2017 Study Abroad
Thailand: The Golden Kingdom
Laos and Cambodia
(15 Days)
From bustling Bangkok, you will travel north to ancient ruined capitals, hill tribe villages and
mountaintop temples to investigate all sides of this vibrant country of contrasts.
The spice and rice will nourish your body, the scenery and history will nourish your soul.
**Tour Closed.
Departure Date: May 26, 2017
To sign up for this tour, visit my tour website at:
Tour Includes:
~10 nights in handpicked hotels
~Breakfast daily, 3 lunches, 4 three-course dinners with beer or wine
~Multilingual Tour Director
~Private deluxe motor coach
~Guided sightseeing and select entrance fees
Tour Highlights:
~Spicy, sweet, salty and sourâ”Thai food at its finest
~Bangkok's canals and floating markets
~Interacting with the hill tribes outside Chiang Rai
~Soaring to the summit of Doi Suthep
~Up-close encounters with elephant
~Ornate Buddhist temples, stupas and ruins
Itinerary
Day 1: Travel day
Overnight flight | 1 night
Board your overnight flight to Thailand
Day 2: Arrival in Bangkok
Bangkok | 3 nights
Welcome to Thailand! Settle in to your hotel tonight.
Day 3: Sightseeing tour of Bangkok
Included meals: breakfast, welcome dinner
This morning, your Tour Director leads a sightseeing tour.
Explore the sprawling Grand Palace complex, built in 1782 for the King of Siam.
See the city's vast array of Buddha statutes at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha
(Wat Phra Kaew), the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), and the Temple of the
Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit).
Tour the city's canals, called klongs, on a speedboat and converted rice barge.
This evening, get acquainted with your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner.
Day 4: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market & River Kwai
Included meals: breakfast
Explore the region on a series of stops at local cultural sites.
Experience the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, where locals sell produce from their small boats.
Journey to Kanchanaburi, home to the River Kwai and the Thai-Burma Railway bridge that
was made famous by the novel and film about its construction.
Visit the World War II Cemetery, resting place of over 9,000 Allied soldiers.
Day 5: Ayutthaya & Uthai Thani
Phitsanulok | 1 night
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Journey to Ayutthaya, Thailand's capital from 1350 to 1767.
Tour the ruins, decorated with beautiful images of the Buddha draped in saffron robes, just like living monks.
Continue on to the Uthai Thani province to visit the beautiful Wat Chantaram .
Enjoy a free evening in Phitsanulok or add an excursion.
+ Rickshaw Ride & Market.
Excursion: Rickshaw Ride & Market | $29/$39*
(1 hour, departs in the evening) Take a cycle rickshaw to the Phitsanulok Night Market,
where you'll find fresh food cooked and served to order. Watch as local cooks perform their signature
flying vegetables show in which vegetables are fried in a wok, then tossed high into the air. Be sure
to try the finished product, Pak Boong Loy Fah (or Flying Morning Glory in English).
In addition to the food, you'll discover an astounding variety of local
handicrafts, souvenirs and clothing for sale.
Day 6: Sukhothai Historical Park
Chiang Rai | 2 nights
Included meals: breakfast, lunch
On your way to Chiang Rai, stop to tour the Sukhothai Historical Park.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, this park includes classical Buddha statues and temple ruins.
Day 7: Mae Kok River, Oolong Tea Plantation, the Mekong River & Laos
Included meals: breakfast
This morning, board a long-tail boat and venture along the Mae Kok River to a hill tribe village.
Learn about the traditional life of the hill tribe people, who live in bamboo houses raised on stilts
and are skilled at crop rotation and hunting with spears and crossbows.
Stop in Mae Salong, an ethnically Chinese town where various agricultural products are produced--including
oolong tea, which you'll learn about at a tea plantation visit.
Visit the Golden Triangle, where the three countries of Burma, Thailand and Laos meet on the Mekong River
Take a short cruise across the Mekong River to visit a local market in Laos.
Day 8: Wat Rong Khun & Doi Suthep
Chiang Mai | 3 nights
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
On your way to Chiang Mai, stop at Wat Rong Khun, the otherwordly "White Temple."
Then, enjoy the stunning scenery as you stop at some of the region's most impressive temples and historic sites.
Discover Doi Suthep, the regal mountain overlooking the city from the northwest and
home to some of the most deeply loved symbols in the Kingdom.
Walk the 290 steps skyward or take a cable car to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a major temple and
pilgrimage destination during the important Buddhist holidays of Makha Buja and Visak.
Visit Wat Suan Dok, a temple constructed for a revered priest visiting from Sukhothai,
to learn about Buddhism from one of the resident monks.
Day 9: Elephant Nature Park
Included meals: breakfast, lunch
Drive through the countryside to the Mae Taeng Valley and the Elephant Nature Park,
a camp dedicated to caring for the elephant population through conservation efforts and ending mistreatment.
You'll learn about Asian elephants as you watch them feed and bathe.
Enjoy a free evening in Chiang Mai or add an excursion.
+ Khantoke Dinner.
Excursion: Khantoke Dinner | $39/$49* (3 hours, evening with dinner).
Revel in a delectable, entertaining khantoke dinner. The customary northern Thai style of eating,
khantoke-style dining became popular in the early 1950s, though it has been a Lanna Thai tradition for
centuries. Relax as traditional food is served on large platters, and enjoy your meal as you are entertained by
a variety of cultural performances.
Day 10: Local Handicraft Market
Included meals: breakfast
Travel to San Kamphaeng to see how regional products are made by visiting local artisans,
a silk factory and a paper umbrella manufacturer.
Enjoy a free afternoon in Chiang Mai or add an excursion.
+ Traditional Thai Cooking Class & Dinner.
Excursion: Traditional Thai Cooking Class & Dinner | $69/$79* (5 hours, evening with dinner)
Venture outside Chiang Mai to a secluded part of Sankhampaeng village, amidst the stunning rice field
scenery of Northern Thailand. Start at a local market and learn about fresh ingredients, which you will cook.
Culinary school chefs will teach you how to prepare four traditional Thai dishes. Enjoy your meal with your
fellow travelers.
Day 11: Flight to Bangkok
Bangkok | 1 nights
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Fly to Bangkok for your final day in Thailand. After reaching the capital city, spend time relaxing
or exploring on your own.
Later, join your group for dinner and travel on to Cambodia with your group.
Day 12: Sunset at Angkor Wat
Post-tour extension
Siem Reap | 2 nights
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia and arrive in time for lunch. At sunset, tour the majestic temples of Angkor Wat,
the world's largest religious monument and an outstanding example of Khmer architecture.
Honoring Hinduism and Buddhism, its five layers of rectangular walls and moats are said
to represent mountains and the ocean.
Day 13: Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm & Preah Khan
Included meals: breakfast, lunch
Spend the day exploring evocative temple ruins with your Tour Director.
Experience Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Kmer Empire and home of the Elephant Terrace,
the Terrace of the Leper King and the Bayon Temple.
Visit Ta Prohm, a 12th-century temple that has been largely reclaimed by the jungle.
Stop at the ruins of the nearby Preah Khan temple.
Day 14: Flight to Bangkok
Bangkok | 1 night
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Enjoy a morning tour of Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre, the latter meaning "Citadel of the Women."
Later, fly back to Bangkok for a group dinner.
Day 15: Departure
Transfer to the airport for your early morning flight home.
**Note: Extension is available on select departure dates. Space is limited. Minimum of 10 travelers is required.
Reservation Information
The deposit per person is $450 due at the time of reservation.
The final payment date is 70 days prior to departure.
For single rooms pay an extra amount.
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