Thailand & Laos: Elephants, Temples, & Beaches

Arrive in Bangkok, Thailand

Welcome to colorful, exotic, and endlessly fascinating Thailand! Your adventure gives you the chance to explore distinct Thai regions and experience the lifestyle and traditions unique to each. From the cultural delights of Bangkok to remote hillside villages, and from the natural wonders of Chiang Mai to the palm-fanned tropical beaches of Phuket, Thailand promises to engage everyone’s imagination.

Arrive in Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) before 12:00PM, as there will be one group transfer provided from the airport around that time. The exact transfer time will be determined closer to departure. AdventureWomen can arrange additional airport transfers for an additional fee. Taxis from the airport are metered and also quite simple to navigate if you prefer to make your own way to the hotel.

Have lunch on your own today either at or nearby your hotel before meeting your group at 2:00pm in the hotel lobby.

Take the sky train and a local ferry across the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). This stupa-shaped temple spire is decorated with colored glass and Chinese porcelain. Enjoy sunset at the temple. Take a ferry and taxi back to the hotel.

Have a welcome drink at the hotel before heading out for your welcome dinner – at a street food bazaar! Head into one of the local night markets for endless options from the many street food stalls. Your guide will help you understand what you are eating and which part of the country it comes from. Get to know your fellow travelers this evening and learn about why each woman on your trip is excited to explore Thailand and Laos!

Dinner

Overnight: The Raweekanlaya (2023 and January 2024 departures), Villa De Pranakorn (November 2024 departure)

Bangkok

After breakfast, drive to a pier on the outskirts of downtown Bangkok where you will learn about kayaking techniques. Kayak a little less than an hour through a small stilt home neighborhood of Bangkok before returning to the pier.

Hop in a longtail boat for a short ride to lunch. Enjoy a local noodle soup or a mixed noodle dish. After lunch, return to the hotel and relax before dinner.

Enjoy dinner as a group at a local restaurant.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: The Raweekanlaya (2023 and January 2024 departures), Villa De Pranakorn (November 2024 departure)

Bangkok to Luang Prabang

Drive to the airport and fly to Luang Prabang this morning. You’ll say goodbye to your Thai guide at the airport, but you will see your guide again in Chiang Mai in a few days. Be dressed to explore Luang Prabang by bike when you arrive!

Eat an a la carte lunch at the Bourang Restaurant in Luang Prabang.

Explore the city by taking a Tuk Tuk ride and discover the following highlights: see the Royal Palace, home to the revered “Prabang” sacred golden statue, from which the town derives its name. Then, discover Vat Mai, a former royal temple, before seeing the Heuan Chan Heritage House. You will gain insight into Lao traditional architecture and culture by exploring the way families lived in long houses until around 1960. Finally, discover Vat Xieng Thong, the most iconic temple in Laos, adorned with golden paint and mosaic glass embedded with mirrors.

Enjoy dinner with the group this evening.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Maydou

Luang Prabang, Laos

Dive into a hands-on culinary experience where you’ll make your own lunch of traditional Laotian fare.

Kuang Si Falls is a natural attraction located near the town of Luang Prabang. Drive 45 minutes to get there with a stop in a rural village on the way. Kuang Si Falls is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Southeast Asia. Near the entrance to Kuang Si Falls, visit the Asian Sun Bear Rescue Center. This sanctuary is home to rescued Asiatic black bears, among other bear species. You can observe these bears in a semi-natural habitat and learn about their conservation efforts.

The Baci ceremony recalls the spirits of the body back; once this is done, symbolically, you tie cotton bracelets on each other’s wrists. You’ll participate in this ceremony at a local home with a family and a master of ceremony.

Enjoy dinner on your own this evening – there are plenty of choices to pick from! Also, be sure to check out the local night market.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Maydou

Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai

Depart the hotel at 5:20 this morning on foot. Witness the hundreds of orange-clad barefoot monks gathering alms. This is a thousand-year-old daily ceremony in Luang Prabang. Continue by tuk tuk to the local market to see how locals purchase their fresh food. Have breakfast back at the hotel.

Meet one of the two women who founded the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center. Learn to identify what crafts come from which ethnic groups, how to tell between factory-produced and handmade pieces, and learn about the challenges facing women in Laos today.

Fly from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai this morning. You’ll be met at the airport by your guide who you last saw in Bangkok. Head to a late lunch to taste Cao Soi, one of the best-known dishes of Thailand. The rich, nutty curry is a local favorite.

Stroll through the village near your hotel. You’ll visit the Ganesh shrine before making your way to Kalm Village where you will see boutiques featuring batik and other traditional hand-crafted good as well as the community artist exhibition space. Then walk to the Chedi Luang temple. Relax at the hotel at the end of your walk before dinner.

Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in the White Market tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight:Aksara Heritage Hotel

Chiang Mai

Spend a full day at the Elephant Nature Park, about an hour’s drive from Chiang Mai. You’ll get to prepare food, feed, observe, and learn about Asian Elephants. Enjoy a simple lunch, and then spend the afternoon with these gentle giants.

You’ll have a traditional dinner where you will sit on the floor on pillows. You’ll be served many dishes family-style on a round rattan table that is low to the ground. These typical Lanna, or northern Thai dishes could include roasted green chili dip, fresh vegetables, and thicker nutty curries

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight:Aksara Heritage Hotel

Chiang Mai

Head out on an easy hike through part of Doi Suthep National Park (the ‘mountain of the open heart’) to the jungle wat of Phu Lat. The hike will be about an hour and a half with minimal elevation gain. Walk along the stream among the gardens where statues, flowers, and jungle all mix together. You should wear closed-toed shoes.

In Chiang Mai’s artist community, a new wave of artists from the younger generation is making its debut. Within a unique blend of shops that combine both indoor and outdoor areas, you can encounter a diverse group of artisans, including metal craftsmen, painters, ceramic artists, weavers, and even gelato creators, all in the same space! After your visit, drive about 30 minutes back to the hotel.

Lunch and the afternoon are on your own. You might want to get a massage at the hotel or head to the Hmong market where many ethnic groups buy the parts to make their clothes.

Dinner is up to you tonight. Eat at the market, dine at the hotel, or ask your guide for a recommendation for a nearby local restaurant.

Breakfast 

Overnight: Aksara Heritage Hotel

Chiang Mai to Phuket

Get up early this morning for your flight to Phuket, stopping in Bangkok on the way. When you arrive, drive to the pier and take in the view of the turquoise ocean. Pack your bathing suit in your daypack so you have it handy!

Hop on a longtail boat and stop to have lunch and change into bathing suits. Snorkel through the off-the-beaten-path Lao Lading and Phakbia islands.

Return to the hotel for a bit before heading to a local restaurant for dinner with the group.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Thavorn Beach Village Resort

Phuket

Take a 1-hour longtail boat ride to Hong Island, where you will enjoy some time snorkeling along the coast. Then set-out on kayak to explore Koh Bon before enjoying a picnic lunch on the beach. Start your journey back to the hotel in the longtail boat at the end of the day.

Have a farewell dinner with your new AdventureWomen friends complete with a Krathong ceremony with a floating leaf basket of a candle and prayers. Reminisce over all of the memories you have made and celebrate the end of an amazing journey through this truly spectacular country.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Thavorn Beach Village Resort

Depart Phuket

Say goodbye to your new AdventureWomen friends as you transfer to the airport after breakfast. There will be one group transfer to the airport at 9:00 am. Do not book your flight home to depart until after 12:00PM. If you have flights that depart very late, and you would like to book a day room in Phuket town, let us know and we can help with those arrangements.

Breakfast 

Please note: AdventureWomen will attempt to adhere to the itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, and cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. AdventureWomen reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participants.