Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Sawasdee ka & welcome to   enchanting Kingdom of Thailand - friendly & fun-loving, cultured & historic. Thailand radiates a golden hue, from its glittering temples & tropical beaches through to the ever-comforting Thai smile…...

Arrive in Bangkok - the city where the familiar & the exotic collide like the flavors on a plate of pat tai.

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, subsequent to Immigration & Customs, you will be welcomed by The Journeys representative outside Door B, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in & also discuss the program for the next few days.

If, for any reason you are unable to make contact with our representative within 30 minutes of waiting, please call the local Emergency telephone # listed on your Contact List. Please follow the advice given by our 24 / 7 Duty Officer.  Please do not exit the Airport & make your own way to the hotel.

Reach he hotel & Check-in at your centrally located hotel.

*Check-in time is 02.00 pm. For earlier arrivals in the morning, we will request the hotel for a complimentary early Check-in but cannot be guaranteed unless reserved & paid for ‘immediate occupancy’. We will guide you accordingly.

Fun Folks | Food | Urban Exploration | Contrasts

Bangkok is excess in all of its unrestrained glory. Bigger, better, more: the city is insatiable, a monster that feeds on concrete, shopping malls & diesel exhaust. The city demands that you be in the present & in the moment, not necessarily for a religious epiphany, but because the city is self-absorbed & superficial, blissfully free of wrinkle-inducing self-reflection. Smiles & sa·nuk (the Thai word for ‘fun’) are the key passports into Bangkok society. A compliment here, a joke there - the demands of social lubrication in this megalopolis are more akin to a small village than an anonymous city & a necessity for survival.

As Bangkok forcefully kneads out of you all demands for order & predictability, you will understand the famous Thai smile. It is the metaphorical brakes on the urban overdrive. Packed into these concrete corridors are religious spectacle, unapologetic consumerism & multi-flavoured hedonism - corrupting & purifying souls within footsteps of each other.

The language barrier can seem huge, but it is never prevented anybody from getting along with the Thai people. The capital’s cultural underpinnings are evident in virtually all facets of everyday life & most enjoyably through its residents' sense of fun (known in Thai as sa·nuk). Ordering food, changing money & haggling at markets will usually involve a sense of playfulness – a dash of flirtation, perhaps – & a smile. It is a language that doesn’t require words & one that is easy to learn.

Of the famous & infamous attractions, Bangkok’s best feature is its intermingling of opposites. A modern world of affluence orbits around a serene traditional core. Hop the Skytrain to the glitzy shopping malls where trust-fund babies examine luxury brands as carefully as the housewives inspect produce at the open-air markets. Or appreciate the attempts at enlightenment at the city’s famous temples & doorstep shrines, or simple acts of kindness amid the urban bustle. Or you can jump between all of these worlds - wining & hobnobbing at a chic club, eating at a street side market, getting plucked & pummelled into something more beautiful or sweating profusely on a long unplanned march. Bangkok is an urban connoisseur’s dream come true.

With so much of its daily life conducted on the street, there are few cities in the world that reward exploration as handsomely as Bangkok does. It is the contradictions that provide the City of Angels with its rich, multifaceted personality. Here, climate-controlled megamalls sit side by side with 200-year-old village homes; gold-spired temples share space with neon-lit strips of sleaze; slow-moving traffic is bypassed by long-tail boats plying the royal river; Buddhist monks dressed in robes shop for the latest smartphones. A stroll off Banglamphu’s beaten track can lead to a conversation with a monk. Cap off an extended boat trip with a visit to a hidden market. Get lost in the tiny lanes of Chinatown & stumble upon a Chinese opera performance. Or after dark, let the BTS (Skytrain) escort you to Sukhumvit, where the local nightlife scene reveals a cosmopolitan & dynamic city. And as Bangkok races towards the future, these contrasts will never stop supplying the city with its unique and ever-changing strain of Thai-ness.

And streets lined with food carts are overlooked by restaurants perched on top of skyscrapers & perhaps Bangkok has got to be one of the best-value dining destinations in the world. Until you have eaten on a Bangkok street, noodles mingling with your sweat amid a cloud of exhaust fumes, you haven’t actually eaten Thai food. It can be an intense mix: the base flavours - spicy, sour, sweet & salty - aren’t exactly meat & potatoes. But for adventurous foodies who don't need white tablecloths, there is probably no better dining destination in the world. And with immigration bringing every regional Thai & international cuisine to the capital, it is also a truly diverse experience.

Colossal shopping areas are seen across the city set against a backdrop of 200 year-old villages as the ever-growing capital is sprinkled with intermittent gold spires peaking over antique homes in the shadow of skyscrapers.

Bangkok is a city where the familiar sounds of a metropolis fade beneath exotic colors, hidden Buddhist temples & the captivating aromas of traditional Thai food. Local culture underpins daily life with a sense of joy that seeps into the cuisine, the shops, the vendors, and into your explorations. Your experiences in the city can range wildly, from a chat with a Monk to an evening spent at a Chinese opera with the unique cultural connection between the two diverse heritages.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or explore the city, your way or opt for one of the optional activities (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Meet the Tour-guide in the Lobby at 09:00 am & proceed on a 4 hour sightseeing to discover this amazing kaleidoscope of old & new cultures. You will see a well-groomed corporate Executive whizzing by in a BMW or a Mercedes or a Bentley amidst the chaos of the Bangkok streets.

It includes some of the most unusual Buddhist temples in Bangkok: Wat Trimitr with its invaluable Golden Buddha (5-1/2 tons of solid gold) has the largest golden Buddha in the world. Measuring 12’ in diameter with a height of 15’ from the base to the crown, this 700 years artefact is a valuable treasure of Thailand & Buddhism.   

First stop will be Phra Kaeo, the holiest Buddhist site in Thailand, and home of its holiest image, the Emerald Buddha. This ornately decorated and gilded temple sits in one corner of the huge Grand Palace complex, which is full of different structures, statues and buildings. The whole site is surrounded by an arcade with 178 different painted panels depicting the story of the Ramayana.

Next is Wat Pho, or Wat Phra Chetuphon as it is generally known to the Thais, is mainly famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. At 20 acres large, it is the largest Wat in Bangkok, and is technically the oldest too, as it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand's capital. However, today the Wat today bears virtually no resemblance to that originally constructed, as it was almost entirely rebuilt by Rama I when the capital was moved to Bangkok. It holds the dual honors of having both Thailand's largest reclining Buddha image & the most number of Buddha images in Thailand. The highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high & is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The feet & the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha. The large grounds of Wat Pho contain more than 1000 Buddha images in total, most from the ruins of the former capitals Ayuthaya & Sukhothai.

You will also visit the Grand Palace, one of the most beautiful sample of an ancient Siamese court. It used to be the residence of the Kings of Bangkok. In the complex, you will see palaces which were used for different occasions: the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House & Wat Phra Keo, the beautiful Emerald Buddha Temple. (Note: The Grand Palace is closed during special royal ceremonies and during visiting heads of state).

And now it is time to enjoy Lunch in a restaurant by the river.

Are you ready to experience the Venice of Asia?

Do you know why Bangkok is often referred to as the Venice of Asia? That is because part of the city is fully covered in water canals or Klongs, houses built on water & basically all the life happening on the water. And the best thing - it is green, peaceful & relaxing. Not the typical adjectives that people normally use to describe the busy and crowded capital of Thailand.

Chao Phraya River is Bangkok’s main artery. The west bank of Chao Phraya River is called Thonburi & it is the only area of the fast-growing Bangkok that hasn’t been developing with the time. It is still like it used to be, with man-made water canals used as streets, small boats parked by the sides of the local houses that are built right on the water. Most of the locals have never wanted to let this piece of history go, so they still live the slow-paced lifestyle. Not everyone in Thonburi lives wealthy, so circling through the narrow canals allowed me to see fragile huts built right on the water that looked like they are about to collapse if the wind blows a bit stronger.

To experience this different face of Bangkok, proceed to the Phra Arthit boat Pier to board a long tail boat for a 90 minute cruise through the narrow Klongs (small canals) of Thonburi, the site originally chosen for Thailand's new capital after the fall of Ayuthaya at the end of the 18^th century. The Cruise offers a contrast between the mighty Chao Phraya River & the small 6 meter wide Klongs.

Long-tail boats are like tuk-tuks on water & exploring Bangkok by boat is a fantastic way to get a glimpse into the timeless charm of the city.

Enjoy the natural scenery along Bangkok's surprisingly rural western suburbs which feel a world away from the chaotic streets of modern Bangkok, across the river. Observe the daily lives of the people who live along the canals.

You can experience the role of Bangkok’s many waterways, which dates back to ancient times. With majestic sites & attractions lined up on both banks of the Chao Phraya River, getting around Bangkok by boat is a popular option among first-time travellers to the city.

The old Thonburi-district (“Venice of the East”) is a jumble of klongs; canals & streams of various rivers. The first few minutes the boat rushes between the quite heavy ferry traffic along the river & then it takes a sharp turn into one of the Klongs that connect the new Bangkok with the old one.

Right after the turn, you suddenly find yourself in a totally different environment. The tour takes you along temples by the canals, a local school & other establishments just like in every normal town. But in this case, it is all on the water.

The city noise slowly disappears, the water becomes more peaceful & local homes in size of small wooden boxes on one side of the canal & larger mansions with beautiful yards on the other side reveal themselves.

And most importantly - the air is fresh, the surroundings are quiet & it feels like you have entered a serene oasis. The loud noises coming from your boat’s engine are the only things ruining a bit this otherwise blissful environment.

You might have people approaching us in small boats, selling cold drinks, snacks & souvenirs as you make a couple of stops at a Temple where you can gain some karma by feeding the fish & avail the opportunity to talk to some of the students attending the temple school or take a leisurely stroll through vegetable & herb gardens. You will also notice some monitor lizards sunbathing on the banks.

You may also stop to see the boathouse where the Royal Barges are kept & maintained. Visit the Royal Barge Museum & then head off the normal tourist route to visit an Orchid & Spice Farm

Return to the hotel by late afternoon.

Evening, meet the Journeys Rep / Driver & proceed to the iconic Bussaracum restaurant, in a spacious renovated home compound surrounded by gardens where they grow many of the herbs & spices used by the restaurant’s skilled kitchen staff, for a sumptuous Siamese dinner. For 3 decades, Bussaracum has defined royal Thai cuisine & was the Kingdom’s very first to specialize in royal household dishes, which are known for their distinctive ingredients, decorations & flavors. It continues to refine its approach not only to royal Thai recipes but also to the many dishes & regional variations comprising all of Thailand’s national cuisine.

Transfer back to the hotel.

Today, the ‘foodie’ experience commences.

Bangkok, besides being one of the world’s top tourist destinations, is also one of the world’s best food cities & Asia’s food capital.

As Thailand’s main culinary epicentre, Bangkok provides a delicious plethora of dining options, while its distinctive street food culture is ranked as some of the world’s best.

Get up early, meet the Tour-guide at 08.00 am & walk to the MRT Station to board a subway train to reach Or Tor Kor Market, regarded as Bangkok’s highest-quality fresh produce & agricultural market.

Ranked by CNN Go Travel as one of the “World’s Top 10 Fresh Markets”, this giant Market brims with exotic local specialties.  

Or Tor Kor is so much more than a local market. Products displayed here are selected from the best produce found in the entire country. Fresh, large-sized fruit of all types and varieties is what it is mostly known for, but you will also find a wide range of extremely fresh vegetables, seafood, pre-cut meats & flowers. With such an incredible range, Or Tor Kor should be on the 'must-see' lists of any Chef or budding Gordon Ramsey.

Starting off as an agricultural collective, Or Tor Kor Market has grown over the years into an upscale outdoor food market. It is probably one of the few markets that have ritzy business tycoons and their families among its regular clients. So, expect the prices to be higher (but still affordable) than at other outdoor food markets. Other highlights include ready-cut & custom-cut meats, seafood, fresh mackerel, dried meats & the various condiments used in Thai cooking.

Or Tor Kor Market is a nice place to stroll around, whether you are just browsing, taking photos, or actually doing some grocery shopping.

There is also a small food court selling delicious Thai food, including braised duck noodles, fried oyster pancakes, pad thai & various noodle soups, although at a slightly higher price than most other places. You will also find Ready-to-eat meals in all varieties. Snacks & Thai sweets are also plentiful, whether the traditional kind or modern varieties, such as kanom krok (grilled coconut pancakes), sticky rice sweets, steamed palm sugar desserts, kanom bueng (coconut crepes) & many more types & servings. Steamed fish curry custard, som tam, chilli pastes, chilli dips, fresh herbs & spices, green curry, red curry, vegetables stir-fried dishes, deep-fried fish & grilled prawns are all available at Or Tor Kor Market.

Adjacent to the market, the Doi Kham shop features organic vegetables, spa products & other dry grocery items from the Thai non-profit organisation known as The Royal Project. Nearby Chatuchak Weekend Market is equally famous.

Spend an hour or 2 (if you like) wandering around & observing the transactions & bargaining aptitude of the locals.

Later, proceed to a venue for a unique & rare culinary experience found in very ‘few’ countries in the world. You will have an expertise & boasting point that few of your friends can have.

Thai Fruit & Vegetable Carving (known in Thai as Kae Sa Luk) is a Thai traditional art that needs precision, application, meditation & personal skill. Fruit Carving has been (& still is) a respected art in Thailand for already hundreds of years.

Originally, Fruit Carving was used only to decorate the dining tables of the royal family. Today, this art is still a popular custom practiced intensively during the well-known Songkran festival & it has been increasingly used by Chefs (foreign & Thai) to simply decorate & beautify their plates. But, oddly enough, Thai Fruit & Vegetable Carving classes are not so common to be found in Thailand also.   

You will learn, during the course of a 6 hour class, the basics of the exquisite Art of Thai Fruit & Vegetable Carving with a Master Carver.

Learn how to master the techniques & become as good as you can be. All it takes is great instructors, some talent & lots of practice! From delicate garnishes to flowers & fish, watch them emerge as you learn the ancient Thai Carving Tradition.

You will observe the fruit carving methods & techniques, proper use of fruit carving tools, selection of fruit for quality, care of fruit after carving.

Being a highly intricate art, Classes are listed in order of difficulty & for novices, the Instructor starts with carving of leaves, flowers & petals on Spring Onions, Long Chilies, Red Radish, Tomatoes, Baby Carrots which are the easiest. Fruit carving is an ART, not a science so the more you practice, the more you will learn & the more proficient you will become. The Master Carvers will teach you the basics & get you on the way to the next level. 

The interactive class concludes & you proceed for Lunch at nearby restaurant.

Balance of the afternoon is at leisure.

Evening, meet the Journeys Rep / Driver at 06.30 pm & enjoy another iconic experience. For Dinner tonight, we have envisaged a change of Cuisine.  

Experience an exhilarating dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River, or "the River of the King" & enjoy the romantic scene on both sides of the river.

Proceed to the Asiatique Pier to board the Arena Rice Barge & dine with lively ‘Indian ‘Bollywood’ ambience with music or classical dance.  

Enjoy a Buffet Dinner with a variety of mouth-watering Indian cuisine such as Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Chicken along with a few Thai favorites. Buffet includes Indian Masala Tea as well.

Enjoy breathtaking views Bangkok skyline with beautifully lit up riverside venues such as the Temple of Dawn, Grand Palace, Rama 8 Bridge among others, as a DJ accompanied by Indian singers entertains you  

The 2.5 hour cruise concludes & on disembarkation, you are met by the Journeys Driver who will transfer you to the hotel.

Morning, get up early today & accompanied by the Tour-guide, proceed around 07.30 am to explore another iconic ‘south-east’ Asia experience.

Besides more than 400 Temples, Bangkok has a lot of beautiful sights, like its bustling Chinatown area, the floating markets, & the mega shopping malls.

The Floating Markets in & around Bangkok are among the city's star attractions. The colours, chaos, flavours & atmosphere make it a unique experience & the novelty of buying a snack from a passing boat takes some beating. Wooden boats at the riverbank serve as market stalls & Thai meals & souvenirs are sold at the riverbank. The most popular among them are Damnoen Saduak & Amphawa.

You will visit the most popular Damnoen Saduak (even though it is slightly more distant at 100 km), great for photo opportunities, food & for an insight into a bygone way of life.  

Thailand's best known floating market for a very long time, it’s popularity comes, in no small part, from its use as a setting in the 1974 James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”.

It is huge, lively & colourful, full of boats selling food & fruits - exactly how people imagine a floating market would look like, with the opportunity to capture the perfect photo to show off once back home.

The Tour-guide would usually give you a potted history of Thailand & point out the interesting sites as you whizz out into the provinces. High rises are quickly replaced by salt farms & lush countryside.

First stop is an Orchid Farm with a lot of Coconut trees & a processing unit. It is impressive how many uses there are for coconuts & the small workshop has managed to turn the entire tree into a business, young shoots boiled for palm sugar, squeezed for oil, lampshades, ladders & even using the husks for fuel.

Next to this hive of activity (beware of the sugar-hungry bees) the Orchids seem less exciting, but it is still beautiful to see them in their natural habitat, especially if you are used to seeing them on window sills in plastic tubs.

After arriving at the Pier, you will hop on to one of the decorated long-tail boats that are waiting to take you on a 20 minute ride to the Market. The roar of the engine disturbs the quiet as the boat glides down the narrow canals, small wooden houses on stilts fringe the banks, some with larger ponds than lawns.

The boatman slows down to let you appreciate the winding waterways & get a brief glimpse of those who live on the river. It is great to enjoy the peace & quiet before the hectic pace of the Market which may feel overcrowded at first glance as visitors & sellers bring noise & colour to the area.

Stepping off the boat, you find yourself among busy stalls selling similar products to those you can find at Chatuchak Weekend Market: small toy elephants, tiger balm & the compulsory ‘I was here’ T-shirts.

Unlike most of the other floating markets, the popularity of Damnoen Saduak attracts many fruit sellers rowing their boats along the narrow canals, meaning that you are guaranteed great pictures.

You will find the photogenic food sellers & plenty of tasty food to try along the docks, from freshly-made mini coconut pancakes to boat noodles in their rich, meaty broth.

You will usually have plenty of time to wander around, taste some local produce & take plenty of pictures.

Return back to the city by noon.

Enjoy a sumptuous Lunch.

Transfer back to the hotel.

Balance of the afternoon free to relax or for independent discoveries (we will be happy to offer suggestions).

Later in the evening, meet the Tour-guide again & head out on a “foodie” tour in bustling Chinatown, established in 1782, but still evocative of “Old Bangkok”. 

Bangkok Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in the world & while many countries have Chinatowns including back at home, none compare to Bangkok’s; here you will discover what makes it so unique.

Chinatown, known locally as Yaowarat, is arguably the most fascinating part of Bangkok. Exceptional food & cheap goods line the lanes, incense smoke coils from shrines & generational businesses persist in old shop-houses.

In the past, famine was forcing many people to migrate to Southeast Asia from southern China & Thailand was a seemingly popular destination for these Chinese immigrants. They originally settled near where the Grand Palace is today. However, these immigrants were forced to move to Sampheng when the Grand Palace was built & thus trade began to grow between the two countries.

Every single day, more & more Chinese junk boats were bringing goods to Thailand & it was because of these boats that the Wat Yannawa, or the Boat Temple, was built during the Ayutthaya Era.

There are also a handful of Museums & Exhibitions you can visit while exploring this part of town. The Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center has loads of information on how & why Chinese immigrants came to Bangkok and also has history on the Chinatown in Bangkok.

Thanks to the mix of Chinese & Thai cultures, this part of town is unique & fascinating, especially for photographers who will find stunning temples, exotic street food & everyday street scenes just begging to be captured.

The sights, sounds & smells of Bangkok's Chinatown are an assault to the senses, so you should come prepared. For anyone with a sense of adventure, a day lost among the many market alleys & street food vendors can be the most memorable of any spent in Bangkok.

Bangkok Chinatown receives most of its fame for its mouth-watering street food & renowned temples, most notably Wat Traimit which houses the 13^th century 5.5 tonne statue of a seated Golden Buddha, the world’s largest gold statue on the 4^th floor of the Temple, surrounded by beautiful Thai architecture. Another notable Temple here Wat Mangkon Kamalawat - Bangkok’s largest Chinese Buddhist temple, with roots that go all the way back to 1872.

Chinatown offers picturesque views of Chao Phraya River & more. There are many bars, restaurants & hotels that offer great views & one of the best vantage point is the Sky View 360° Restaurant, located on the top floor of the Grand China Hotel, which features live music every evening that compliments its panoramic view of Chinatown & beyond (all the way to the Chao Phraya River). It takes about 2 hours for this rotating restaurant to complete a full round & you barely notice any movement.

If you love seafood, then Chinatown is the place to be. The main 1.5 km Yaowarat Road, built in 1891 & often referred to being dragon-like, weaving through Chinatown’s historical neighborhood, transforms into one of the largest street food spots in the world, after dark.

Locals & travellers can be seen along the main thoroughfare, sampling their way through all that there is to offer, turning dinner into an evening of exploration. If you see a herd of Thais eating at a certain stall, it is most likely because of the amazing food.

Fai-Kaew Yao Wa-Rat is one seafood stall that draws in some of Bangkok’s biggest crowds. There are numerous dishes to choose from, including stir-fried crab and sweet & sour shrimp. The cook is a crowd pleaser, shooting flames high into the air while diners look on.

Chinatown is also well-known for its strange yet appetizing desserts. Two of our favorite desserts are the sesame dumplings with ginger tea and the bread rolls packed full with chocolate. These warm rolls are grilled to perfection before being filled with your choice of filling.

Sampeng Lane - a long, narrow street intersecting Chinatown, is where shoppers will find a jumble of goods for sale. Sampeng Lane was the original high street of Chinatown when the Chinese community first moved to Bangkok & much like the rest of the area, it is cluttered, chaotic & a lot of fun. The dimensions of this street are so limited, in certain parts, that you could stretch out across the alley and grab a pair of flip-flops in 1 hand & a Christmas tree in the other.

Sampeng Lane Market pretty much sums up the whole shopping experience of Chinatown Bangkok & to some extent, the surrounding Old City. This daytime market is very busy & the narrow lanes often become chaotic with rows of stalls peddling a wide range of goods. The steady flow of pedestrian traffic, pushcarts, worn-out vespers & the occasional truck overflowing with fresh produce all add to the madness in this part of Bangkok.

The hectic nature of Sampeng Lane Market is all part of the fun. It is one of the cheapest places for shopping in Bangkok - enjoy impressive discounts when you buy in bulk (10 or more items). Some of the most popular items to look out for at the market include silk sarongs, jewellery, women’s shoes, home decor & appliances, toys, handicrafts & dried food.

Serving as the unofficial western entrance, the large ornate ceremonial China Gate sits in the middle of Odeon Circle & is a photographer’s favorite. 

Built in 1999 by Chinese Thai citizens to show their loyalty to King Bhumibol & unveiled on his 72^nd birthday, the huge Gate is actually called the King’s Birthday Celebration Arch. The sizeable Chinese writing on the Gate means “Long Live the King” & was written by the King’s Daughter Princess Maha who is fluent in Mandarin (Chinese). The Chinatown Gate is an amazing place to visit during Chinese New Year  & serves as a hub for outdoor music & cultural demonstrations.

There are a few other interesting ways to spend your evening here, such as a few drinks at a little known revolving rooftop bar or doing a bit of bar-hopping down on street level.

Spend time walking around & enjoy a sumptuous Dinner at one of Chinese restaurants.

Return to the hotel.

Get up early today, Check-out (you are allowed to use the hotel facilities in the evening & to leave the luggage at the Bell Desk) & meet the Tour-guide at 07.00 am & embark on an excursion to see another iconic ‘food’ market.

Get off the beaten track when you walk through local neighbourhoods to get to the Sky Train station for a short ride to Wongwian Yai.  Then, board a local train for a leisurely 40 minute ride to a stunning green back-land passing by colourful wooden houses, beautiful landscapes & small local stations.  

As you enjoy the scenic ride, you can almost visualize the kitchens & living rooms of the locals as you see the big buildings of Bangkok become smaller in the distance until rice fields & houses on stilts surround you.

When the train comes to a stop, you will literally have arrived in the middle of the Mahachai fish market which surrounds the train station.

Located in southwest of Bangkok just north of where the Tha Jeen River flows into the Gulf of Thailand, Mahachai’s countless fishing boat piers melt into a tangle of roofed markets & narrow lanes around the eponymous station.

Mahachai is known for some of the finest fish & crabs brought upriver from the sea & is one of the largest fishing centres in a country boasting one of the world’s highest levels of seafood production. It is a good place to watch wiry fishermen unload bucket after bucket of smelly seafood bound for woks, grills & steamers throughout Thailand & beyond.

Among the overwhelming number of market stalls you will also spot all sorts of dried seafood products along with mounds of kapi (shrimp paste), a local specialty.

Your guide will walk you through some of the small alleys & take you to a famous restaurant where you will be treated to some of the freshest & best seafood around.

Post lunch, hop on a small boat to reach another station & jump on the next train.

The scenery passing by, filled with sea salt planes & rice fields, is a bit different on this 15 minute slow ride back in time.

At the end of this train ride you are in for a culturally unique & truly fascinating experience. The famous Mae Khlong railway market literally swallows the train, as it is located right on the train tracks.

See how the vendors fold their umbrellas & stalls away as the train approaches & set up again seconds after the train has left it behind.

Walk around for an hour, before hopping on your vehicle for the drive back to Bangkok.

Reach the hotel by 05.00 pm to pick up your luggage.

In time, you are transferred to the Bangkok Hua Lamphong Station connected to the MRT system - the central hub to all northeastern & southern Thailand trains & it also -. to board your overnight train to Chiang Mai.

As you can imagine the Station will be jam-packed full of people. There are shops in & around the station selling various different foods in case you want to load up on some food & snacks for the journey which we would recommend (even though there is an on-board shop on the train).

The 1^st class Sleeper Carriage feature private 2 Seater cabins with bunk beds, cabinet, sink, plug point sockets & even a television & Wi-fi. The TV doubles up as a GPS connected journey listing the train’s location at all times & the arrival time at each station.

Overnight on board.  B L 

Arrive in Chiang Mai - the city where the familiar & the exotic collide like the flavors on a plate of pat tai.

On arrival in the morning, as you exit out of the train carriage, you will be welcomed by The Journeys representative (holding a placard with your Name in front of the carriage as you step out of the train), who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in & also discuss the program for the next day.

If, for any reason you are unable to make contact with our representative within 20 minutes of waiting, please call the local Emergency telephone # listed on your Contact List. Please follow the advice given by our 24 / 7 Duty Officer.  Please do not exit the Platform & make your own way to the start hotel, unless advised.

Reach the hotel & Check-in.

*Check-in time is 02.00 pm. For earlier arrivals in the morning, we will request the hotel for a complimentary early Check-in but cannot be guaranteed unless reserved & paid for ‘immediate occupancy’. If hotel is unable to provide rooms in the morning, you can use the hotel facilities to freshen up & proceed for a sightseeing tour of the ‘Temple’ city.

Rest of the morning is free to relax.

Founded in 1296 AD, Chiang Mai is a culturally & historically interesting city, at one time the capital of the ancient Lanna kingdom. Thais idealise their beloved northern capital as a quaint, moated & walled city surrounded by mountains with legendary, mystical attributes.

A sprawling modern city has grown up around ancient Chiang Mai ringed by a tangle of superhighways. Despite this, the historic centre of Chiang Mai still feels overwhelmingly residential, more like a sleepy country town than a bustling capital.

Chiang Mai's historical centre is the walled city (sections of the wall dating to their restoration a few decades ago remain at the gates and corners, but of the rest only the moat remains). Inside Chiang Mai's remaining city walls are more than 300 temples (121 within the municipal limits) - almost as many as are in Bangkok - dating back to the founding of the principality, in a combination of Burmese, Sri Lankan & Lanna Thai styles, decorated with beautiful wood carvings, Naga staircases, leonine & angelic guardians, gilded umbrellas & pagodas laced with gold filigree. And this is what makes the old city centre visually striking. The most famous is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, which overlooks the city from a mountainside 13 km away.

Chiang Mai has always had many feathers to its bow with its cultural riches, relative peacefulness, fantastic handicraft shopping, delicious food & proximity to many natural treasures.  It is a dynamic & modern city, which has successfully managed to combine its rich history and traditions with its increasingly modern side. Chiang Mai has expanded in all directions, but particularly to the east towards the Ping River (Mae Nam Ping), where Thanon Chang Klan, the famous Night Bazaar and the bulk of Chiang Mai's hotels and guesthouses are located. 

Loi Kroh Rd is the center of the city's nightlife. The locals say you have not experienced Chiang Mai until you've seen the view from Doi Suthep, eaten a bowl of kao soi, & purchased an umbrella from Bo Sang. Of course this is touristic nonsense, but the Kao Soi, Bo Sang umbrellas & Doi Suthep are important cultural icons for Chiang Mai residents. Ratchadamneon Rd hosts the main Sunday night walking street market from Thapae Gate to the popular Wat Phra Singh.

If you drive in a straight line in any direction, you will soon find yourself in the lush green countryside and pristine rainforests dotted with churning waterfalls, serene wat & blissfully calm & laid back villages – as well as a host of markets & elephant sanctuaries.

Participate in a vast array of activities on offer, or just stroll around the backstreets & discover a city that is still firmly Thai in its atmosphere & attitude.

Afternoon, meet the Tour-guide at 01.30 pm & embark on a 3 hour sightseeing tour of this ancient city (flexible, please refer to info about Check-in time).

This Chiang Mai temple tour explores the most famous & picturesque of the city’s 36 Buddhist temples (Wats), both inside the city walls & in the nearby countryside – a perfect introduction to Northern Thailand’s cultural & religious capital.

Experience Chiang Mai’s most visually stunning Buddhist temples out of over 36, including the gorgeous & highly revered 600-year-old Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep which contains a holy relic of the Budhha atop the 5,300 foot (1,615 meter) Doi Suthep Peak. Situated amidst a forrested mountain top, the temple affords spectacular views of the city & surrounding countryside & plenty of great photo-ops.

You will visit Wat Chedi, an ancient structure in Central Chiang Mai first constructed in 1411. The temple once rose over 278 feet (84 meters) above the city before it was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1545. Glance inside the temple to observe statues of guardian spirits that some say protect the temple to this day. 

You will ascend the rolling hills surrounding the Chiang Mai to experience the immaculate Wat Phrathat Doi Sutep, perched high above the urban center near the summit of the peak of Doi Suthep. The final staircase leading to the site is adorned with the impressive body of the mythical dragon-headed serpent, or Naga, snaking its way down 306 steps.

Gain first-hand insight into habits of the temples’ Buddhist monks as they go about their daily routines, plus plenty of opportunities to photograph historic environs of Chiang Mai and the majestic views from the foothills surrounding the city.

Return to the hotel or continue exploring on your own.

In the evening around 06.30 pm, you will be transferred to best place in Chiang Mai to enjoy a traditional Khantoke Dinner - an important part of the northern Thai people's culture & hospitality.

The customary northern Thai style of eating involves a variety of northern dishes being served family-style in large lacquerware & wooden platters at low tables while you sit cross-legged on mats on the floor mats with fellow guests & share a succession of tasty dishes, accompanied with sticky rice.

During dinner, there will be a performance of traditional northern Thai hill-tribe music & dancing. As traditional as the food, these dances are exclusive to the Chiang Mai district & you will not see them anywhere else.

Let yourself be entertained by a selection of northern cultural performances including the charming Fon Lep (Thai Finger Dance) - a traditional dance that the Northern Thai people are very proud of. It is usually perform on special occasion, such as when greeting honourable guests or state visitors; Ram Dab (Thai Sword Dance) - this dance was developed from an ancient martial art. It was transformed in to a dance because of its ferocious beauty. The dancer will dance with twelve swords; the Celebration Dance - was composed & choreographed by Chao Dara Rasmi’s court poets & dance instructors in the year 1927. It was part of celebrations on the occasion of the royal king Prajadhipok’s visit to Chiang Mai and replicates & rejoices in the presentation of a white elephant to him. And many more styles.

There is the Rumwong where guests are invited to participate.

The evening draws to a close with a special show of dance & music performed by members of various hill-tribes like Yao, Meo, Lahu, Lisu & Karen hill-tribes.

With full bellies, you will head back to the hotel after this truly memorable & entertaining evening.

Reach the hotel by 09.30 pm.

Morning, around 08.30 am, meet the Tour-guide & proceed to the house of the Host, for a 4 hour Chiang Mai culinary experience.

Thai food is loved around the world for its bold flavors & Chiang Mai is the perfect place to learn how to prepare popular dishes like phad thai, green curry & papaya salad by yourself. There are more than a dozen Thai cooking classes operating in Chiang Mai, suitable for all ages & skill levels.

Learn to cook an authentic Thai meal & as the classes are hands-on, you will surely work up an appetite chopping & frying.

First stage of your lessons will be a trip to a local market to shop for fresh ingredients with your English-speaking Instructor / host. You will learn to choose the best of each ingredient, with the chance to sample some fresh produce along the way - enjoy some free time to wander or shop before continuing to the cooking school.

Upon arrival, visit the organic kitchen garden where ingredients for the student kitchen are grown. Each participant will have their own cooking station & the Instructor will walk you through each step as you prepare at least 3 - 5 classic Thai dishes.   

The grand finale is that you get to eat what you just cooked.  Sit down for a full lunch with your fellow students. And you will be presented with a book of Recipes to take home, which will enable you to relive your Thailand vacation whenever you want. By using your culinary skills in preparing & treating friends & family with an authentic Thai meal.

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Another interesting experience awaits you after your lunch.

Handicrafts have been an integral part of Northern Thailand’s culture for decades. Do you want to discover the handicrafts of Chiang Mai & Northern Thailand, and see how they are made?  A great way to learn about how handicrafts are produced right at the source point, all in the beautiful locale of rural northern Thailand.

Chiang Mai is a major center for high quality handicrafts. The town is surrounded by small craft villages with small cottage factories & workshops.  Each village is inhabited by artisans specialising in producing a specific handicraft item. And the folk skills used to produce the necessities of daily life have combined with the high arts of decoration used in temples & court regalia to form the basis of Chiang Mai's world famous handicrafts industry.  

You will be able to explore different arts & crafts handmade by the local artisans at only ‘some’ of them - (if you want to see artisans working on other specific items like Gems, Ceramics & Lacquer ware, Wood carving or Silverware, please advise the Tour-guide as soon as you start driving).

You will explore & observe the descendants of the original craftspeople producing impressive handicrafts - Paper, Umbrella & Silk, using ancient techniques.

Driving through the picturesque countryside full of rice paddies, first stop will be the small ancient colourful craft village of Ban Ton Pao which specialises in producing “saa” mulberry paper & handicraft products made from mulberry paper following the wisdom & using techniques they inherited from their ancestors from at least 100 years ago.

In the past, the locals produced mulberry paper & made paper fans to sell at the neighboring Ban Bor Sang Market where the villagers usually bought it to make Umbrellas. But evolving with the time, the villagers of Ban Bor Sang started using fabric instead of mulberry paper, to make their umbrellas & fans. This drastic drop in demand resulted in most of the artisans of Ban Ton Pao turning to other vocations or leaving the village, leading to the ancient art form almost becoming extinct.  Luckily, a few families persevered & continued producing the mulberry paper.  The government also stepped in to help preserve this ancient Lanna art & convinced people to continue & generate income for their families.  More families got involved as the government support enabled them to market their product to entire Thailand & even abroad.

Ton Pao Municipality has encouraged & promoted the Ban Ton Pao mulberry paper products to the tourists. They have even held an exhibition entitled “Beauty of Handicrafts from the Village of Mulberry Paper & Lanna Ban Ton Pao Local Wisdom” to enable the Thai people & foreigners to learn about the product.

Walk around the single Main Street of the village lined with colorful home style paper making shops. You will then observe & participate in a 1.5 hour production process helping the craftsmen to create Saa paper with the technique of making the paper from a scratch, framing the paper in the pond, dying it in different colors & making paper ropes.

The hand-made paper sheets, cards & other unique handicraft products made of paper will certainly make good gifts for friends & family.

From here, move to the next small craft village of Bor Sang which specialises in making umbrellas & fans.   

Chiang Mai is most famous for handmade & hand-painted decorative umbrellas & fans made of “Saa” paper with many impressive designs & colors.

The origins of the Bor Sang umbrella craft are rather ambiguous, but all stories seem to point to a pilgrim monk who stopped by to practice deep meditation in the village. Then the stories diverge, as to whether he or an elderly local introduced the craft to the villagers.

Well known for outstanding handcraft quality as well as its signature floral designs, Bor Sang Village has made its name throughout the country & abroad - so much so that the name Bor Sang has become synonymous with the paper umbrella craft itself & the umbrella, a cultural symbol of Chiang Mai.

Here, you will find plenty of hand-painted umbrellas, tiny cocktail umbrellas, large parasols for gardens or patios & other handmade products - all made from sa paper (produced from the bark of the mulberry tree) & a more recent innovation, cotton. The design has also evolved, from the original floral patterns to depictions of Chiang Mai’s rural scenery & even abstract patterns.

You will see vibrantly coloured paper umbrellas in various street-side shops but besides crafts shops, selling the umbrellas & “saa” paper products, the main highlight here is the Umbrella factory, where you can watch the craftsmen & women putting together the umbrellas from scratch. In an assembly-line setup, you will be able to tour all the stations, from the making of the smallest parts to fully assembled parts, the drawing station, sundry station (a green lawn laden with vibrantly coloured umbrellas of all sizes) & the finished product ready to be displayed in craft shops. You can buy one from the factory shop if you choose to take home.

In the early days, villagers would make umbrellas during non-harvest seasons. Various umbrella parts would be fashioned out of natural products – bamboo strips for the ribs, soft wood for the cap & handle, natural latex for the varnish & sa paper for the ‘sail’. All the patterns were drawn using natural colours derived from tree barks & plants. Now acrylic paint is more common.

During the annual Bor Sang Umbrella Festival (every 3^rd Friday of January), the entire village & San Kampaeng district comes alive with colourful festivities featuring Parades, Exhibitions, Competitions & a Miss Bor Sang pageant contest.

After spending an hour walking around the village, get ready to drive back to the hotel.

But there is one more stop on the way to discover another iconic Thai product.

Thailand is famous worldwide for its fine, pure silk & Chiang Mai produces some of the finest. You can select readymade products or have an arrangement for your own customised tailoring. Hand-woven & ethnic textile designs for the collectors are also offered.

The Shinawatra Silk Factory & Shop is part of the Thai folklore, a favourite of the Thai Royal Family & other Royals & official state guests of the Thai government from all over the world.

Chiang Shinawatra started the industry at Sankampaeng in 1911 when many households wove silk for their own domestic use and is the oldest silk factory in Thailand.

Recent archeological discoveries indicate that sericulture was known in China some 6000 to 7000 years ago. For thousands of years, silk was reserved for the use of the Emperor only & it was the most closely guarded secret in all of history.

By the time of the Han Dynasty, Silk had become a vital part of the Chinese economy. People paid their taxes in Silk, it was used as bow strings, for fishing lies, on musical instruments & of course, for garments.

The secret could no longer be kept. The Greeks & Romans regarded Silk as one of the most priceless products. In 200 BC Chinese emigrants introduced sericulture to Korea & from there it, no doubt, spread to other Asian countries.

Stories tell of two Nestorian monks who, in about 550 AD, smuggled silkworm eggs in their hollow bamboo staves to Byzantium Empire. Travelling along the famed Silk Road, Silk finally came to be produced in Italy at the time of the Second Crusade in the 13^th century.

Yarns, which produce wondrous silk fabrics, come from the fine web naturally, produced by silk larvae in which they wrap themselves & which are called “Silk Cocoon”

In those early days, Chiang organised some of the best Weavers to produce sarongs which were then sold in the markets of Chiang Mai & Bangkok and also exported to neighboring Burma.

Chiang had 12 children. The family team worked together to improve quality & design and also to expand its marketing network. They initially used traditional weaving methods but in 1935 modern looms were introduced & new techniques of dying were used to offer more attractive, fast colors.

The present generation of Shinawatra children are continuing to uphold & improve the family tradition so well that the Shinawatra name is now synonymous in the textile industry for excellence, both locally & internationally and the Shinawatra brand keeps fully up-to-date in design & colour with the very latest international fashion, reflecting the taste of modern day consumers from around the world.

One of the children Dr. Taksin Shinawatra became the Prime Minister of Thailand in the year 2001.

The Factory has a Demo area where you will be given a guided tour & an explanation of how silk products are created. The Worms are viewable as well as the type of moths & you will also see how colors are added to make the silk yarn multi-coloured.  It is a great learning experience as you observe the workers expertly handling the Looms & producing the finished product.

The Store offers very nice products at reasonable prices.

Finally, the experience comes to an end & you are transferred back to the hotel.

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Balance of the day is at leisure for independent explorations or optional activities (we would be happy to offer suggestions or make arrangements).

Morning at 08.30 am, meet the Journeys Driver (no Tour-guide) & proceed for a 6 hour excursion to visit the ” Tiger Kingdom”  - a Tiger center where visitors can interact with young & adult cats in trainer-supervised enclosures.

The Tiger Kingdom is another great combination of tourism with wildlife preservation. The proceeds from tourism allows Tiger Kingdom to increase the tiger population through captive breeding, as well as improve the overall living conditions of the tigers through the acquisition of larger areas for them to roam around. These tigers, however, are not prepared to inhabit the wild & therefore, are fated to remain in captivity from birth to death, which, given the current situation, it is understood to be better than no tigers at all.

The first Tiger Kingdom branch was founded in Ubon rachatanee in the year 2000 & was named Ubon Zoo. Currently, there are more than 50 - 60 tigers at the zoo and this number will continue to increase in the future as the breeding program continues to become more successful.

In recent years, the income from the zoo has remained at the stagnant and so, the Owners decided to open Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai.  As well as providing the much needed extra cash, Tiger Kingdom also provides the extra space & enclosures that the tigers needed to be comfortable.

The tiger population in Thailand has been decreasing every year. It is estimated that only around 120 tigers still inhabit the wild. Specialists argue that it is just a matter of time before tigers are completely extinguished from the wild. The projections are more catastrophic. As human population grows, areas in which tigers can live freely diminish. Tiger-human contact becomes inevitable and, as a treat to, for example, pastoral communities, tigers are commonly hunted down & killed.

Tigers at Tiger Kingdom are hand raised by their trainers since young, bonding with it throughout the development process. The trainer employ a combination of repetition, trust & encouragement to train the big cats and over time the Big Cat are used to humans. Since they have been born in captivity & fed a special diet of milk & chicken, they tend to be less aggressive than tigers in the wild. Captive tigers, therefore, can be visited by tourists, who pay a considerable amount of money to spend around 10-15 minutes with them.

The Big Cats are handled, stroked & petted on a daily basis, so even the roughest of petting will not bother them. If you gently stroke the cats, it will feel ticklish & irritated, especially to a sleeping tiger. The best method is to cuddle & stroke the cat firmly to make it feel comfortable. Baby Tiger are playful & likely to play with you. Most visitors came and spend a relatively short time in Tiger Kingdom, more than often they would encounter that these tigers are always sleeping. But cats are cats and they sleep up to 18 hours a day, just like kitty at home.

Return to the hotel by afternoon & relax for a while.

Later in the evening, you will enjoy another experience synonymous with Thailand.

Accompanied by the Journeys Rep, proceed to enjoy a 4 hour Spa Treatment / experience at Fah Lanna Spa.

Located in Old Town, enclosed in high, white-washed walls & full of plants, Fah Lanna Spa offers a variety of traditional Thai & oil massages amidst a picturesque water garden.

With an ornate wooden entrance & small bridge leading into the cosy Reception with plenty of comfortable chairs to lounge on whilst you enjoy a cup of herbal tea prior to your treatment. Then, you will enjoy the view as you walk along the wooden walkway stretching the length of the fish pond, fringed by bamboo & ferns.

The treatment rooms & facilities are just as exquisite, combining natural elements with subtle touches of Lanna decor. Both the single rooms & couples rooms come with en-suite shower & bathroom. You may also be able to enjoy the in-room Jacuzzi, too (extra charge). There is also a rather unusual herbal steam cave, where you can enjoy heady herbal scents which deep-cleanse your skin.

Traditional treatment includes a Thai massage, foot reflexology, & Tok Sen: a traditional northern experience that involves releasing pent up energy using a small wooden hammer & wedge on your body’s pressure points. It is an unusual but very relaxing experience that doesn’t hurt & you really do feel calmer afterwards.

We have selected the Fah Lanna Nirvana package that allows you to enjoy everything, starting with an aromatic herbal steam bath, then a body scrub, wrap, aromatherapy oil massage using a scent of your choice and ending with a facial treatment.

If you are looking for some serious pampering then the Spa also offers other beauty treatments like body scrubs, facials, waxing, manicures & pedicures (extra payment- not included). The friendly staff will make recommendations that will suit your needs within the available time.

The experience concludes & you are transferred back to the hotel, completely rejuvenated & relaxed.

Balance of the evening is at leisure for independent explorations or optional activities (we would be happy to offer suggestions or make arrangements).

Morning at 08.30 am, meet the Journeys Driver (no Tour-guide) & proceed for a full day excursion to visit the Patara Elephant Farm - a breeding facility offering interactive experiences & educational sessions.  Chiang Mai is the ideal place to go if you want to meet some elephants as there are lot of Elephant Farms in the area.

It is important to watch out for the safety of the elephants as many places actually torture & exploit their elephants in order to make as much money off of them as possible. Anywhere that chains up their elephants and where they use sharp objects to poke or hook the elephant’s skin to push them to obey commands…. Do not patronize those places. Elephant shows are not natural. Opt for a more cruelty-free experience & spend your money supporting the right causes.

Upon arrival at the Farm, you would see a short, informative & entertaining presentation about what they do here and what we / you need to be wary of, if we were to visit other elephant farms.

Then, meet a bunch of friendly elephants just roaming around freely. There are many young elephants here, which show that their methods have really been effective in helping the elephants reproduce. They believe that happy & healthy elephants create happy & healthy elephant families.

Here, you can on participate in sharing responsibilities & taking care of an elephant. The immersive experience will teach you to interact with elephants as to what an owner would do on a daily base. How you would approach your elephant correctly, learn how to handle in occasion to several temperaments of the elephant, bathe & brush together in the river, learn how to ride on the elephant’s neck and communicate with the elephant through different spoken commands. By the time you finish, you will see how fast you will create a trustful relationship between you and your elephant

The baby elephants are extremely friendly & playful, just running around leaning and lying on people. Upon connecting with the elephants, you would be given a basket of bamboo & bananas to win over their love. The Staff will try to match you with elephants according to ‘your own’ described personality. You will learn simple commands like “Bon” which means up & “Di Di” which means good boy. You would not see a single “poky stick” anywhere on the Farm.

After feeding, it is bathing time! Before jumping into the water, the Staff & you will use some leaves to get rid of as much dirt off their backs as possible to make the job in the waters easier. Climb onto your friend and splash & scrub down his / her whole body right till the tail.

Next, you will walk with the elephants. Some people choose to ride bare back while some just walk alongside the 2 km route. It is important not to ride elephants when there are chairs strapped onto their backs as the structure of the chair is strapped extremely tightly around their bodies and is not good for their bone structure & their bodies. But no ‘howdahs’ here. If you really want to ride an elephant, make sure you do it bareback.

We are sure you are going to have a really amazing & memorable time at Patara Elephant Farm.

Time to get back to more lively surroundings, with reference to context, of course.

Transfer back to the hotel by late afternoon.

Balance of the day is at leisure for independent explorations or optional activities (we would be happy to offer suggestions or make arrangements).

Morning, get ready for another ethereal experience you will always recall. Meet the Tour-guide at 07.00 am, & proceed on a 3 hour drive into the countryside for a full day 10 hour excursion to visit Tha Ton but the long journey promises to be worth every minute as you enjoy the scenery & you will be impressed by the hospitality & friendliness of the Tha Ton people.  

Tha Ton is a town in the northern Chiang Mai Province on the banks of the Kok River

The picturesque views from Tha Ton hill & the banks of the river & a small town feel, combine to make this a nice place to hang out. The spectacular scenery with the Mae Kok river snaking its way through the fertile Fang valley disappearing into tree covered mountains is a photographer's dream. The brief rain showers keep the air fresh & clean to offer unlimited visibility of this strikingly beautiful area. Big puffy white clouds decorating the mountain tops against a rich blue sky with numerous rainbows occur only during the rainy season. There are a small number expats as permanent residents.

The verdant hills surrounding cosmopolitan Chiang Mai have long been dotted with Hill Tribe villages of Thailand’s many ethnic minorities. Visiting one or more of these rural outposts inhabited by Pauang, Black Lahu, Akha & Yunnanes, has become a quintessential Northern Thailand experience.

The term hill tribe refers to ethnic minorities residing in the mountainous regions of northern Thailand. The 7 main ethnic groups that make up the hill tribes of Chiang Mai - have migrated to Northern Thailand from within the last 200 years from China (Hmong, Yao), Tibet (Akha, Lahu, Lisu) & Burma (Karen) & other parts of the Asian interior yet they all retain much of their traditional way of life. All the tribes cultivate rice & corn; some grow other vegetables, fruit & opium, while the Karens & Lisus raise livestock.

The area is a unique cultural mixture of Thai, Chinese & Hill Tribe people & many of these agricultural communities welcome visitors & the economic opportunities they bring with them. The 2 most populous tribes in the Tha Ton area are the Karen, known for their woven turbans & tunics & the Hmong, famous for their intricate embroidery work.

Typically a visit to one (or more) of these hill tribe villages is combined with various optional adventure activities - everything from jungle trekking to white water rafting

Stop at a Baan Doi Pui Hmong hill-tribe village.

Hmongs’ ancestors lived in Tibet & China. Attempts by Chinese authorities to subjugate & force them to integrate led to their gradual exodus & by the end of the 19^th century the first Hmong villages were established around Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phetchabun & Tak in Northern Thailand. They also moved to United States in substantial number.

Hmong hill tribe has lots of subgroups like Black Hmong, White Hmong & Striped Hmong distinguished by their colourful embroidered clothing. The villages around Chiang Mai are inhabited by White Hmong.

The women wear long loose dark blue trousers with plain long-sleeved jackets with embroidered collar flaps & a turban. The men wear a black or dark blue jacket without collar which has wide sleeves & cuffs. Both women and men wear a lot of jewellery made of silver. On festive occasions, women wear a white skirt with stripes of embroidery down the front which explains their name.

Hmong hill tribe people in Thailand believe in a mixture of animism & shamanism with ancestor worship. All villages have spirit shrines to protect from evil. The Hmong bury their dead & believe each person has 3 souls, and that upon death, one goes to heaven, one will reincarnate & the other remains in the grave with the corpse.

Hmong used to cultivate Opium but in1959, Opium became illegal by law and they moved to traditional rice & various cash crops such as cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes & strawberries. Despite the ban on consumption & cultivation of Opium, it continued unabated in the Northern Highlands in the 1960s, fueled by the demand of US troops involved in the Vietnam conflict.

In 1969 his Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej visited the Hmong communities in Doi Suthep where the Royal Family had a palace. He initiated a project to help the Hmong tribal people to eradicate opium cultivation & to start growing other cash crops.

Learn about the hill tribe cultural traditions, lifestyle & history. Gain a unique insight as the Tour-guide explains about the interesting history of opium cultivation. .

Enjoy an ethnic Lunch at the village restaurant.

Move on to a Karen village.

Visiting one of the numerous Karen Long Neck villages in Thailand is one of the most exotic experiences on the planet.  The mystery & beauty that sound the tradition of using brass rings for exaggerated jewelry is something better seen in person than in a book. It is a real-life National Geographic Magazine experience to have to see to believe.

The Karen are a tribal group who have historically lived in the hills in Myanmar (formerly Burma) & started migrating into Thailand around 18^th century. Many of the large permanent villages are far off the beaten tourist track & the smaller satellite villages can move from time to time

The Karen hill tribe is the largest of the minority groups with around 40,000 Karen members today & like Hmong, Karen hill tribe is also divided into 4 major sub-groups. However, fleeing to Thailand was a safe choice for many, but they are largely illegal immigrants & do not have options for gaining Thai citizenship. While things are much better for the Karen that have fled from Burma, the lack of opportunity for the Long Necks has confined the groups to small pockets, separate from most of modern Thailand.

While the Karen men are mainly field workers & farmers, the women have a rich history of crafting from wood carving to weaving. Overall the Long Neck Tribes live a rugged, tedious & simple lifestyle. On one hand, it is beautiful they have been able to keep their traditions alive & on the other, it is a struggle to balance the new world with the old.

The Karen occupy lowland areas, engaging in agriculture, including rice cultivation. Most Karen live in mountain villages & being the most environmentally conscious of the hill tribes, they practice crop rotation (that is, they move their fields, not their villages), thus preserving the forest. Because they live in the lower mountains, they have interacted significantly with the Thai population.

The Karen hill tribe is the only tribe that owns elephants and their formerly isolated villages now boast electricity, running water & a dirt road. Many marketable crops, such as tomatoes, soya beans, peanuts, beans & peppers, have become almost as important as the basic rice crop.

Karens are renowned for their weaving skills & dress in thickly woven v-necked tunics of various natural colours & turbans. Unmarried women wear a distinctive long white tunic.

But, they are best recognized for their elongated necks, the Karen women wear heavy brass rings around their necks, forearms & shins.

While it may seem that the Karen women have unusually long necks, their traditional brass rings actually smash their shoulders & rib cages down just making their necks seem longer.  The brass rings, which are also around their shins & arms, are made out of one solid piece of metal making them quite heavy.  Each time a woman adds a ring to her neck she is fitted with a new neck piece that coils around. You may see some women with over 25 rings on their necks. The number of the rings increases according to their age.

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The main reason why the Karen women put themselves through the neck lengthening routine is simply tradition.  While there are some of the women that need to stick with the tradition to make money since they are refugees, there are some of the women that do it just to hold onto their heritage. In the early days of the Long Necks, the practice of the brass rings was started not just for beauty, but also to protect against tigers & in some cases even just because the village leader said he preferred it.

Today, many of the young Karen women are breaking with tradition & it is estimated that the neck lengthening practice will be extinct after a couple of generations. You may see many of the young women with only a couple of rings, if any at all.

Much of Karen hill tribe life is dictated by the spirits even though many were converted to Christianity by the missionaries. Many people of the Karen hill tribe still practice animism. The village priest is the most revered individual & he is the ritual leader who sets dates for the annual ceremonies. The most important ‘spirit’ is the “Lord of Land & Water” who controls the productivity of the land & calls upon the rice spirit to grow. Also important is the matrilineal ancestor guardian spirit (bga). As they integrate with the Thais, an increasing number is turning to Buddhism

When Karens move, they carry ashes of their dead ancestors because they believe souls return to Earth. Marriage is mostly monogamous & it is easy to determine which women are available - single ladies wear white, married women either red or blue. Some enterprising Karen men have two wives - one red, the other blue.

When tourists enter the village, they see each woman stationed by her own hut ferociously working on knitting looms & it may initially feel a bit like a staged atmosphere.  Things change in a hurry the second people set their cameras down & start engaging & try to connect with the Karen. 

The women really come to life the second you start interacting. In short, it will only feel like a human zoo if you make it feel like one. Talk to the women & ask about the goods they are selling, because the second you are able to overcome ‘gawker’ mode you will start to feel really happy you made the visit.

You will be able to take photos with the women & we encourage you to buy some unique souvenirs from them. There is an admission fee that profits the village directly. As you interact, the knowledgeable hill tribe Tour-guide will offer explanations that will enable you to engage in a non-intrusive & responsible way.

Spend a couple of hours before driving to Tha Ton village.

Here, visit Wat Tha Ton, a large temple complex in a very attractive setting only a few kilometers from the border with neighboring Myanmar. The 160 acre Monastery is located on top of a set of hills providing panoramic views of local villages, the Mae Kok River & the many abundant forests on the mountain range.

The Complex also houses a Buddhist School for monks, novices & youths as well as a Drug rehabilitation centre & a Hill tribe support unit. Built over several levels of the forested hills, each of the 9 Stations has something on it to visit, such a big Buddha image or a Stupa. Level 4 has a Meditation Centre, where they teach vipassana meditation.

At the 1^st level, you will find a statue of Guanyin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy. Although the Goddess is depicted here with two arms, in some stories Guanyin is said two have a thousand arms, to enable her to help all who are suffering. Level 8 features a very large Chedi & several Statues. Level 9 is 2 kilometers from level 8, on a paved footpath in the forest with a large standing Buddha at the end of the path. The office of the Wat Tha Ton’s Abbot is also located at this level. At Level 2, there is the occasional open air market where the Hill Tribe members sell crafts & snacks.

One of the oldest structures of the temple complex is the Chedi or stupa, a structure used to enshrine relics of the Buddha, Kings or very important monks. The golden colored stupa is placed on a white concrete base.

If time permits, a stop at a village local market before heading back to Chiang Mai city.

*We cannot guarantee or specify what you can see / do in the villages, as the tour follows the natural rhythms of village life. Sometimes, visitors are able to catch a festival or see more activities in the villages; however nothing can be guaranteed as all is subject to change based on weather, events & other local factors

Reach the hotel by evening.

Balance of the evening is at leisure for independent explorations or optional activities (we would be happy to offer suggestions or make arrangements).  

Overnight.  B L  

Morning, you have an hour or 2 to walk around the hotel & explore some more.

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep who will transfer you to Chiang Mai International Airport for the short flight to Bangkok

Arrive in Bangkok.

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After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, you will be welcomed by The Journeys representative (holding a placard with your Name) who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in and also discuss the program for the next day.

Reach the hotel & Check-in.

Balance of the day is at leisure for independent explorations or optional activities (we would be happy to offer suggestions or make arrangements).  

Finally, it is time to say good-bye to the "Land of Smiles" & go home.  We sure hope that you may want to discover a bit more of Siam on your next visit. 

Check-out of the hotel by 12:00 noon (if the departure time is later in the evening, we will request the hotel to allow the use of the hotel facilities & leave the luggage at the Bell Desk if you have the time to walk out). 

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to Terminal? - Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, for your onward journey. B

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