Snapshot of Thailand

Big energy, bold flavours and a whole lot of colour. Bangkok wastes no time making an entrance. Settle in, soak up the city buzz and get ready for the adventure ahead. Later, you’ll meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers, then get the lowdown on what’s in store as you make your way through Thailand.

Bangkok is coming in hot today. First up, Wat Pho, home to the city’s seriously impressive Reclining Buddha. Then it’s on to the Grand Palace, where golden rooftops, glittering details and royal history compete for your attention. This afternoon, you call the shots. Chase down the perfect pad Thai or find a rooftop spot and toast the skyline. Still hungry for more? Join a Choice Experience through Thonburi’s klongs. Zip past stilted homes and riverside neighbourhoods by long-tail boat before finishing at Wat Arun, the dazzling Temple of Dawn.

Today is completely yours, so get out there and make Bangkok your own. Browse boutiques and mega-malls around Siam, hunt down colourful street art in Talat Noi, wander through leafy Lumphini Park or hop on a river ferry for a fresh view of the city. Ready to go bigger? Choose a Choice Experience to Ayutthaya for palaces, ancient temples and a scenic cruise back to Bangkok, or wait until sunset and choose to zip through Chinatown by tuk-tuk, sampling street food before raising a rooftop cocktail to knockout views of Wat Arun and Wat Pho.

Bangkok isn’t done with you yet. Use your final hours to tick off any last must-sees, stock up on souvenirs or squeeze in one more plate of something delicious. This morning, pick your kind of Choice Experience: uncover silk, secrets and serious style at Jim Thompson House or head beyond the city for railway market thrills, floating market action and countryside scenes. This afternoon, another Choice Experience turns the tempo right down with a restorative Thai massage. Then it’s all aboard the overnight train to Chiang Mai. Grab dinner in Bangkok first or make tracks for the onboard dining carriage.

Wake up in Chiang Mai and hit the ground sightseeing. First up is hilltop Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where golden details and big views make the early start worth it. Then it’s on to Wat Suan Dok and Wat Phra Singh for more intricate architecture, local stories and camera-roll gold. Later, check into your hotel and take things easy or choose a Choice Experience at a 160-year-old Lanna family home, cooking Northern Thai favourites from recipes passed down through generations. This evening, join your Travel Director for a stroll to Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, where street food, souvenirs and buzzing market stalls keep the energy going.

Today is yours to play with. Wander through Chiang Mai’s old city, browse colourful markets, stop for coffee in a cool local cafe or track down a bowl of khao soi worth writing home about. Temple-hop, shop for handmade finds or simply take things at your own pace. Or choose the Elephant Nature Park Choice Experience and spend the morning watching rescued elephants roam, splash and socialise. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience brings you closer to the herd while expert staff share their stories. Back in town, keep exploring, eating and making Chiang Mai completely your own.

It’s your final full day in Thailand, so make it count. Keep things easy in Chiang Mai with a cafe stop, a wander through the old city or a final souvenir hunt, or choose a Choice Experience to Doi Inthanon National Park for waterfalls, forest trails and sky-high views from Thailand’s tallest peak. Tonight, go out with a flourish on Choice Experience for a Khantoke dinner, where Northern Thai dishes, folk dancing and colourful performances bring the evening to life. One last feast, one last big night and plenty to remember Thailand by.

Wave goodbye to Chiang Mai and head north to Chiang Rai, where two seriously photogenic temples are waiting. First up is Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, with its dazzling details and anything-but-traditional design. Then swap white for blue at Wat Rong Suea Ten, where vivid colours, bold artwork and golden touches steal the show. Camera roll suitably full, continue to Chiang Khong on the banks of the Mekong, check into your hotel and settle in for the night before your Laos adventure begins.

A new country and a whole new chapter today. Say goodbye to your Thailand Travel Director, cross the Friendship Bridge into Laos and meet your Laos Travel Director who’ll lead the next leg of your adventure. Then swap border formalities for something far more scenic as you board a cruise along the Mekong River. Sit back, watch forested hills, riverside villages and everyday life drift by, and ease into the laid-back rhythm of Laos. Arrive at your hotel, check in and settle down after a day that’s all about the journey.

Leave Pakbeng behind and settle in for another seriously scenic cruise along the Mekong. Keep watch for kingfishers, herons and egrets overhead, with water buffalo cooling off near the riverbanks as fishing boats and villages drift by, before cruising on to UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang. From the pier, stretch your legs on a walking tour past Vieng Temple and around the atmospheric peninsula, where golden temples, French colonial buildings and laid-back streets lead the way to your hotel.

Rise early to join Luang Prabang’s peaceful alms-giving ritual as saffron-robed monks make their way through the streets, then head back to the hotel for breakfast. Next, hop into a tuk-tuk for a spin around the old town, browse the morning market and visit Wat Mai before climbing Phou Si Hill for standout city views. Dive deeper into Laos’s cultural mix at the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, then the afternoon is yours. Keep exploring or choose a Choice Experience to turquoise Kuang Si Falls. Tonight, another Choice Experience serves up sunset views from Phou Si Hill followed by dinner beside the river.

Make the most of one last morning in Luang Prabang. Wander its temple-lined streets, browse for final souvenirs or linger over a strong Lao coffee. Or choose a Choice Experience and get cooking in a local home, whipping up Lao favourites before taking your dishes to a nearby temple as an offering for the monks. Later, it’s full speed ahead as you board the high-speed train to Vientiane. Laos’s easy-going capital brings Mekong sunsets, golden stupas, French-inspired architecture and plenty of pavement cafes to the mix. Check in, drop your bags and get ready to see what the capital has up its sleeve.

Kick things off with a tuk-tuk spin through Vientiane before climbing Patuxai, the city’s grand victory monument, for sweeping views from the top. Next, drop into Carol Cassidy’s Lao Textiles workshop to see the skill behind Laos’s intricate weaving, then visit the COPE Visitor Centre for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience sharing powerful stories from the country’s recent past. The rest of the day is yours, or take your pick of two Choice Experiences: temples and brilliantly bizarre Buddha Park in Vientiane, or head to Vang Vieng for countryside walks, Hmong village life, a sampan ride and limestone caves.

That’s a wrap on your Thailand and Laos adventure. Check out of your hotel and say goodbye to your Travel Director and fellow small group travellers, with temple snaps, Mekong memories and a few extra souvenirs coming home with you.