Program D
An Adventurous Journey of the Cosmopolitan Capital, the Bridge over the River Kwai and the Natural World of Northern Thailand.
10 Days 9 Nights

Introduction
This adventurous journey allows you to experience the very essence of Thailand, its history, culture and natural beauty. You will take in the capitals fast-paced modern society as well as the most magnificent ancient sites.

You will embark on an historical discovery of the picturesque Kanchanaburi, visiting the famous bridge spanning the River Kwai, where the Japanese controlled the construction of a railway line which brought about the suffering of thousands of Prisoners of War in World War II. This destination offers spectacular scenery, with mountains rising in misty haze along the river and waterfalls abound as the jungle stretches away.

Your final destination is the charming city of Chiang Mai. This city offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a completely different culture. Chiang Mai is the home of Lanna Thai, once a completely independent Kingdom, which still upholds its own customs, traditions and culture. It is South-east Asia’s leading handicraft centre and is home to the colorful hill tribes who inhabit the surrounding mountains and valleys. Chiang Mai’s stunning mountainous backdrop compliments the cities incredible architecture. The city centre itself is scattered with an abundance of luxury accommodations, sophisticated restaurants.

With all this and the wonderful hospitality that the Thai’s are famous for, you can rest assured that you are going to experience the most amazing vacation in this truly exotic land.


Reference #: SPD
Destinations: Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Mai
Duration: 10 Days, 9 Nights

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1
Your guide will welcome you at Bangkok International Airport and will transfer you to your hotel. En route, your guide will give an initial introduction to Thailand and a program briefing. (Specific interests & aspects of sight-seeing can also be discussed at this time.)

Day 2
Start the day by taking a long tail boat cruise down the Chao Phraya River. See the traditional houses precariously perched along the river. Along the way, stop to visit the Temple of Dawn, or Wat Arun, an extraordinary feat of architecture and one of the most revered sights along the river, and The Royal Barge Museum, after your boat trip, we will visit the exquisite Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple.
After a traditional Thai lunch at a local restaurant, we will head for “Wat Pho” or The Reclining Buddha Temple. This temple is the oldest and largest in Bangkok.

Day 3
This morning we will be the exclusive guests of Prasart Museum, a private art and antiques collector residing in Bangkok. The owner of the place has been collecting antiques, since his youth, such as Sukhothai Buddhas, Bencharong porcelain and paintings in the classical Thai style. We will take lunch at a local restaurant and the rest of the day can be spent at your leisure or available for sightseeing.

Day 4
An early start sees us on the road to the infamous Dameon Saduak Floating Market Along the way we can see numerous agricultural points of interest, such as the salt and shrimp farms and the coconut farms.
After lunch ,we will journey to Kanchanaburi by road. On arrival, we will visit the World War II Museum and War Cemetery. Visit the bridge over the river Kwai.
In the evening, check in to your hotel.

Day 5
After breakfast, we will board the Nam Tok Special train, slow ascendancy along the original railway track, constructed in World War II. The train will crawl along cliff edges and across The Bridge over the River Kwai. Stop at the station, we will enjoy a traditional Thai lunch, followed by a short drive to Hell Fire Pass Memorial. This stands as a reminder of the section of line where so many workers died, working day and night to cut a half-mile long pass through the mountain. Late afternoon, drive back to your hotel.

Day 6
Check out of your hotel and drive to Bangkok International Airport to fly to Chiang Mai. On arrival at Chiang Mai, we will transfer to your hotel and the rest of your day we will explore around Chiangmai City, visit Temples in the old city, such as Wat Phra Singh, Wat Jedi Luang, Wat Suan Dog, These temple offer a service whereby monks, will chat to tourists and educate them in Buddhist beliefs and explain how a monk lives on a daily basis.

Day 7
The most famous temple in Chiang Mai, located at the top of Doi Suthep Mountain, is our first port of call after breakfast. Once you have reached the temple, you can enjoy the best views of Chiang Mai city, from 3,000ft above the ground. Learn about the history of this temple and how it came to be constructed so high up the mountain. After lunch, we will take a trip to the town of San Kampaeng. This town is the home of Thailand’s famous Handicrafts. You can discuss specific handicrafts of your interest such as silk, teak wood, silver, umbrella and sa paper making etc., with your guide. Today go to Khantok dinner with classical & Hill Tribe dance show.

Day 8
Today, we will discover the wild side of Chiang Mai, starting at Chiang Dao Elephant Conservation Center. After watching the elephants take their daily bath, we will watch a demonstration of the elephants working; pushing and heaving logs, then take a ride through the jungle. Your elephant will drop you at the Lisu hill tribe village, after look around the village; continue your elephant ride back to the main camp where we will begin a journey down to the rapids of The River Ping. We will take a bamboo raft and cruise down river for around an hour. Mid way through the return journey to your hotel, we will stop at the Orchid Farm to view an amazing diversity of orchid species.

Day 9
Take a scenic drive to visit the highest mountain in Thailand; The Park is ruggedly mountainous name Doi Intanon, the highest peak stands at 2,565 meters above sea level. Because of its wide altitude range and the cool climate in its upper reaches, the park supports the largest number of bird species in Thailand. The forest of the park is one of the country’s most important heritages. Today we will visit the peak and walk along Angkha Trail. Then visit the Two Picturesque Chedi, commemorating for the King and the Queen on their 60th birthday anniversary. Visit the Karen and Hmong Hill tribe villages, Royal project station, assisting the villagers grow temperate crops to improve their income. Visit one of the beautiful waterfalls which in this park. (Opportunity to hike in one of the nature trails on this mountain)

Day 10
Morning at leisure then transfer to Chiangmai Airport for your flight to Bangkok connecting to your next destination.