Thailand Festival of Light—Loy Krathong!

Sawadee and welcome to Thailand during the best time of year to visit! The coolest and driest period and the loveliest, as the Thai people celebrate their favorite festival with small rafts which float their troubles away, and candle-lit balloons arcing skyward! Start our visit with a beach break to decompress after long flights! Umbrella drinks, swimming pools, and sandy beaches start the vacation portion of our tour. Space is limited—please reserve today or call!

Included in your travels:

· Round-trip flights to Thailand from Seattle, SFO, LAX*

*Other gateways by request

· 3 nights 4-star beach resort 

· 8 nights 4 or 5 star hotels

· Speedboat beach break tour with lunch

· Daily sightseeing included, with no optional tours.

· All transfers and tours by bus or luxury vans

· Ayutthaya Dinner cruise

· Elephant camp, longneck village, orchid farm

· Sanctuary of truth, Grand Palace, Ayutthaya

· Daily breakfast, and most lunches, dinners shipboard

· Domestic economy air tickets within Thailand

· Professional licensed guide of Thailand

· Experienced USA Tour Manager

· Caring and professional travel arrangements

PLEASE CONSIDER TRAVEL INSURANCE

Day 1— Saturday Oct 30 — Depart for Bangkok! Make your way to your gateway airport. Check-in, sit back, relax and look forward to umbrella drinks, sandy beaches, and lots of pampering! (In flight meals).

Day 2 — Sunday Oct 31 — Welcome to Thailand! Arrive at Bangkok International Airport. Meet your local guide and tour manager and you are whisked off to your beach resort to put your toes in the sand and an umbrella drink in your hand! (in-flight meals, welcome dinner).

Day 3 — Monday Nov 1 — Speedboat beach break! Enjoy breakfast at our hotel. Today we speed off to a small island with white sand and crystal blue water for an island beach break with lunch. Enjoy a swim or catch up with your Kindle in the shade on your beach recliner. Free afternoon. (Breakfast, beach seafood lunch)

Day 4 –Tuesday Nov 2 —Sanctuary of truth Well rested and ready? Let’s start touring and enjoy a visit to the the largest teakwood structure in the world. Not a Buddhist temple, but a place of appreciation of all faiths. An amazing experience. Enjoy a local lunch together before an afternoon free for massage or relaxation. In the evening those interested may take a walk together down the infamous “Walking Street” of Thailand red light district. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 5 — Wednesday Nov 3 — Ayutthaya Enjoy another tropical breakfast. Mid-morning we depart for the Unesco World Heritage site of Ayutthaya. Over the years, more than 35 kings have ruled from this site. A beautiful place for photography as the ancient temples and stupas are predominantly intact and were never completed destroyed. This evening enjoy a dinner cruise on a Thai rice barge through the historic sites with evening illuminations. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 6 — Thursday Nov 4 — Take a bite of Bangkok! Depart Ayutthaya this morning and arrive in Bangkok for an amazing visit to the American Red Cross and Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute that specializes in the husbandry of venomous snakes, and the extraction and research of snake venom and vaccines. The institute began after a young Thai princess died of rabies.  After a lovely buffet lunch, check-in to our hotel and enjoy a free evening. (breakfast, lunch)

Day 7 — Friday Nov 5 — Grand Palace and Canal Tour This morning enjoy a city tour of Bangkok including Chinatown, the Flower Market, and the Grand Palace of Thailand. After lunch, enjoy a guided tour through the waterways and canals of Bangkok by long-tailed boat. (breakfast, lunch)

Day 8 — Saturday Nov 6 — North to Chiang Mai! A one hour flight north and we are in the “cool green north”! Home of the most beautiful Loy Krathong Festivities. This afternoon enjoy a visit to Doi Suthep Mountain and a funicular ride to the summit and Doi Suthep Temple. (breakfast, local lunch)

Day 9 — Sunday Nov 7 — Chiang Mai Explorations Enjoy local sightseeing, and in the evening Loy Krathong Festivities with a riverside dinner and our chance to release our own krathong (rafts) and candle-lit balloons to take our troubles away. (breakfast, dinner)

Day 10 — Monday Nov 8 — Elephant Camp & Longneck Village Enjoy an our morning tour to the elephant camp and demonstration show. Elephant rides available for a fee. Next we visit an authentic hilltribe village with Longneck “Karen” peoples and other local tribes. Beautiful lunch at a local orchid farm. (breakfast, buffet lunch)

Day 11 — Tuesday Nov 9 — Home Industries & Loy Krathong Festival Today enjoy a visit to local handicraft industries to see northern arts and crafts being made including silk, silver, umbrellas, and lacquerware. In the evening an informal dinner as we enjoy the Loy Krathong festivities and parade. (breakfast, dinner)

Day 12 — Thursday Nov 10 — Free Day, Farewell Home Visit dinner Enjoy a free day to enjoy your way! Gather in the evening for a home visit and dinner together in a local home with an cooking demonstration. (breakfast, home dinner)

Day 13 — Friday Nov 11 — Farewell Thailand! After another great breakfast it’s time to pack up and head home. Return flight to Bangkok and onward home cities as scheduled. (breakfast, in-flight meals)