Thailand in Style - 7 days / 6 nights

Route: Bangkok - Chiang Mai

This tour highlights the best secrets in two of the most visited cities in the wonderful land of smiles, an amazing Big Mango "Bangkok" and the rose of the north "Chiang Mai". 

Start your memorable journey with a comprehensive tour in the hustling bustling Bangkok to the must-see attractions including important Buddhist temples to learn about the practice, visit a magnificent Grand Palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha, and a canal boat trip to see and smell the sights and sound of this great capital city.

Board the comfortable and luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express overnight train to Chiang Mai, rest up in the elegant compartment,  enjoy a delicious cuisine and receive the superb service that will linger in your memory for a lifetime. 

Spend several days up in the charming beauty of the atmospheric Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, touring around the mountainous area and uphill to the revered temple Doi Suthep, pay a visit to one of the best textile studios in the region, you will also be offered a choice of a unique experience to get up close to the Elephants, then take to the skies for a spectacular aerial view of the landscape of Chiang Mai city on a fabulous scenic flight.

Day 1 - Arrive Bangkok (D)  

On arrival in Bangkok, Vietnam Adventures Travel tour guide will welcome you at the airport and take you to your hotel by a limousine. You will have some time to relax and enjoy your elegant guest room at the world's leading Bangkok riverside hotel, the Oriental.
In the evening, start your orientation in a city of angel with a dinner cruise on Manohra, a magnificent rice barge that has been converted into one of Bangkok's finest dining venues. Enjoy a sumptuous five-course dinner while cruising along the Chao Phraya River.  Overnight at The Oriental Bangkok, Thailand

Day 2 - Bangkok (B,L)  

Our guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Wat Pho Temple in time to experience the monks early morning chanting ritual (chanting starts at 9am). As one of the oldest temples in Bangkok, Wat Po is home of the famous 45 metre reclining Buddha as well as being the original school of traditional Thai massage. Continue to The Grand Palace, the most important and impressive royal palace in Thailand. Your guide will show you the palaces used for different occasions - the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House, and of course the mysterious Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Thailand. Appropriate dress is required (or can be rented on site).

Lunch at "The Deck" Restaurant at Arun Residence overlooking the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun).

In the afternoon, take an exhilarating long tail boat ride, starting in Bangkok, towards the north of the city through the labyrinth of "khlongs" (canals). Experience the sights, sounds and smells of Bangkok river life as you head into Nonthaburi and the cityscape turns into countryside. Stop to walk through a bustling local market place where foreigners rarely venture, also to visit a waterside temple with an impressive reclining Buddha. Continue by boat back into the heart of Bangkok. Overnight at The Oriental Bangkok, Thailand

Day 3 - Bangkok - Chiang Mai (B,L,D)  

Breakfast at the hotel, and relax at the hotel pool offering uninterrupted panoramic views of Bangkok waterway or pamper yourself with the selections of spa treatment

In the early afternoon, our guide will transfer you to Bangkok main railway station (Hua Lampong) to board Eastern & Oriental Express Luxury train heading up to the rose of the north, Chiang Mai. Relax in one of the bar cars, saloon car or in the privacy of your comfortable compartment. Afternoon tea is served as you travel into Northern Thailand. Later that evening enjoy dinner in one of the beautiful restaurant cars. Retire to your compartment, transformed into a cosy bedroom by your steward. Overnight on board the train.  

Day 4 - Chiang Mai (B,L,D)  

After breakfast in your compartment the train arrives in Chiang Mai where you disembark. Meet up with our Exotissimo Travel guide upon arrival at the railway station and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the beautiful ambience of your hotel outside the city.

In the afternoon, you will be taken to Studio Naenna to see a fine display of textile arts of South East Asia. Studio Naenna is the marketing arm for a woman's weaving group which was founded in 1986 in northern Thailand. This group, known as the Weavers for the Environment was initiated by Patricia Cheesman Naenna, an expert in antique, Lao and Thai textiles. Continue to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (AD 1384), the most sacred temple in Northern Thailand. Inside the cloister of the temple you will see one of the most sacred stupas in all of Thailand. A panoramic view of the city is seen from here at 3500 feet above sea level, a perfect photo opportunity!

We take you tonight to one of Chiang Mai?s hottest eating venues and select a perfect Thai Fusion cuisine menu just for you at either the elegant Mahanaga or trendy The House. After the dinner, jump into a tuk-tuk and head to Chiang Mai's famous night bazaar for a stroll among the colorful stalls. Overnight at Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai, Thailand

Day 5 - Chiang Mai (D)  

Off the beaten track of one of Chiang Mai's most visited areas, an exploration of Mae Sa valley's best hidden secrets. Aboard your off-road vehicle, our tour starts with a private mahout demonstration set in a serene elephant nursery. Continue to the Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens compared by the experts to the famous London's Kew gardens. Overlooking a waterfall, lunch will be taken at a local restaurant. Encounter with the Hmong hill tribe people in the afternoon and visit of the Nong Hoi Royal Project initiated by the King in 1969 to eradicate the cultivation of opium.

Option B
Depart your hotel for the Chiang Dao Young Elephants Training Camp, 56 km (35 miles) from Chiang Mai. Enjoy a one hour elephant ride into the thick forest surrounding the camp before watching the elephants taking their morning bath in the running stream. After their bath, the trainers and elephants will demonstrate a number of their skills for you. After that, depart the elephant camp in order to visit the Mae Ping River where you meet your bamboo raft driver for a leisurely, one hour ride down the river. Have lunch at a local restaurant. Continue your tour to the beautiful Orchid Nursery where more than 50 types of orchids bloom year-round. You will also visit a Butterfly Farm where you will see numerous colorful and rare butterflies.  

Overnight at Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai, Thailand

Day 6 - Chiang Mai (B)  

The day is free at leisure. You may wish to join one of the cooking classes, or take our wood carving workshop tour or spend time to relax at the hotel.

End your day with a fabulous aerial view from a scenic flight, experiencing North Thailand's mountains and countryside landscapes on a 50mn flight aboard your private Cessna Grand Caravan. Fly at low altitude over Doi Suthep, the Ping River, Mount Chiang Dao and other major sights & marvel at the amazing difference in perspective from the air. A glass of Champaign will be served upon landing and transfer to your hotel.  

Overnight at Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai, Thailand

Day 7 - Chiang Mai - Departure (B)  

You will be at leisure until our guide arrives for your limousine transfer to the airport for your return flight including assistance with your check in and baggage handling.

Note: Tour operates according to the Eastern & Oriental Express Train Schedule from Bangkok to Chiang Mai which is available on the following days in 2008: January 22/ February 5/ March 11/ April 15/ September 30/ October 28/ November 11.

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