The car will drive you through the most beautiful
parts of Khao Yai and you will have ample time to relax near
the beautiful Haew Suwat waterfalls where you can even swim
if you like. Later you will visit the vulcanic caves and the
bat caves and see more than a million bats swarming out to hunt
for nightly food. Falcons try to seize the bats as food, an
experience not to be missed. Around 19:00 hr our night tour
commences through mountain forests and grasslands. This is the
time that most animals come out of their hiding. From the car,
the nightly animal world is illuminated by special halogen lights.
Many species of deer, cats, wild boar and –with a bit
of luck- elephants at the salt licks can be observed. Dinner
(not included) will be served upon return in the hotel. Overnight
stay in an aircon room. The hotel has a swimming pool, a large
garden and a cozy and good restaurant. (L).
Day 2. Phanom Rung
On top of an extinct volcano, on the route from Khorat to Ankhor
Wat in Cambodia lies the Khmer temple complex of Phanom Rung.
It is the largest and best restored of all Khmer monuments in
Thailand. The whole complex and especially the procession road
to the main entrance, the stairs leading up to the complex and
the Naga bridges are beautiful and impressive. Just being here
and absorb the peace and tranquility is a wonderfully relaxing
experience in itself. The whole complex offers magnificent views
over the surrounding area. During Songkran, the Thai new year,
a special occasion takes place as the rising sun can then be
seen through all 15 gates of the western gopura. Uphill processions
are held during daytime and dance drama’s in the evening.
You will also visit Muang Tam, about 8 km away from Phanom Rung
where you can enjoy a totally different setting and layout.
In the evening you will transfer to Surin, a suprisingly cozy
city. Overnight stay in hotel Thong Tharin or Petchakasem (B,
L).
Day 3. Surin elephant village
Surin is world-renowned for its Elephant Round-up, held on the
third weekend in November, putting a focus on the province’s
heritage of raising and training elephants. Today you will be
able to see for yourself how elephants are trained and educated
in the village of Ban Ta Klang. This ancient Kui village has
raised elephants for hundreds of years, since the time when
their ancestors settled down at Wang Talu in the Dry evergreen
forest where the Mun and the Chee rivers converge. The Kui reject
the employment of elephants in hard work, such as logging which
is more popular in the North. Elehants, like friends or sons,
grow side by side with them. Their bond is indivisible. A show
is held on Saturdays from 9:00 till 11:00 a.m. The tour of the
village includes a 3-kilometre elephant ride to Wang Talu. Here
as the elephants bathe and frolick in the river, the tour offers
a panoramic view of the scenic landscape.
In the afternoon transfer to your homestay address
in the village Khampom Here you can experience for yourself
what authentic life on the quiet Thai countryside still is like.
Before dinner is served you can stroll through the village at
your own leisure or accompanied by your guide. During dinner,
prepared by your family host, you will be warmly welcomed by
the local Thai village people. The contact with the local people
and their warmth and hospitality will be among the most memorable
experiences of your holiday (B, L, D).
Day 4. Homestay & village
life
After breakfast you will visit the local school and see how
a school day starts. If you want you can even enter the classroom
and do some teaching of your own. It will be big fun and the
children always love to learn English, especially English songs.
Following the school visit you will make a bicycle ride through
the village. You will be accompanied by your guide who has a
lot of inside information and can tell you anecdotes about village
life. During the ride you will stop from time to time at peoples
homes to observe how they leisurely spend their day or earn
their living. There is, among others, a "factory"
where rice is being processed to "Lao spaghetti" on
a hot stone oven (when outside it is already over 30 degrees
Celsius!), a weaving place for cloths and a straw mat production
area. Later this day you will go to the rice fields. Your guide
will explain about rice farming and cattle farming. Depending
on the season you can see how rice is sown or harvested. If
you want then you can help and do some manual labour yourself.
Lunch is taken along the route at a local noodle & rice
food stall. In the afternoon you will buy the ingredients for
your evening meal at the local village market. The family host
mother will prepare dinner for you on a stone oven. You can
watch or, more fun so, help her do the cooking while she will
show you how. Your guide can do the translation. This often
leads to very comical moments. During dinner you can observe
the village's evening activities and talk with the Thai people
in a relaxing way. For more information about homestays click
here. Overnight stay again with the host family (B, L, D).
Day 5. Nongkhai
A morning ride will take you from Khampom
to Nongkhai, a lively and cozy provincial capital on the banks
of the Mekong river at the border with Laos and also the most
important border place of the region because it is connected
with Laos by the Thai-Lao "friendship bridge". Upon
arrival in Nongkhai a lunch is prepared on a roofed balcony
overlooking the Mekong river. There is time to explore Tha Sadet,
a lively harbor market where goods imported from Laos are offered
for sale. You can buy for instance French croissants and baguettes,
a remainder of the French colonial period of Laos. Later in
the afternoon a relaxing walk through Wat Sala Kaeo Ku, a quietly
located park packed with statues from Hindu and Thai culture.
Of course also a visit to the Thai-Lao friendship bridge is
planned. You can walk past the middle of the river, so that
you are in fact already on Laotian territory. Standing on the
bridge you have a nice view over the Mekong river. You will
end the day romantically with a dinner cruise on the Mekong
river (included). When evening falls, a boat will take you upstream
all the way to the Friendship bridge from where you can watch
the beautiful sunset over the river. On the way back to the
pier, the boat will sail as close as 10 meters off the Laos
coast. You feel as if you can almost touch it. After dinner
you can explore Nongkhai on your own. Overnight stay in Pantawee
Resort, a comfortable hotel with a picturesque view over the
Mekong and the bridge (B, L, D).
Day 6. Mekongtour to Chiang Khan
Today you will make a wonderfully beautiful
voyage that will take you to Chiang Khan, a small border village
on the Mekong. The first stop is at Phu Phra Bat historical
park, situated on the Phu Phra Bat hill of Phu Phan Mountain.
There are 62 archaeological and cultural sites offering prehistoric
rock paintings from about 4,000 to 2,000 years ago and the park
also features a great display of historical artefacts from Dvaravati
and Khmer cultures. Within the historical park is also the site
of a stupa constructed during the 1920s, and a Buddha's footprint.
Then your onward journey to Chiang Khan begins. The route gently
follows the Mekong river and offers beautiful views of the river
itself, the mountains on the Thai side and on Laos on the other
side of the Mekong. You will stop a few times on the way to
admire the magnificent views and of course to make pictures.
Upon arrival in Chiang Khan the rest of the day can be spent
at your own free leisure. Overnight stay in Chiang Khan hill
resort (B, L).
Day 7. Loei - Phitsanulok
Today you will travel through the mountainous
province of Loei where you will visit Thailands first vineyards.
Loei, one of Thailand’s most beautiful provinces, has
long been a favourite destination for nature lovers with its
wealth of choices in national parks. Less known, Loei is the
place that pioneered Thailand’s growing winemaking industry
by combining the area’s cool year-round climate and rich
soil with leading-edge technology and equipment. Today, Chateau
de Loei is Thailand’s most serious and respected vineyard.
Though still a young wine making area, Loei is an excellent
place to see how wine should be made. The best times to visit
are February and July when winemaking is most active. Wine as
well as other farm products, local fresh vegetables and fruit
juices can be purchased on site. While moving on to Phitsanulok,
the road east to Lomsak passes through some spectacular scenery
and you will stop at the famed Kaeng Sopha Falls in Thung Salaeng
Luang National Park. Overnight stay at the Pailyn hotel in Phitsanulok
(B, L).
Day 8. Sukothai
Founded in the 13th century, Sukhothai
was the first capital of Thailand (then Siam), which enjoyed
a golden age under King Ramkhamhaeng, credited with creating
the Thai alphabet. The superb palaces, temples and monuments
of this great city have been lovingly restored in Sukhothai
Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see
for all travellers. We will rent bicycles to stroll through
this breathtaking and impressive old historical city. The guide
will supply you with a city plan so that you can find your own
way in this maze of ruins, city walls, lakes and canals. Lunch
in a restaurant near to the park. Overnight stay in hotel Pailyn
in Sukothai (B, L).
Day 9. Lampang
In the morning you will move onwards to
Lampang, founded in the 7th century and traditionally the centre
of the northern teak industry. This brought many Chinese, Burmese
and Western traders to the province whose influence can be seen
in the architecture of many buildings, houses and art objects
made of solid teak found throughout the town. Lampang town is
famous for its brightly coloured horse-drawn carriages, a popular
form of transport. Of course a horsecar ride through the town
is on our program. The Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao temple once housed
the famous Emerald Buddha. Outside the town, the walled temple
of Wat Phrathat Lampang Luang is considered the most beautiful
temple in Thailand. Its central wihan is made of old teak, and
exquisite teak carvings grace the facades of many of its buildings.
Overnight stay in Lampang (B, L).
Day 10. Chiang Mai
In the morning transfer from Lampang to
Chiang Mai, the North’s largest city and end tour (B,L).
Chiang Mai is the centre for tourism, either
in the city or visiting hilltribes, elephant camps and trekking
amid wonderful mountain scenery. Chiang Mai is over 700 years
old. The old walled city with its moats contains some magnificent
temples. Wat Phra Singh is famous for its Lanna-style architecture,
beautiful wood carvings and superb murals. Nearby is the ageless
Wat Chedi Luang, which lost the top of its massive chedi to
an earthquake 400 years ago. Doi Suthep mountain looms over
the town, and the highly-revered temple at its peak offers superb
views of the surrounding countryside.
The Mae Sa Valley is an easy place to explore
with its elephant camps, orchid farms, waterfalls and Queen
Sirikit Park. Elephant lovers may prefer to head to Mae Taeng
or Chiang Dao, where you can watch elephants at work and go
trekking in the countryside. For the really adventurous, Doi
Inthanon National Park, home to Thailand’s highest peak,
provides trekking opportunities amid wonderful scenery, plummeting
waterfalls and a great variety of bird life.
Chiang Mai is known for its outstanding handicrafts.
Travellers love to head down the road to San Kamphaeng, which
is crowded with cottage industries making wood-carvings, Thai
silk, silverwork, umbrellas, lacquerware, etc. Watch the craftsmen
at work and also make purchases, or wander around the famous
Night Bazaar, where many similar items are for sale.
Total driving distance approx. 2030 km.
Average transfer distance about 203 km or 3 hours driving per
day.
Longest transfer distance about 350 km or 5½ hours driving
on day 7 ( Chiang Khan to Phitsanulok ).
The tour includes: All mentioned transfers by airconditioned
private minibus or coach, meals: 9 x breakfast, 10 x lunch,
3 x dinner, the program as described in the itinerary, 9 Nights
accommodation in good tourist class hotels - except during the
homestay, where accommodation is non air conditioned and shared
bathroom - all entry fees and English speaking guide. The tour
does not include any beverages and personal expenses.
IS40 - 10 Days / 9
Nights - Northeastern Adventure
pls
contact us for further information and price
