Custom Tour: Classic Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia for Richard & Alice
14 Nov 08 Bangkok - Arrival
Catch your flight - arriving at 23:30. Arrive in Bangkok where you will be met by your Guide and transferred to your hotel.
Meals Included: None
Overnight at Sofitel Bangkok Silom - Luxury Room
15 Nov 08 Bangkok - Day at Leisure
Have a free day to explore on your own.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Overnight at Sofitel Bangkok Silom - Luxury Room
16 Nov 08 Bangkok - Public Transport Tour with Klong trip
You will be met by your guide at your hotel at 9am before transferring to the Skytrain. Enjoy an elevated view of central Bangkok before boarding a river express boat to the Flower Market. Enjoy the sights and smells before taking an exciting tuk tuk ride to Wat Pho to see the famous Reclining Buddha. Enjoy a thirty minute massage from the temple’s near by traditional Thai massage school.
Break for lunch at a local restaurant, and then head to the pride of Thailand, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew housing the Emerald Buddha. Take a stroll down the street to a local Buddhist amulet market before heading off along the klongs (canals) finally boarding a river express boat to the Skytrain station and returning to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Sofitel Bangkok Silom - Luxury Room
17 Nov 08 Chiang Mai - Doi Suthep & City Tour
You will be transferred to Bangkok Airport for your flight - Bangkok Airways PG215 departing at 08:00 & arriving at 09:15. You will be met at Chiang Mai Airport and transferred to your hotel. You will be transferred to visit Doi Suthep, the most important Wat in Chiang Mai. Perched high above the city, it offers wonderful views of the city and countryside below.
Have lunch with your guide at a local restaurant.
Visit some of the more famous Wats, within the city walls of Chiang Mai, Your guide will discuss Buddhism and the role it plays in everyday life as well as showing you the many details of each temple.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at De Naga Chiang Mai Hotel - Deluxe Room
18 Nov 08 Elephant Nature Park Day 1
You will be met at your hotel at 830am and will join other volunteers as you head to a local fruit market. Shop with the elephant handlers for a variety of fruits and food for the elephants. Drive to the Elephant Nature Park and meet the herd as you give them some of your recently acquired treats. After getting to know the elephants a trained member of the park staff will talk to you about the plight of the Asian elephant in Thailand as well as the behavior of the elephants in the park.
Have lunch on the observation deck and then take the elephants to the river for a bath and play (make sure you bring a swimsuit or a change of clothes as you will be getting wet). Walk with the elephants back to the jungle in the evening and say goodnight before heading back to the volunteer huts and a simple dinner. You will spend the night in the volunteer huts which are very basic.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
19 Nov 08 Elephant Nature Park Day 2
After breakfast head out to find the elephants and spend some time watching them in their natural habitat. Bring them back to the camp so they can get a health check up and have their breakfast. Spend some time interacting with the elephants and helping with camp chores. Have lunch and then bid farewell to the elephants, the mahouts and the park. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at De Naga Chiang Mai Hotel - Deluxe Room
20 Nov 08 Chiang Mai - Chiang Saen - Chiang Rai
Your will be pickup from your hotel drive to visit Chiang Saen (A.D. 1260), the ancient city of Chiang Rai, on the steep banks of Mae Khong River, opposite Laos. Witness some magnificent, ancient ruins , Chiang Saen National Museum , the one of the most famous museums in Thailand for ancient Buddha images and antiquesand old temples; Wat Pa Sak, this ancient 88-metre high brick pagoda, next to the museum, is the tallest religious monument in Chiang Rai.and Wat Chedi Luang which is regarded as being one of the most beautiful examples of Lanna architecture in northern Thailand.
Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant. Then transfer to Chiang Rai hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at The River House Resort & Spa - Deluxe Room
21 Nov 08 Chiang Rai - Pakbeng
You will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Mekong where you will check out of Thailand before crossing by boat to the Laos Immigration point at Houeisay. After checking take a short drive to board the beautiful LuangSay.
Fitted out for comfort this 34 meter boat will provide a little luxury for this stretch of your travels and enable you to relax and watch the countryside slide past, read a book or get to know your fellow travelers a little better. You will stop and visit a local village before lunch is served on board. Late afternoon the boat arrives at the delightful Luangsay Lodge. Dine on the beautiful terraced dining room over looking the Mekong.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Luangsay Lodge
22 Nov 08 Luang Prabang - Pakbeng
After breakfast stroll thru nearby Pakbeng before joining the Luangsay again to continue downstream. You will stop at a Hmong village before lunch and the famous Pac-Ou Caves – the caves of 1000 Buddhas – and a local village where traditional rice alcohol has been brewed for centuries, before arriving at Luang Prabang.
Your boat will pull into the ancient Royal steps and you will be met and transfered to your hotel. Luang Prabang is a delight to walk around, choose your dinner spot from the many restaurants and visit the evening market.
Upon arrival in Luang Prabang you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Chang Heritage - Deluxe Room
23 Nov 08 Luang Prabang - Day in the Life
Today you'll escape the tourist hubs in town and see Luang Prabang through the eyes of a local. First, you will drive up the Mekong to visit the small village of Ban Mueng Keo, known for its production of Lao whiskey. Here you will receive a demonstration of the whiskey-making process by a local Lao Lao producer. And if you're up for it, sample the finished product for an early morning punch!
From here board a small boat and take a tour of the local fishing area, checking traps with the fisherman along the way and collecting any fish you might find. Return to Ban Pak Ou, where the former village chief and his family will cook you a Lao-style lunch and you'll learn about dining customs and etiquette.
After lunch, drive to the small weaving village of Ban Phone Xay, where you'll receive a weaving demonstration and have a chance to purchase handmade items directly from the source. Then take a tuk tuk with a local weaver to sell their products to the middle man and examine the handicraft business behind the scenes. You'll be the only tourist in town who knows the real story behind the bottles of Lao Lao, the grilled Mekong fish and the night market stalls.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Chang Heritage - Deluxe Room
24 Nov 08 Luang Prabang - Waterfall
You will be met at your hotel and driven to Ban Long Lao, where you’ll visit Hmong and Khmu villages before starting your 3 – 4 hour hike. You will be accompanied by a local guide and trek along mountainous paths through stunning scenery until you reach your final destination, the Kuang Si Waterfall. Here you can enjoy a well deserved swim and a picnic lunch before returning to Luang Prabang by minivan.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Chang Heritage - Deluxe Room
25 Nov 08 Hanoi - Arrival
Transfer to Luang Prabang airport from your hotel in time for your flight - Laos Airlines QV313 departing at 16:45 & arriving at 17:45. Arrive at Noibai airport Hanoi, where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Sofitel Metropole - Premium -Opera Wing
26 Nov 08 Hanoi - Cooking class
You will be met at your hotel and a cyclo will take you through the Old Quarter to 104 Ma May Streeet where a famed local chef will meet you and take you to Hang Be Market where you can see the locals bargaining for their goods. After buying fresh ingredients return to the kitchen where you will have a private cooking demonstration and you can make your own lunch. You will return to your hotel around 2pm and have the rest of the day to explore on your own.
Attend a Water Puppet Show to experience a truly traditional Vietnamese evening.
Your guide will take you to a local restaurant for dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Sofitel Metropole - Premium -Opera Wing
27 Nov 08 Halong Bay - Day 1
Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you will take a private minivan with driver to Halong Bay. Arrive in Halong Bay and board a Vietnamese “junk” (boat) where you will have lunch.
Then take a fantastic cruise in Halong Bay, where the cast limestone islands rise vertically out of the water and you will wonder if you are dreaming or sailing into a movie set. Visit Dinh Huong, Ga Choi, Dog, and Snail Islands before continuing to Sung Sot cave. Jump in for a swim at Titov beach. Enjoy dinner on the boat followed by optional fishing and drinking of Vietnamese wine before heading to your air-conditioned cabin.
Overnight onboard
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
28 Nov 08 Halong Bay - Day 2
After breakfast on the boat continue cruising this area known as one of the 'Wonders of the World' to Man’s Head and Tortoise Islands. A small bamboo boat will take you to Luon Cave, then off to Bai Tu Long Bay, Toal Island, Bai Tho Mountain. The boat will then make its way to Halong City as you enjoy your last lunch aboard. Return to Hanoi in a private car, stopping en-route at Dong Trieu Pottery.
Arrive in Hanoi and then transfer to the airport for your flight - departing at 18:35 & arriving at 20:35. Arrive in Saigon where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Majestic Saigon Hotel - Colonial Room
29 Nov 08 Saigon - Exclusive Cu Chi Tunnel Experience
Your guide will meet you at your hotel at 1pm and you will drive to the Saigon dock and board a private speedboat. See the progression of city to rural as you first pass condos and then continue on past farms and small shacks.
After about an hour and a half you will arrive at the Cu Chi Tunnels where a veteran of the Vietnamese/American war will give you a private tour of the tunnels and recount his experiences as a tunnel rat. You will then be met by a van and taken to the private home of Mr NAM where you will have dinner with him and his family. Return to Saigon by van after dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Majestic Saigon Hotel - Colonial Room
30 Nov 08 Siem Reap - Arrival
Our guides are the experts so we leave you in their hands to decide what you want to see and do today. There are some great markets if you are in the mood to shop or you can visit some of the museums like the History Museum, or some pagodas, like Thien Hau Pagoda and Jade Emperor Pagoda. A more somber attraction is the War Remnants Museum, a very powerful look at the Vietnam War. Chat with your guide and decide what suits you!
You will be picked up and taken to the airport for your flight - departing at 11:20 & arriving at 12:40. You will be met by a Journeys Within representative and taken to Journeys Within Bed & Breakfast.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B
01 Dec 08 Siem Reap - Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom
In the morning watch the sun rise from the tethered balloon ride then grab a traditional breakfast of noodle soup like the locals do at local stall. After breakfast head to Angkor Wat in an air conditioned car with your guide. Explore this majestic temple throughout the morning while it is still cool and has fewer tourists.
In the afternoon head to Angkor Thom, the famous walled city and see the many temples within its borders, including the fascinating Bayon temple with its many magnificent faces smiling out. Walk between the temples as your guide shows you detailed reliefs and hidden wonders. There are several beautiful spots from which to watch the sunset. Discuss with your guide where you would like to be and then relax and enjoy a memorable end to your day at the temples.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B - Family Bungalow
02 Dec 08 Siem Reap - Beng Mealea , Banteay Srei and the Ta Prohm
Enjoy breakfast at Journeys Within before leaving the crowds behind and heading to Beng Mealea, a temple only recently opened to the public; about one and a half hours drive from Journeys Within. After an hour you will leave the paved road and get onto a beaten track running through rice fields and villages of rural Cambodia.
At the temple our guide will help you imagine how it once was as you pick your way through the rubble now surrounded by jungle. In the afternoon head to Banteay Srei, an intricately carved temple known as the Lady Temple. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant near Banteay Srei and then on the way back visit Ta Prohm, one of the prettiest temples in the complex.
Head into town to enjoy a traditional buffet dinner and dance show in the evening.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B - Family Bungalow
03 Dec 08 Siem Reap - Kayaking
Experience a unique Journeys Within day kayaking on the Tonle Sap. You will set out with the rest of the group around 8am and drive for about an hour before boarding a boat for a 40 minute ride to one of the lake villages. Here the homes are built on stilts because, while in the dry season the surrounding area is dry, in the rainy season it is flooded and so they rise above the water level.
You will arrive at the local home that stores our canoes and after a short safety briefing head off with your guide who will lead you thru waterways, flooded forests and out into the Tonle Sap lake where you can take a dip if you wish. Then back to wind thru the village experiencing how the locals live in this watery environment before returning to the home for lunch and a leisurely boat and car ride back to town.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B - Family Bungalow
04 Dec 08 Siem Reap - Village Tour
Set out for our Journeys Within Village Tour. Our village guide will take you to his village showing you rice paddies and typical homes along the way. At his village enjoy a fresh coconut drink and meet his family and neighbors. Walk from here to West Baray Lake where you can take a local boat to an island with some picturesque ancient Khmer ruins. Return to shore where your car will be waiting for you. From here head to Pua District and visit the Artisans de Angkor silk farm where many local women are trained in the art of silk weaving.
In the late afternoon visit the new JWOC Community Center Language School. Meet the students and help them practice their English. This flagship location represents and brings together all of JWOC's projects in a central location where educational and economic opportunities are offered free to local communities and meaningful interaction between Cambodians, tourists, donors, expats, scholarship students and others is facilitated.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Journeys Within B&B - Family Bungalow
05 Dec 08 Siem Reap - Departure
Transfer to the airport in time to catch your flight - Bangkok Airways PG924 departing at 09:50 & arriving at 10:45.
Arrive in Bangkok where you will be met by your Guide and transferred to Natural Ville your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast
Tour Rate Starting at: $ 5,775 per person based on 2 people traveling