Thailand & Laos

Our first full day in Bangkok begins at the National Museum. Founded by King Rama V, the museum occupies the former 18th-century Wang Na Palace in Phra Nakhon and displays Thailand’s largest collection of local art and artefacts. We continue on to the Grand Palace, including the most famous building on the palace grounds, Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. We end the day at the Suan Pakkad Palace, which was originally the home of Prince Chumbhotbongs Paribatra and his wife before it was converted into a museum in 1952. Among its exhibits is a wonderful collection of objects from the prehistoric site of Ban Chiang.

A visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya provides a look at one of the most important landmarks in Thailand. Once a prosperous Siamese kingdom, this former Thai capital is now a fascinating site of historically significant temples and ancient ruins. We’ll visit the monastery, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the large chedi at Wat Yai Chaimongkhon and Wat Mahathat, one of Thailand’s most photographed sites. In the afternoon we travel to the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat. Located at the western edge of the Korat Plateau, close to the Cambodian border, it once marked the boundary between Lao and Siamese territory and so has many magnificent temples in the Angkorean style.

Phimai Historical Park is the largest of all Khmer temples in Thailand. The rectangular complex measures over 1,000 metres long by almost 600 metres wide and it contains some of the finest examples of Khmer architecture in Thailand. What makes this temple at Phimai unique is that it was constructed as a Buddhist temple, even though the Khmer rulers at the time were Hindu. We spend the morning here and then, in the afternoon, we explore Phanom Rung, which was constructed in the Angkor style between the 10th and 13th centuries as a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. Finally, we reach the temple of Muang Tham, meaning "lower city” in reference to the “higher city” of Phanom Rung.

We make a long journey today from Korat to Phitsanulok, stopping at the lesser known temple of Wat Pha Sorn Kaew along the way. This unusual temple is famous for its amazing series of Buddhas. On arrival in Phitsanulok we explore Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, a royal temple on the banks of the Nan river dating to the 14th century. Local people often refer to the temple as the Wat Phra Si or Wat Yai, which means “big temple”. It is particularly famous for its golden Buddha image named Phra Buddha Chinnarat.

We start the morning in Sukhothai, the first independent kingdom of Siam. A UNESCO World Heritage Site containing some of the most incredible ruins in the country, Sukhothai Historical Park covers 70 square kilometres and contains over 190 ruins spread out in five zones. A visit to Sukhothai wouldn't be complete without a visit to the historical site of the the ancient sister city of Si Satchanalai, the second largest city after Sukhothai during its glory days. The historical park here is home to remaining structures of what used to be palaces, temples, and homes. This evening we arrive in Chiang Mai, also known as the “Rose of the North”.

This morning is dedicated to the temples of Chiang Mai, including Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Perched atop a forested mountain with sweeping views of the city below, this sacred temple houses a wealth of Buddha images, murals, and Buddhist art. The wat is approached via a 306 stepped Naga staircase. On return to the city we visit the two temples of Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh. We also discover Wat Phan Tao, an ancient temple known for its exquisite Lanna-style ordination hall (Wihan) made entirely of teakwood. It is one of the few remaining all wooden structures of its sort in Chiang Mai. After lunch we head to San Kamphaeng, to learn about local crafts. The 18-km stretch of highway that runs through it is home to villages and factories producing pottery, saa paper, lacquerware, paper umbrellas, and silk.

Today we discover the lost city of Wiang Kum Kam - "The Underground Empire” – a unique ancient ancestral and archaeological site that was re-discovered in 1974. Wiang Kum Kam was a settlement long before it became King Mengrai’s capital around 1287-90.  Frequent flooding caused King Mengrai to move the capital to Chiang Mai, but the place remained important throughout the Lanna period.  The site was later buried under mud when the river changed course during the Burmese period. The area was restored as a historical park during the 1980’s. We continue on the winding road to our hotel located in the Chiang Rai mountains.

We have an early start this morning to arrive at the border at Chiang Khong, where we cross into Laos to embark on a short cruise on the Mekong River. We travel downstream towards Pakbeng, stopping along the way at the Khmu village of Ban Houy Phalam. The Khmu are the largest minority ethnic group in Laos, thought to be the indigenous people of northern Laos. Their houses are traditionally built on stilts, mostly made of local wood but sometimes they use plaited bamboo for the walls. The space underneath the houses is used as a storage place for tools, firewood and animals such as chickens, ducks, pigs etc. The boat arrives at Pakbeng this afternoon, where we spend the night in a local hotel.

We board our boat again in the morning and depart Pakbeng for another day amidst the impressive natural landscapes all along the river, passing local villages. After lunch we stop at Pak Ou to visit the famous limestone Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting) and their thousands of Buddha images. The next stop is at Ban Xang Hai village where local Lao people make whisky from sticky rice. Here we learn about the locally made rice whisky and have the chance to taste it. The boat arrives in Luang Prabang (a UNESCO World Heritage City) this afternoon, where we transfer to our hotel.

We spend the day in Luang Prabang exploring its numerous sites, including the stupa at Wat Visoun, Wat Aham tutelary shrine, and Wat Xieng Thong. This 15th century Wat was a royal temple until the revolution of 1975. During the 1960s, Wat Xieng Thong was completely remodelled and redecorated, becoming the splendid temple we see today. Next we visit Wat Sene Souk Haram, literally "Temple of a 100,000 treasures", which is one of the most beautiful temples in Luang Prabang. In the afternoon we continue to the National Museum, which was formerly the King’s Palace and now displays a collection of personal artefacts of the Royal Family. Afterwards we visit Wat Mai, the “New Monastery” built in 1796. It was given its present name following the restoration undertaken in 1821 by King Manthathourat. The most striking feature of the temple is the array of gilded relief panels covering the front façade. We return to our hotel and take the rest of the day at leisure.

We drive out of town today to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, stopping along the way at the Hmong minority village of Ban Na Ouan. The waterfalls tumble over multi-tiered limestone formations into cool, clear pools ideal for swimming and relaxing. We also visit the nearby butterfly park and enjoy lunch at the local restaurant near the waterfall. On the way back to Luang Prabang we stop at Laos Buffalo Dairy, a socially-responsible enterprise consisting of a commercial dairy and production facility to make products such as yogurt, cheese and ice cream for local and overseas customers.

Today we make the long journey from Luang Prabang to Phonsavanh, taking the road over the highlands through the countryside. On the way we stop at Ban Kioukacham, a Hmong village where we learn about local life. The Hmong are an ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Laos. They are also one of the sub-groups of Miao ethnicity in southern China.

Today we explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Plain of Jars, the largest cultural site in Laos containing thousands of stone jars. Archaeologists believe that the jars were used 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. Most of the excavated material has been dated to around 500 BC to 800 AD. Anthropologists and archaeologists have theorised that the jars may have been used as funeral urns or perhaps storage for food. Lao stories and legends claim that there was a warrior race of giants who once inhabited the area. The local legend tells of the ancient king named “Khun Cheung” who fought a long, victorious battle. It is told that he celebrated his victory by creating the jars to brew and store huge amounts of Lao-Lao traditional rice wine. Most of the day will be dedicated to site No. 1, 2, & 3, but we also have a chance to visit Muang Khoun, the ancient Tai Phouan capital city that was destroyed during the second Indochina war. The ruins of Vat Piavat and That Foun are the only remaining evidence of this historically significant site.

Before we leave Phonsavanh we visit the morning market where the ethnic minorities from the surrounding villages gather every morning. We visit the Lao Sericulture Company at their silk farm and training centre to learn about mulberries, silk, and tea. We then transfer to the airport for our flight to Vientiane, a quiet but endearing capital city.

The day begins with the Talat Sao (Morning Market), where you can find an abundance of locally made handicrafts. We also visit numerous temples, including Wat Si Saket, which was built in the Siamese style of Buddhist architecture rather than the Lao style, and Wat Ho Phra Kaew, the former home of the Emerald Buddha until it was captured by Thai King Taksin and carried to Bangkok, were it now resides in ‘Wat Phra Keaw’. Pha That Luang Stupa is a gold-covered Buddhist stupa initially established in the 3rd century. Then it’s on to the imposing Patuxay Monument, “Victory Gate” or “Gate of Triumph” which is dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence from France. In the afternoon we drive out of town to the Buddha Park (Wat Xieng Khuan), a famous sculpture park with more than 200 religious statues including a huge 40-metre high reclining Buddha image. Built in the 1950’s, it has become a bizarre-yet-enjoyable attraction which gives an insight into the way people think about Buddhism in all its forms.

Today, our tour comes to an end and we make our independent onward journeys.