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 Exclusion :
What is not included in the trip price
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 Other meals than mentioned in the program
Optional tours
Expenditures of personal nature and domestic air-tickets. Domestic air tickets will be issued by Dits Travel (2001) Ltd. and charged for separately. |
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Price Details |
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- Number of Persons -
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Join-In
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Child
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Single Surcharge
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38,211
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16,624
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6,565
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All prices inclusive of taxes and hotel service charge, unless stated otherwise in the Exclusions
below No extra charges and no minimum for credit cards |
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** Minimum of 4 persons*
- Surcharge for departures on Dec 21 & Dec 28, 2008 and Jan 04 & Apr 12,2009
(Twin-Share/ Single Surcharge/ Child: 1,662.- THB per person) |
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Minor program changes are sometime necessary, depending on confirmed flight, road conditions, weather and availability of room.
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Itinerary
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DAY |
DESCRIPTION |
Day
1 |
CHIANG MAI
Pick up from your hotel in Chiang Mai or Chiang Mai airport and drive to Mae Sa Valley, where you will watch elephants at work in the forest. (Optional: A one-hour elephant ride into the jungle surroundings. Cost per person: 600. - Baht.) Continue to an Orchid Farm. After lunch at a local restaurant you will receive an introduction to the various handicrafts produced around Chiang Mai with the opportunity to watch the production of lacquer-ware, weaving of Thai Silk and the painting of paper umbrellas. A visit of a reputable Gems cutting workshop and a well-known Thai wood carving factory with the possibility to buy Burmese antiques are included in the afternoon program as well. In the evening enjoy a typical Northern Thai Dinner with a presentation of Thai traditional dances from Northern Thailand at a Kantoke restaurant. Accommodation at Hotel.
Overnight : at
Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel
or similar
Meals :
Lunch/Dinner
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Day
2 |
CHIANG MAI �LAMPHUN - LAMPANG
After breakfast visit the most interesting places in Chiang Mai such as Wat Phra Singh with its famous Buddha image, the Hill-tribe museum and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, tucked away in the mountains at 1,056 meters above sea level. The temple is reached by a staircase with 290 steps, flanked by a Naga balustrade on either side. The monastery was built by King Gue-Na in 1383. After lunch at a local restaurant depart for Lamphun and visit Wat Phra That Haripoonchai., an incredibly beautiful temple dating back to 1157.The golden Chedi is a postcard favorite and a spectacular site. Continue towards Lampang with a stopover at Tung Kwian Market, where ceramics, handicrafts, fruit, vegetables, preserved foods and live animals are sold. Shortly before arriving to Lampang, visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang with its huge golden Chedi and beautiful Lanna style architecture. Dinner and accommodation at hotel.
Overnight : at
Lampang River Lodge
or similar
Meals :
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
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Day
3 |
LAMPANG � PHRAE � NAN
After breakfast visit the local market, which offers a colorful display of flowers, fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs. Watch out for the 2 symbols, which Lampang is famous for: The cock, which can be found on street signs and ceramic bowls, and the horse carriages, which can only be seen in this town in Thailand. During a leisurely ride in a horse carriage one can still admire wooden houses built along the river. You will also visit Wat Chedi Sao, a temple with 20 stupas. Monks at this temple prepare medicines from medicinal herbs and plants, which promise to cure a large number of remedies. Continue towards Phrae with a visit of Nam Tum weaving village, where you can observe the local women weaving nicely patterned cloths on wooden looms. Another stop will be made at Ban Tung Takra, where woven baskets and household goods are sold along the street. After lunch in Phrae visit the exquisite Vongburi House, a wooden mansion built in 1907 with fine wood carvings. Phrae is also famous for producing �Mo-Hom�, the blue shirts worn by villagers all over Northern Thailand. You will visit the home of a family, where the process of dying the shirts will be explained to you. Continue through rural villages to Muang Phi, which depicts strange eroded rock formations, sandstone canyons and creeks. In old times villagers often got lost in the shrubs, which inspired them to name the place Phae Muang Phi, or �Ghost City�. Shortly before arriving to Nan you will also have the opportunity to see, how Sa-paper is produced. Dinner and accommodation at hotel.
Overnight : at
Thewaraj Hotel
or similar
Meals :
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
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Day
4 |
NAN � NONG BUA � CHIANG KHAM � CHIANG RAI
Breakfast. Visit Wat Phumin, famous for its mural wall paintings in Thai Lu style. They are considered highly valuable and depict legends concerning the Lord Buddha as well as local legends and the local way of life, which include native attires, weaving and commerce with foreign countries. Close by is Wat Chang Kham Woravihan. Its main features are the sculpted upper halves of elephants adorning around the Chedi, a Sukhothai influence. Stones with ancient Thai scripts relating to the alliance between the kings of Nan and Sukhothai have been found here. An ancient golden Buddha is enshrined in the Wihan. We then pay a visit to the Nan National Museum. The museum was constructed in 1903 and once the residence of a ruler of Nan. It displays exhibitions concerning the town's history and major structures, evolution of arts in different ages, and numerous ancient objects, the most eminent of which is a black ivory tusk. lt also provides anthropological information on the northern indigenous people including the several minorities residing in Nan. Our last visit in Nan is to Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, about 2 kilometers from town, an ancient religious site of the province. Once in the center of the old town, it was moved to its present location in about 1368. It features a 55 meter-high golden Chedi containing a holy relic from Sukhothai. Over the Wihan's door frames and on parts of the roofs are plaster designs in the shape of Naga, the great serpent, which represent the artistic best in local architecture. We continue to The Thai Lu Village of Ban Nong Bua, which is about 40 kilometers to the north. The Thai Lu people living at Ban Nong Bua are noted for producing the traditional tribal fabric, an art handed down from generation to generation. It has also been improved in the designs but still retaining the original patterns. The native woven materials have now become a highly popular buy among tourists. Wat Nong Bua was built by Thai Lu craftsmen, who had earlier migrated from southern China. The wall murals painted by Thai Lu artists some one hundred years ago equal in their artistic value and degree of perfection those at Wat Phumin in Nan. A scenic drive over winding mountain roads brings you to Chiang Kham, which another small town inhabited by many Thai Lu people. The Thai Lu originally were from the south of Yunnan in China and migrated to northern Thailand, particularly to Nan and Phayao, some 200 years ago. An interesting temple in Chiang Kham is Wat Nantaram, a Burmese style site built entirely with teak. The woodworks on the windows, gables, corridors and other parts are beautifully chiseled in elaborate designs. Another place of interest is Wat Phra That Sop Waen with its 700 year old Lanna style Chedi. Continue to Chiang Rai and check into the WIANG INN HOTEL. We then visit the highly interesting HILL TRIBE MUSEUM. After dinner at the �Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant�, you can stroll through the night market, where handicrafts and clothes can be bargained for.
Overnight : at
Wiang Inn Hotel
or similar
Meals :
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
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Day
5 |
CHIANG RAI � DOI TUNG � DOI MAESALONG � DOI ANGKHANG
Breakfast. Today we discover the mountain regions of Northern Thailand. Early morning, we depart for Doi Tung, where we visit the Mae Fah Luang Botanic Garden and Royal Villa, which originally was built as a retreat for HRH the Princess Mother. Parts of the villa are now open to members of the general public. Explore the picturesque garden surrounding the villa and enjoy the grandiose views. Our next stop will be at Phra That Doi Tung, one of Chiang Rai's most popular landmarks. We continue on winding roads to Doi Mae Salong (Doi translates into mountain), famous for its tea plantations. The splendid views on the way alone are worth driving to Mae Salong. The little town was founded in the 1960s by former Kuomintang (anti-Communist) soldiers, who had been expelled from Burma (Myanmar) and settled in the area. Mae Salong is 1800 meters above the sea level and cool enough for Japanese cherry trees to bloom - as you will see if you come in the right season. The town has Chinese temples, open air bazaars, and shops that offer Chinese specialties such as tea and locally grown preserved fruit. Mae Salong is also a market place for the Lisu and Akha from the surrounding hill tribe villages. After lunch at the Maesalong Villa, we descend to lower grounds and visit the Akha hill-tribe community project at Ban Lorcha, before starting the steep climb to Doi Angkhang, the mountain range along the Burmese boarder, 1650 meters above sea level. Here liea a cluster of hill tribe villages, which make up Doi Angkhang. With a population of less than 3,000 people, Angkhang is off the beaten track for most tourists. And yet, this is truly one of Thailand�s best kept secrets and a window into a way of life from a different era. A visit to the Royal Angkhang Station Project is a must while in the Doi Angkhang area. This research project provides agricultural support to neighboring hill tribes and develops non-indigenous crops for them to grow. Beautiful flower and bonsai gardens are tended alongside fruit, vegetables and herb gardens. The healthful produce of the Royal Angkhang Agricultural Station Project is available to purchase, depending on the season. Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Overnight : at Angkhang Nature Resort
Meals :
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
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Day
6 |
DOI ANGKHANG � CHIANG DAO � CHIANG MAI
Breakfast. Departure to Nor Lae Village, situated on the Thai and Burmese border. Soldiers from both countries can be seen in the area. Originally from the Chan State in Burma, approximately 2,000 people of the Palong, or Da-ang tribe migrated from Burma to Thailand around 1984. The Palong people have their own language and culture which, like that of the Muser hilltribe, follows the ancient traditions of their ancestors. The Palong hilltribe make their living agriculturally, growing vegetables for which they receive the support of the Royal Project. Women wearing traditional clothes and colorful belts can be seen following their daily chores. 4 kilometers further is the Black Muser village of Khob Dong. Here life carries on much as it has done for centuries. Families live together in single room bamboo houses raised 4 or 5 feet above the ground, with a roof made out of grass. Originally believed to be from the highlands of Tibet, the Muser tribe was once nomadic, constantly migrating within the areas of China, Burma, Laos and Thailand, farming opium, rice and corn. These days the tribe has been encouraged to settle in one place to conserve the forests, which were being destroyed through cultivation by the various tribes as they moved around in the surrounding area. And now, instead of farming opium, the Royal Project Foundation has helped the tribe learn how to grow cash crops such as tea, vegetables and different types of flowers. Next follows a scenic drive towards Chiang Dao, which offers splendid views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. After lunch at the �Chiang Dao Nest�, we will explore Chiang Dao Caves. There are five interconnected caves that make up the Chiang Dao complex, believed to stretch for many kilometers into Doi Chiang Dao. Only a small part of the complex is possible to explore. Two of the caves, Tham Phra Nawn (360m) and Tham Seua Dao (540m), are illuminated by electric lights. The other three caves can be explored with the aid of local guides with lanterns. Our last visit of the day is to nearby Wat Tham Pha Plong, half way up the side of the mountain in a small cave surrounded by forest, with over 500 steps to the top. It has some great views, and due to its location is completely peaceful. The tour ends with a transfer to Chiang Mai airport or a hotel of your choice (accommodation in Chiang Mai not included in package price).
Meals :
Breakfast/Lunch
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