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Explore Pass Indochina Tour
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Code: |
IDCN37 |
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Routes: |
Chiang Mai - Sukhothai -
Luang Prabang - Vientiane - Siem Reap |
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Duration: |
11 Days |
Itinerary in brief
Day 01: Chiang Mai - Arrival
Day 03: Chiang Mai - Sukhothai
Day 04: Sukhothai - Luang Prabang
Day 05: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Caves
Day 06: Luang Prabang - Vientiane
Day 07: Vientiane - City Tour & Buddha Park
Day 08: Vientiane - Siem Reap - Rolous Group
Day 09: Angkor Thom, & Ta Prohm
Day 10: Banteay Srei - Kbal Spean - Angkor Wat
Day 11: Siem Reap - Bangkok
Detail Itinerary
Places
Covered: Night Bazaar,
Elephant Camp, Bo Sang Village, Ramkamhaeng
National Museum, Sukhothai Historical Park,
Wat Mahathat, Wat Si Chum, Wat Sra Sri, Wat Phra
Pai Luang, Wat Si Sawai, old Thuriang Kilns, Si
Satchanalai-Chaliang Historical Park, Yom River,
Wat Chang Lom, Wat Chedi Jet Thaew, Wat Aham,
Wat Mai, Wat Wisunalat, Phousi Hill, Wat Phousi,
Hmong Hill tribe night market, Wat Xieng Thong,
Mekong River, Nam Khan River, Pak Ou Caves, Ban
Sang Hai Village, Weaving Village of Ban Phanom,
National Museum, Central Market, Wat Sisaket,
Haw Pha Kaew, Patouxai Monument, That Luang
Stupa, Friendship Bridge, Buddha Park, Wat Sok
Pa Luang, Rolous group temples of Lolei, Bakong
& Preah Ko, Angkor Thom, Bayon, the Royal
Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Elephant Terrace,
Terrace of the Leper King, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan,
Neak Pean, Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang, Ta Keo,
Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda, Preah Dark Village,
Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean (the "River of a
Thousand Lingas"), Banteay Samre Temple, Angkor
Wat, Phnom Bakheng Hill.
Day 01:
Chiang Mai - Arrival (Dinner)
Arrive in Chiang Mai, meet and transfer to
hotel.
Tonight enjoy a northern Thai cultural show with
Khantoke dinner.
Free to stroll in the interesting Night Bazaar
featuring a wide range of northern Thai products
including good quality handicraft.
Overnight in hotel, Chiang Mai.
Day 02: Chiang Mai - Elephant Park
(Breakfast/ Lunch)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Visit the
Maetaeng Elephant Park for an interesting day
with elephants – feeding them, learning to
give them commands, seeing them put on a show of
obedience and going on an elephant safari,
riding an ox-cart as done in olden days,
floating downstream on a bamboo raft before
returning to Chiang Mai. Lunch is included at a
riverside restaurant.
In the afternoon tour, see northern Thai cottage
industries of teakwood carving, celadon making,
silk and cotton weaving, the umbrella-making
village of Bo Sang ' all handicrafts by local
artisans using traditional methods of production
of which Chiang Mai is famous.
Overnight in hotel, Chiang Mai.
Day 03: Chiang Mai - Sukhothai (Breakfast/
Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning is free
until time to transfer to the airport for the
flight to old Sukhothai, Thailand's premier
heritage site. This first Thai kindgom of the
13th century is the epitome of Thainess, which
laid the foundation of Thai culture, religion,
civilization and nature of the people. Upon
arrival in old Sukhothai, meet and transfer to
hotel to freshen up before going to the small
Ramkamhaeng National Museum where is housed a
replica of the controversial Ramkamhaeng Stone
written in four languages. We will then visit
the Sukhothai Historical Park to tour the
restored ruins. Wat Mahathat has the typical
Sukhothai style lotus-bud chedi. Other ruins to
visit are the mondop of Wat Si Chum, Wat Sra Sri
of Sri Lankan Buddhist design, the older Wat
Phra Pai Luang of Khmer architecture, Wat Sri
Sawai and the old Thuriang kilns producing the
famed white-and-blue ceramics that were exported
to the Malay Peninsula, Brunei and Java in the
13th and 14th century. Altogether 21 ruins were
restored within and just outside the ancient
ramparts of the old city. Return to the hotel
for a well-earned rest.
Dinner at the hotel as the sun sets over the
west.
Overnight in hotel, Old Sukhothai.
Day 04: Sukhothai - Luang Prabang (Breakfast/
Dinner)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning sightseeing of
the Si Satchanalai-Chaliang Historical Park, the
twin-city of ancient Sukhothai by the Yom River,
with its set of ruins, pottery kilns and
Chalieng showing Khmer architectural designs.
The fine temple of Wat Chang Lom with stonework
elephants surrounding a bell-shape stupa bears
an inscription saying that King Ramkamhaeng
built it in the years 1285-1291. Wat Chedi Jet
Thaew has seven rows of chedi depicting ancient
Indian architectural style with the main chedi
an exact copy of the one at Wat Mahathat in old
Sukhothai. The ruins of Wat Phra Si Ratana
Mahathat at Chaliang dates from the mid-15th
century heavily influenced by Sukhothai style.
Then it’s time to transfer to Sukhothai
airport for the flight to Luang Prabang (Laos).
On arrival at Luang Prabang airport, you are met
and transferred to your hotel. The former royal
capital city of the Lan Xang kingdom is Luang
Prabang. This tranquil town with its gleaming
temple roofs, fading colonial architecture and
stunning mountain backdrop has been acclaimed by
Unesco to be “the best preserved traditional
city in South-East Asia'. Here are plenty of
interesting sights, some of which are the
impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, the shrine of
Wat Aham, Wat Mai and the city's oldest temple
of Wat Wisunalat. We visit these before climbing
the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a
beautiful sunset view of the city and the Nam
Khan River. The zigzag path crosses over various
temples to the sacred, gilded stupa of Wat
Phousi at the summit. When you descend the Hmong
hill tribe night market at the foot of Phousi
Hill would be already in business. We will
browse a while here looking at hill tribe
embroidery and other crafts before going to
dinner. Be introduced to authentic Lao cuisine
at Pakhuay Mixay restaurant. Return to hotel.
Overnight in hotel, Luang Prabang.
Day 05: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Caves
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Today, we
continue our city tour, seeing the magnificent
Wat Xieng Thong which nestles at the meeting
point of the Mekong River and the Nam Khan
River. The temple structures are decorated in
various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways.
The main sim has a marvellous 'tree of life'
mosaic pattern on an outer wall. We then board a
boat to cruise upstream on the Mekong River
which also gives us a taste of the tranquil
countryside and an interesting visit to the
mysterious Pak Ou caves, crammed with thousands
of gold-lacquered Buddha statues of various
shapes and sizes. Along the way, we stop at Ban
Sang Hai to visit the rice wine distillation
village using traditional means. Lunch box will
be served on board. Upon disembarking, we drive
to the famous weaving village of Ban Phanom
where shoppers have a chance to try their hand
at bargaining for local handicraft. Although the
many households sell about the same things, the
product range is astonishing and the quality
good. The villagers depend much on selling their
handicraft to appreciating tourists. French set
dinner at 'œL'Elephant Blanc' restaurant.
Overnight in hotel, Luang Prabang.
Day 06: Luang Prabang - Vientiane (Breakfast/
Lunch/ Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning visit to
the National Museum at the former Royal Palace,
which displays a lovely collection of the
artefacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture
dating from the days of the early kings right
through the last sovereign. The central market
is of much interest for the varied and plentiful
produce it contains. We visit these sights this
morning, before taking a flight to Vientiane,
the capital city of the country. On arrival,
transfer to our hotel for freshening up before
meeting again for lunch and some sightseeing of
the city, visiting the major temples including
the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of
miniature Buddha statues and the former royal
temple of Haw Pha Kaew which previously housed
the famous Emerald Buddha image, now in Bangkok.
On the way back to the hotel we pass by the
imposing Patouxai monument that is well-known as
Vientiane's Arc de Triomphe.
Dinner at Kua Lao for good tasty Lao food.
Overnight in hotel, Vientiane.
Day 07: Vientiane - City Tour & Buddha Park
(Breakfast/ Dinner)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning sightseeing of
the famous That Luang Stupa, the focal point of
pilgrimages by Laotians countrywide. This is the
most important religious monument in Laos. A big
festival is held on the full-moon night in
November every year ''the night after the Loy
Krathong festival in Thailand. Learn something
of Lao national history at the Lao National
History Museum. Lunch at Soukvimane Lao Food
restaurant for local fare. Drive to the
Friendship Bridge spanning Laos and Thailand to
visit Buddha Park, an eclectic concoction of
sculptures by revered Buddhist monk, Bunleua
Sulilat, mixing Buddhism with Hinduism. Try a
traditional Lao herbal steam bath at Wat Sok Pa
Luang famous for its herbal sauna and Saturday
meditation course by learned monk, Sali
Kantasilo to end an interesting day.
Dinner at La Safran of French cuisine.
Overnight in hotel, Vientiane.
Day 08: Vientiane - Siem Reap - Rolous Group
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. An early morning
transfer to airport for the flight to Siem Reap
in Cambodia. On arrival at Siem Riep Airport,
you are met and transferred to hotel. The town
of Siem Reap is our base for visiting the world
famous temples of the ancient city of Angkor,
which was the capital of the powerful Khmer
Empire from 802 AD to 1431 AD. After checking
into hotel, we go to Angkor Reach Restaurant for
lunch before driving to the archaeological area
to explore the ancient Khmer civilization site
of Hariharalaya which flourished in the 9th
century. Here are the earliest temples in the
Angkor area and are referred to as the Rolous
group, consisting of Lolei, Bakong and Preah Ko.
They predate Angkor Wat and give a good
chronological account of temple construction in
the Khmer civilization.
Dinner at the Tonle Sap Restaurant.
Overnight in hotel, Siem Reap.
Day 09: Angkor Thom, & Ta Prohm (Breakfast/
Lunch/ Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning
sightseeing to the second-most important temple
cluster of the ancient Khmer civilization. We
enter Angkor Thom by the south gate flanked by
giant gods and demons on both sides of the
causeway. Angkor Thom was built by the greatest
of the Khmer kings, Jayavarman VII
(r.1181-1218). It is famous for its colossal
human faces carved in stone numbering 216 in all
at the impressive Bayon Temple. Our walk around
the ruins will take us to the Royal Enclosure,
Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of
the Leper King, and a number of less important
but nevertheless interesting ruins. Lunch at
Jasmine Angkor Restaurant. In the afternoon
visit Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and Neak Pean - all
built by the same king. Ta Prohm is little
restored deliberately leaving it in the embrace
of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers as
an example of how all the other Angkor period
temples were before restoration. We explore this
masterpiece as well as Preah Khan and Neak Pean
which the king dedicated to his father and
mother, and some of the surrounding temples
(Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang, Ta Keo, Thommanon and
Chau Say Tevada.) Dinner at Sampheap Restaurant.
Overnight in hotel, Siem Reap.
Day 10: Banteay Srei - Kbal Spean - Angkor
Wat (Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Today we explore
the fine ruins of the outer places of Angkor
city and visit a typical Cambodian village
engaged in making palm-sugar and toddy wine.
Heading out of the town we drive on a newly
paved road past the Preah Dark village to the
intricately carved and well-preserved temple of
Banteay Srei, often known as "Citadel of Women"
- the pink sandstone temple with exquisite
carvings of apsaras ' the most beautiful in all
the Angkor monuments. After seeing this
beautiful monument we continue driving through
the rugged mountain scenery to Kbal Spean, known
as the "River of a Thousand Lingas". The view
over the riverbed carvings is impressive. The
next stop of our trip is the Banteay Samre
Temple, which is adorned with impressive reliefs
depicting scenes of Vishnu and Krishna legends.
This is awesome territory in the mountains of
little visited Cambodia. Return to Siem Reap for
lunch at Angkor Cafe. In the afternoon we visit
the largest as well as most complete structure
of all Khmer temples - Angkor Wat. It was built
earlier than Angkor Thom and is the most
splendid monument of the ancient Khmer world. We
stroll around this massive monument, exploring
the many galleries with columns, libraries,
pavilions, courtyards and outside ponds full of
water reflecting the towering temple spires. The
bas-reliefs around its galleries are most
spectacular and entertaining, telling the
history of Angkor and the usual stories of Hindu
gods. The walls and pillars of the upper storeys
are full of lovely carvings of deities and
apsaras. As the sun sets we walk up to Phnom
Bakheng Hill for a view of the spectacular
sunset over these sandstone monuments and Angkor
Wat standing in splendid solitude opposite us.
Dinner will be at Kulen II Restaurant where a
show is put on in farewell to your visit of
Angkor.
Overnight in hotel, Siem Reap.
Day 11: Siem Reap - Bangkok (Breakfast)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. We then transfer
you to Siem Reap airport for the flight to
Bangkok to connect with your flight home.
End of Tour & Services
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