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Travel
Gourmet Thailand
Thai cuisine is famous around the world for its unique use of spices combining delicate and strong. This introduction to Thailand takes you from the frenetic, yet exciting, pace of the modern capital, Bangkok, to Kanchanaburi, famous for the Bridge on the River Kwai. Next are the ancient capitals of Ayuthaya and Sukhothai and the tranquil northern city of Chiang Mai. Finally you visit Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle. This tour also highlights learning Thai cooking, feasting on a special lunch banquet and appreciating the importance that food has in the everyday life of the Thai people.
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Package Inclusions
- Domestic Flights Included
- Peregrine tour leader
- Local guides
- Arrival transfer
- Transportation
- Sightseeing and entrance fees
- Cooking classes
- 13 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 3 dinners
- Accommodation
- Bangkok
- Grand Palace
- Kanchanaburi
- River Kwai
- Ayuthaya
- Rice Barge
- Village Home Stay
- Sukhothai
- Chiang Mai
- Chiang Rai
- Golden Triangle
Trek Holidays
Trek Holidays has become Canada's largest wholesale adventure travel company and their staff have been to over 100 countries around the world. Trek works in conjunction with travel agents across Canada to prepare you for your arrival in a new destination based on their own personal experiences, videos, pre-departure booklets as well as reading lists.
- Day 1: Bangkok Arrive in Bangkok where you are transferred to the comfortable and centrally located Royal Benja Hotel. A pre-trip briefing is held in the evening, to meet the other members of your group and discuss the trip itinerary. Please check for a Welcome Notice on the Peregrine noticeboard located near the hotel lifts which will provide your Tour Leaders name, the exact time and location of your welcome meeting. Until your meeting we encourage you to get out and discover the delights that Bangkok has to offer, including Thailand's famous cuisine. After the Group Meeting in the evening we may adjourn to a nearby restaurant and enjoy a meal together (this is optional and at your own expense). The rest of the evening is free - perhaps a quiet drink or a visit to the bustling night markets of Bangkok.
- Day 2: Bangkok - Kanchanaburi In the morning we discover the sights of Bangkok. We visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), a must for first-time travellers to Bangkok. We also visit Wat Po, home of the famous Reclining Buddha. (When visiting temples and palaces in Thailand, please dress conservatively in order to respect the local culture). We then depart Bangkok and make our way to Kanchanaburi on our private minibus (approximately 2 1/1 hours). A tour here takes us to explore the sights in town, including the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai, the sobering Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and the JEATH War Museum, before retiring to our resort on the banks of the River Kwai.
- Day 3: Kanchanaburi Cooking School This morning we partake in a half day cooking school, which will introduce to you the intricacies of preparing and cooking Thai cuisine. This is the first of the two active cooking classes we have on this tour and you get a chance to learn skills that you can impress your friends with back home. Better still, you also get to taste the fruits of your labour...for lunch! In the afternoon you have free time to enjoy the tranquil environment of Kanchanaburi or do further optional sightseeing or laze by the swimming pool at our resort.
- Day 4: Ayuthaya We then head to Ayuthaya (approximately 4-5 hours). Situated 90 kilometres north of Bangkok, Ayuthya was the capital of Siam from 1350 to 1767 AD. In its prime it was one of the largest and most glamorous cities in the world and the capital city of the then huge Siamese empire, that included large parts of Laos, Cambodia and Burma. Following a siege of nearly two years, the city suffered total destruction at the hands of the Burmese. We board our private rice barge for a two-hour lunch cruise around this ancient city and its major temples. After our cruise, we head to Ban Jorakae, where we spend a night in a traditional Thai teak house. The accommodation is basic, however it enables you to experience a slice of the life-style of our gracious Thai hosts
- Day 5: Sukhothai After an early morning wake-up call to offer alms to the monks, we embark on a long drive to Sukhothai. Our journey takes us through the central plains of Thailand - the major rice producing region of the country (approximately 5-6 hours). We pass townships such as Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Kamphaeng Phet and Tak, before reaching our destination. Most of these towns see very few foreign tourists. Tonight we stay in a comfortable hotel situated between the new town and the archaeological site.
- Day 6: Sukhothai - Chiang Mai Sukhothai, historically known as 'The Dawn of Happiness', was Thailand's first capital. Some of the finest Thai antiques, Buddha images and ceramic pieces date from this period. We have an early start and visit the Sukhothai ruins. Here we ride bicycles - a great way to explore the archaeological park. After the decline of Sukhothai, the site remained deserted for centuries. The first major restoration began in 1979 and the visitors' centre displays the original layout of the city. In the afternoon, we travel by private mini-van to Chiang Mai approximately 6 hours). The evening presents you with a fantastic opportunity to explore the famous Night Bazaar, a shopper's paradise! The combination of the local Lanna handicrafts and the traditional wares of the hilltribe people on offer ensure that you won't go away empty handed. And also let's not forget the food!
- Day 7: Chiang Mai Cooking School Today is an all-day cooking school, starting with an early morning visit to the local market. After buying all our ingredients, including fresh vegetables, we travel to our cooking school, situated on the outskirts of town. Here we learn the intricacies of cooking Thai cuisine, with a special emphasis on the northern Lanna style. Be warned - you get to eat the fruits of your labour! "Lum tair tair" is the word for 'delicious' in the northern Thai dialect.
- Day 8: Chiang Mai Chiang Mai is a moated city with the impressive backdrop of Doi Suthep (a 1,676-metre peak that offers impressive views of the surrounding countryside). Near the summit is a famous temple - Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. We will visit the temple and also drop into the Tribal Museum, which gives you a very good introduction to the cultures and customs of the hill tribe people of northern Thailand.
- Day 9: Chiang Rai After breakfast, we head further north and travel by air-conditioned minibus, to Thaton (approximately 3 hours), a point where we board a longtail boat and journey along the river towards Chiang Rai. (Please note that, at some times of the year, it may be necessary to travel by mini-van due to the low water making it unsuitable to travel by boat. At other times, if the water levels are only just sufficient, you may have to lend a bit of muscle in the drier months to push the boat over a sandbar or two!) The trip along the Kok River allows us time to enjoy the hilly surroundings and look out for small villages, which are home to various hill tribe people. We overnight in a comfortable and centrally located hotel in Chiang Rai town.
- Day 10: Golden Triangle - Chiang Rai After breakfast we depart early to complete our journey to Chiang Rai, where we spend the night. Today's agenda is a day tour to the Golden Triangle, the meeting point of Burma, Laos and Thailand at the conflux of the Ruak and Mekong ('Maekhong' in Thai) rivers. This infamous point is the area in which powerful warlords have fought for control over the opium trade. An opportunity to cross the border at Thachilek into Burma is possible (for those wanting another stamp in their passport!) before visiting Chiang Saen, the point where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet. (Please note that the border crossing is subject to current conditions - from time to time the border is closed due to political problems between the nations). This evening we have time to visit the Night Market, which is rich with the colour and crafts of the hilltribe people.
- Day 11: Bangkok We transfer to Chiang Rai Airport and fly back to Bangkok (approximately 1 hour 15 minutes). We enjoy a final free day in the city (known locally as Krungthep (City of Angels)), where there is time for further sightseeing or shopping, before a final evening out with our group, taking in the city's exciting nightlife. We finish off our tour with a optional meal at a Thai restaurant usually frequented by local people and not commonly visited by tourists.
- Day 12: Bangkok The tour ends after breakfast in Bangkok. A transfer to the airport is not included; however your tour leader will be on hand to advise you as to the available options.
For reservations or additional information, call 1-866-286-9323 to speak with an experienced travel consultant.
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