Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival to Bangkok

The Oriental Bangkok
On arrival in Bangkok, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel.
This evening join your follow travelers for a welcome cocktail and a briefing about your journey.
Dinner own arrangements.

Day 2

Bangkok
The Oriental Bangkok

This morning you will be transferred to a traditional Thai house to learn about the spiritual origins of Thai art and culture. Through the experience of these arts, you will gain a set of “keys to unlock” what you will see as you travel around the country.
Learn the movements and gestures of dance; how Thai sit, walk and wai (pay respect by raising the hands with palms together); make traditional flower offerings by folding banana leaves; draw classical patterns using gold leaf; and cook classic cuisine.
Dinner at Cabbages and Condoms
Established to support in part the activities of PDA, Cabbages and
Condoms provides excellent food, and also promotes HIV/Aids health
and safety awareness.
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Cultural immersion
o Supporting HIV/AIDS awareness

Day 3

Bangkok
The Oriental Bangkok

Morning Activities
Begin your day by partaking in the Buddhist ceremony of food offerings
followed by a visit to the magnificent Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple.
Afternoon Activities
Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch visit Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall. The Hall only opens occasionally. You should not miss it while staying in Bangkok. The Arts of the Kingdom is an exhibition of exquisite and rarely seen traditional Thai crafts created by artists under The Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand.
The exhibition is currently on display at the Ananta Samakom Throne Hall at Dusit Palace and would be a perfect addition to a visit to the grand place, with the Throne Hall presenting an interesting contrast in building techniques from those displayed at the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Dinner on own
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Alms giving in a local monastery
o Support and improve the folk arts and crafts in every region in Thailand and enable farmers to earn supplementary income apart from agriculture (the main income under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen’s SUPPORT foundation).

Day 4

Bangkok to Chiang Mai
The Chedi

Depart from Bangkok for your flight to Chiang Mai. On arrival in Chiang Mai, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel.
Afternoon Activities
Lunch at Doi Kham Restaurant. After lunch, visit Waroros Market, experiencing the Northern Thai way of life. From the market take a trishaw ride along Tapae Road down through City Walls and along Rajdamnern Road to Wat Phra Singh (A.D.1345), housing a very old and sacred Buddha image. Drive from Wat Phra Singh to Wat Phrathad Doi Suthep(A.D. 1384) 3,500 feet above sea-level--the most important temple in Chiang Mai . On the way back to town, you will have the opportunity to meet with Patricia Chessman, who will share her vast knowledge of textiles in the region.
Dinner on own
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Alternative traveling by rickshaw instead of motorized vehicle
o Lunch at Doi Kham Restaurant, under the umbrella of The Royal Project Foundation
o Meeting with Patricia Chessman
The Royal Project Foundation
The Royal Project Foundation was initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1969, to encourage hill-tribe villagers to shift from the cultivation of opium poppies to alternative crops. As a learning center it helps the hill tribes improve their quality of life, promoting settlement in certain areas instead of moving from place to place, discouraging practices of shifting cultivation and methods of slash and burn and conserving watershed areas.


Day 5

Chiang Mai
The Chedi

Mae kampong Eco tour
Leave for Mae Kampong village, a perfect destination to experience the unspoiled beauty of nature through Chiang Mai’s picturesque countryside. A stop will be made at a local market. You will have a chance to buy ingredients for a self-cooked dinner at the village in the afternoon.
You will be welcomed by local villager, learning about the unique lifestyle of their community while taking in the beautiful scenery. The village is 1,300 meters above sea level with an average temperature of 10-18 C throughout the year.
Upon arrival you will walk through the community forest, where the villagers grow tea and coffee, to see how they preserve their forest and how they live in harmony with nature.
A picnic lunch will be provided at a waterfall.
After lunch you will return to the village to relax with a 1-hour Thai traditional massage. Then walk around the village to witness fermented tea leaves process, hand made products.
In the evening you will prepare and cook your dinner with local people in their house.
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Experience the life of the local people at Mae kampong community based ecotourism

Day 6

Chiang Mai
The Chedi

Royal Projects & Wat Suan Dok
Drive to visit Hmong Hilltribe village of Baan Mae Khi and the royal project site of Baan Nong Hoi. Continue on to Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden(QSBG) (formerly known as Mae Sa Botanic Garden), the first botanical garden of the country established for scientific purposes.
The main objectives of the Garden are to serve as a center of Thai flora for botanical study and research, to render services concerning biodiversity and environmental conservation, as well as to provide an aesthetic place for the general public.
Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant.
Afternoon Activities
Visit to Wat Suan Dok, built on what were once a 14th century monarch’s gardens.  Today this is the site of a Buddhist University and a popular spot for photographers, especially during sunset. Some of the temple’s chedis (spires) contain ashes of Chiang Mai’s Royal family.  One can also see half of a holy Buddhist relic brought from Sukothai in 1371.  A 500 year old bronze Buddha image—one of the largest in Northern Thailand—is also housed here, in the small hall at the back of the compound.  The highlight of this visit is “Monk Chat”, from which you will emerge with a better understanding about Buddhism and the lives of the monks.
Dinner on own
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Supporting the Royal Project
o Chat with monks at Wat Suan Dok

Day 7

Chiang Mai
The Chedi

Rising before the dawn breaks and the surrounding mist clears, our clients will enter the baby elephant sanctuary of the Maesa Elephant Camp hours before the camp is opened to the public. Be taken through an exclusive private mahout (elephant trainer) training course and become honorary mahouts to these gentle giants.
As the sun begins to break through the surrounding mist, travelers will lead their elephant calf to a jungle stream for their morning bath. Following an invigorating soak, they will mount their elephant and learn the basic commands to guide it through its daily tasks. A truly exciting and unforgettable experience capped off by receiving a mahout uniform and elephant painting; which they will have created together with their elephant calf.
Dinner on own
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Giving these gentle giant a better chance of survival--not being exploit by illegal merchants.

Day 8

Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
Anantara Chiang Rai

This morning after breakfast, drive from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
Leave for Chiang Rai by a road (200 Kms. away) across mountains, valleys and picturesque landscapes with some stops enroute at Mae Kajan Hotsprings, and Wat Rong Khun-- also known as the White Temple. Whereas most temples visited by tourists have a history going back many centuries, this place of worship was built only recently. It is the realization of a dream for Thailand’s noted artist, Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed and supervised the construction of this beautiful white temple and its many statues of figures based on religious beliefs. The construction started in 1998 and is expected to be completed in 2008. In addition, there is a gallery nearby exhibiting his paintings.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
From Chiang Rai boat landing, start an interesting boat trip upstream the Mae Kok river to Phatai Pier, stopping at a Karen hilltribe village. Arrive at the Phatai boat landing, visit an Akha Hilltribe Village of Baan Lorcha, a Community-based Tourism Development Project by the Population and Community Development Association.
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Supporting the Community –based Tourism Development Project by PDA

Day 9

Chiang Rai to Pak Beng
Luang Say Lodge

Breakfast at hotel
Early morning, pick up from your hotel and transfer to Chiang Khong. Take a ferry to cross the Mae Khong River to Huay Xai, Laos border town opposite to Thailand.
Luang Say boat leaves HoueiSay pier at 09h00 hrs for a cruise down the Mekong to Pakbeng. En route one stop is made to observe rural life along the Mekong and discover minorities, a buffet lunch on board. Arrive in Pakbeng before sunset and check-in at Luang Say Lodge.
Dinner on the terrace, overlooking the Mekong River.

Day 10

Pak Beng to Luang Prabang
Maison Souvannaphoum

Breakfast at hotel
After breakfast, take a walk to Pakbeng market, where people from the surrounding village of minorities exchange their goods. At 08h30 board the boat for the second leg of the cruise. A short stop is made to visit a hill tribe village where you can watch the traditional process of Lao whiskey production before having a buffet lunch on board. Continue to Pak Ou village at the mouth of the Nam Ou River, where you visit Tam Ting “Caves of a Thousand Buddhas”.
Arrive at Luang Prabang before sunset.
Dinner on own
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Supporting the effort of reviving old traditions of the Hill tribes, providing employment to villages and tribe people through Luang Say Lodge.

Day 11

Luang Prabang
Maison Souvannaphoum

Morning Activities
After breakfast, start the day with a city tour by tuk tuk . The tour begins at the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, followed by a visit to TAEC (Traditional Arts Ethnology Center). Continue to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-reliefs. 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. After Wat Mai, continue to Wat Sene, a temple with its beautiful golden façade. Finish the morning trip in Luang Prabang with a visit to the most photographed temple, Wat Xieng Thong.
Afternoon Activities
After lunch, enjoy a visit to Kuang Si Waterfall, southwest of Luang Prabang, with stops en-route to visit some ethnic minority villages.  It is possible to walk to the top of the falls via a steep track and if the weather is good, you can swim in the clear  water at the foot of the falls.  This afternoon is also a good chance to visit the Language Project Library, a reading and listening library and resource center for young Lao students, novices and monks.
Evening Activities
This evening you will have a chance to experience the “The Baci ceremony” This ceremony is a celebration of a special event, whether a marriage, a homecoming, a welcome, a birth, or one of the annual festivals.
Responsive Travel Experiences

o Supporting Laos Youth education
o Participating in a traditional ceremony

Day 12

Luang Prabang
Maison Souvannaphoum

Morning Activities
After breakfast, visit Wat Wisunatat (Wat Visoun).  This temple to the east of town centre was originally constructed in 1513, making it the oldest operating temple in Luang Prabang, but was rebuilt in 1898 following a fire 2 years earlier. The original was made of wood, and in the brick and stucco restoration the builders attempted  to make the balustraded  windows of the sim  appear to be fashioned  of lathed wood (an old South Indian and Khmer contrivance that is uncommon in Lao architecture). The front of roof that slopes sideways over the terrace is also unique. Inside the high-ceilinged sim is a collection of wooden ‘Calling for Rain’ Buddhas and 15th to 16th century Luang Prabang sima (ordination stones). In front of the sim is That Pathum (Lotus Stupa), which was built in 1514. It’s commonly called That Mak Mo or ‘Water-melon Stupa’ because of its semi-spherical shape.
After Wat Visoun, continue to visit Wat Aham, which was built in 1796 and was at one time a residence of the Sangkharat (Supreme Patriarch of Laos Buddhism). Two large bodhi trees  grace the grounds, which are semi-deserted except for the occasional devotee who comes to make offering to the town’s most important spirit shrine.
Afternoon Activities
After lunch in a local restaurant, enjoy a visit to Ban Xienglek—a weaving village and where you can see the mulberry paper making process and visit the home of Veomanee, who with her mother, is a master weaver and dyer. Observe the process of silk worm production and natural dyeing. The village is nice to walk around in, seeing looms and paper making.
Return to Luang Prabang late afternoon. Visit Phousi Hill at sunset and night market.
Dinner at local restaurant.

Day 13

Luang Prabang to Siam Reap
Grand Hotel D'Angkor

This morning depart from Luang Prabang to Siem Reap.
Afternoon Activities
Upon arrival transfer to your hotel and begin your journey to Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s biggest fresh water lake. Approximately 45 mins ride to the lake and board a local boat to experience life of the local villagers. On our way back we will visit the famous silk weaving project of L’Artisans D’Angkor & Sam Well’s project.
Sam Well’s Project
Today you will travel with our local guide Sam to visit one of the villages where he has set up a series of fresh water wells to provide fresh water to the local villages. Free flowing fresh water is a basic humanitarian necessity that the Cambodian government is currently unable to provide to all of the villages in the countryside. Through the kind and generous donations of guests, Sam has been able to provide over 30 villages with fresh water.
Evening Dinner at a local restaurant.
Responsive Travel Experiences
o Helping the young people in Cambodia to find work in their home villages making traditional arts and crafts through L’Artisans D’Angkor
o Providing fresh water well for remote villages in Siem Reap

Day 14

Siam Reap
Grand Hotel D'Angkor

Morning Activities
This morning before breakfast, wake up to see the magnificent sunrise at Angkor Wat. As you climb the steps of the outer wall and move through the final archway, Angkor Wat’s five towers suddenly appear, as breathtaking in the pre dawn light as in the bright sunshine of day. But it is as the sky begins its transformation from black to differing shades of purple, orange, red and blue that truly takes your breath away.
Afternoon Activities
After lunch tour of the temples takes in the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the famous Bayon, Baphoun, the Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King.
Visit to the Angkor Hospital for Children.
Dinner on own
Responsive Travel Experiences:
o Visit and donation to Children’s Hospital

Day 15

Siam Reap
Grand Hotel D'Angkor

Visit Kbal Spean (45 Km north of Siem Reap : requires a moderately easy 45-minute uphill walk though the woods), a spectacularly carved riverbed, set deep in the jungle to the northeast of Angkor. More commonly referred to in English as the ‘River of a Thousand Lingas’, the name actually means ’ridgehead’, a reference to the natural rock bridge at the site.  Lingas have been elaborately carved into the riverbed, and images of Hundu deities are dotted about the area. Kbal Spean was ‘discovered’ in 1969, when EFEO ethnologist Jean Boulbet was shown the area by an assai; the area was soon off-limits due to the civil war, only becoming safe again in 1998.
Picnic lunch will be provided
Afternoon visit Banteay Srei and the land mine museum.
Aki Ra is the founder of the Cambodia Landmine Museum and National Project Manager for the CLMMRF (NGO). He began his life as a child living in the countryside prior to the Khmer Rouge Revolution.  His mother and father were killed during the Pol Pot regime and he soon found himself living in a Khmer Rouge camp for children. By the age of ten he was given his first rifle and would spend the next two decades at war fighting with each of the various factions. During that time, landmines became his best friend; they protected him, helped him to catch food and even helped to save his life on a number of occasions when the war was at its fiercest.

Day 16

Breakfast at hotel

At leisure until your international departure homewards.

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