DAY:1 8:00am: Meet your tour guide and depart from Chiang Mai by car or minivan to visit an orchid and butterfly farm then continue driving to Chiang Dao Cave, where you will be able to see a multitude of fish swimming in clear water and explore the cave where you will see stalactites and stalagmites that have taken thousands of years to form. Lunch will be served at local restaurant. Next, we visit the Tha-Ton Temple, situated on top of the hill offering breathtaking views of the Kok River below. This river flows from Burma to Chiang Rai. From the temple we will visit the village of Ahkha and Paduang, also known as “Karen Long Neck” tribes. After we will leaving the village we will proceed to Doi Mae Salong – a mountaintop settlement known as Santi Khiri which is home to descendants of Chinese Nationalist soldiers who settled in Thailand in 1940 (formerly known as the KMT). Arrive and check in at hotel or resort for dinner, (fresh and healthy Chinese Food), and overnight stay. Lunch and dinner are included.
CHIANG DAO – THA TON – DOI MAE SALONG
DAY 2 After breakfast we will visit local Chinese and Hill Tribe markets where you can taste and buy tea. Depart for Doi Tung passing through an amazing variety of fruit plantations and green tea fields which cover the flowing slopes. Visit the Royal Villa of the Princess mother, 1,800 meters above sea level and set in a beautifully landscaped flower garden. We then travel on to Mae Sai on the Thai/Burma border, breaking for lunch at a local restaurant. Continue driving to the top of the Doi Wao hill in order to visit the Buddhist temple which overlooks the Thai/Burma border. Leaving Mae Sai, Drive on to Chiang Rai, on the way we will stop at The Black House (Baan Si Dum): The House of National Artist – Dr. Thawan Duchanee before we arrive in Chiang Rai we will stop at Blue temple ( Wat Rong Suea Ten) and Red temple (Wat Huay Pla Kang) then drive to Chiang Rai check in at hotel and meet for dinner. Evening at your leisure or take a walk to the night bazaar (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included).
DAY 3 8:30am: After breakfast we will leave for Chiang Saen to visit the ruins of Wat Chedi Luang, which features an 18m octagonal chedi in the classic Chiang Saen or Lanna style. Archaeologists argue about its exact construction date but agree it dates to sometime between the 12th and 14th centuries. Travel to the Golden Triangle, driving up to the top of the Doi Pukhao temple hill. At this point you will be able to appreciate the spectacular view once more of the Golden Triangle within the Thai/Burma/Laos borders. Break for lunch at the restaurant situated beside Mae Khong River. Then visit the House of Opium Museum with historical displays pertaining to opium culture including information on the harvest, use and trade of opium. Next up, a fun boat trip to Laos. No passport needed. In Laos, (actually an island off Laos is called Done Xao) we will visit a local market where you can shop for some handicrafts and souvenirs made by the local people. You can also stop by the local whisky shop and taste the Snake Whisky!!
Depart for “Wat Rong Kun” (White Temple) visit the Buddhist Temple of the “fairyland or blissful land”. This temple is constructed through the medium of “nimit” or “inside vision and imagination” – a pure Buddhist art and an architectural style that you will have never seen anywhere else in the world. Return to Chiang Mai but on the way stopping at Maekachan Hot Springs. Arrive at your hotel or guest house by 7:00-8:00pm. Breakfast and lunch included.
Tour includes:-
• 7 seat car with driver and petrol
• An English speaking guide- friendly,
• All admission fees
• 2 Nights accommodation
• 7 Meals
• Boat and border pass to Laos
• Insurance
Tour excludes:-
• Personal shopping
• All alcoholic drinks