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Multi-day
Tours
Bangkok, RV River Kwai
Cruise & Northern Thailand
19-day Tour
June 20 - July 8, 2008
Day
1: Toronto to Bangkok
Depart Pearson International Airport aboard Cathay Pacific Flight CX829 from Toronto to Bangkok. Departs
Toronto at 23:40 and arrives in Hong Kong at 06:50 + 2 days. Meals will be
served in flight.
Day
2: Enroute
Cross International Dateline; lose one day. Day 3:
Arrive in Bangkok
Cathay
Pacific Flight CX 713 departs
Hong Kong at 09:05, arriving in Bangkok at 10:50.
Upon
arrival, transfer to your convention hotel. Please note that you must book your
hotel through Lions Club International.
The cost for your hotel in Bangkok during the Lions International
Convention is not included in the tour price. Balance of the day on own.
Days
4 - 8: Lions International Convention - Saigon
On
own arrangement.
Day
9: Bangkok
We
transfer from our convention hotel today for a two night stay at the
Radisson Hotel, Bangkok.
Now is our opportunity to experience some of the best of Bangkok.
An interesting afternoon as we have a typical Thai Massage at
Health Land
(www.healthlandspa.com).
You will enjoy this very much.
This evening introduces you to mystical
dances, Thai
cuisine and a truly Thai ambiance! During dinner, feast your eyes
on the grace and beauty of the dancers, elegantly performing stories from
classical Thai literature and folk-tales. The exquisitely crafted
traditional costumes bedecked with jewels must be captured on camera!
(D)
Day
10: Bangkok
Full
day at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market & Rose Garden including lunch.
This
most interesting full day tour takes you to the rural floating market of
Damnoen Saduak situated 110 kms. west of Bangkok. The tour includes a
visit to Nakorn Pathom, to see Phra Pathom Chedi, the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia.
Lunch will be served at the picturesque Rose Garden Country Resort,
where you will also attend the Thai village show which gives you an
introduction to Thai culture. You
will witness ordination into monkhood, fingernail dance, Thai boxing, hill
tribe dance, sword-fighting, elephants at work and folk dancing. Buffet
dinner this evening at our hotel. (B/L/D)
Day
11: Bangkok - Kanchanaburi (RV River Kwai Cruise)
Pick
up from hotel and depart by coach to Kanchanaburi with stops at Phra
Pathom Chedi and the nearby Khao Noi Cave Temple and Tiger Cave
Temple. Both of these temples provide great views over the river
and Kanchanaburi District and both are located at the top of long
stairways, one of which is inside a long Naga or serpent. Continue to
visit JEATH War Museum. We then
join our river boat, RV River Kwai, at noon with lunch on board.
Afternoon, visit Wat Tham Khaopoon, site of a large camp during WWII. Then
drop in to Somdet Phra Sri Nakarin Park, a 96 acre stone garden, and
return to the boat and continue cruising upriver to Wang Pla Moo Bridge.
Dinner and overnight on
board. (B/L/D)
Day
12: RV River Kwai Cruise
We
cruise upriver on the Kwai Noi River to visit Prasat Muang Singh (City of
Lions) historical park with Khmer architecture from the late Lopburi
period, some 700 - 800 years old. Continue
by road to Tha Kilen Train Station for boarding the third class train,
passing over the long wooden viaduct. Stop
at Krasae Cave with nice views and a Buddha image in the cave. Continue by
coach with stop at Sai Yok Elephant Village, where you can take an
optional half hour ride through the jungle, for a small fee.
Lunch on board with leisure time. Dinner
and overnight on board. (B/L/D)
Day
13: RV River Kwai Cruise
After
breakfast, walk uphill to visit Kaeng Lava Cave. From the boat landing
there is a trail which leads to the cave with stone draperies and
concretions, stalactites and stalagmites. Return
to boat for cruising upriver to Ban Haad Ngiu and continue by coach to
Hell Fire Pass, a part of the Death Railway cut through a stone mountain.
Trails lead to HinTok bridge and also to Konyu Cutting, where a plaque
remembers those who suffered during their ordeals working on the railway.
Rejoin the boat at Kaeng Pa Lorm with lunch on board. Afternoon at leisure
on the boat and later we will visit a school for refugees under the
Patronage of Princess Sirindhorn. Farewell
Dinner and overnight on board.
(B/L/D)
Day
14: RV River Kwai Cruise - Bangkok
Early
morning, offering foods to monks at nearby temple. This is the traditional
way of making merit and is a scene that takes place all over Thailand
everyday - something not to be missed. Breakfast on board.
We disembark and return to Kanchanaburi by coach.
Visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Center Museum, Donrak War Cemetery
and the world-famous bridge over the River Kwai.
Lunch at local restaurant in Kanchanaburi before proceeding to
Bangkok Domestic Airport for an early evening flight to Chiang Rai.
Transfer to hotel in Chiang Rai for two night stay at Dusit Island Resort
(www.chiangrai.dusit.com).
Dinner at hotel.
(B/L/D)
Day
15: Chiang Rai
After
breakfast, drive north from Chiang Rai to Mae Chan and transfer to pick-up
truck or minivans to climb up the narrow mountain roads and enjoy great
views from Doi Mae Salong, Chinese settlement founded by Koumintang
soldiers. Stops are included at Akha and Yao hill tribe villages. Drive
down to visit Mae Sai, the northernmost point of Thailand, to observe
border life and explore the market for exotic goods. Lunch is included at local restaurant. Then continue to visit the Golden Triangle where the
borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet and take a boat trip on the
Mekong River to Chiang Saen. Dinner
at hotel.
(B/L/D)
Day
16: Chiang Rai - Chiang Mai
Following
breakfast, we check out for transfer to the pier. Take a thrilling boat
ride along
the Mae Kok River with a visit to a traditional Karen hill tribe
village. The Karen form the largest hill tribe population in Thailand,
numbering about a quarter of a million.
After exploring the village, we travel back by water to Chiang Rai.
Depart by road to Chiang Mai with a stop for lunch at local restaurant
on the way. After lunch, continue by coach and four-wheel drive Land Rover
or Jeep to the Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge (www.riverkwaifloatel.com)
in Chiang Mai for one night stay. BBQ
dinner with hill tribe dance at the lodge. (B/L/D)
| Please
note that you will be transferred to and from the Hmong Hill Tribe
Lodge in a four-wheel drive vehicle with a maximum
capacity of seven persons per vehicle. Only one carry-on bag per
person is allowed to minimize weight. Other belongings and luggage
will remain in the coach's luggage compartment. |
Day
17: Chiang Mai
Check
out from Hmong Hill Tribe Lodge and continue to visit Wat
Pra That Doi Suthep, near the summit of Doi Suthep. After a drive up the
mountain's winding road, the final climb to the site is via a magnificent
Naga (dragon-headed serpent) staircase of 306 steps. Inside is an
intriguing copper-plated chedi topped by a five-tier gold umbrella which
contains partial relics of Lord Buddha. Lunch at local restaurant.
In
the afternoon, we tour the
San Kamphaeng District, heart of the silk and cotton home industries, to
witness the fascinating process of making and weaving these popular
fabrics. Continue on to Bor Sang,
the umbrella village, where the delicate Thai paper umbrellas are produced
and hand-painted. From here,
onwards to Thai Celadon, where exquisite ceramics are produced. These are
modeled on the Sawankhalok pottery that used to be made hundreds of years
ago at Sukhothai and exported all over the region.
Last but not least, are stops to observe the intricacies of both
lacquerware and silverware craftsmen. Then
proceed to Sheraton Chiang Mai (www.sheraton-chiangmai.com)
ior one night stay
In
the evening, enjoy a superb Kantoke dinner while being entertained
by a selection of traditional Thai culture and folk performances. Kantoke
is the customary northern Thai style of eating with the food being served
in large platters at low tables while you sit on mats on the floor. (B/L/D)
Day
18: Chiang Mae - Bangkok
In
the morning, we transfer from hotel to Chiang Mai Airport for flight to
Bangkok.
Overnight at the Radisson Hotel with free time to do any last
minute shopping.
Buffet
dinner at hotel. (B/D)
Day
19: Bangkok - Toronto
Breakfast
at hotel.
Departure transfer to Bangkok International Airport for your flight
home aboard Cathay Pacific Flight 708, leaving Bangkok at 10:00, arriving
in Hong Kong at 13:40, and continuing on Cathay Pacific Flight 828, leaving
Hong Kong at 16:20. We gain one day as we cross the International Dateline
and arrive in Toronto at 21:55 the same day.(B)
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For
more information, please contact us at 1.888.923.9183 or to book online,
please complete our Reservation
Form.
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