Luxury Thailand Culture and Cuisine vacations

Thailand Culture and Cuisine

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At a glance

? Don't forget that all of our itineraries are totally customized and so this is just an idea of what we can build for you.

Embark on an enchanting journey through Thailand, designed to immerse you in the nation’s celebrated culinary heritage and rich cultural tapestry. Go from the bustling streets of Bangkok, through the historic and scenic wonders of the north, to the serene and lush landscapes of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

Experience the authentic flavors, meet the warm people, and witness the vibrant rituals that make Thailand a world-class culinary and cultural destination.

Begin your adventure in Bangkok, where the bustling streets offer a treasure trove of culinary delights. Here, you’ll dive into the city’s vibrant culture and history, enriching your senses with a hands-on Thai cooking lesson that promises to reveal the secrets behind the country’s famous dishes.

As you travel north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, your journey becomes even more captivating. Engage with gentle giants at an elephant camp, explore the verdant beauty of tea plantations, and rejuvenate your spirit with a traditional Thai massage.

This expertly crafted itinerary is your gateway to experiencing Thailand‘s most authentic and local tastes, from the energetic avenues of Bangkok to the serene landscapes of the north.

Whether you’re navigating the ancient city walls of Chiang Mai, savoring the tranquility of Chiang Rai’s tea fields, or indulging in the spiritual serenity of a traditional massage, this voyage promises a rich blend of culinary exploration and cultural immersion, set against the backdrop of Thailand‘s stunning natural beauty.

In detail

? Don't forget that most of our itineraries can be totally customized. Our expert team will be able to talk you through all the options.

Day 1 and 2: Bangkok

Fly into Bangkok where you’ll be met by your driver who will take you to your hotel.

Visit Wat Pho in time to experience the monks early morning chanting ritual. One of the oldest temples in Bangkok, it is home of the famous 45-metre reclining Buddha as well as being the original school of traditional Thai massage. Continue to the Grand Palace, the most important and impressive royal palace in Thailand. Your guide will show you the palaces used for different occasions – the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House, and of course the mysterious Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Thailand.

In the afternoon, visit to Aor Tor Kor Market, one of the best fresh markets in Bangkok, with various agricultural products and delicious desserts available to please your palate.

In the evening, depart for dinner at one of the most unique restaurants in Metropolitan Bangkok, the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant. The concept of the restaurant is to promote better understanding and acceptance of safe sex and family planning and to generate income to support various development activities in the region.

Day 1 and 2: Bangkok

Day 3: Thai Cooking and Koh Kred

This morning you will go to the Amita Thai Cooking School, a home-style culinary school set in a charming canal side location where you’ll learn how to cook Thai style.

You’ll go around the organic garden to learn about Thai herbs. Pick some fresh, aromatic herbs that can be added to your dishes as ingredients to spice up its flavours. For lunch, sample the fruits of your labour in the Thai style pavilion amidst the beautiful garden.

In the afternoon, board the ferry to Koh Kred, home to one of Thailand’s oldest Mon settlements. Take a walk around the island to witness local lifestyle in the countryside. Take a boat to the traditional Thai dessert making village to see how these charming delights are made.

Day 3: Thai Cooking and Koh Kred

Day 4: Tha Kha

After breakfast at the hotel, drive south of Bangkok to the garden province of Samut Songkhram in the Mae Klong River delta area. First, stop at the Mahachai fish market (one of the biggest fish markets in the region) and witness a unique country market along the railway tracks. See the train arriving and bringing people to the market.

Visit Tha Kha, one of the many floating markets in the area. Take a fascinating paddleboat journeying through the klongs and stop to enjoy a glass of coconut sugar syrup with a friendly local family. Visit Buddhist temples before arriving at King Rama II Park with its Thai style Pavilion Museum.

Day 4: Tha Kha

Day 5: Chiang Mai

Fly to Chiang Mai.

You’ll drive up the mountain by “songtaew” onto a rough dirt road to the Chang Khien Coffee Research Project where you can enjoy a cup of the local ‘arabica’ surrounded by fabulous gardens of flowers. Continue to the white Hmong village of Chang Khien where the 800 inhabitants still wear their traditional hill tribe clothes and practice a culture that dates back 500 years.

Then end your day with Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the temple on the mountain, and the most sacred in Northern Thailand. Your experienced guide will explain the story of the temple, the white elephant and lead you around its impressive chedi and show its beautiful murals.

You’ll then have a private blessing ceremony before watching the magical evening chanting of the monks.

Day 5: Chiang Mai

Day 6: Chiang Mai

After breakfast, drive north through the hilly, wooded area on the outskirts of Chiang Mai to the Elephant Nature Park to make friends with these majestic creatures before taking a gentle bamboo raft journey down the Ping River.

Visit tribal villages and enjoy a local lunch. You’ll meet tribal mountain people who live a very different culture and way of life to those you will have met so far.

Day 6: Chiang Mai

Day 7: Chiang Rai

Depart for Mae Kampong village in the Mae On district and drive through the picturesque countryside of Chiang Mai. En route a stop is made at a local market to select ingredients for your lunch.

Continue to Mae Kampong village where you are met upon arrival by villagers before beginning a stroll through the community forest, passing tea and coffee fields.

Return to the village in time to watch lunch being prepared by your host family to see how Thai food is prepared in the countryside.

After lunch, relax with Thai traditional massage and take a walk around the village to see the processing of fermented tea leaves, and various products which are handmade in the village.

Day 7: Chiang Rai

Day 8: Chiang Rai

From Chiang Rai, take the scenic mountainous route to Doi Mae Salong which is dotted with tea and fruit plantations with Yulong tea as the speciality tea grown in this area. Stop at Plantation 101 to get to know this exquisite crop, this is part of the Thai Royal Family’s movement to replace opium with tea growth so as to provide a safer and stable income for the tribal people and overseas Chinese living in this area.

Approach to Mae Salong town passing pineapple plantations, learn how it is cultivated and exported to sell worldwide. You will notice a subtle change in architecture and be forgiven for thinking you have entered a small Chinese town. This Chinese Yunnanese town, established just over 60 years ago, stretches over a 6000ft mountain ridge by the remnant soldiers of the Chinese Nationalist army after the Chinese civil war. Stroll around the tiny town and see shops selling the local products and well-known Yulong Tea.

Day 8: Chiang Rai

Day 9: Doi Wawee

Today you’ll visit Doi Wawee. The Wawee area houses many hilltribe villages of various ethnicities, including the largest Akha community in Thailand and the oldest Lisu settlement. The small town of Wawee itself is very Yunnanese. Tea and coffee cultivation is a relatively new cash crop in the area, replacing the opium poppies that once blanketed the nearby mountain slopes.

Here is an opportunity to sample a cup of freshly brewed “Doi Chang Coffee”. Lunch will be provided at a local Chinese restaurant. On the drive back to the hotel, we will make a short stop at Charin Garden Resort to taste homemade bakery and fresh coffee.

Day 9: Doi Wawee
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