Highlights of Thailand
This 15-day family adventure starts in Bangkok and finishes on the beach. There are plenty of activities to keep the children entertained with long-tail boat rides, swimming in waterfalls, a cookery class, hill-tribe hike and bamboo rafting. Throughout you will be accompanied by an English speaking guide (a different one in each area) although if you prefer to be independent this is also possible. A wide range of different accommodation types are available and we can adapt any aspect of this itinerary to suit your family and travel dates.
Highlights
Tuk tuk ride through Bangkok
Stay on a floating rafthouse
Swim in forest waterfalls
Learn to cook Thai style
Overnight with the hill-tribes
Relax on a gorgeous beach
15 days from £2,375 pp
Plus international flights from £900 (direct)
A two-week holiday covering the north and south of Thailand usually costs from £9,500 plus flights for a family of four.
Highlights of Thailand day-to-day itinerary
Day 1 Bangkok
Arrive in Bangkok where you will be met by a Stubborn Mule Travel representative and transferred to your hotel.
Arrive in Bangkok where you will be met by a Stubborn Mule Travel representative and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2 Bangkok
After breakfast, take a tuk tuk to the Grand Palace for a guided tour around this beautiful building and the temple of Wat Phra Kaew. The palace walls are covered with intricate and rather gruesome depictions of battle scenes from Buddhist mythology, which are fascinating. If the children need fuel there is also an excellent ice-cream shop.
Later visit Wat Pho, one of Thailand’s most important temples. The temple is home to a thriving massage school so we can arrange a family Thai massage. This is not a relaxing experience as your body is moved into awkward positions and pummeled with great force, but you do feel greatly invigorated afterwards!
After lunch at a local restaurant take a water taxi across the river to visit Wat Arun then board a ‘longtail boat’, This is essentially a long wooden boat with an outboard engine and you spend a couple of hours navigating the maze of waterways and canals of this more hidden part of Bangkok, a far cry from the hectic centre.
Day 3 Bangkok
This morning you will see a side of Bangkok that few visitors see, taking to two wheels to cycle through the backstreets of Bangkok. Follow your guide along the narrow sois (residential alleyways) and canal-side trails, stopping at tiny temples and local markets along the way. We can arrange tagalong bikes or bike seats for younger children but if this does not appeal, we can replace this activity with an alternative activity.
Day 4 Bangkok – Kanchanaburi
Rise early this morning to visit Samut Songkram. Here there is a huge local market that is located directly on top of the railway tracks; the vendors use the space between the rails for their trays of vegetables, fruit, and fish. It’s remarkable to watch the vendors quickly pack up their goods as the (very slow moving) local train arrives!
You will then continue northwest through endless rice paddies, until you reach Kanchanaburi town. In the afternoon board the train to Nam Tok over the infamous Burma Railway, constructed during the Second World War by prisoners of war. Later you will visit the War Cemetery, containing the graves of some of the POWs who perished during the construction of the bridge. There is also an excellent museum nearby which older children will find fascinating.
This evening you can either stay in Kanchanaburi, with its wealth of restaurants and cafes, or in a floating raft hotel on the river outside town.
Day 5 Kanchanaburi
In the morning drive to Erawan National Park, a picturesque series of falls that cascade down the mountainside. There is a path that climbs up beside the falls and you can stop off along the way to swim (though be aware that there are lots of small fish in the pools that will come and nibble at your feet!).
This afternoon continue to Hellfire Pass, one of the most famous sections of the Thai-Burma Railway. Walk along the ‘Bamboo Path’, following the same route that the POWs took to work. You will head back to Kanchanaburi for the night.
Read More Day 6 Kanchanaburi – Ayutthaya Later drive to Ayutthaya (which takes around 3 hours), the ancient capital of Thailand. This evening take the overnight train north to Chiang Mai. You can either travel first class in private 2-person cabins or second class, in an open carriage with individual sleeper berths. Day 7 Chiang Mai The afternoon is free for you to explore Chiang Mai on your own. The town centre is quite small and perfect for wandering with many lively markets, peaceful temples and tempting cafes. In the evening perhaps head to the night market. Day 8 Chiang Mai Day 9 Hill-tribe trek and bamboo rafting Spend the night in a traditional stilt house on a village homestay. The accommodation is very simple but the welcome is warm and we find that children particularly enjoy this experience. If a village homestay does not appeal, please let us know and we can arrange for you to return to Chiang Mai instead. Day 10 Chiang Mai Day 11 Chiang Mai – Beach Depending on what time of year you are visiting we may suggest Koh Samui (east coast) or one of the islands or mainland resorts on the west coast (Krabi, Koh Lanta, Phuket). There are a huge range of different hotels, including larger resorts with a wide range of activities and smaller more intimate beach-bungalow style hotels. We will suggest a hotel that will suit your family. Days 12-14 Beach Day 15 Beach – Bangkok
In the morning take a cookery class in Kanchanaburi and learn some of the secrets of Thai cookery. The class starts with a visit to the local market where you can learn about the exotic herbs and spices that form such an integral part of Thai cuisine. You will then learn how to put these together and will whip up a range of delicious dishes before sitting down to eat them all! Typical dishes include pad thai, thai green curry and tum yum soup.
Arrive in Chiang Mai and transfer to your hotel to drop off your bags (although you will not be able to check in to your room yet). You will then proceed to Chiang Mai’s most famous landmark, the temple of Doi Suthep Temple, perched on a hill-top on the outskirts of town. The temple is stunning with beautiful views over Chiang Mai, and there are always many local people making offerings of flowers and incense.
Today visit a responsibly run elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre. Here you will take part in a unique hands-on experience, learning how to look after an elephant. You will help at feeding time and will then head to the river where you help the mahouts (elephant carers) bathe the elephants. Prepare to be squirted!
Venture up into the hills outside Chiang Mai to get a taste of hill-tribe life. You start with a bamboo rafting experience, gently poling along the river with thick jungle on either side. After lunch in a picturesque Karen hill-tribe village you will start your trek. This can be tailored to the ages of your children but will usually entail a 3-4 hour walk through the jungle with stunning mountain views along the way. Your guide will be able to explain the various uses of the plants and trees that you can see on the sides of the path.
After breakfast you have a chance to explore with your guide and can visit the local shrine and perhaps the nearby school. Later take a 90 minute hike to a Karen village from where you will meet your vehicle for the return journey to Chiang Mai. Along the way there is the chance to stop at one of Chiang Mai’s famous orchid nurseries if this is of interest.
Transfer to the airport for a flight to the beach. On arrival you will be taken to your hotel where you will have four relaxing nights.
Three full days to relax and enjoy the beautiful views over the ocean. Most resorts or islands will have a number of different activities including water sports, boat rides, snorkelling trips and so on. We can either pre-book these or you can arrange them locally.
Transfer to the airport for a flight to Bangkok to connect with your international flight
Call us and we will be happy to provide you with a free-of-charge no obligation itinerary and quotation designed for you.
01728 752751
Thailand in pictures
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- Unparalleled family travel experience
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