DAY ONE.   ARRIVAL IN BANGKOK. From the Bangkok International Airport to our centrally located hotel, your taxi will bring you through some of the sprawl of modern Bangkok.
Accommodations: Arnoma Hotel

DAY TWO.   TOUR OF BANGKOK. Sites on today’s city tour include the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, and the Golden Buddha Temple. Along the route, you’ll pass through lively markets, see important government buildings, observe the bustling street scenes, and have an authentic Thai lunch. That evening, you’ll board a boat for a dinner cruise on the Chao Phray River. In the evening, Bangkok nightlife is very active along Silom Soi 2, a gay street lined with bars and clubs.
Accommodations: Arnoma Hotel

DAY THREE.  CHANG RAI, SOP RUAK, AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE.  We’ll fly from Bangkok to Chang Rai, Thailand’s northern most province and one of the country’s most rural.

In this mountainous area, one crop that used to thrive was opium. For centuries, traders used to congregate in the area and it became known as the Golden Triangle. Three countries intersect at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak Rivers. The Mekong River divides Thailand from Laos and the Ruak River divides it from Myanmar. While today opium has been replaced with other crops, the area remains a trading point for Southeast Asia.

We’ll visit the crossroads town of Chiang Saen on the banks of the Mekong. Scattered throughout the town are the ruins of the 14th century Chiang Saen Kingdom. Surviving architecture includes several stupas, Buddha images, pillars, and earthen city ramparts.

Our hotel is situated above the Mekong and Ruak rivers, offering a spectacular view of the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. In the evening take some time to relax in the hotel pool, have a massage, or sip a cocktail on the terrace.
Accommodations: The Imperial Golden Triangle

DAY FOUR.  THE ROUTE TO CHIANG MAI- HILL TRIBE PEOPLE AND RONG KHUN TEMPLE.  On the way to Chiang Mai, we’ll stop at the Long Neck Village, where people from various hill tribes still live in traditional ways.

The other site along the route is the Rong Khun Temple, a modern Buddhist temple built by the contemporary artist Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat. While walking through this white temple, you’ll marvel at the intricate cravings and elaborate designs.

In the late afternoon, we’ll check into the conveniently located Karinthip Village Hotel. The hotel is in the middle of the city near the Tha Pae Gate and Wat Chom Phu. Wat Chom Phu is the temple with the twin pagodas of Doi Suthep, a 700 year old structure.

Traditionally Chang Mai was a quiet, moated and walled city surrounded by mountains with legendary, mystical attributes. Now, it’s a modern, cosmopolitan city, but it retains much of its heritage. Highlights are the many temples and the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.
Accommodations: The Imperial Golden Triangle

DAY FIVE.  MOUNTAIN PEAKS AND WATERFALLS. Doi Inthanon National Park is well-known for its natural scenery and birdlife. Thailand’s highest peak, Doi Inthanon (2590 meters/ 8495 feet), has three impressive waterfalls cascading down its slopes. The mountainous area is often covered in mist. This climate produces orchids, lichens, and mosses. The region is also one of the last habitats of the Asiatic black bear and the Assamese macaque, a rare monkey. Today’s excursion includes a couple hours of easy to moderate level hiking along the Kew Mae Pan nature trail. Evening is back in Chiang Mai.
Accommodations: Karinthip Village Hotel

DAY SIX.  ELEPHANT CAMP AND BAMBOO RAFTING.  We head to the forest to Elephant Camp, where elephants are trained to work in the dense jungle. We take a one-hour ride on an elephant through the forest. Afterward, we’ll take a bamboo raft along the Mae Ping River. The afternoon and evening is free to explore Chiang Mai at your leisure.
Accommodations: Karinthip Village Hotel

DAY SEVEN.  PHRA THAT DOI SUTHEP TEMPLE AND RETURN TO BANGKOK.  In the morning we’ll visit the Phra That Doi Suthep Temple, an important temple dating back from 1383. Located near the top of a mountain, the temple has views of Chiang Mai and the valley below. The temple’s gold pagoda contains holy Buddha relics and attracts pilgrims from across Thailand and around the world.

In the afternoon, we’ll fly back to Bangkok where we’ll say our farewells or continue on OutWest Global Adventures’ “Cambodia: Angkor Wat” tour.