumstances. We will do our best to notify you if any changes occur.

Accommodation: At the hotel in Bangkok 

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Early in the morning, after having breakfast, we pay a visit to Maeklong Railway Market - a local market that has grown up along the rail tracks. When a train pulls in or out of the station, the sellers quickly clear their stalls, and set them up again when the train has passed. We continue our way to the Damnoen Saduak Floating market. Arriving at the market, you can see the vendors who wear traditional farmer dresses and hats bring local Thai foods, fruits and products to sell on rowing boats. You should not miss the opportunity to experience sitting and giving them a try on one of these boats on the canal. You are free to explore around the market, take photos/videos or even hire a paddling boat to breathe the once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere here.  

We then take a boat ride out of the floating market and journey along the winding canals to see remote villages, gardens and plantations. 

Arrive at a jetty pier where you board the vehicle and return to Bangkok. 

Accommodation: At the hotel in Bangkok 

Meals: Breakfast 

In the morning, we will depart to Ayutthaya; it takes about more than an hour to reach the former Thai capital. Witness the glory of the ancient capital through its temple and palace ruins. First you will visit Wat Phu Khao Thong, or the “Monastery of the Golden Mount'', which is located just outside Ayutthaya. Then you will proceed to the ancient palace and Wat Phra Si Sanphet. You will also visit Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopit, one of the largest bronze Buddha in Thailand. Have lunch by your own account. Afterwards you will visit Wat Lokaya Sutha. This temple enshrines a large reclining Buddha image. Our last visit will be 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. 

Transfer you to the train station for the night train to Chiang Mai.Overnight on the train.

 Accommodation: Overnight train to Chiang Mai (Second Class) 

Meals: Breakfast

The morning will be mainly devoted to visiting the old city with a stop at the ancient wall, the moat and a door of the old city. You will see more   beautiful temples in Chiang Mai:   Wat Phra Singh Temple, Wat Phan Tao temple and the temple Wat Chedi Luang. Then you will stroll along streets lined with traditional houses, where you take a rickshaw ride. From there, you'll be at the large Central Market Warorot. 

Lunch at a local restaurant (on your own).

Afternoon, visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most famous pagoda Chiang Mai. It is reached after climbing a staircase of 290 steps with ramps representing two giant nagas. From the square, you can admire the panorama of the whole Chiang Mai Valley.

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

Then transfer back to the hotel. 

You are free to explore the night market in the evening.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast

Morning after breakfast, we drive to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary to visit as the program below:

Itinerary:

08:00 – 08:30 : 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.

Overnight in Chiang Mai. 

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

You have free time until we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival pick up and transfer you to your hotel in Luang Prabang.  

Accommodation : At the hotel in Chiang Mai 

Meals: Breakfast

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning alms giving ritual to saffron clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. Stop and visit fresh local markets and back to the hotel for breakfast.

This morning, I departed to visit Wat Visoun, the site of the impressive Thad Makmo stupa. The rounded dome is stylistically more Sinhalese than Lao.  Continue to visit Wat Aham. Then, visit to the most photographed temple, Vat Xiengthong. Located at the end of the peninsula close to the confluence of the Mekong and Khan River.

This afternoon, continue to former Royal Palace, now the National Museum. Visit Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief. During Pimai, the Lao New Year, the Prabang normally housed in the Royal Palace Museum is brought and put on public display in this temple. 

Meals on your own. Overnight in a hotel.

Accommodation: At the hotel in Luang Prabang 

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, I took a ferry to otherside of Mekong to visit Ban Xiemienne village.  Take a walk to discover Wat Long Khoun temple, located in the jungle. This monastery historically had important ties with the royal family of Luang Prabang. From its beginnings Wat Long Khoun served as a retreat center for spiritual revitalization. It was traditional practice that the new king-designate spend three days there in ceremonial bathing and meditative retreat.

Then, embark on a traditional long trail boat, for a relaxing cruise upstream on the mighty Mekong River. Enjoy stunning mountain scenery and witness the simple rural lifestyles. You will reach Pak Ou caves at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers. In these 2 caves are displayed hundreds of sacred centuries-old Buddha images which are the object of pilgrimages during the Lao New Year festivities around mid-April. Cruise back to Luang Prabang. Stop and visit Ban Xang Khong, a weaving village, where you can jump into wooden looms with local experts for practical and experience.

Meals on your own. Overnight in a hotel.

Accommodation: At the hotel in Luang Prabang

Meals: Breakfast

You have free time until we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival pick up and transfer to your hotel overnight. 

Accommodation: At the hotel in Hanoi 

Meals: Breakfast

After having breakfast, meet your guide and continue exploring Hanoi. Start with the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh and the Presidential Palace, followed by the serene One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature known as the site of Vietnam's first university and a shrine for Confucian worship, founded in the year 1066. Next, visit the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, ironically nicknamed "the Hanoi Hilton." Built by the French colonists and used as a house for Vietnamese political prisoners, it was later used to keep captured American POWs during the war. Then continue to the Huu Tiep neighborhood to see an American B-52 that was shot down during the Christmas bombing of Hanoi in 1968. Afternoon, have a little leisure time to back your hotel, then tour around the city's Old Quarter by a bicycle rickshaw, called a cyclo. In this part of town, each colorful street is devoted to a particular craft or ware. You will be pedaled amongst the quaint French buildings along Shoe Street, Silk Street and Banner Street (to name just a few), ending at the historic Hoan Kiem Lake - the social center of Hanoi. In the late afternoon, you will enjoy the Water Puppet Performance. Traditional content of these shows relates to daily life of Vietnamese farmers, communal entertainment or historical legends. The artists - men and women - stand waist-deep in the water to manipulate the puppets, making them move around, talk and laugh and even dance on the surface of the water. The show will be accompanied by beautiful, traditional Vietnamese music. Overnight at a hotel in Hanoi.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Hanoi 

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel and then start a 3-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Comfort stopped en route for photos and coffee before arriving at Ha Long City. We then transfer to a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of HaLong Bay to enjoy a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone this World Heritage Site. While being on board, we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by swimming and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. The feeling of witnessing the sunset on a boat is really great. Dinner on board. The captain then will anchor for the night near a remote island.  In the evening, there is the option for night fishing or just sit out on the deck and relax under the stars. Overnight on Junk.

Accommodation : On HaLong Bay boat 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Waking up surrounded by the tranquil beauty of the bay, we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. The cruise continues to move around the bay for us to discover more secluded areas, we then take kayaking and swimming in the stunning bay. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a backup vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 3-hour journey to to Noi Bai airport for flight to Saigon. Upon arrival in Saigon, being picked up & transferred to the hotel in Saigon. Overnight at the hotel in Saigon

Accommodation : At the hotel in Saigon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

In the morning transfer to My Tho town, we continue to Ben Tre by passing to Rach Mieu beautiful bridge. Arrival in Bentre town, take a boat trip around Ben Tre River. Enjoying sightseeing local activities on the river. Stop to see how people make bricks, salts, coconut workshop. Boat on Cai Son and Nhon Thanh creeks to see some family making mats. Take motor cart (Xe loi) pass by rice fields and vegetable plains to know how to culture in country. Stop at Mekong Green, a local restaurant by the river, for lunch. In the afternoon, take a rowing boat along water palm creek and a long Cai Coi creek. Stop to see rice workshop before back to Ben Tre town, where we visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda before heading back to Ho Chi Minh City where you will arrive in the afternoon.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Saigon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Morning after having breakfast, depart for the famous Cu Chi Tunnels which were an incredible underground network constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the long struggle for independence. The tunnels contained hospitals, plus accommodation and schools, and were used as a military base for the Vietcong in the American war.  Afternoon, we took a half day of city tour to visit all the famous sites of this bustling city. The first destination is the Reunification Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, followed by some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral. Apart from the religious meaning, the even more special captivating point of this Cathedral is its special neo-Romanesque style of architecture. Next, it is on to the Old Saigon Post Office. After visiting the Jade Emperor Pagoda, we continue our trip to the bustling Ben Thanh Market, which is firstly well-known as the place for real Vietnamese food. There are a number of vendors and food stalls in the market food section that offer guests many freshly delicious dishes. You also can find any goods for daily use as well as a variety of eye-catching local handicrafts, souvenirs here. Overnight at the hotel in HCM city.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Saigon 

Meals: Breakfast 

You have free time until we pick up and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Arrival at Siem Reap International Airport, collect your luggage process through custom. Your private tour guide and driver will be waiting for you outside the baggage claim/ custom area to transfer you in a private vehicle to the hotel for check-in.

Free time and overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast 

In the morning, visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat’s five towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks - the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond. Lunch in the local restaurant. Visit the South Gate, the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Sunset at Angkor Wat. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast

Morning, transfer to Banteay Srei temple (10th c), regarded as the jewel in the crown of Classical Khmer Art. Continue to Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon visit the Roluos Group. The monuments of Roluos, which served as the capital of Indravarman I (reigned 877-89), are among the earliest large, permanent temples built by the Khmers and mark the beginning of Khmer classical art. Preah Ko erected by Indravarman I in the late 9th century dedicated by the King to his ancestors in 880. Bakong, the largest and most interesting of the Roluos group temples, with his active Buddhist monastery just to the north of the east entrance. Lolei ,built on an islet in the center of a large reservoir (now rice fields) by Yasovarman I, the founder to the first city at Angkor. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Accommodation : At the hotel in Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast 

After breakfast, start your day with a short drive to visit Kampong Phluk floating village, a permanent settlement on the Tonle Sap Lake with a small land-based village attached to it. Its remarkable mangrove forest is unique in the Siem Reap area. You will board a local boat and cruise the waterways observing the authentic and diverse lifestyle of the local floating community. Once you arrive at the open lake, jump onto the floating restaurant where you will watch the sunset over the great lake.

Transfer to the airport for your international flight home. End of our service 

Accommodation : NA

Meals: Breakfast