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Day 1: Departure

You should arrive at the airport for your overnight direct flight to Bangkok.

Day 2: Arrival In Bangkok

On arrival, you transfer to the excellent four-star superior Eastin Grand Hotel for two nights with breakfast. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the excellent pool and restaurants at your hotel. Exploring the city is easy, as the hotel is connected by its own footbridge to the efficient skytrain system.

Day 3: Bangkok

Bangkok is a truly amazing city with ‘must sees’ being its spectacular Grand Palace, plus the most important of all Thai Buddhist monuments, Wat Phra Kaew - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Palace is Bangkok’s most famous landmark - for 150 years the Siamese Kings’ home and seat of government. Adjacent is Bangkok’s largest temple, the astonishing Wat Pho, famed for its huge 46-metre long reclining Buddha, staggeringly covered with gold leaf and also home to the original Thai massage school. You will discover Bangkok’s delightful klongs (canals), explored by small boat, which surprisingly quickly lead to an enchanting countryside full of verdant orchards, palm trees and picturesque paddy fields, plus communities with a fascinating water-borne way of life unchanged for centuries.

Day 4: Fly To Chiang Rai

Today you fly to Chiang Rai, Thailand’s most northerly town, staying for three nights in the four-star superior Dusit Island Resort with breakfast. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the extensive facilities of your hotel, which include a huge pool, three restaurants and a spa.

Day 5: Golden Triangle

Today we explore the rainforest-covered hills deep in Chiang Rai province where the present King’s mother spent many years overseeing numerous projects developing new crops, thus enabling villagers to eradicate opium cultivation. We visit her Royal Villa with its museum and delightful gardens.

Thailand’s most northerly point is the small market town of Mae Sai and with Burma just across a small river, its streets are crammed with remarkably priced Burmese sarongs, cheroots, puppets and intricate embroidery. This afternoon we explore the nearby Golden Triangle where the Mekong and the Ruak rivers meet, as do the borders of Thailand, Laos and Burma, with a huge glistening Golden Buddha on the riverside. Just downstream is the ancient city of Chiang Saen, a fascinating juxtaposition of centuries-old ruined city walls and temples, sitting ‘cheek by jowl’ with modern day villagers’ homes.

Day 6: White Temple

In the morning we see the original Wat Phra Kheow, once housing Thailand’s most sacred Buddha image, the Emerald Buddha which you saw in Bangkok. The work of one of the province’s most famous sons and now one of Thailand’s foremost artists, Chalermchai Kositpipat, can be seen throughout this small town, his tour de force is the stunning and remarkable White Temple, undoubtedly Thailand’s most unusual – mostly white and silver with just one room of another colour – the public toilet, which is gold! Started in 1995, it is scheduled for completion in 2070! The afternoon is at leisure.

Day 7: River Mekong

Today we have an experience the memories of which will last many years – a fascinating two-day boat journey through Laos along the river Mekong. Accommodating 40 passengers, our boat is very comfortable with a bar and kitchen, and with its open sides you can truly experience river life just as

it has always been, plus see some staggeringly beautiful countryside. Meals, snacks, tea/coffee and bottled water are included. Around each sweeping bend is another staggering assault on the senses and as the sun sets in an explosion of colour we stay in the riverside village of Pak Beng at the Pakbeng Lodge. Dinner is served on the open-air terrace beautifully overlooking the river.

Day 8: River Mekong

We are way off the beaten track here – waking up this morning you will feel relaxed, privileged and wonderfully distant from home. Continuing our cruise of discovery, we observe traditional village life before arriving at the Pak Ou Caves, filled with hundreds of Buddha statues of all shapes and sizes. After our on-board buffet lunch we arrive in Luang Prabang in the afternoon, staying two nights at the three-star superior Luang Prabang View Hotel. As dusk falls the enterprising zeal so typical of the emerging world can be seen to be alive and well in the noise and sizzling open-air restaurants of the atmospheric night market.

Day 9: Luang Prabang

This morning you can witness, and even partake if you wish, in the early morning ritual of ‘Tak Bat’, or offering alms to the monks, a tradition followed avidly and providing some wonderful photo opportunities. You’ll also visit the market learning how the locals shop for superb fresh produce.

Our morning walking tour explores this amazing small town, with its quaint Royal Palace Museum and by walking through the quiet back lanes you unearth some of Luang Prabang’s amazing hidden secrets. Wat Chomkhong temple is especially noted for its decorative carvings, but this whole UNESCO-protected area contains a wonderful fusion of beautiful French colonial buildings and traditional Lao houses. Next it’s the magnificent Wat Xiengthong, with its roof sweeping towards the ground, in the classic Luang Prabang style.

Next we explore Luang Prabang’s stunning hinterland. Our destination is the beautiful Kuangsi waterfall, where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the turquoise pool or walk along the forest trails. We enjoy a delicious picnic lunch under the shade of the lush tropical forest surrounded by its unique sights and sounds. Just adjacent is the Bear Rescue Centre whose worthy mission is protecting the rare Asiatic Black Bear. We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon so you can explore as you wish.

Day 10: Fly To Bangkok

We catch the morning flight back to Bangkok, driving on to Kanchanaburi province and the River Kwai, immortalised by David Lean’s iconic film. Constructing that bridge was just one of many tasks set for the thousands of allied POWs as they laboured to build the infamous ‘Death Railway’ under the most terrible of conditions. We visit the Chong Kai War Cemetery, on the site of a hospital and prisoner of war camp. We then continue to the excellent riverside four-star superior Dheva Mantra Hotel for two nights with breakfast.

Day 11: River Kwai

This morning we leave our hotel by long-tail boats, approaching the River Kwai Bridge in the most wonderful way – by river. We board the local train which crosses the bridge and travels along the line and viaducts built by the POWs.

After a stop for lunch, you head upcountry by road to Hellfire Pass – a deep railway cutting only 500 metres long, although it took Allied prisoners of war more than three months to dig this out of solid rock, working 24 hours a day. One thousand Australian and British servicemen toiled here with just 300 surviving. There’s a trail that leads to the pass where you can observe the simple black granite memorial. The excellent museum is operated by the Australian Office of War Graves and has some very poignant testimonies and videos.

Day 12: Hua Hin

After a relaxing morning we head for the shores of the Gulf of Thailand, spending three nights at the superb five-star Hyatt Regency Resort near the beach resort of Hua Hin. For many years Hua Hin was the resort of choice for the Thai Royal family, who have a palace nearby and still visit regularly. These days the town is known for its vibrant night market and numerous fish restaurants. The Hyatt Regency is a 10 minute drive away, set in lush tropical gardens and boasting three restaurants, a superb meandering pool area and excellent spa. There are several world-class golf courses close by.

Days 13 and 14: Free Days

Two full days at leisure to enjoy the wonderful pool and facilities at your hotel.

Day 15: Return Flight

Today you will have a late afternoon transfer back to Bangkok airport for your return flight home.

Day 16: Arrive Home

You arrive back in the UK in the morning.