Exploring, Elephants, and Island Hopping: The Complete Thai Experience

Overview

This 12 day adventure in Thailand is an immersion into the culture, cuisine and lifestyle of this wonderful country. Discover backstreet Bangkok and wonderful deserted islands, take an overnight sleeper train, embark on a morning mist wildlife safari, and discover the best street food with your local guide.

Tour summary

Day 1-3 – Bangkok

Day 4 – Surat Thani

Day 5 & 6 – Khao Sok

Day 7-10 – Koh Lanta

Day 11 – Bangkok

...Read All

Overview

This 12 day adventure in Thailand is an immersion into the culture, cuisine and lifestyle of this wonderful country. Discover backstreet Bangkok and wonderful deserted islands, take an overnight sleeper train, embark on a morning mist wildlife safari, and discover the best street food with your local guide.

Tour summary

Day 1-3 – Bangkok

Day 4 – Surat Thani

Day 5 & 6 – Khao Sok

Day 7-10 – Koh Lanta

Day 11 – Bangkok

Day 12 – Departure

Explore Bangkok’s Wat Khun Chan where you will be inspired by the modern temples on one side of the khlong and Thai ancient history on the other, with the beauty of the river crossing through the landscape as you sail on a traditional long tail boat.

Visit the Artist Village, with old wooden walkways with artists, an old barber shop, an old grocery, vintage posters, colours of freedom, and a small stupa shining in the sunlight.

Stay in the gorgeous Khao Sok National Park, surrounded by breathtaking limestone cliffs, hovering high above the ancient forests.

Enjoy a truly responsible elephant experience, at a charitable elephant sanctuary, spending time preparing elephant food for one of the elderly elephant residents. You will have opportunity to bathe and spend time with the elephants and mahout (elephant care taker). By taking part in this experience you are supporting the elephants, and contributing to their ethical upkeep.

Spend the day at Cheow Lan Lake – without a doubt one of the most strikingly beautiful places in Thailand! With over 100 little islets and towering limestone cliffs, a full day lake tour gives you not only the opportunity to marvel at the magnificent ‘fairy-tale’ like scenery, but also to spot wild life in their natural habitat.

Rise before breakfast to board a long tail boat for a morning mist wildlife safari. From your boat you may see macaque monkeys, dusty languor, great hornbills, wild boars, gibbon monkeys, and if you are lucky, a wild elephant!

Enjoy Island Hopping between some of the most beautiful islands off Trang Province by speedboat, or a gentle kayaking day on the ocean as you relax in Kho Lanta, you will enjoy a great mix of beaches, winter sun, snorkelling, and stunning views.

*Lead in price is per person based on a group of 4 passengers sharing.

Arrival Day

Upon arrival at Bangkok Airport, a driver will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel in Bangkok. The rest of the day is free to relax.

Accommodation:

The Raweekanlaya Bangkok Wellness Cuisine Resort – Mattanee Executive Room

The hotel was originally built in the late 1800’s as a royal residence and has been restored and carefully designed to reflect the heritage of Old-Siam with contemporary touches. It is a true oasis with lush green vegetatian and ...Read All

Bangkok Cultural Tour

Enjoy your first Thai breakfast at the hotel before meeting up with your local guide who will accompany you to the nearby pier to board our traditional Thai long tail boat.

From here you’ll sail down the Chao Phraya, Bangkok’s main river, with amazing views of the Bangkok skyline, before turning to enter the ‘khlongs’ or canals, and here you will see why Bangkok is known as the Venice of the East. There is a network of canals throughout Bangkok and other low lying...Read All

Bangkok Cultural Tour

Enjoy your first Thai breakfast at the hotel before meeting up with your local guide who will accompany you to the nearby pier to board our traditional Thai long tail boat.

From here you’ll sail down the Chao Phraya, Bangkok’s main river, with amazing views of the Bangkok skyline, before turning to enter the ‘khlongs’ or canals, and here you will see why Bangkok is known as the Venice of the East. There is a network of canals throughout Bangkok and other low lying areas of Thailand, which were the main traffic and trade routes before cars.

You will pass a range of local wooden stilt houses with clothes hanging to be dried in the sun, a local “7 Eleven”, khlong style. Feel the more traditional and exotic atmosphere of this area.

You will hear Thai music being played from the houses, you will see birds looking at the trespassing boats, if you are lucky you may spot one of the sunbathing lizards.

The first stop is at the temple Wat Khun Chan where you will be inspired by the modern temples on one side of the khlongs and the tradition and heritage of days gone by on the other, with the beauty of the river crossing through the landscape.

From there it’s onwards to the Artist Village, old wooden walkways house artists, an old barbers shop, a traditional grocery, vintage posters, the Thai flags of freedom, and a small stupa (a bell shaped Buddhist shrine).

Feel the quietness surrounding this place. A stop will be made where you can feed holy Catfish. It’s a remarkable sight when hundreds of fish come to the surface seemingly out of nowhere!

Upon leaving the khlongs you will see several houses on stilts where the locals live in small houses on the river. Then we leave the quietness and sail back towards the noisy, Chao Phraya river and Bangkok’s majestic grand palace.

Once your boat trip has ended there is time for your trip ends at Pier 9 on the Chao Phraya River, from where you you can visit the nearby temples on your own, continue to the shopping malls or return to your accommodation.

Accommodation:

The Raweekanlaya Bangkok Wellness Cuisine Resort – Mattanee Executive Room

Meals:Breakfast

Explore Bangkok

Today, breakfast and dinner are included, with you spending the morning at your leisure, enjoying the pool or exploring the temples nearby.

Then, in the late afternoon be prepared for a walk through Bangkok’s Chinatown. Your local guide knows Chinatown inside out, its jungle of markets, lights, sounds, and street life, they will take you on a journey showing you the very best from a locals perspective, this way you will see what most visitors miss! Once you have learnt all about th...Read All

Transfer from Bangkok to Surat Thani

Enjoy breakfast at your leisure, in the comfort of your hotel.

Today is your last day in Bangkok, after checkout take the opportunity to take a stroll in the city for one last time.

In the late afternoon you will be heading to Hua Lumphong railway station by a private transfer.

You will be boarding on the sleeper train and experience a typical and very local mode of transport, to Surat Thani.

Accommodation:

2nd Class Sleeper Train. (1st class will be b...Read All

Explore Khao Sok National Park

Welcome to Surat Thani! A private transfer takes you to the Khao Sok National Park.

Khao Sok National Park is one of the oldest rainforests in the world and home to the man-made Cheow Lan Lake. It is conveniently located in Southern Thailand, between the two coasts, and in the morning you will transfer from either Surat Thani or Khao Lak to Anurak Community Lodge.

Anurak Community Lodge is on the edge of Khao Sok National Park, surrounded by breathtaking limestone cliffs, hoveri...Read All

Khao Sok Adventure and Floating Raft House

Wake up to the sound of birds singing and gibbons calling from the treetops. Have breakfast in the early morning as the mist slowly lifts itself from the mountains.

You will spend the coming day and night at Cheow Lan Lake – without a doubt one of the most strikingly beautiful places in Thailand!

With over 100 little islets and towering limestone cliffs, a full day lake tour gives you not only the opportunity to marvel at the magnificent ‘fairy-tale’ like scenery, but also...Read All

Transfer to Koh Lanta

Rise before breakfast to board a long tail boat for a morning mist wildlife safari. From your boat you may see macaque monkeys, dusty languor, great hornbills, wild boars, gibbon monkeys, and if you are lucky, a wild elephant!

Back at the raft house, enjoy a traditional Thai breakfast and a bit of free time to swim and relax. Around noon you will check out from your raft house, have lunch and prepare to return to dry land.

You will go by long tail boat back to the pier through t...Read All

Explore Koh Lanta

Today, you have the day to spend at your leisure. Explore Koh Lanta as you desire, whether you decide to venture out into the gorgeous landscape, or enjoy the luxuries in your hotel, we’re sure you’ll have an amazing day!

Accommodation:

Lanta Casa Blanca – Deluxe Villa

Meals: Breakfast

Koh Lanta Four Islands Speedboat Tour

Enjoy the Four Islands Tour Koh Lanta by Speedboat (Available from October to May). Outside of these dates an alternative activity will be provided instead.

The tour takes you Island Hopping between some of the most beautiful islands off Trang Province, which are Koh Ngai, Koh Kradan, Koh Chuck, and Koh Mook with its popular Emerald Cave. You will enjoy a great mix of beaches, snorkelling, and stunning views.

08:30-09:00: Pick up at your Koh Lanta hotel

09:30: Arrive at K...Read All

Relax in Koh Lanta

Spend the day at your leisure.

Your hotel offers a range of activities, such as snorkelling and jungle trekking, as well as luxurious spa treatments.

Whether you choose to be active or relax, this is sure to be the perfect time to explore the area as you wish.

Turn in for the night at your beautiful hotel.

Accommodation:

Lanta Casa Blanca – Deluxe Villa

Meals:

Breakfast

Journey Back to Bangkok

After waking up, you will be spending your last day in paradise.

After checking out of your hotel, you will begin your journey back to Surat Thani, where you will then board your night train back to Bangkok.

This unique experience is sure to be one for the memories!

Accommodation:

2nd Class Sleeper Train.(1st class will be booked if available subject to availability at time of booking )

Meals:

Breakfast

Departure Day

Arrive early morning to Bangkok and a private transfer takes you to the international airport for your flight back home. This marks the end of your amazing trip here in Thailand, we are sure it will leave you wanting to return!

Meals: None