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TRAVEL INSURANCE

Tour Itinerary
Short Version
See itinerary at right  for details

THAILAND

Sacred Sites and Mystical Places

 Departures:  Any Saturday (from Chiang Mai),

February 20 to October 30, 2010

Thailand is described by most travelers as the most exotic country on the planet.  Nowhere else does an age old culture of tradition and rich heritage blend so well with the developments of the modern world, and where you find a people at peace with themselves.  

 This tour will experience every texture of the Thai culture. From ancient Buddhist Temples and monuments preserved from the past to riding elephants and river rafting in the Northern Hill Tribe country.

Standard First Class
Chiang Mai: Empress Chiang Mai Hotel

TOUR ITINERARY
(B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)

Day 0, Thursday or Friday: Depart from Home
Depart on your flight for Thailand, being sure to arrive in Chiang Mai on Saturday. Arrange your flights to arrive in Chiang Mai and to depart from Bangkok (BKK) airports. Your return flight should be scheduled to depart Bangkok after midnight on the following Friday (early Saturday morning).
Note: Body Mind Spirit Journeys will be happy to assist you with your flight plans.

Optional:  For those arriving earlier, an optional airport hotel and transfer are available. Rates on request.

Day 1, Saturday:  Arrive Chiang Mai / Tour Begins
Arrive in Chiang Mai Airport and transfer to your reserved Chiang Mai accommodations. Meals on your own.
 
Day 2, Sunday:  In Chiang Mai / Alms Giving / Doi Suthep / Khantoke Dinner (B/L/D)
Each morning at dawn, the faithful wait and place rice, curries, or fruit in the monk's black alms bowls (bahts). You will participate in this rite that provides the monks their only source of food, and the lay people gain merit to ensure a better incarnation in the next life. Alms giving is a Thai tradition which has been handed down for thousands of years. Alms giving is an act of generosity which is easily performed and which frees the mind of stinginess, greed and selfishness. The giver receives happiness and joy from being the one who gives. Thai children usually are trained by their parents to give alms to monks since early childhood – especially to celebrate birthdays or on the first day of term at New Year in their schools. Shortly after observing alms giving at a local Buddhist temple, you continue to the mountaintop temple of Doi Suthep. Stories of long ago tell tales of a wandering 14th century monk and a dying elephant, a hermit and of villages coming together to build a road to a holy shrine. Combined with the physical aura of the place, these stories weave a magic concoction for northern bound travelers. Continue to Doi Suthep temple to see the Hmong Hill tribe people in their colorful costumes. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel to relax for the day. This evening, you will have something not to be missed, and this is the Khantoke dinner presentation of classical, folk and hilltribe dances, songs and ceremonies. After removing your shoes you will be seated, comfortably, on the floor with Thai-style cushions for the dinner of a special variety of northern-Thai food, served in Lanna Kingdom court style.
 
Day 3, Monday: In Chiang Mai / Thai Cooking School / Wat Phra Singh / Wat Chedi Luang / Wat Chiangman / Wat Suan Dok (B/L)
Morning pick-up from your hotel to visit a Thai cooking school where you will attend a lecture in Thai cooking and the opportunity to prepare at least 4 dishes - and then sample your own creation for lunch! Afterwards visit the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre to discover the true identity of Chiang Mai and understand its history, customs, and way of life, arts and culture. Continue to Wat Phra Singh - the lovely Lai Kam chapel houses the revered Phra Sing  Buddha image. Visit Wat Chedi Luang, the site of a formerly massive pagoda that was unfortunately destroyed in the great earthquake of 1545. Then it’s on to Wat Chiangman, the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. Your last stop is Wat Suan Dok, built in a 14th century Lanna Thai monarch's pleasure gardens and a favorite spot for photographers, particularly for a striking sunset. Several of the white chedis contain ashes of Chiang Mai's former royal family. The 500-year-old bronze Buddha image in a secondary chapel is one of Thailand's largest metal images. You will be invited to chat with the monks about their lives, Buddhism, Thai culture or any other topic. Return to your hotel for a free evening and dinner on your own.

 
Day 4, Tuesday: In Chiang Mai / Elephant Training Camp / Bamboo Rafts / Orchid Farm (B/L)
After breakfast visit an elephant training camp, which will provide you with an idea of how these huge animals are trained in the jungles of Thailand. Experience a fantastic (and safe) one-hour adventure as you ride the elephants through the jungle followed by a journey on bamboo rafts as you float down the Mae Tang River. Stop for lunch and visit the Orchid Farm, where you will also have an opportunity to see some of the beautiful orchids prior to returning to your hotel. Dinner on your own.

Day 5, Wednesday: Chiang Mai / Lamphun / Lampang / Sukhothai (B/L)
Today you will be picked up from your hotel to drive towards Sukhothai via Lamphun and Lampang.  En route you will stop to visit Wat Phratat Hariphunchai with its 150 foot high gilded Chedi, built almost 1,000 years ago. Then drive to Lampang to visit the oldest teakwood Temple, Wat Phrathat Lampang Luang. Lunch is provided at a local restaurant before continuing to the historical park of Sri Satchanalai to visit Wat Chang Lom and Wat Chedi Jet Taew. Continue to Sukhothai to check-in at your hotel and your overnight. Dinner on your own.
 

Day 6, Thursday: Sukhothai / Phitsanuloke / Bangkok (B/L)
Breakfast is at the hotel before you visit the Wat Mahatat Museum and Wat Srichum in the historical park of the old city of Sukhothai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was the first large Thai Kingdom to develop in central Siam in the 12th Century. After a drive to Phitsanuloke, where you will stop for lunch prior to visiting Wat  Phrasrirattana Mahatat, which has the most beautiful Buddha image in Thailand. Transfer to Phitsanuloke airport to board your flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival in Bangkok you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is at leisure for independent activities and shopping.
 

Day 7, Friday: Bangkok / Grand Palace / Wat Pho / Thai massage / Rice Boat Dinner Cruise / Tour Ends (B/L/D)

Breakfast is followed by a tour of the home of the Kings of Siam of the Chakri Dynasty, originally built by King Rama I, serving as the royal residence until 1946. Today the palace is still used on certain occasions for visiting royalty or special guests of the Kingdom. Adjoining the Grand Palace you will find the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keo), probably the best known of the royal temples. It is regarded as the most important temple in all Thailand and it is the venue of many of the numerous religious ceremonies in which the King participates, especially at the beginning of each of the three seasons when His Majesty personally changes the elaborate robes of the Buddha image, carved out of a single piece of emerald-green jasper.  Stop for lunch at a riverside restaurant before you visit the newly opened Siam Museum that tries to answer the question, "Who are the people of Siam?" through a series of exhibitions in different rooms taking you through Thai history from past to present. After, visit the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), the actual name of which is Wat Phra Jetupon, famous as the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok. The temple also teaches the techniques of traditional Thai massage. And what better time to experience a traditional Thai massage to relieve your muscle after days of touring. Afterwards, enjoy a glass of wine as you gaze across the river at Wat Arun – the Temple of Dawn. Return to your hotel through the historical part of Bangkok. Later this evening, end your stay in Thailand with a special Rice Boat river dinner cruise, before being transferred to Bangkok Airport.

Day 8, Saturday: Depart Bangkok / Return Home

Board your flight home for your early morning departure from Bangkok Airport.

TOUR PRICES: 
** Bonus! SAVE! You will receive a 5% discount if ALL payments are made by check or money order. This discounted price is noted below in red.