Thailand Encompassed

After breakfast at the hotel, explore the charming city of Chiang Mai without leaving a carbon footprint as you ride on a traditional Rickshaw, which have been used in Thailand for over 60 years. These three-wheeled bikes have evolved greatly over time and continue to prove to be a very useful mode of local transportation. The meeting point is at Tha Pae Gate. From the vantage point of the rickshaw, ride leisurely through the colourful, narrow streets towards the Wat Puak Tam community. Walk around this unique artisan village, where they make beautiful brass ornaments and regalia, and look out for the detailed golden parasols found in many Southeast Asian temples. Visit and learn more about the story behind a unique local restaurant also known as Chiang Mai Woman Correctional Institution, and enjoy a Thai snack served by female prisoners who have broadened their skills to create a more meaningful life after their release. Paddle to Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple in Chiang Mai, and encounter the old and important Buddha images, wander through the bustling local food stalls of Waroros market and end the journey with fruit tasting at this lively spot.

In the afternoon, travel to the Hang Dong district of Chiang Mai. Arrive in Bandoo to find a glorious teak house, dating back 150 years and owned by the Ruankaew-Yanon family who played an important role in shaping the local Lanna community. Get to know your hosts and how their lifestyle and home are not so different from their ancestors, hundreds of years ago. As well as exploring the house and its grounds, take advantage of the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and join in on the cooking with your host. This is a good chance to pick up a few Thai cooking skills that you can take home with you! Dinner is served on the second-floor terrace, affording some panoramic views of the surrounding Lanna village. After dinner, head back to the city to explore.

In the morning, you’ll be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the Doi Saket district. Learn about the history of Tai Lue in Thailand at the Tai Lue Center of Ban Luang Neue. Tai Lue village of Ban Luang Nue is Community Based Tourism, where they organise Tai Lue activities and local food for the customers to learn about their lives. The bikes will be prepared and you will be provided with a safety briefing before you can set off and enjoy cycling along the countryside road to the first learning station; Toong Na Fah Kwang (rice field & farm) to learn about the efficiency, economy theory of King Rama IX and have the opportunity to collect duck eggs that you can cook yourself. You continue cycling to the next learning station 2; Rice crispy house, learning how to make and cook this. The final stop of the day will be at learning station 3; Where you learn about wooden dolls and have the opportunity to make them by yourself as a souvenir.

Travel Back to Tai Lue Center for lunch in a Kad Mua themed market; Kad stands for market, Mua means variety. In the afternoon, visit the Tai Lue museum and learn more about Tai Lue’s lifestyle. Afterwards, transfer to the Yarn Ball Lamp House to learn how to make this and try your hand at crafting one for yourself as a souvenir.

After a cooked breakfast at the hotel, check-out as per the hotel’s policy and transfer to Chiang Mai Airport. Take a domestic flight to Mae Hong Son. Upon arrival at Mae Hong Son, you’ll meet our local, English-speaking guide and transferred you to your hotel. 

After breakfast, you’ll enjoy sightseeing around the town and visit Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu. This temple reflects the strong influence of the Burmese and highlights the two lavishly decorated pagodas. Also, this hilltop temple affords an exceptional aerial view of the city and surrounding mountains and valleys – a perfect opportunity for capturing amazing photographs, so don’t forget your camera. Afterwards, visit a symbol of Mae Hong Son at Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang which are invaluably ancient temples of Mae Hong Son town. Built by proficient Thai Yai people, they are extraordinary works of art, found beside southern Chong Klang Lake. When the sun reflects the images onto the water the effect is awe-inspiring. Enjoy the afternoon to yourself to explore or relax.

Enjoy a boat trip along Pai River to visit Long Neck Karen Village. The Village is a culmination of refugee camps and people visit to see the woman wearing heavy brass rings which make their necks appear very long. The original motive for this tradition has been lost to history but some believe that the rings once saved women from attacks by Tigers. You can visit Tham Pla (Fish Cave), with surrounding areas of brooks and hilly forests that are suitable for walking. A special feature is a hollow cave filled with numerous freshwater fish known as Pla Mung or Pla Khang, which are of the same family as the carp. The fish are protected as they are believed to belong to the gods. 

The following morning, enjoy a relaxing day at the hotel or venture out by yourself to explore more of the surrounding area.

In the morning you will have a private transfer to Mae Hong Son Airport to board a flight to Bangkok, connecting to Surat Thani.

Note: Our guide will escort & assist until the airport. No guide on the airplane.

Flight: Mae Hong Son to Bangkok (DMK Donmuang Airport)

Flight DD8215 09.50 – 11.35h

Continue by flight: Bangkok to Surat Thani

Flight DD578 12.40 – 13.50h (Or DD584 16.25 – 17.35h)

After arrival at Surat Thani Airport, you will be transferred to Khao Sok to the stunning Our Jungle Camp Resort for the next 3 nights.

These two days can be spent relaxing or you have the options for additional trips, tours and activities.

Optional Tour at Our Jungle Camp 

Night Safari 

As the sun sets over Khao Sok, the jungle symphony begins and the tropical landscape comes alive. There is no better time for a Night Safari! Let our expert guides navigate you through a 2-hour hike and introduce you to the amazing animals that inhabit the jungle, from bats, insects, frogs, to deer and even the elusive jungle cat. Your flashlight will light the way on this exploratory journey. The night safari can take place in our jungle or the national park, depending on weather conditions.

Tour Departure: 7:30pm

Note: This tour is bookable upon arrival only

Ethical Elephant Experience (Half Day Morning or Afternoon)

The Journey to Hillside Elephant Sanctuary will take guests just 20 minutes from the Jungle Camp. Upon arrival, your host will brief you about the history and value of Elephants in Thai Culture, along with the general guidelines on interaction and safety to be practised among these kind-natured creatures. Your local English-speaking guides draw from over three generations of experience, working and living with the famous Asian Elephants.

Our Jungle Yoga (1 Hour Class)

Join an hour-long yoga session with additional 15-minute mindfulness meditation, to rejuvenate your body and mind, leaving you feeling refreshed and at peace. The sound of the forest will offer you an opportunity to take a break from your busy mind and lifestyle. Trained for over 200 hours, Rossi, a yoga instructor, will share with you her passion for using yoga as a way to relieve stress and build mental strength. Morning and evening sessions will take you through meditation with physical practice, deep breathing, emotional balance, calming down and connecting with your inner peace.

Tour Departure: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 17:30, 19:00

River Tubing Khao Sok (May – Nov only)

Float gently down the river and experience Khao Sok from a different perspective. You will pass beneath limestone cliffs, majestic jungle trees and the occasional rope swing. Your guide will join you along the way to ensure you are safe and assist you in spotting cheeky monkeys and abundant birdlife. Please note that the exact duration of this activity can vary seasonally, depending on the river level.

Raft, Trek and Caving Adventure (Half Day Morning)

For those who want to combine it all, this half-day trip comprises the serenity of Bamboo Rafting along the Sok River with a mountain hike and adventurous cave exploration. The journey starts by floating down the Sok River towards the Wat Tham Pla Cave Temple, which is the starting point of the 45 minutes ascent to Tham Kheow Cave where Monks are still known to meditate in the vast caverns. Before entering the cave, guests can soak in the natural surroundings and refresh themselves with a coffee brewed in Bamboo shoots. After the exploration of the more than 400-meter cave, you will descend back to the Buddhist Shrine. From here, you will be transferred back to the Jungle Camp in Khao Sok Town.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before a private transfer to Anurak Community Lodge. Check in and take the rest of the day to explore the Lodge’s surroundings.

Today can be spent relaxing or choosing additional trips, tours or activities.

Optional Tour at Anurak Community Lodge (Join-In)

Cheow Lan Lake – Prakrai Petch Cave (Full Day)

One of Khao Sok National Park’s hidden gems, Cheow Lan Lake is a pristine body of water where natural beauty abounds. Also known as Ratchaprabha Dam, it spans an incredible 165 km² and is the heart and soul of the jungle. A popular tourist attraction, the lake delivers a number of options for travellers who want to explore its inviting waters. Day trips allow ample time to explore the water’s wonders. Visit a raft house (Khao Sok National Park’s famous floating bungalows) where you will have time to swim and relax, or rent a kayak and explore the lake’s beautiful surroundings. In addition, travellers can trek around the lake’s peripheries along local trails to discover hidden waterfalls and caves.

Cycling Adventure (Half Day Morning or Afternoon)

Flanked by Khao Sok National Park and Khlong Phanom National Park, mountain peaks loom overhead and lush jungle fills every vista. Cycle along country roads that wind their way along the valley, where travellers will discover not only the beauty of the national parks that surround them, but also the region’s local culture. Fascinating wildlife may greet cyclists along the way if you are lucky enough, and the local guides are skilled at spotting exotic animals amongst the dense foliage. As the road passes through villages along the valley, become immersed in the region’s culture; there are opportunities to stop by the local store, or chat with friendly locals! The tour also explores the local industries: fruit, rubber and sustainable palm oil production. Experience exotic Thai fruit being cultivated, and learn about the history of rubber and palm oil – neither of which are indigenous to Thailand but are now a significant part of the nation’s industry.

Khao Sok River by Canoe (Half Day Morning or Afternoon)

Experience canoeing on the Sok River. The lifeblood of the jungle, rivers wind their way beneath the canopy of the forest and create a path where no footsteps travel. Buoyed by the waters of the Sok River and dwarfed by the sheer limestone cliffs and dense jungle, it’s easy to feel at one with nature. This isn’t a fast-paced exercise, but the excitement emerges from the surrounding jungle in the form of stunning scenery and wild animals. Exotic birds, monkeys and even sleeping snakes await the astute eye. Canoes can carry two people along with the local guide, who skilfully paddles and guides the canoe down the river. A short stop halfway – which varies depending on the season – sees guides prepare tea and coffee over an open fire, using a bamboo stem to boil the water. This is a hot beverage with a difference as the sweet tang of bamboo creates a taste like no other! Back on the water, there is a final chance to spot wildlife, take photos or simply relax and enjoy the picturesque jungle.

Khao Sok River by Raft (Half Day Morning or Afternoon)

Take a step back in time on the Khao Sok River and explore its pristine waters aboard one of Thailand’s oldest forms of transport, the bamboo raft. Ancient trading routes once stretched from the Andaman Sea on Thailand’s west coast to the Gulf of Thailand in the east, relying on the Khao Sok River to link this east-west passage across the Isthmus of Kra.

Join our Khao Sok River by Raft adventure and float along a slow-meandering river with the lush jungle towering above. Sit back, relax and take in the picturesque surroundings – and perhaps spot some exotic wildlife! Along the river, there is the opportunity to take a hike through the jungle and a rubber tree plantation to a cave. Here, learn to boil water in a bamboo stem over an open fire, and brew a unique-tasting tea or coffee – just as those on this ancient trade route once did. Each raft supports two people, accompanied by a local guide who pushes (punts) the raft along the river using a long pole. All guides are experienced fishermen who have spent their lives on the river. As the journey concludes, try punting – it’s not easy!

Khao Sok Hike (Half Day Morning or Afternoon)

Surrounded by lush foliage and with 30-metre trees towering above, the old hunting trails of Khao Sok National Park meander deep into the forest and leave the modern world behind. Weaving through the 739km² park, hikers can explore one of the oldest forest ecosystems in the world under the guidance of a local expert. The vast expanse of dense jungle is rich in natural beauty and teeming with exotic wildlife, and you will want to have a camera within reach! Although many of the jungle’s larger animals are elusive during the day, it’s not uncommon to sight tracks or scat from elephants, wild boar, tapir or an Indochinese leopard. Guides are skilled at spotting wildlife, and exotic birds, insects and monkeys – including macaques and gibbons – are sighted regularly. Alongside native fauna, interesting flora abounds; towering trees, leaves as big as dinner tables, and even herbs with medicinal properties. Season pending, there’s also the opportunity to visit a cave or waterfall. Khao Sok weather can be broken into wet (monsoon) and dry seasons. Monsoons deliver high rainfall and make some caves difficult to access, however, this often means the waterfalls will be spectacular – that’s the untamed beauty of Khao Sok!

Organic Farm Cooking Experience 

Thai cuisine has a long and wonderful history as one of the most exotic and exquisitely diverse foods in the world. On our Organic Farm Cooking Experience, go back in time and discover how to select your own produce, before learning how to cook a selection of traditional Thai cuisine with organic seasonal ingredients at nearby Rungfah Organic Farm. After mastering these dishes and other cooking techniques – including how to boil rice in bamboo – sit down in the picturesque surroundings of Khao Sok National Park to savour the fruits of your labour.

Start time: 9am, 12pm, 3pm

Check-out from Anurak Community Lodge and continue by resort vehicle to Khao Lak. The driving time takes roughly 1 – 1 and a half hours.

After arrival at Khao Lak, check in and revel in the chance to relax at the luxurious Sarojin Resort for the next 2 nights. Enjoy the delights presented by this luxurious resort including spa treatments in a relaxing environment.

Private transfer from Khao Lak to Phuket airport for departure.

Note: Driving time is about 60 minutes