Thailand and the Temples of Angkor
Thailand and the Temples of Angkor
Thailand and the Temples of Angkor
14 Days Starting in Bangkok, Thailand and ending in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Visiting: Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat
Tour operator:
Tour code:
CSOCN20
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable journey through Thailand and Cambodia with the "Thailand and the Temples of Angkor" tour. Begin your adventure in the vibrant city of Bangkok, exploring iconic sites like the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Experience the bustling Damnoen Saduak floating market and delve into the rich history of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai. In Chiang Mai, enjoy a traditional meal with a local family and visit sacred temples. Cross into Cambodia to discover the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat and the intricate carvings of Banteay Srei. Engage with local communities through MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences, supporting eco-tourism and traditional crafts. With expert guidance, comfortable accommodations, and a blend of cultural and historical highlights, this tour offers a deep dive into the heart of Southeast Asia.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome To Bangkok
Location: Bangkok
Accommodation: Montien Surawong
Accommodation Name: Montien Surawong
Say sawadee ka to the land of smiles, starting your Thai adventure in Bangkok. Transfer to your hotel where this evening, we meet our Travel Director and fellow guests for a Welcome Reception drink with local appetizers.
Day 2: See The Sights Of Bangkok Dive Into Culture
Location: Bangkok
Accommodation: Montien Surawong
Accommodation Name: Montien Surawong
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Rise early and join the locals for a graceful T’ai Chi practice in Lumpini Park to kick-start your day. Alternatively, enjoy a leisurely start before joining your fellow travelers on a City Tour, which begins with a visit to Bangkok’s Grand Palace, where you’ll visit the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand, Wat Phra Kaew. See the largest-reclining Buddha in Thailand in Bangkok’s oldest temple, Wat Pho, and enjoy a traditional Thai massage in the temple’s massage center. Return to your hotel by express river boat, cruising down the Chao Praya past beautiful Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn.
Day 3: Thai Cuisine And Cooking Experience Dive Into Culture
Location: Bangkok
Accommodation: Montien Surawong
Accommodation Name: Montien Surawong
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Immerse your senses in the five flavors of Thai cuisine as you join a Local Specialist for a traditional cooking class in a colonial-style house. Visit a local market nearby to source the freshest ingredients that reveal the sweet, sour, salty, bitter and hot flavors of Thai cuisine. Sample the results later, then spend the afternoon exploring the City of Angels on your terms, or consider joining an Optional Experience to Jim Thompson's House, home to an impressive collection of Asian art.
Day 4: Onwards To Damnoen Saduak And Kanchanaburi Dive Into Culture
Location: Kanchanaburi
Accommodation: Away Kanchanaburi Dheva Mantra Resort and Spa
Accommodation Name: Dheva Mantra Resort and Spa
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A riot of colors greets us this morning as we embark on a visit to the famous floating market at Damnoen Saduak. Connect with the friendly merchants who paddle along the congested canals in their sturdy canoes, laden with fresh fruit and vegetables to sell to shoppers on the banks. En route, we’ll Dive Into Culture, stopping at a coconut palm sugar plantation where we’ll discover how the farmer extracts the sap from his palm trees to create palm sugar. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit the world famous Bridge over the River Kwai. After a walk along the bridge continue to the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum, revealing insights into the history of the infamous railway line built during WWII by the Imperial Japanese army. Our final stop today sees us pay tribute to the thousands of allied prisoners of war who were laid to rest at the War Cemetery.
Day 5: Railways And Rivers In Kanchanaburi
Location: Kanchanaburi
Accommodation: Away Kanchanaburi Dheva Mantra Resort and Spa
Accommodation Name: Dheva Mantra Resort and Spa
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, we visit Hellfire Pass, a section of the Thailand-Burma “Death Railway”, so named for the tortuous conditions that prisoners of war endured during WWII to build it. After lunch, we embark on a thrilling train ride across wooden viaducts, skirting the winding waters of the Kwai River. We’ll disembark and see the wooden viaducts first-hand walking across one. This evening, we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 6: On To Ancient Ayutthaya And Sukhothai
Location: Ayutthaya
Accommodation: Legendha Hotel
Accommodation Name: Legendha Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we travel to the UNESCO-listed Ayutthaya, once the second-most important ancient capital of Old Siam and the largest city in the world. Here, we’ll delve into the trading heritage of a mighty city that was all but raised to the ground by an 18th century Burmese invasion. We’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then return to Bangkok for our flight to Sukhothai, Thailand’s first capital.
Day 7: Explore Sukhothai
Location: Sukhothai
Accommodation: Legendha Hotel
Accommodation Name: Legendha Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Gain insights into a powerful kingdom that enjoyed its golden age during the 13th and 14th centuries and shaped modern Thailand as we know it today. Start the day with a visit to the UNESCO-listed Sukhothai Historical Park which reveals thousands of years of history and a 15-meter seated Buddha secreted within its walls. Your choice of exploring will see you engage with the historic complex by bicycle or on the internal tram. This afternoon, visit the home of a local family and learn how to make amulets which are thought to protect the owner from harm.
Day 8: Continue To Chiang Mai Make Travel Matter
Location: Chiang Mai
Accommodation: Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel
Accommodation Name: Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Our day begins with a visit to the first of our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences today at the village of Natonchan, where our visit supports the community’s eco-tourism project . We’ll interact with the locals and meet one of the villagers to learn about 'gymnastic doll' making and the villagers’ traditional cotton clothes which are soaked in mud to protect them from fading. Arriving in Chiang Mai, we enjoy an evening walk with our Travel Director and visit the colorful Sunday market. Our hotel tonight is located in the old town of Chiang Mai.
Day 9: Meet The Locals Of Northern Thailand Connect With Locals
Location: Chiang Mai
Accommodation: Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel
Accommodation Name: Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Admire the delicate hand-painted fans and colorful paper umbrellas that are famously crafted in Chiang Mai’s Sankamphaeng district. We continue to a small village nearby where we’ll Connect with Locals, joining a family in their typical stilt house for a northern Thai-style Be My Guest lunch. Next is a visit to Wat Suan Dok where we’ll meet a local monk and learn about Buddhism, against the backdrop of the temple’s magnificent golden chedi.
Day 10: A Day To Discover Chiang Mai
Location: Chiang Mai
Accommodation: Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel
Accommodation Name: Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your morning is free to spend as you please. Later, we visit Wat Doi Suthep, one of Thailand's most sacred temples. As the sun sets over this mystical temple, listen quietly to the tranquil sounds of the monks chanting. This evening, we join fellow travelers and Travel Director for a Farewell Dinner at a traditional Thai restaurant located next to the river.
Day 11: Continue To Cambodia
Location: Siem Reap
Accommodation: Tara Angkor
Accommodation Name: Tara Angkor
Meals Included: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for the short international flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia via Bangkok. On arrival you will meet your local Cambodian Travel Director, the rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 12: Amazing Angkor Wat Make Travel Matter
Location: Angkor Wat
Accommodation: Tara Angkor
Accommodation Name: Tara Angkor
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today, walk through a pyramid-shaped gateway into an ancient world. Serene stone faces watch over us as we cross the causeway suspended over a moat into the spiritual heart of the ancient lost city of Angkor. A Local Specialist and renowned Khmer scholar brings to life the stories behind the intricate carvings and murals of celestial nymphs and mythical serpents along the abandoned hallways of Angkor Wat. Our next stop is the terracotta-hued walls of Banteay Srei Temple – the “Citadel of Women” dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. We’ll have time to admire the 10th-century carvings of women, said to have been too delicate to have been carved by a man, hence the name. This afternoon embark on a guided walking tour of the Old Town. Later we’ll visit Wat Damnak and participate in a private blessing ceremony during which a sacred thread will be tied around our wrists to protect against evil spirits. Finishing with a visit to Krabei Riel local village you will have a chance to walk and talk with the villagers who are always keen to share their smiles with you. Learn some of their traditional skills such as palm leaf weaving, your time will be spent truly engaging in a real-life Cambodian Village MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
Day 13: Temples Of Angkor
Location: Siem Reap
Accommodation: Tara Angkor
Accommodation Name: Tara Angkor
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Our first stop today is a visit to the fortified Angkor Thom, where we’ll see such iconic sites as the Terrace of Elephants, the Royal Enclosure and the Temple of Bayon with its giant smiling faces of Buddha. We venture underneath the dense tree canopy to the crumbling, moss-covered ruins of the Buddhist temple of Ta Prohm, which featured as the location for the film ‘Tomb Raider', exploring its towers, courtyards and corridors to uncover the intricate stone reliefs that are shielded by the surrounding foliage. Continuing with a visit to the Old Market, where the locals shop for fresh fruit, vegetables and spices. Wander past the busy stalls and smell freshly baked baguettes, a remnant of the country's French heritage. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure or consider joining an Optional Experience to learn the secrets of Khmer cuisine or a sunset boat cruise on Tonle Sap Lake.This evening transfer for a wonderful dinner accompanied by traditional Apsara Dancing that will bring ancient Khmer culture to life.
Day 14: Farewell Cambodia
Location: Siem Reap
Meals Included: Breakfast
Airport shuttles have been arranged to arrive at the airport at 07:00 and 16:30 for your onward flight.
What's Included
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Flight from Bangkok to Sukhothai and Chiang Mai to Siem Reap.
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An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
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Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
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All porterage and restaurant gratuities
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All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
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Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
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Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
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Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
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Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
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Optional Experiences and free time
Dining Summary
- 1 Welcome Reception (WR)
- 13 Breakfast (B)
- 7 Lunch (L)
- 3 Dinner (D)
- 1 Regional Dinner (RD)
- 1 Be My Guest (BMG)
- 1 Farewell Dinner (FD)
Dive Into Culture
- Bangkok: Visit Lumpini Park in Bangkok and join the locals in their daily T'ai Chi practice.
- Bangkok: Enjoy a traditional Thai massage in the grounds of Wat Pho, a center for traditional Thai massage.
- Bangkok: Learn the secrets of Thai cooking and visit a local market to buy fresh ingredients.
- : Stop at a coconut palm sugar plantation and discover how the farmer extracts the sap from the palm trees to be turned into sugar.
Mode of Transport
Travel in luxury with air-conditioned coaches equipped with Wi-Fi, and enjoy flights from Bangkok to Sukhothai and Chiang Mai to Siem Reap, ensuring a seamless and comfortable journey across Thailand and Cambodia.
Accommodation
Stay in cherry-picked hotels such as Montien Surawong in Bangkok, Dheva Mantra Resort and Spa in Kanchanaburi, Legendha Hotel in Sukhothai, Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel in Chiang Mai, and Tara Angkor in Siem Reap, ensuring comfort and convenience throughout your journey.
Check out our Q&As
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What unique cultural experiences are included in the tour?
The tour includes several unique cultural experiences such as joining locals for T'ai Chi practice in Lumpini Park, enjoying a traditional Thai massage at Wat Pho, learning Thai cooking in a colonial-style house, and visiting a coconut palm sugar plantation. Additionally, there are MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences in Natonchan and Siem Reap, where you can engage with local communities and learn traditional crafts.
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How does the tour support local communities?
The tour supports local communities through MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences. In Natonchan, the visit supports the community's eco-tourism project, and in Siem Reap, the tour contributes donations to support school children and the elderly. These experiences include learning traditional crafts and interacting with villagers.
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What kind of accommodation can I expect during the tour?
The tour includes stays at cherry-picked hotels that are tried and trusted. Some of the accommodations mentioned are Montien Surawong in Bangkok, Dheva Mantra Resort and Spa in Kanchanaburi, Legendha Hotel in Sukhothai, Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel in Chiang Mai, and Tara Angkor in Siem Reap.
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Are there any special dining experiences included in the tour?
Yes, the tour includes special dining experiences such as a traditional northern Thai-style meal with the Saiwangjit family in Chiang Mai, a Farewell Dinner at a traditional Thai restaurant in Chiang Mai, and a dinner accompanied by traditional Apsara Dancing in Siem Reap.
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What are some of the key historical sites visited on this tour?
Key historical sites visited on the tour include the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Sukhothai Historical Park, the temples of Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm in Cambodia.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
The beauty of taking a guided holiday with us is that you’ll have the opportunity to meet and travel with people from all over the globe.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Vaccination against Covid-19 is not mandatory to travel with Trafalgar. However, we strongly recommend that guests are vaccinated before travelling. Please note that airlines and/or other authorities may have different requirements. It is the guest's responsibility to comply with these requirements at all times.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1947
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Trafalgar is a founding partner of the TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2008. So far, the charity has donated more than US$2 million to help underprivileged communities and support sustainable tourism around the world.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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Low Deposit
Trafalgar requires a minimum deposit of 350 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of trafalgar charges.
Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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