Your adventure starts with a ferry journey across the Chao Phraya to Koh Kret, a tiny island in the river that is home to a small community of craftsmen famed for their distinctive pottery. A leisurely stroll enables exploration of market stalls and the opportunity to taste delicious snacks before we view a traditional pottery workshop to watch artisans create unique red-black glazed products. You can try your hand at creating your own simple earthenware. We then visit Baan Silp Siam, an artist’s house focused on traditional Thai arts including khon masks and handicrafts. Lunch is served at a small restaurant overlooking the river, followed by a ‘DIY’ (do it yourself) coffee where you get to roast the coffee beans on a stove, grind them and make the coffee yourself. We end the perfect day at Chit Beer, a small riverside bar to enjoy a Thai craft beer, followed by the drive back to the hotel.

We start at the ornate Wat Trimitr which is situated at the end of buzzing Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road, and also near to Hua Lampong train station. This temple is home to a vast invaluable Golden Buddha that weighs five-and-half tons adding to this remarkable site. Next is the largest temple complex in Bangkok, Wat Po, which has an impressive reclining Buddha that is 46 metres in length as well as ornate chedis. No temple tour is complete without a visit to the gleaming Grand Palace which is one of the most beautiful examples of a traditional Siamese Court. Previously the residence of royalty, there are a number of different venues for different occasions including the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House and the famed Emerald Buddha Temple.

Bangkok – Rayong                                                                                                 [L, D]

Guests are warmly welcomed upon their arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, or at a Bangkok hotel, depending on individual travel itineraries and taken on a three-hour drive to a serene beach in Rayong province. The first stop is lunch at Laem Charoen Seafood Restaurant, one of the oldest Thai restaurants on the beach near Rayong city. We then head to the selected hotel to check-in. After freshening up, it is time to meet the guide in the lobby and start our sustainable activities at Centre Pra Chedi Klangnam. We will participate in beneficial pursuits such as creating a crab condominium, a structure that helps this important species to thrive. Other possible activities are building a refuse trap in a river, or planting saplings in a mangrove forest. We then transfer back to our respective hotels for dinner and overnight.

Rayong – Pattaya                                                                                          [B, L, D]

Our excursion provides the best of both worlds – the rural splendour of Rayong province, followed by the lively resort city of Pattaya. In the morning, we drive to Ban Krasae Bon community village to absorb the local lifestyle. We will enjoy a welcome drink at Krasia Khuha Sawan Temple and take part in varied religious traditions, including a blessing administered by a monk. We then head to Somchit Orchard by a traditional three-wheel vehicle. Next, we boat down the Prasae River and try to spot the elusive Chinese Water Dragon. Lunch is prepared by the friendly villagers and served on a raft with an idyllic river view. It is then time to transfer to Pattaya. After checking in to the hotel, we visit the Sanctuary of Truth. This is the most iconic local structure in the city and created entirely from teak. The amazing 105-metre-tall replica of both a temple and a palace is unique in the world. Detailed carvings of animals, people and scenes from mythology are of exceptional fine detail. We then enjoy a seafood dinner cooked Thai-style at Glass House Silver Restaurant, followed by a transfer to the hotel.

Pattaya – Takien Tia Community – Bangkok                                                                    [B, L]

After a delicious breakfast, we check-out from the hotel and set off on a leisurely journey. We will gain immersion into eco-tourism at Baan Takian Tia Community in Bang Lamung district in Chonburi, a 40-minute drive from Pattaya. This experience will give us the opportunity to learn about coconut cultivation and how the community has united to preserve a green sanctuary in a rapidly industrialised area. A local villager will give us an insight into efforts to maintain a small slice of the countryside in the rapidly advancing concrete jungle, as this location’s close proximity to Bangkok has made it a prime area for development. We then get hands-on during a floral embroidery bag workshop and get to keep our creation. After lunch with community members, we continue on our way to Bangkok.

Bangkok – Khao Yai                                                                                                 [L, D]

The day’s adventure starts with us leaving Bangkok by private car, minibus. or coach for Saraburi, a central Thai province renowned for its collection of ancient Buddhist temples. We will stop at Phra Buddha Badh, home to a shrine of the holy footprint of Buddha and a large number of temple bells that surround the temple compound. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Saraburi before continuing to Khao Yai National Park, home to more than 50 km of hiking and biking trails and several waterfalls including 150 metre high Haew Narok and the famous 20-metre-tall Haew Suwat that featured in Danny Boyle’s Hollywood hit The Beach. The park is also home to a diversity of flora and fauna, including bears, gibbons, elephants and hornbills. On the way, we stop at the hillside temple of Wat Theppithak with its huge seated Buddha and fruit market at Klang Dong. Dinner at hotel.

Khao Yai – Korat                                                                                                         [B, L, D]

The day starts exploring some of Khao Yai National Park’s natural beauty with a visit to impressive Krong Keo Waterfalls that are home to a bamboo suspension bridge. We then stop at Thao Suranaree Memorial, built in commemoration of Khunying Mo, wife of the town’s second in command, who rallied her people to defeat Laotian invaders in 1826 under the reign of King Rama III. Next, we visit Wat Sala Loi, where the main chapel is constructed in the shape of a Chinese junk using local materials in the form of the famous earthen tiles from Daan Kwien. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Korat before continuing to Pimai to visit the museum and magnificent Khmer temples, dubbed the Angkor Wat of Thailand, that are believed to have been built by King Jayavarman VI in the 11th century. Before returning to Korat, we visit Sai Ngam Banyan Grove, home to Thailand’s largest banyan tree. Dinner at hotel.

Korat – Surin                                                                                                         [B, L, D]

We start the day with a trip to the village of Daan Kwian, famous for its beautiful earthenware. Set on the Moon River, it is home to a quaint collection of pottery studios, stores and museums to explore. We then continue to Prasat Phnom Rung, the most important Khmer temple complex in Thailand. Perched atop a small hill, this complex comprises a stunning monumental staircase and its sanctuary is one of the best examples of Khmer architecture in the country. We also visit Prasat Muang Tham, a Khmer temple that dates back further than Prasat Phnom Rung, with a collection of well-preserved bas reliefs. After a local lunch, we set off to the northeast province of Surin. Dinner at hotel.

Note: The Surin Elephant Round-Up is held every year on the third weekend of November. Tour programmes available on request, surcharges apply.

Surin – Bangkok                                                                                                     [B, L]

We leave for Si Saket, famous for its Khmer ruins. We visit Prasat Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai, an 11th century Khmer-era temple built to honour Hindu god Shiva before switching to a Mahayana Buddhist temple built in the 13th century. We continue to Prasat Wat Sa Kamphaeng Noi, which comprises a laterite stupa and chapel with a lotus pond at the front. We drive on to Ubon Ratchathani, one of the four major cities of Isan. After lunch, we continue to Ban Pa Ao, one of the oldest villages in Ubon Ratchathani, whose residents are said to have migrated from Vientiane, Laos during the reign of King Siri Bun San. This area is famous for its skilled artisans who create bronzeware and handwoven silk. We then visit Ban Kan Lueang archaeological site. In 1992, an excavation of the site unearthed a range of artefacts that date back 2,000 years. We then drive to Ubon Ratchathani Airport to fly to Bangkok.

Day 1 | Bangkok – Ban Kao                                                                                                                                                                                [-, L, D]
The journey is sometimes as important as the destination and this is true on today’s adventure as we visit a wealth of fascinating attractions. We leave Bangkok for Kanchanaburi, via Nakorn Pathom and stop at this location to view the tallest stupa in Thailand at Phra Pathom Chedi. The structure measures 127 metres in height and its creation inspired the development of the town. Next is the riverside Khao Noi Cave Temple (Wat Tham Khao Noi). This monastery sits on a hill and features Chinese architecture and cultural art, as well as splendid views of the mountainous horizon from an exterior viewpoint. We also make a stop at the nearby Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Sua) which features Thai cultural art. On arrival in Kanchanaburi we visit the JEATH War Museum, a realistic depiction of a prisoner of war camp with bamboo huts which give an insight into the grim living conditions and atrocities endured by detainees who were forced to build the Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway.’ We then board the RV River Kwai at Nong Ya Dock with lunch and dinner on board and the afternoon at leisure.

Day 2 | Ban Kao – Sai Yok                                                                                                                                                                                [B, L, D]
Our relaxing river cruise continues upstream on the Kwai Noi River to Muang Singh. After breakfast we step ashore and visit a boarding school for refugee children built under the patronage of H.R.H. Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. We then explore Prasat Muang Singh, a historical park containing Khmer architecture dating back 800 years. This site marked the Western border of the Khmer Empire in what is now Thailand and it serves as a potent reminder of the enormity of the Khmer domain. Muang Singh, the ‘city of the lions,’ was probably established as a trading post in this era. We then continue by coach to Tha Kilen Train Station, a site which holds significant relevance in the construction of the Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway.’ We take a third class train to Saphan Tham Krasae and pass over the famed 300 metres-long trestle bridge that clings to the cliff side. On arrival, we proceed to the riverside Krasae Cave which houses a venerable Buddha image. We then continue by coach to Sai Yok village located on the river bank. Lunch and dinner are on board and the afternoon is at leisure.

Day 3 | Sai Yok – Ban Hin Dad                                                                                                                                                                  [B, L, D]
Our final day of cruising takes in more amazing natural and man-made attractions. After breakfast we take a short stroll uphill to visit Kaeng Lava Cave, the area’s deepest cave at 500 metres in length. Inside are stalactites and stalagmites and mystical stone draperies and hidden chambers. We then continue by coach to Hellfire Pass, a notorious section of the ‘Death Railway’ that cuts through a towering stone mountain. We follow a trail that leads to Hin Tok Bridge and the Konyu Cutting where a plaque commemorates the horrors endured by the prisoners of war (POW) who built the railway under Japanese enslavement. The memorial complex, Hin Lek Fai, stands in honour of these Allied soldiers and conscripted labour from Burma, India, Malaysia and Thailand who died during the railway’s construction. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Sai Yok National Park and take in the gushing Sai Yok Yai Waterfalls. The afternoon is at leisure on board, ahead of a farewell dinner.

Day 4 | Ban Hin Dad – Bangkok                                                                                                                                                                [B, L, -]
We start the day in traditional Buddhist style ‘making merit’ by offering food to monks at a nearby temple in return for a blessing and then return to the boat for breakfast. We then jump onshore again and head to Kanchanaburi to visit Wat Tham Khao Poon, an amazing subterranean world with nine caverns full of Hindu and Buddhist shrines. The exterior of the temple has a marvellous viewpoint of the Kwai Noi River valley. We then visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre Museum, a facility that provides a detailed insight into the 415-km Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway’ built by enslaved Allied soldiers and Asian conscripts during World War Two. We then visit Don Rak War Cemetery where 6,982 Allied POWs who died building the railway are buried. We continue to the famed Bridge over the River Kwai, which inspired the war era film of the same name. We enjoy lunch at a riverside restaurant overlooking the bridge and then head to Bangkok and transfer to respective hotels.

Day 1 | Bangkok – Ban Hin Dad                                                                                                                                                                   [-, L, D]
The journey is sometimes as important as the destination and this is true on today’s adventure as we visit a wealth of fascinating attractions en route. We leave Bangkok for Kanchanaburi, via Nakorn Pathom and stop at this location to view the tallest stupa in Thailand at Phra Pathom Chedi. The structure measures 127 metres in height and its creation inspired the development of the town. Next is the riverside Khao Noi Cave Temple (Wat Tham Khao Noi). This monastery sits on a hill and features Chinese architecture and cultural art, as well as splendid views of the mountainous horizon. We also make a stop at the nearby Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Sua) which features Thai cultural art. After lunch at a renowned Thai restaurant, we proceed to Hellfire Pass, a notorious section of the Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway’ that cuts through a towering stone mountain. We follow a trail that leads to Hin Tok Bridge and the Konyu Cutting where a plaque commemorates the Allied soldiers and Asian conscripts forced to build the railway by Japanese forces. We then board the RV River Kwai, and the afternoon at leisure with dinner on board.

Day 2 | Ban Hin Dad – Sai Yok                                                                                                                                                                        [B, L, D]
Our relaxing river cruise continues downstream on the Kwai Noi River. After breakfast on board we visit a boarding school for refugee children built under the patronage of H.R.H. Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. We then drive to Hin Dad Hot Springs. The natural hot springs, with two large pools and private baths, were discovered by Japanese soldiers supervising the construction of the Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway.’ The minerals in the spring are believed to cure numerous ailments. We then visit stunning Pha Tad Waterfall in the west of Si Nakharin Dam National Park. This water feature originates from a small stream called Huai Kui Mang that flows into the Kwai Noi River. We reboard our vessel at Kaeng Pa Lorm and enjoy lunch ahead of some river rafting or canoeing. If time permits we will visit a nearby indigenous Mon village before returning to the RV River Kwai for dinner.

Day 3 | Sai Yok – Ban Kao                                                                                                                                                                                 [B, L, D]
Our downstream cruise continues along the idyllic riverscape of Kanchanaburi province. After breakfast on board we make a short stop at Sai Yok village. We enjoy lunch on board as we navigate the lush and mountainous landscape. We then board a coach and head to the riverside Krasae Cave which houses a venerable Buddha image and an excellent exterior viewpoint of the rolling hills. Next is Tha Kilen Train Station, a site which holds special significance in the construction of the Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway.’ We take a third class train to Saphan Tham Krasae and pass over the famed 300 metres long trestle bridge that clings to the cliff side. After arrival, we explore Prasat Muang Singh, a historical park containing Khmer architecture dating back 800 years. This site marked the Western border of the Khmer Empire in what is now Thailand and it serves as a potent reminder of the enormity of the Khmer domain. We renew our journey along the Kwai Noi River, with the afternoon at leisure and a farewell dinner in the evening.

Day 4 | Ban Kao – Bangkok                                                                                                                                                                                 [B, L, -]
Today’s adventure starts with exploration of an amazing cave temple. After breakfast we visit Wat Tham Khao Poon, an astonishing subterranean world with nine caverns full of Hindu and Buddhist shrines. The exterior viewpoint has a marvellous view of the Kwai Noi River valley. We continue by coach to Kanchanaburi to visit the world famous Bridge over the River Kwai that was immortalised in the World War Two movie of the same name. This sturdy iron bridge was a crucial part of the ‘Death Railway,’ and it took enslaved Allied POWs and Asian conscripts 16 months to build. After this historical experience we continue to the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre Museum, an interactive facility that provides a remarkable insight into the Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway.’ Finally, we visit the Donrak War Cemetery which contains the remains of 6,982 Allied POWs who died during the construction of the rail link. We then reboard the RV River Kwai with lunch served as we cruise towards Nong Ya Dock. On arrival, we return to Bangkok by coach and transfer to respective hotels.