8-Day Golden Triangle Tour with Phuket

Welcome to the mountains and fertile river valleys of Chiang Rai, your gateway to an authentic Thai experience in the country’s northernmost region. Upon your arrival at the airport, your friendly local guide will be waiting to meet you and take you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is yours to relax, and if jet lag permits, do a little exploring of this totally walkable city.

Today’s tour begins with an adventure to the heart of the Golden Triangle, Sop Ruak, where the Thai, Myanmar and Laos borders meet. Gaze into each of these ancient kingdoms from Wat Phra That Phu Khao Temple, a temple that has watched over the region from its hilltop vantage point for over a thousand years. Next you’ll get a chance to learn about the fascinating culture in the curious village of Mae Salong, a hilltop of ramshackle housing and tea plantations settled by Chinese hilltribes yet officially remains part of Thailand. After lunch, you will spend the afternoon in a village of Karen Long-necked women, your knowledgeable guide explaining their unusual yet ancient traditions. After driving back to Chiang Rai, the evening is yours to relax in your hotel.

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide awaits to drive you to the extravagant yet highly unusual ‘White Temple’ of Wat Rong Khun. While much of Thailand’s temples have centuries of history, this is a modern take on a classic design, a brilliant-white temple encrusted with clear-mirrored chips that make for a dazzling sight in the morning sun. It’s quite unlike any other temple in Thailand, or elsewhere for that matter. Next, you’ll wind through the lush forests and limestone mountains of Chiang Dao, where you will visit a sacred cave extending some 10km into the mighty Doi Chiang Dao Mountain, Thailand’s third tallest peak stretching some 2,175 metres into the heavens from the fertile plains below. After lunch, you’ll continue towards Chiang Mai, taking in the breathtaking scenery as you drive, as well as making stops at rural villages to see unique hilltribes. Once in Chiang Mai, the evening is your own to relax.

After breakfast, you’ll visit the nearby Maetaman Elephant Camp. Here, you’ll have the chance to trek through the forest and across shallow rivers on the back of one of the Camp’s gentle giants. After a local lunch, you’ll spend some time up close with the animals, aiding in the feeding and bathing process, during which the young elephants are especially playful. Later in the afternoon you’ll try your hand at bamboo rafting along a relaxing stretch of the river, and take a leisurely oxcart ride through the countryside before your driver returns you to Chiang Mai. The rest of the day is yours to relax.

Enjoy one final morning in Thailand’s enchanting second city, perhaps signing up for a local cooking course so you can take a little of this spectacular country home with you. Your guide will ensure you arrive at the airport in time for your short flight to Phuket Island. Once you’ve checked in at your beach resort, the remainder of the day is yours for lounging on the fine white sand.

Time to unwind with two days of rest and relaxation in this tropical paradise. Phuket island is the pearl of the Andaman coast, boasting the softest, whitest sand, the bluest waters, great towering limestone cliffs, and the most luxurious resorts. This is one part of the world that postcards just can’t do justice! The more adventurous can try their hands at snorkelling, scuba diving, sea kayaking, or exploring one of the many smaller islands just offshore.

Enjoy one final morning of sun and sand before you are taken to the airport for your onward flight, leaving Thailand having explored its most authentic region, and lived a postcard dream in a tropical beach paradise - it won’t be long before you’re craving another trip to Southeast Asia.

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