The Best of Thailand: An Exploration of the Culture and Kingdom

After arriving at the hotel and checking in, take some time to unpack, freshen up and relax. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, engaging in activities on your own or with fellow participants, or simply relaxing. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions for free time. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may be changed due to local conditions/circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Traditional Thai set menu at the hotel. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Boxed breakfast to be eaten during our journey to Doi Suthep.

In the early morning, we depart for Doi Suthep by minivans. Once there we experience a Buddhist tradition - the procession of the monks before they ascend the 309 steps of the Golden Naga staircase to reach the glittering, golden pagodas at the sacred Doi Suthep Mountain. Afterwards, we continue our drive to Wat Umong, a temple that dates back to the 14th century and contains a network of tunnels and caves. Here we experience a private blessing ceremony, a traditional Buddhist way of offering you good health and happiness.

We enjoy a traditional Northern Thailand lunch, "Khao Soi". Arguably Chiang Mai's most famous dish, Khao Soi combines crispy noodles and a rich coconut curry sauce. Coffee, tea and water included. Afterwards, we enjoy a presentation on sustainable and organic tea plantations given by the founder of the restaurant.

After lunch, we join our local expert and Group Leader for a walking discovery of Chiang Mai. We begin at a local market where fresh vegetables, spices, meat and fish are sold. We continue walking to the Three King Monument which, according to legend, has become a landmark for the city of Chiang Mai. We return to the hotel on a 'songthaew', a local form of transportation, with time to freshen up before our Welcome Dinner.

Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant featuring traditional northern Thai cuisine. We have a complimentary "Welcome to Thailand" drink with dinner this evening. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

Doi Inthanon National Park is the home of Thailand's highest mountain, Doi Inthanon. The national park is made up of tropical forests, rivers, and waterfalls. It is also filled with wildlife - gibbons, deer, wild boar and over 300 species of bird. We travel from the hotel by minivans to the summit of Doi Inthanon National Park (approximately 1.5 hours drive). At the summit, we walk along natural trails (approximately 30 minutes). We continue our drive to the Twin Pagodas for a walk around the beautiful gardens.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we visit the Karen Hill Tribe village of Mae Klang Luang to learn about this ethnic group and their way of life. We take a walk through the village and visit one of the homes before returning by minivans to Chiang Mai.

At own arrangements. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

This morning we visit Kanta Elephant Sanctuary to learn about Asian Elephants in Thailand in a relaxed forest environment. We have the opportunity to meet and speak with the mahouts. Kanta is dedicated to providing a natural and relaxing environment for their rescue elephants in their retirement.

At the sanctuary. Coffee, tea and water included. Other beverages available for purchase. We will be able to observe the elephants during and after our own lunch.

This afternoon we travel by motorcoach to Wat Suan Dok, the Buddhist University. We take a short walk around the temple to learn about its history and understand why it is revered as one of the city's most sacred sites. We spend some time chatting with the monks and have a lecture to learn more about the religion of Buddhism. We return to our hotel by motorcoach with time to freshen up before dinner.

At a local restaurant. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

Check out of the hotel and depart for Mae Chan. On arrival at Chiang Rai we visit Wat Rong Khun. Commonly referred to as The White Temple, the silvery-white buildings appear to shimmer from a distance.

At a local restaurant. Coffee, tea and water included. Other beverages available for purchase.

After lunch, we visit Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple. We continue our drive along winding roads to Mae Chan and our hotel.

At the hotel. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

We travel by motorcoach to visit Mae Salong hilltribe market. Here many tribes - including Akha, Chan (Thai Yai Tribe), Yunna (Haw) and Karen - come together to sell their products. As we wander, we will be captivated by the variety on offer. Many species of rice, local herbs, clothes, household equipment, fruit, vegetables and animal products are all up for sale. We board our motorcoach and drive towards the 101 Tea Plantation to take in the scenic outlook. We continue up to the summit of Doi Mae Salong and stop for a walk at the Yunnan village. Here we have the opportunity for a tea tasting. We return to the resort by motorcoach to participate in a cooking class followed by lunch.

We enjoy preparing our own food for lunch at the resort. In doing so, we learn about the different herbs and spices that are common in Thai cooking.

Afternoon at leisure.

At the hotel. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

We check out of the hotel and transfer to Chiang Rai airport for our late morning flight to Bangkok. Upon our arrival in Bangkok, we transfer to our hotel and check in.

At the hotel. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

We have some down time after lunch to settle into our hotel or head out for a wander. In the late afternoon, we will be joined by a local expert for a presentation about Thailand’s political economy - the interdisciplinary study of economics, political science, sociology, and other disciplines - to understand the impact and influence of political factors in economic outcomes. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand has been a unified kingdom since the mid-14th century.

We will walk to a local restaurant for dinner.

We are free to return to our hotel at leisure.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

We will take a local river taxi to the Grand Palace area. The Grand Palace with its surrounding complex is Bangkok’s most famous landmark. Built in 1782, the extraordinary architecture, artistic detail, and amazing history have made it a cultural icon. The Grand Palace is no longer the royal residence, but it is still used for important ceremonial occasions. We do not go inside the Grand Palace, but we explore the surroundings. In addition to the Palace itself, there are more than 100 structures within the grounds. Many of these are beautifully designed and decorated, including Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand's most important and sacred temple. We will visit the Wat Phra Kaew temple that houses the so-called Emerald Buddha, painstakingly carved from a single block of green jade. It was discovered in a Chiang Rai stupa in 1434, covered in plaster! Legend says its history goes back to India in the year 43 BCE. It now sits in splendor on a golden throne and watches over the Thai nation. Afterwards, we visit the Queen Sirikit Textile Museum to learn about Thai textiles past and present. We then continue by foot to Wat Pho, adjacent to the Palace. The oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok, it contains more than 1,000 images of the Buddha. One of the most famous is the Reclining Buddha, nearly 150 feet (46 meters) long and 50 feet (15 meters) high. Wat Pho was also the country’s earliest center for public education. It is the national headquarters for preserving and teaching traditional Thai medicine, including Thai massage, which is still practiced here.

At a local restaurant. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

We board a colorful longtail boat and cruise up the river, admiring the Bangkok skyline as we go. We will discover an intricate network of waterways, dotted with traditional teak houses as well as modern mansions. Bangkok's waterside reveals some of the city's history and shows how it has evolved into the cosmopolitan capital we see today. We return to our hotel and have the remainder of the afternoon and evening at leisure.

At own arrangements.

At leisure. Prepare for our early morning flight to Phuket tomorrow morning.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

We check out of our hotel and transfer to Bangkok airport for our flight to Phuket, in the south of Thailand.

At own arrangements, on the flight to Phuket.

We disembark our flight at Phuket airport and transfer to our hotel. We check in to our hotel and have the remainder of the afternoon to settle in and relax.

At the hotel. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we will have a buffet featuring local and international cuisine with a selection of hot and cold dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

We enjoy some time at leisure before our late-morning departure for Phang Nga Bay. At Ao Po Grand Marina Pier, we board a vessel from which we will explore the sea caves and hidden lagoons. We will discover the pristine beauty of Phuket as we take in the limestone cliffs and turquoise waters of Phang Nga Bay.

We enjoy lunch on board the boat as we cruise around Phang Nga Bay.

We hop aboard smaller boats to explore the Phang Nga Bay Caves. Local guides will do the paddling as we take in the stunning surroundings. Look out for macaques, water monitors, kingfishers, mudskippers, egrets, sea eagles and Brahminy kites as you explore the hidden caverns and picturesque lagoons surrounded by giant cliffs.

We enjoy a Thai seafood buffet dinner (with vegetarian options) underneath the stars of Phang Nga Bay.

We finish the day by floating our self-made flower “Krathong” and return to the pier after sunset. From the pier we head back to the hotel, arriving at around 10:00pm.

Breakfast buffet at the hotel including Asian and Western dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

We board our private speed boat and spend the day exploring the Andaman Sea. We will make several stops at ideal locations for swimming and snorkeling. We visit Phi Phi Island where we can spend some time walking on the white sand beaches and enjoying the beautiful clear water.

We enjoy lunch at a seaside restaurant.

After lunch, we visit Bamboo Island. Bamboo Island is famous for its wide, white sandy beach and shallow coral reef. We have some more time to relax, swim or snorkel before heading back to the hotel.

At own arrangements.

At leisure.

Breakfast buffet at the hotel including Asian and Western dishes. Coffee, tea and water included

This morning we explore the old town of Phuket on foot. We learn about the island’s past while exploring different architectural styles. We view former Chinese schools that have been repurposed into museums and restaurants as well as Chinese shrines. We walk past Sino-Portuguese buildings that stand in testimony to the influence of the migrants who came to Phuket during the tin mining days of the 19th century. We take a closer look at the past with a visit to Thavorn Museum. Located in the hotel of the same name, this museum boasts an impressive collection of old calculators, typewriters, tin toys and more. Seeing these relics gives us a sense of what life was like in Phuket in earlier times. During our walk we have the opportunity to sample various local snacks and delicacies.

At own arrangements.

The afternoon is at leisure allowing you to do your final explorations, run errands or relax back at the hotel.

Farewell Dinner at the hotel. We have a complimentary "Farewell to Thailand" drink with dinner this evening. Coffee, tea and water included; additional beverages available for purchase.

At leisure. Say farewell to new Road Scholar friends and pack for your journey home.

Breakfast buffet at the hotel including Asian and Western dishes. Coffee, tea and water included.

Our program concludes with breakfast. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys! Follow us on social media to stay in touch with Road Scholar! Find us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures and www.instagram.com/rsadventures.