THE EXTRAORDINARY TRAVEL - THE 3 COUNTRIES - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia
THE EXTRAORDINARY TRAVEL - THE 3 COUNTRIES - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia 14 days
For those wishing to spend a truly magical holiday, here is our new tour, an exclusive from THAI TREK ADVENTURE. Over 14 days, we will explore the most legendary sites of northern Thailand, Laos, and Angkor in Cambodia: Chiang Mai and our extraordinary elephant camp; the Thai Golden Triangle (Akha village, Padong village \[“long-neck women”], Silver Palaung village, Chiang Rai, Mae Salong with its high-altitude tea plantations, the White Temple and the Blue Temple, the ancient fortified city of Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong, etc.); northern Laos (Mekong River cruise by boat, Pak Beng, Khamu villages, the magical city of Luang Prabang with its many monasteries, caves, waterfalls, the capital Vientiane, etc.); and finally Angkor (the eighth wonder of the world), where we will visit its extraordinary temples and ruins (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Bakong, etc.).
See all the photos of this excursion, click on this link
Program
Day 1
- Arrival in Chiang Mai – Pick-up at the airport (time to be determined).
- Check-in at hotel - Open afternoon (relax, massage, etc.).
- Lan Na–style dinner (specific culture of northern Thailand) at Khum Khantoke with traditional Thai dances.
- Night in a 4 star hotel in Chiang Mai.
Day 2
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Departure between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. to our elephant conservation camp (about a one-hour drive).
- Discovery of our Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and preparation of their meal. Learning how to make “medicine balls” (herbal balls) for the elephants, followed by feeding them. Walk with the elephants to the river, then bathe with the pachyderms.
- Lunch at campsite.
- Return to your hotel in Chiang Mai around 3:30 p.m.
- Dinner in Chiang Mai close to the Ping riverside.
- Night in a 4 star hotel in Chiang Mai.
Day 3
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Journey to the Golden Triangle. Numerous stops along the way. Visit the Doi Ang Kang mountain, the villages of the Palaung Argentés people (Tibeto-Burmese people originally from Burma, one of the last to wear their traditional dress in Thailand!) and a Palaung market on the Burmese border. Depending on the season, visit the strawberry, vegetable or flower plantations cultivated at altitude by the Palaung people, and the Burmese-Thai border (former fighting positions of the military fighting opium traffickers).
- Lunch at the top of Dol Ang Kan.
- Dinner and evening in an Akha Loimi (Tibetan-Burmese mountain people) village surrounded by nature in the Golden Triangle.
- Overnight in a home-stay bungalow in the Akha village.
Jour 4
- Depart at 9 a.m.. Breakfast in a Homestay in Akha Loimi village.
- Day dedicated to exploring the region (remarkable road with numerous panoramas, plantations, rice fields, etc.).
- Visit to the Burmese refugee village (Padong people, also known as the “long-neck” people).
- Lunch (Yunnan Chinese cuisine) in Mae Salong, an incredible little town built at high altitude by Kuomintang nationalist Chinese (former opium smugglers) in the 1960s.
- Visit to high-altitude tea plantations (tea tasting available). Superb drive to Chiang Rai (one of the most beautiful in Thailand!).
- Visit to the world-famous Blue Temple and White Temple.
- Thai dinner and visit to the Chiang Rai night market.
- Overnight stay in a 4 star hotel in Chiang Rai.
Jour 5
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Departure at 6:30 a.m. and drive (90 km) to the incredible forest monastery of the monkeys, a limestone site where a colony of wild Assam macaques lives and where Buddhist monks have set up meditation cells in the caves.
- Drive to the ancient royal capital of Chiang Saen (part of the road follows the Mekong – Stunning!).
- Visit to the very secluded teak forest temple (Wat Pha Sak) at the foot of the ancient wall of Chiang Saen, and visit to Wat Chedi Luang with its Lan Na chedi (the largest in the region) and its famous 15th-century Buddha.
- Thai lunch in Chiang Saen, then drive to Chiang Khong.
- Late afternoon relaxation in Chiang Saen (hotel with swimming pool overlooking the Mekong and Laos).
- Thaï dinner in Chiang Kong on the Mékong river.
- Overnight stay in a 4 star hotel in Chiang Khong on the banks of the Mekong.
Jour 6
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Departure at 9:00 a.m. Drive to the Friendship Bridge (5 km), then crossing into Laos (customs formalities at the Friendship Bridge).
- Laotian lunch in Houei Sai.
- From 1:00 p.m., descent of the Mekong River by traditional Laotian boat from Houei Sai to Pak Beng (arrival around 5:30 p.m.).
- Tradition Laotian dinner at Pak Beng.
- Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel with a superb view of the Mekong.
Jour 7
- Departure at 7:30 a.m.. Breakfast.
- Boat descent of the Mekong River toward Luang Prabang, the royal capital of Laos (one of the most beautiful cities in Asia!). Arrival in Luang Prabang between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- Tradition Laotian dinner at Luang Prabang.
- Visit to the very typical Luang Prabang night craft market (where several ethnic groups, including the Hmong, sell their handicrafts).
- Overnight stay in a colonial villa in Luang Prabang.
Jour 8
- Breakfast.
- Visit to the magnificent temples of Luang Prabang (15th–18th centuries), Mount Phousi overlooking the city (with an incredible panorama of the town and mountains!), and the Royal Palace.
- Lunch.
- Visit to the magnificent Tat Kuang Si waterfalls with their emerald-green water (swimming possible).
- Open dinner at Luang Prabang
- Overnight stay in a colonial villa in Luang Prabang.
Jour 9
- Early morning wake-up to witness the extraordinary procession of Buddhist monks collecting alms from the faithful (“tak bat”) throughout the old city of Luang Prabang.
- Breakfast.
- Visit to the astonishing Pak Ou caves on the left bank of the Mekong, with their thousands of Buddha statues, and the village of Ban Pak Ou (from which we reach the caves by pirogue).
- Lunch at Luang Prabang.
- Late afternoon relaxation (Laotian massages, stroll through the city, etc.).
- Open dinner at Luang Prabang
- Overnight stay in a colonial villa in Luang Prabang.
Jour 10
- Breakfast.
- Morning: high-speed train journey from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.
- Afternoon: visit to the capital of Laos and the magnificent temples Vat Saket, Vat Phra Keaw, and Vat That Luang.
- Laotian dinner in Vientiane.
- Overnight stay in Vientiane in a hotel or colonial house.
Jour 11
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Flight from Vientiane to Siem Reap (Cambodia). Customs formalities.
- Lunch during the day.
- Traditional mukata dinner (Khmer barbecue) in Siem Reap.
- Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel in Siem Reap.
Jour 12
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Visit to the extraordinary Ta Prohm temple overgrown by vegetation (several famous films, such as Tomb Raider, were filmed here!).
- Visit to Angkor Thom, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King, the temple-mountain Phimeanakas (“the celestial temple”), and the restored Baphuon.
- Visit to the sublime Bayon, the temple of 54 stone faces.
- Lunch during the day on site.
- Visit to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, then the South Gate (depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk by the Devas and Asuras).
- Open dinner in Siem Reap.
- Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel in Siem Reap.
Jour 13
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Visit to Banteay Srei, the only pink sandstone temple of Angkor (famous as the temple where André Malraux was arrested in 1923).
- Visit to the pyramid temple Pre Rup and East Mebon (a temple formerly located on an island in the middle of a vast reservoir).
- Visit to Ta Som (a true stone labyrinth), Preah Khan, and the spectacular East Gate of Angkor Thom.
- Lunch during the day on site.
- Open dinner in Siem Reap.
- Overnight stay in 4 star hotel.
Jour 14
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Transport to Siem Reap airport. Flights to the destination of your choice (Thailand or Vietnam then France). End of tour.
Rates
The price of 2 790 euros per person includes:
- - English-speaking guide + local guides
- - all vehicles with driver and taxis;
- - The boats on the Mekong;
- - All activities and excursions
- - all breakfasts, lunches and dinners (except for open dinners on day 8,9,12 and 13);
- - all hotels accommadtions (hotel 3 and 4 stars depending on location + homestay in the villages).
- - flight travel Vientiane-Siem Reap;
- - train tickets from Luang Prabang-Vientiane;
- - Entry Pass in Angkor.
The price does not include :
* The Laos visa and the Cambodia visa (to be obtained via e-visa or at the borders – in this case, don’t forget to bring 2 ID photos)
- Drinks
- Open dinner (day 8,9,12 and 13)
- The round-trip airfare France – Thailand – France
- Insurances
- Personal expenses
