Street Food, Markets and Local Lifestyle
If you want to experience Thailand actively, take a look behind the scenes and like exotic cuisine, then this tour is just what you are looking for. The tour offers a colourful mix of nature, culture and cuisine away from the tourist trails. You can taste local delicacies, learn the secrets of Thai cooking, walk and cycle through beautiful landscapes, and dive deep into the everyday culture of Thais and their authentic hill tribes
Day 1:
At the international airport, your English-speaking guide awaits you with your hotel transfer. Your typical Thai hotel is a bit out of the hustle and bustle in the classic Bangkok settlement Banglamphu. Today you can take your time to relax and recover from the long flight. From your hotel, you can stroll through the streets and get a first impression. The scents of the first food stalls await you on your doorstep. The street food and nightlife paradise of Khao San Road can be reached in about 10 minutes on foot
Overnight at Lamphu Treehouse Boutique Hotel
Day 2:
Today, explore the mysterious Yaowarat district – Bangkok’s Chinatown by bike. In the heart of the city you will find vibrant life between tradition and modernity. In the small streets, numerous traders have settled. China Town is known for the variety of food stalls and the authentic traditional markets. Of course, a temple visit may not be missing in Bangkok. You will cross the Chao Phraya River by ferry and visit the inconspicuous Thonburi district with its enchanting Portuguese influence. In the early afternoon we bring you back to the hotel.
Overnight at Lamphu Treehouse Boutique Hotel
Day 3:
After breakfast, our driver will take you to the train station. At 08:30, take the local express train northbound. This train ride takes you through beautiful landscapes. At about 13 o’clock you reach Phitsanulok. You are already expected by your local guide, who will take you to the hotel in Sukhothai. On the way, enjoy a typical Thai lunch. Just like Ayutthaya, the ancient royal city of Sukhothai is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your idyllic Northern Thai-style resort is just minutes from the historic city center. The rest of the afternoon is at your free disposal. Tip: The historic park is great to explore by bike or by tuk tuk.
Overnight at Legendha Sukhothai
Day 4:
On your journey up north you visit the abandoned historical park Sri Satachanalai. Only a few tourists find their way into this idyllic park. Many years ago, this region was the center for ceramic crafts. If you are interested, our guide will be happy to show you some old treasures. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit a jungle market where hill tribes offer their local specialties. Exotic snacks such as grasshoppers, honeycombs or frogs on the spit provide great photo opportunities – dare to try?In addition to good coffee and goodies, the Thin Thai Cafe also offers a small exhibition of traditional clothing and craftsmanship.You spend the night in a rural village between Lamphun and Chiang Mai in a restored rice barn.
Overnight: Rice Barn and Rooms
Day 5:
Today be prepared for Thai-Style breakfast. Together with your guide you will try local breakfast classics: Thai donuts, sticky rice with pork satées, sweet delights in banana leaves and fresh fruits.Then you will drive to an elephant sanctuary in the mountains outside of Chiang Mai surrounded by Karen Hilltribe villages. There is no show and no riding in this sanctuary! In the morning you will enjoy a two-hours hike through the jungle. You will visit villages of the Karen tribe and take a dip in a beautiful waterfall. On Bamboo Rafts you flow downstream back to the elephant camp. Here you will feed the elephants with home-made vitamin balls and then take a mud bath together with the elephants.In the late afternoon you will reach Chiang Mai. Your hotel is centrally located in the heart of the old town.
Overnight: Buri Gallery House
Day 6:
After a relaxing morning your guide will be waiting for you at your hotel around noon. Take a tuk tuk and explore Chiang Mai’s many colorful markets. The Wararot Market, located on the river in the middle of the secret China Town, is the largest and, with the Thais, the most popular market. He is known for his diversity. From herbs, tea, spices, flowers, fabrics, household goods to clothing, Thai people can find almost anything they need to live here. Your guide will show you the local delicacies: Its time for food tasting! After a short visit to the Hilltribe Market, which offers the colorful fabrics and costumes of the hill tribes, drive through Chiang Mai’s allies back to Old Town, where you stop by some traditional temples. In a hidden oasis, try Chiang Mai’s most popular dessert: sticky rice with mango. The last tasting will be on the vibrant Chiang Mai Gate Market. Here in the early evening the Thais gather for dinner.
Overnight: Buri Gallery House
Day 7:
Today, you will visit Suan Lahu organic farm near the hilltribe village of Doi Mod, where the Lahu still live in very traditional ways. Lo-Ue will welcome you to the farm with a fresh home-grown and roasted coffee. He will show you the farm and tell you the secrets of organic coffee growing: from cherry to roast! Together, you will hike through the mountainous landscapes into the village, where you will learn more about culture and traditions. After a delicious homemade vegetarian lunch cooked by the locals, the Lahu will do a bamboo craft workshop with you. Back on the farm, round off the day with another homemade dinner surrounded by nature. You will spend the night in the farmhouse on the coffee plantation.
Overnight: Lahu Farmstay
Day 8
After a cozy breakfast on the farm, hike off the trails through beautiful jungle and mountain landscapes to a hidden waterfall. Enjoy a cool bath or relax in the natural setting. Todays lunch is cooked on the spot. Back to basics: instead of pots and plates, look for bamboo and leaves. The rice is cooked in a bamboo tube, the side dishes are steamed in leaves.From the Lahu village we continue to a northern Thai family in the countryside in Phrao. With Thai hospitality you will be welcomed in Khum Lanna. The traditonal teak house set in a beautiful garden id surrounded by greenery and rice fields. Together with the host, you will prepare a 4-course dinner with herbs from their own garden.
Overnight: Khum Lanna
Day 9:
With the sunrise your host will wake you up with fresh coffee or tea at your room. You cycle to the local market. In the early morning, the small markets pulsate with life. Like the villagers, you will do the shopping for the day here: fresh fruits, vegetables and other goodies. On the way back you visit a small forest temple. Back at the lodge, a delicious breakfast awaits you. Then you accompany the rice farmers in their everyday life and learn the secrets of rice cultivation. For lunch, a typical BBQ will be prepared. You will learn how the sticky rice is steamed in a bamboo basket. In the afternoon you can choose to carve fruits, go on a bicycle tour or enjoy a Thai massage. In the evening you will cook together again. Enjoy fresh Thai home cooking.
Overnight: Khum Lanna
Day 10:
Another day getting up early… Throughout the country, monks in their saffron robes walk the streets to collect their alms in the early mornings. After breakfast you will cycle through the villages of the region. You will visit the temple ruins Wiang Phrao Wang Hin – another real insider tip that few tourists get to see. After a leisurely picnic in the countryside, drive back to the lodge, where you can freshen up for the onward journey. Continue to Lake Mae Ngat, where a traditional boat is waiting for you. After a short tour around the lake you will reach your floating villa which is by tropical forests. Spend an unforgettable evening on your terrace directly above the water and enjoy the night in this enchanting jungle idyll! In the evening, a Thai multi-course meal will be served directly on your terrace.
Overnight: Mountain Float
Day 11:
Enjoy the morning atmosphere on the lake. After a hearty breakfast we bring you back to the airport of Chiang Mai. Maybe you want to spend a few more days on the beach? We are happy to offer assistance!