13-day tour - Discovery, history and white sand

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival in Bangkok: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, and a rooftop bar after dinner.

  We will be waiting for you at Bangkok airport. You have nothing to worry about, the airport is simple and, once you exit, you are automatically directed to gate 3 where everyone waits for arrivals. We will have a sign with the indication "SIAM HOLIDAYS", so there is no chance of missing each other. Once we have welcomed you, we will take our van to go to our hotel. The hotel is located in one of the most popular districts of Bangkok. Comfortable, it has the particularity of being quite close to all the visits planned in the program. Free morning to settle into the hotel. Around noon, we will go for lunch near the Grand Palace, which we will visit at the beginning of the afternoon, as well as Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. Probably the most visited monument in Thailand, the Grand Palace of Bangkok is the place every visitor must go at least once in their life. The construction of the Grand Palace began in 1782 under the reign of King Rama I, founder of the Chakri dynasty, to become a royal residence. Since then, it has been the greatest architectural symbol of Thailand. The Grand Palace served as an important royal residence until 1925 and is now used only for ceremonial purposes. In the evening, if you wish, we can go for dinner in a charming restaurant, the "secret garden". The colonial house is charming, the delicious dishes are served in a pleasant and quiet garden. The restaurant also serves as a tea room and offers excellent desserts. After dinner and before returning to the hotel, we can go for a digestif at the "vertigo bar" of the Banyan Tree hotel (it's very close to the restaurant). This bar is simply fantastic! Located in the open air on the 59th and top floor of the hotel, it offers a 360° night view of the city of Bangkok. The cozy atmosphere is pleasant and the view, breathtaking.

• day 2

  Damnoen Saduak Floating Market - Baiyoke Tour,

  We will leave in the morning at 7:30 am from the hotel to go to the floating market. This market is about 1 hour and 30 minutes away by road and it is best to arrive there quite early. This market is impressive, as it is located in a marshy area where many families live in houses often on stilts. To access the market, we will take a long-tail boat. These boats are quite narrow, equipped with 2-seat benches to sit on and propelled by means of a long "tail" ending in a propeller, powered by a car engine (often Toyota). The ride is interesting, as through the canals, you can see the houses and many stalls of all kinds. Once at the market, the crowd is indescribable in the canals and it takes all the dexterity of the pilots to get through it. We will have lunch on site, then leave at 1 pm to return to Bangkok where we will arrive around 4 pm at the hotel. Free late afternoon. We can, if you wish, end this day with a buffet dinner at the Baiyoke Tower II restaurant. It is the tallest skyscraper in Thailand, overlooking the city of Bangkok with its 84 floors at a height of 343.34 meters (the Eiffel Tower peaks at 324 m). Its construction was completed in 1997, but in 1999, an antenna was added to its top. The skyscraper is located in the heart of Bangkok, right in the middle of shopping streets and attractions. It is just a few minutes' walk from several major shopping centers. After dinner, we will finish at the top, on the 360° rotating platform, where the view is unreal!!!

• day 3

  Jim Thompson House, Golden Buddha Temple, Chinatown, Silom Village.

  After breakfast, departure at 8:30 am for the Klongs (canals in Bangkok where the boat-buses allow you to travel outside of the land routes). These boat-buses are popular with the inhabitants of Bangkok because, depending on where you want to go, they obviously allow you to get there much faster than by land, as there are no traffic jams. From our pier, we will head to the station where Jim Thompson's house is located. You will be immersed in the daily life of Bangkok's very middle-class residents (the wealthiest take taxis) and will be impressed by the dexterity of the employees on board who are in charge of collecting tickets. Indeed, when passing under the many bridges, these employees, walking on the edge of the boat outside, must duck or risk being decapitated… The helmet they wear is not very useful, but it must be said that accidents are extremely rare as they are so used to it. Jim Thompson House In its green setting, sitting on the bank of the Saen Saeb canal, the house would no doubt have disappeared without a legacy left by an American named Jim Thompson. Its elegant residential enclave, composed of six traditional Thai teak houses, transported from Ayutthaya and the Ban Krua community of Bangkok, echoes Jim Thompson's 30-year love affair with the art and cultural heritage of Southeast Asia. An architect by training and an avid collector of Asian art objects, Jim Thompson's sharp eye and flair for design brought everything he touched to life. After his release from military service in 1946, Jim Thompson decided to settle in Thailand, where he devoted more than 30 years to the revival of Thai silk and introduced it to the world's most respected fashion houses in Paris, New York, London, and Milan. At noon, we will have lunch in Chinatown, which we will visit, as well as the famous Golden Buddha. Chinatown is truly unique, with an atmosphere you won't find anywhere else. We will have lunch on site. The Wat Traïmit temple, located in the district, houses the largest solid gold statue in the world (5.5 tons) and its history is surprising. In the evening, we can go have dinner at Silom Village. This district is not very far from our hotel and is pleasant with its antique dealers and restaurants, some of which offer a Thai dance show.

• day 4

  Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace - Lunch cruise on the Chao Phraya River

  We will be picked up at our hotel at 6 a.m. to go to the departure point of the collective bus (bus departs at 7:30 a.m.) to visit Ayutthaya. Less than a hundred kilometers from Bangkok, Ayutthaya is nowadays a small, peaceful "prefecture" of 80,000 inhabitants. But at its peak, this former royal capital had 1 million souls... It was the leading city of all Southeast Asia in the 17th century. European kings sent ambassadors there, and the city attracted merchants from Japan to Western Europe. Founded in 1351, it was completely destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. What remains from that era are the ruins of temples, scattered throughout the modern city, and the accounts left by foreign visitors who described it as of unforgettable splendor, or compared it to Venice because of its many canals at the time. The kingdom of Siam then extended beyond the current borders of Thailand. For more than four centuries, Ayutthaya was the royal capital. Thirty-three sovereigns from various dynasties ruled over this vast territory, before the fall of Ayutthaya during one of the many wars against the Burmese, and the move of the capital to Thonburi. You will first visit Bang Pa-In, the royal summer palace, on the way. Then the bus will take you to Ayutthaya, where you will visit the three main temples (the Temple of Victory, the Mahathat Temple, and the Srisanphet Temple), as a group. On the way back, you can enjoy the countryside scenery on a comfortable boat (not a private visit but in a group), cruise from 1:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lunch on the boat is included. At the end of the day, you will be taken back to your hotel in Bangkok where we will have dinner at the hotel or nearby.

• day 5

  Chatuchak Market

  Experiencing Bangkok without having visited or shopped at the Chatuchak market would make for an incomplete visit and experience of the Thai capital. The Chatuchak market is without a doubt one of the most frequented places in Bangkok on weekends. Bangkok residents and tourists browse through the many shops in the market's aisles. Every weekend, there are more than 15,000 stalls offering a wide variety of products, because, let's be clear, you can find everything at the Chatuchak market. Chatuchak is what one could call Bangkok's flea market, knowing that there are genuine antiques and very beautiful things. We will go by skytrain (BTS), which is the fastest way. We will have lunch on site, where there is plenty of choice, and will return at the end of the afternoon. Dinner will be free.

• day 6

  Transfer to Koh Lanta

  Departure for the airport at 9:30 am to take our flight to Krabi at 11:45 am, with an expected arrival at 1:05 pm. We will have a quick lunch at the airport or at the port. We will take the ferry at 3:00 pm for an arrival in Koh Lanta at 6:00 pm, so around 7:00 pm at our hotel. Dinner at the hotel.

• day 7

  Free day in Koh Lanta

  Free day. Lunch and dinner at your leisure. A la carte activities if you wish. We will be present at the hotel and can assist you in choosing your activities, and even accompany you if you wish. There are many things to do in Koh Lanta (island tour, elephants, orchid farm, kayaking in the mangroves, snorkeling, diving, etc.).

• day 8

  Excursion to the islands

  At noon, we leave for a boat tour of the surrounding paradise islands. Departure from the hotel will be around 10am (lunch on the beach included). We will first stop at Railay Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Thailand. The Railay peninsula is surrounded by lush jungle and huge limestone formations, and is known worldwide as the "paradise" for climbers. You will also discover the spectacular Phranang Beach there. We will visit the beautiful and famous Poda Island, a large white sand beach surrounded by limestone rocks where you will enjoy a delicious Thai buffet lunch. Then, departure for Koh Tup, a fabulous white sand beach. This island is connected to Koh Kai (Chicken Island) by sandbanks surrounded by crystal clear water. Next, we will tour around Koh Kai, an incredible rock formation resembling a chicken. Afterwards, we will head to Koh Sii, one of the best diving and snorkeling sites in the region, where you can observe colorful corals and tropical fish. In the late afternoon, we will go to the spectacular and mythical Phranang Beach (with the famous Phranang Cave) for a snack in front of the fabulous sunset. Finally, on the way back, we invite you to share a unique experience: swimming at night in the bioluminescent plankton. Return to Ao Nang around 8pm. Dinner at your leisure.

• day 9

  Free activities in Koh Lanta

  Activities are free. You can, if you wish, rent a scooter and visit the island (with us if you like), and among other things: See the orchid farm, located at Phra Ae Beach, also called Long Beach. It is easily accessible by motorbike or bicycle. Take a trip to the small village of Lanta Old Town, the old town (see on Google Maps "The Royal Old Town" to the east). In the past, it was the business center of Koh Lanta, as it was the island's only port. Note that, for those who do not want to ride a scooter, we can go there by car. For diving or snorkeling enthusiasts, everything you need is in Koh Lanta... We will guide you to the best service. You can also visit the mangrove by kayak and the surrounding islands by private longtail boat. Services not included in the trip. Lunches and dinners are free.

• day 10

  Free activities in Koh Lanta

  You can also hire the services of a long-tail boat to explore small, isolated, and charming islets.

• day 11

  Free activities in Koh Lanta

  It is also pleasant to stroll around Lanta Old Town, which is the administrative center of the island, and to go shopping in the small boutiques for those who wish to do so.

• day 12

  Free activities in Koh Lanta

  You can also go on very beautiful excursions in Koh Lanta, with treks that will take you to different places of your choice, whether it is for a walking discovery of the most beautiful beaches or the center of the island, with its jungle and wonderful waterfalls.

• day 13

  Transfer to Bangkok

  Departure at noon from the hotel to go to Krabi airport. Our flight leaves at 3:40 pm to arrive in Bangkok at 5 pm. We will have lunch at Krabi airport and we will accompany you to Bangkok airport. We hope to see you again soon in Thailand for more discoveries!