Vietnam, Laos & Thailand Adventure

You will be picked up at your hotel by private car with an English speaking guide and taken to visit the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and his former residence, One pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. After lunch, continue your city tour to one of Hanoi's many museums featuring Fine Art, History, Revolutionary, War, Ethnology of your choice, then head to Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple and experience a 1 hour cyclo tour. Finish your day off at the Thang Long Opera Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. For lunch, enjoy a lovely meal at a local restaurant.

Transfer between downtown Hanoi and the International Airport.

Fly one way from Hanoi, Vietnam to Luang Prabang, Laos.

Airport transfer with private guide, driver and vehicle.

Explore Luang Prabang by bicycle. Visit former royal temples, Wat Visun where you can see the Biggest Buddha statue, Wat Xieng Thong the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang with its mosaic decoration and the former royal carriage. Visit the Museum (former king's palace), then climb up Mt Phousi overlooking the city of Luang Prabang. Time permitting, take a ride around the outskirts of town.

Pick up from your hotel for an excursion by car to Kuang Si Waterfall, 32 kms to the south of Luang Prabang. On the way, visit the Hmong village Ban Na Ouane. Walk through the forest to the waterfall. After enjoying the scenery, take a swim in one of the nearby clear pools. Below the tiered limestone pools lies the Khmu village Ban Thapene. Khmu men are especially good basket weavers and can sometimes be watched crafting. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant close to the falls. Return to Luang Prabang by car, on the way back stop at Ban Xiang Khong, the paper village & Ban Xieng Lek, a weaving village. Finally, visit Wat Phon Pao located, at the summit of a mountain overlooking Luang Prabang.

Luang Say Pier transfer with private guide, driver and vehicle.

Luang Say Boat leaves Auberge Calao pier at 7:00AM and cruises up the Mekong River to Luang Say Lodge in Pakbeng. The boat first stops opposite the mouth of the Nam Ou River to visit Pak Ou caves where there are two caves ‘Tham Ting’ and ‘Tham Phoum’ and thousands of Buddha images are found. The second stop is at Ban Baw to observe the processing of the traditional rice alcohol.

The boat arrives at Luang Say Lodge before sunset for an overnight stay. Enjoy the gorgeous views while sitting on the terrace overlooking the Mekong River.

The boat leaves Luang Say Lodge at 7a.m. and one stop is made en route to Houei Sai where you will have the opportunity to observe some rural life along the Mekong River at Ban Houy Phalam, a Kamu Village.

The boat should arrive the pier in Houei Sai before 5p.m. (it is possible to continue your journey to Chiang Rai, Thailand on the same day).

Transfer by private vehicle from Houayxay to Chiang Rai. A short boat transfer is taken at the border with Thailand, and then by road the distance is roughly 2 hours.

Depart from the hotel and visit the monument of King Mengrai a bronze statue of the founder of the Lanna Kingdom which then leads to Mae Chan, Chiang Saen and Mae Sai. Many tourists visit this monument to pay their respects to the ancient king and to have photos taken as souvenirs. Continue onto visit Ku Phra Chao Mengrai Stupa which is situated in Wat Ngam Muang on Doi Ngam Muang in Chiang Rai Township area. It is the place where ashes and relics of King Mengrai are housed. Next, you will have the opportunity to visit Wat Phrasing and do some shopping at the Handicraft Center. This temple is a fine example of Lanna Thai architecture with its typical Northern style wooden structure, low sweeping roofs and dragon-carved gate which is an impressive sight.

Transfer between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai with private vehicle, driver and English speaking guide. This is a very scenic 3-4 hour drive.

The Elephant is Thailand’s working pride and one of this country’s national symbols. Current estimates of wild elephants left in Thailand were between 3000-4000 animals. Although logging is being banned in this Kingdom, they remain a very important mode of jungle transport as it beats any other animal or machine for its ability to move through a forest with minimum damage. For centuries these animals were trained to use their skills by moving lumber and served as a mode of transport within the jungle area. Over the past decade, with the reduction in lumbering, these giants of the forest have been protected in various conservation camps. An interesting journey through the scenic countryside brings you to Chiang Dao Elephant Conservation Camp. Here you to see elephants at work during a half-hour presentation. There is also an opportunity to watch the elephants as they take their morning bath. During your visit to the camp, you’ll have an opportunity to ride on elephant back during a one hour trek into the surrounding forest. After a Thai set lunch at the camp, the afternoon is reserved for a leisurely cruise on board a bamboo raft.

A private vehicle will pick you up from your hotel and take you on one of the most unique experiences in Thailand, a visit to a Buddhist temple to offer alms to the Buddhist monks. Each morning before dawn (pick-up from your hotel is at 06:00 hrs), the monks put on their distinctive saffron robes and quietly pad in their bare feet along the streets, carrying alms bowls and receiving boiled rice and condiments from the citizens of Thailand In return people receive the monks’ blessings. You can participate in this very special Thai custom by personally presenting alms; a brief exploration at the Sri Soda temple may be made as well, religious festivals permitting, including see the monks pray in the early morning.

Visit the most sacred temple in the North of Thailand; the Wat Prathat Doi Suthep is the most sacred temple in Chiang Mai containing a holy relic of the Lord Buddha. Tucked away in the mountains at an elevation of 1,056 meters (3520 feet), the temple is reached using a Naga (7- headed dragon head serpent) railing rising along both sides. The temple compound – reachable via a 300-step staircase - offers an exhilarating view of Chiangmai city and surrounding countryside. Drive back down to the city centre to visit some of the other impressive temples of Chiangmai. Wat Suan Dok is one of them, which dates back to the 14th century when it served as the pleasure gardens to the Thai monarchy. Nowadays it houses several white Chedi’s, containing the ashes of Chiang Mai’s former Royal family. This temple also houses one of the most famous Monk Schools in the whole of Chiang Mai and the Wat Jedyod, also known as The Temple of Seven Spires. Please dress respectfully by not wearing sleeveless T–shirts, shorts or strapless sandals, when visiting the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.

You will be greeted at the airport by an English speaking guide and transferred by private car between the airport and your hotel.

Fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on Thai or Bangkok Air.

A private vehicle with English-speaking guide and driver will transfer you between the airport and your hotel. The driving time is roughly 45 minutes.

A visit to the Royal Grand Palace - the nation’s landmark and most praised royal monument in Thailand, with the enclosed and dazzling Wat Phra Keo with its revered Emerald Buddha, the Golden Chedi, the Pantheon of the Chakri Kings and the Eight Coloured Towers is a must. It is considered by many to be a living example of classical Siamese Court, being the former residence of the kings of Thailand. Wat Pho is also regarded as the first centre of public education and is sometimes called ‘Thailand’s first university’. Mural paintings, inscriptions, and statues found in the temple served to educate people on varied subjects such as literature, warfare, archaeology, astronomy, geology, meditation and is considered to be the home of Thai traditional massage. Here, you will enjoy a 30-minute Thai massage as an excellent break after a morning sightseeing. Experience an afternoon trip along the bustling Chao Phya River and the quiet Klongs (canals) in a long tail boat enjoy scenes of life by water. You'll be introduced to a serene, more traditional way of living, away from the high-rise and modern buildings of Bangkok City Centre, as you gently pass Thonburi residential areas. A stop will be made at the “Temple of Dawn” (officially named Wat Arun). Finally, a visit to the Flower and vegetable market will round off the day. Located close to the Chao Phraya River, this part of Bangkok brings you to a rural piece of Bangkok where you'll find a vast selection of all kinds of flowers, especially orchids and tropical flowers and see how the merchants create very special flower garlands. The end of this Bangkok day ends at the Golden Mountain.  Photography is permitted in the Royal Palace Grounds and in the compounds of the Emerald Buddha Temple, but not inside the buildings.

A private vehicle with English-speaking guide and driver will transfer you between the airport and your hotel. The driving time is roughly 45 minutes.