Thailand Entdeckungsreise

Transfer from your hotel in Bangkok to Khao Yai. Today's tour is easy going and can be enjoyed by nature lovers of all ages. Visit the vulcanic caves and the bat caves and see more than a million bats swarming out to hunt for nightly food. Falcons try to seize the bats as food, an experience not to be missed. In the evening you can optionally visit the night market at Pak Chong. You will stay overnight in the Khao Yai Garden Lodge, a spaciously set up nature resort spread out over a large terrain with picturesque accommodation that fits perfectly in the natural landscape of Khao Yai National Park. The hotel has a large garden with orchids, turtles, butterflies and plants, a swimming pool with bar and a cozy restaurant.

Drive deep into the mountains and walk through refreshing and scenic landscapes of bizarre mountains where untouched jungle still exists. Using the elephant trails in the jungle you will walk along mountain streams and you'll see magnificent waterfalls where you can take a swim. Admire the large variety of orchids and the magnificent views from the cliff at 1270m altitude. Enjoy being in the jungle itself with its uncountable sounds all around you. Animal life include elephants, gaurs, monkeys, deer, bears and birds including the famous hornbill. The park has the biggest elephant population (200) in Thailand. Around 19:00 hr our night tour commences through mountain forests and grasslands. This is the time that most animals come out of their hiding. From the car, the nightly animal world is illuminated by special halogen lights and the many species can be observed. Dinner (Nicht im Preis enthalten) will be served upon return in the hotel. Overnight stay again in the Khao Yai Garden Lodge

During the Khmer period, large parts of Thailand were conquered by the Angkor empire. Phimai was directly connected by road with the Angkor capital. Prasat Hin Phimai was built at the beginning of the 12th century, when the Khmer empire had its glory period. The monument is of great historic and esthetic importance, it became the example and prototype for the later built and famous AngkorWat in Cambodia. Don’t miss the opportunity to take a short excursion (2 km down the road) to Saai Ngaam, a 350 year old banyan tree-complex hanging some 2½ m above the ground. A good place to have lunch in one of the many food stalls. In the afternoon transfer to your homestay address in the village Khampom. During dinner, prepared by your family host, you will be warmly welcomed by the local Thai village people (dinner Im Preis enthalten).

Visit on school days the village school. See the ceremonial beginning of a school day with the children singing the national Thai anthem followed by Buddhist prayer. You can enter the classroom to talk with the schoolchildren, who are curious about Western life and enjoy to talk with you. Your guide will translate everything. This school visit will be one of your more memorable experiences. Later you will go into the rice fields. Depending on the season you can see how rice is sown or harvested. If you want then you can help and do some manual labor yourself. You will buy the ingredients for your evening meal at the village market. This evening, if you want, you can prepare your own dinner. The family host mother will explain how while your guide translates. As this will be your last dinner with the host family, probably half the village will want to say goodbye to you. Following Isaan tradition you will receive a lot of good wishes and a wrist full of little ropes…

Founded in the 13th century, Sukhothai was the first capital of Thailand (then Siam). The city enjoyed a golden age under King Ramkhamhaeng, credited with creating the Thai alphabet. The superb palaces, temples and monuments of this great city have been lovingly restored in Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see for all travellers. Ramkhamhaeng National Museum contains an outstanding collection of the arts and crafts of Sukhothai, including statues, Buddha images and old celadon found within the old city. Important sites inside the old city walls include the royal temple with a giant chedi built to house Buddha relics brought from Sri Lanka, Wat Sri Sawai with its three Hindu-style prangs, Wat Traphang Thong in the centre of a large pond and its Buddha Footprint and Wat Sa Si, an attractive temple on 2 islands with a large Singhalese chedi. You will stay overnight in Sukhothai.

Transfer from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai, a journey through the beautiful mountainous scenery of Thailands north. On route you will visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. These impressive creatures will demonstrate what they are capable of and you will see a variety of activities such as bathing and feeding of baby elephants and nursing them in a hospital. Then onward to Chiang Mai and arrival in your hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight stay in Chiang Mai.

Start with a visit to an elephant-training camp in the beautiful area of Chiang Dao. Witness how these enormous creatures are taught to labor in the jungle. Onward to the Chiang Dao caves, with a beautiful white marble statue from Burma. After lunch we continue by pick-up truck through light jungle to an Akha and Lisu village. The terrain here is mountainous and offers a magnificent view. Walk to a Palong village where you spend the night. Dinner is cooked by the guide according western hygienic standards. Breakfast on day 12 and continue with a short walk and a 1 hour elephant ride. Enjoy the views of the jungle while sitting on top of the elephant. Stop at a camp where bamboo-rafts are made for lunch. Continue the tour by rafting. You can take the rudder and navigate yourself down the river. On the way back to Chiang Mai we stop at a small market and an orchid-nursery where you can admire some 200 different species (depending on the season) of these beautiful flowers. Arrival at your hotel on day 12 around 17:00 hr. Overnight stay in Chiang Mai.

A morning flight will take you from Chiang Mai straight to Koh Samui. Transfer to your hotel on one of the peaceful beaches of Koh Samui. The rest of the day is free at leisure to enjoy sun, sea and sand and an entertaining evening life.

Free at leisure.

Checkout. In the course of the day you will fly to Bangkok, where you will arrive on time for your connecting flight back home. This dream holiday ends upon your arrival at Bangkok International Airport.