Thailand Adventure May 28 – June 7, 2011 - $1,499

Trip Facts

• Departure date: May 28, 2011
• Duration: 11 days / 10 nights (not including flight times)
• Meeting point: Bangkok International Airport
• Price: $1499

Meet at Bangkok International Airport 3:00 pm for Thai Airways flight 116, departing at 5:15 pm arriving at 6:25 pm. Transfer to hotel. Spend remainder evening exploring Chiang Mai’s famous night bazaar.

Start the day along the Mae Rim, Samoeng route inside the Mae Sa Valley. Visit the Pong Yang Elephant Training Center, 30 kms from town, where elephants demonstrate their formidable and highly valued forestry skills. Back on the road, head for the Mae Sa Waterfalls, an eight level waterfall occupying a tranquil setting amid gigantic trees. Next is the Mae Sa Butterfly Farm where a large variety of beautiful butterflies are raised in a spacious garden. The farm gift shop sells framed butterfly specimens, a wide variety continuously blooming orchids and jewelry made from fresh flowers electroplated in gold. Optional stop at the ChiangMai Snake Farm to safely observe these dangerous reptiles. After lunch head for Huay Thung Thao, a big lake in the vicinity of Chiang Mai. Remainder of evening on your own exploring the city, where you can eat fried chicken, fish, shrimp, and various local dishes, or fish from bamboo bungalows situated on the water.

Spend today at the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School; established in 1993, it is a family business run by Sompon and Elizabeth Nabnian. Take a course taught by Sompon an experienced Thai chef who speaks excellent English. He will teach you the secrets of Thai cooking in a relaxed atmosphere. The course is completely hands on; you will prepare and cook all the dishes.  The teachers have an extensive knowledge of Thai ingredients and cooking methods which they take pleasure in sharing.  The main emphasis of the courses is on quality and it includes a full color recipe book, containing all recipes from the 5 courses.

Transfer to Airport for flight to Phuket. Thai Airways flight 129 departs at 11:45 am arriving at 1:10 pm. Phuket Island is a jungle paradise where we will stay at the Royal Paradise Resort. After checking in spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening on your own.

Open day to enjoy the beach in Phuket.

Morning transfer by the Sea Canoe van to Ao Po pier. Motor to the islands, stopping to explore the caves and lagoons on the first island before having lunch on the boat. At the second island explore more caves and traverse a 300m cave into giant a lagoon. Arrive and make camp on an island beach before receiving basic kayak training. Thai seafood B-B-Q dinner followed by paddle back to previously entered Hong (Hong by Starlight, tide dependant, or sunset paddle). Return for overnight in bungalows.

Depart for North Koh Yai Noi on escort boat, breakfast on board. Paddle north Koh Yao Noi and Big Tree Bay, stop to hike to the giant Ficus. Have lunch on board before paddling 1 km crossing to Lagoon Island. Circumnavigate Lagoon Island, home to many crab eating monkeys and giant fruit bats. Board escort boat and depart for Koh Chong Lat in Krabi province. Arrive Koh Chong Lat and make camp. Sunset paddle. B-B-Q dinner.

Breakfast on board. Paddle around Koh Chong Lat, a 1,500 foot island with stunning cliffs, a three chamber stalactite grotto called the "Blue Room", and an unusually beautiful channel on the way back to camp. Outside the Blue Room, watch for porpoise along with monkeys, water monitors, White Bellied Sea Eagles and Brahminy kites. Enjoy lunch on board while motoring to Koh Klui. Circumnavigate Koh Klui, a beautiful red limestone island with an irregular coastline. Boat drops us off in Krabi, Railey Beach. Overnight in hotel.

Transfer by boat to Ko Phi Phi, an island area fortunate enough to be surrounded by some of the most outstanding reefs and spectacular scenery in the Andaman Sea. These tiny islands offer enchanting natural beauty and charismatic charm. Stop on an island with no traffic where many people walk barefoot all day. Apart from diving and snorkeling there is rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, water-skiing, big game fishing, sailing. Other popular activities include sun bathing, reading, relaxing and eating. Phi Phi is a group of 6 Islands of which only one is inhabited, Phi Phi Don.