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| INTRODUCTION | ||||
| Experience the best of Thailand, filled with natural beauty, stunning artistic achievements, wonderful cuisine, and gracious, joyful people. The journey begins in the beautiful northern capital of Chiang Mai, the center of culture, folk art, the abundant night market, and hill tribes. The adventure ends in the south, where you'll explore dense rainforest, sea canoe amidst stunning limestone Karst Islands, snorkel turquoise waters and camp on pristine beaches. By trips end you'll be enchanted by this magical country and dreaming of your return. | ||||
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THE FACTS |
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Duration: 10 days / 9 nights (not including flight times) " Departure dates: June 2-11 2006 " Meeting point: Bangkok International Airport " Tour group size: 6-12 people " Inclusions: All internal flights, meals as indicated, transfers, accommodations, cooking school, and sea canoe trip (including all meals). " Exclusions: International flight, Insurance ($100 per person, Emergency Assistance and full refund in the event of cancellation due to death or illness to yourself or an immediate family member or traveling companion), airline taxes (approx $80 per person), airport departure tax international is 500 Baht (approx $15 US). |
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| COUNTRY | ||||
| Thailand has more visible evidence of past centuries than any other country in Southeast Asia. Ruins, temples, and deserted cities make this country into a wonderful holiday destination for those curious about the past in this interesting culture. Thailand is also blessed with heavenly islands and beaches perfect for exploration and relaxation. A combination of interesting sights and gorgeous scenery in addition to the friendly and hospitable locals makes Thailand a very desirable country to travel in. | ||||
| CLIMATE | ||||
| Thailand has a tropical and temperate climate that is pleasant year round. June typically has temperatures between 85-90F with a possibility of rain showers. | ||||
| ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEALS | ||||
| Several
different accommodations will be used throughout the trip. " Lai-Thai Guesthouse is a traditional Thai Teak Building with a well-maintained swimming pool, satellite color TV, restaurant, traditional Thai massage, laundry & dry cleaning, postal, e-mail & fax service, safe deposit boxes, and complimentary drinking water. " Marina Cottages Resort, located on Phuket Island, features tranquil bungalows nestled in the lush jungle foliage of palms. " Camping on sea kayak trip in comfortable tents. " Bungalows located on the tiny Phi Phi Island, beautiful reefs and enchanting scenery. " Food: Thai cuisine is pungent and spicy, seasoned with heaps of garlic and chilies and a characteristic mix of limejuice, lemon grass and fresh coriander. Galanga root, basil, ground peanuts, tamarind juice, ginger and coconut milk are other common additions. Fish sauce or shrimp paste are mainstays of Thai dishes, and of course rice is eaten with most meals. Main dishes include hot and sour fish ragout, green and red curries, various soups and noodle dishes. Thai food is served with a variety of condiments and dipping sauces. Snacks and appetizers include fried peanuts, chicken, chopped ginger, peppers and slices of lime. There is an incredible variety of fruit available, either fresh or juiced. |
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| ACTIVITY LEVEL | ||||
| Those
considering this holiday should be: " Able to swim. " Willing to share a room/tent. " Ready to experience a different culture. " Willing to learn to kayak/canoe. |
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| DOCUMENTS AND CURRENCY | ||||
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A passport is required along with a return air ticket for entry into Thailand. USA citizens do not require a visa for stays less than 30 days. The ground operator requires health & insurance forms. The currency is the Baht (Bt), with notes in denominations of Bt 1000, 500, 100, 50 and 20 and coins in Bt 10, 5 and 1, and 50 and 25 satangs. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks (which have the best rates), bureau de change, or hotels (which charge high commissions). To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers checks in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. The rural areas often have a difficult time exchanging notes higher than Bt100, so visitors are advised to carry small change. American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in the cities. ATMs which accept Visa and other credit cards are easily found in the larger cities, and many exchange booths will give a cash advance on your credit card. |
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| FINAL DOCUMENTS | ||||
| After
booking your holiday with Alpine Adventures you will receive an information
packet including: " Detailed information on the meeting point. " Phone numbers and addresses to contact your host. " A packing list " More in depth information on the activities and their locations. |
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| ITINERARY | ||||
| DAY
1: 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 Lai Thai Guest House. Spend remainder evening exploring Chiang
Mai's famous night bazaar. Overnight: Lai Thai Guest House, Chiang Mai DAY 2: 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. Overnight: Chiang Mai DAY 3: 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. Cooking Course Set-Up: The teacher will demonstrate how to cook the dish first, while providing extra tips about alternative cooking methods and substitutes for each dish. Then it will be your turn. Each student will have their own cooking station, which is not a problem considering they have over 250 woks and saucepans and over 40 stainless steel gas rings and work surfaces! While cooking the teacher will guide you through the recipes step-by-step. The cooking areas are kept clean and all the cooking utensils are of the highest quality. Only the freshest ingredients are used. The courses are designed to be fun and entertaining to provide you with a bit of Thai culture and hopefully an appreciation for their food. Courses begin at 10.00 am finishing at 4.00 pm. Evening free to enjoy your last night in Chiang Mai. Overnight: Chiang Mai DAY 4: Transfer to Airport for flight to Phuket. Thai Airways flight 129 departs at 11:45 am arriving at 1:10 pm. Phuket Island island is a jungle paradise where we will stay at the Marina Cottages. After checking in spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening on your own. Overnight: Phuket Island DAY 5: 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. Meals: Lunch, Dinner Overnight: Phuket Island DAY 6: 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. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight: Koh Chong Lat DAY 7: 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, Rai Leh Beach. Overnight in Bungalows. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight: Krabi, Rai Leh Beach DAY 8: 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. Overnight: Phi Phi DAY 9: Day to explore, with optional snorkeling or scuba trip. Overnight: Phi Phi DAY 10: Boat transfer back to Phuket for flight to Bangkok and connecting flights home. |
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| TOUR HIGHLIGHTS | ||||
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Visit to the Pong Yang Elephant Training Center, Mae Sa Waterfalls
and Mae Sa Butterfly Farm " Cooking course including: An easy-to-follow and full color cook book, Eating all the food that you cooked for lunch, seasonal fruit tasting, introduction to Thai ingredients, paste making, a tour of the market or fruit carving. " A three-day sea-kayaking trip. " Exploration of island lagoons, beaches, and caves. |
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| DATES AND PRICES | ||||
| Dates: June 2-11 2007 |
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