Highlights of Thailand Tour: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi ( 8 Days Tour)

Yogyakarta – Between the Lens and Culture

Arrive in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, where the cityscape reaches both upward and outward, creating the country’s largest metropolis. The charm of the city is hidden beneath the shade of trees and around the gilded spires of temples that continue to grace the city in the best of ways.

The bustle of the city is part of its elegance. The speed works with the people, almost as if every person has a part to play, knowing where they are supposed to be at any moment, giving a sense of choreography to the mayhem.

The streets are filled with the scent of fresh noodles and decadent fried chicken, where sweet, sour, and spicy come together for an unforgettable combination. Your time in the grandeur of Bangkok has just begun, but you can already see its splendor underneath the banyan trees, within the smiles of shop owners, and definitely within the alluring aromas of the unparalleled cuisine. 

What’s Included: transfer, accommodation.

Tree Roots and Temples

After breakfast you will venture outside of the metropolis to the fabulous city of Ayutthaya, the once storied capital of Siam. The history of the city spans over four-centuries, all writ in the remains of the fabulous temples that continue to tower over bits of the city and the jungle commanding respect and reverence amongst all visitors.

Wat Mahathat is over 600 years old and was once the home to the Supreme Patriarch leader of the Thai Buddhist monks. The manicured grass gives a manufactured structure to the sandstone, where the colors of the ruins shift from white to deep brown stone and back again. The Temple of the Great Relics, as it is called in English, continues to inspire with the elegance of its remains. 

A Buddha sculpture proudly sits on a platform, legs crossed, and hands placed by his knees. A large swath of yellow cloth is draped across his body as he is forever poised in the moment of enlightenment. A large tree has its roots dangling and tangling out of the ground; it looks as though the tree’s trunk is made of a collection of vines. Look deeper within the tangle and you can see the famed Buddha Head hidden within the niches of the tree.

No one is certain how the head became wrapped up in the vines but, as Buddha’s slight smile peers at you from within the dangling roots, there is an ease to the moment, where the sun dimmer, the shade feels cooler, and the world offers you a moment to take a deep breath. You will return to Bangkok in the late afternoon with the calm and wonder of Ayutthaya echoing in your thoughts. 

What’s Included: breakfast, lunch, tour, accommodation.

City Bustle to Island Splendor

Today you will venture away from the metropolis of Bangkok and transfer to the stunning island of Phuket. Off of the western shores of the mainland are the sensationally clear waters of Phuket, where history adds elegance to the island paradise.

Old Phuket Town stands like a beacon of a colonial past where cultures and beauty decorate the shores, from Portuguese mansions to Chinese tradition. There is an essence of classic architecture beneath the rise of palm trees and within the calm rush of waves on the immaculate beach.

No matter where you are on Phuket you are never far from majesty, whether next to the cool, clear ocean, within the hills by the Big Buddha, or strolling through Old Town between the tailors and candy shops, art galleries and Chinese noodle shops. 

What’s Included: breakfast, transfer, accommodation.

Famed Waters and Illustrious Landscapes

Today you will embark on a journey away from the luster of Phuket that will take you to the diverse and alluring waters of the Phi Phi Islands. Climb aboard a speedboat to begin your exceptional day where six islands comprise the archipelago only 45 minutes away.

The wind whips through your hair as the mist sprays against your cheeks. The water is three shades of blue, ranging from nearly clear to sapphire, sitting beneath the rising green of the jungle island. With many shores to visit, you first step along the sands of Monkey Beach where the primates hide within the trees and lurk within the branches. Over the years they have become less shy and coarser, scouring for food within the visitors.

The long-tailed macaque monkeys are dark gray with faces like sour men, and they reach for bananas or chocolate, taking their treasures and jumping nimbly onto the rocks, scared of the surf.

Along the shores of Koh Phi Phi Leh you can see the familiar beach that was home to Leonardo Dicaprio in the film The Beach. Enter into Maya Bay where the limestone karsts are bright and majestic, capturing your imagination and making you wonder if you may be dreaming. The natural beauty is unparalleled, from the clear water that allows you to see to the ocean floor to the rising precipices that are capped with stellar greenery, and powdery white sands that make the beach nothing but inviting.

The beach faces the entrance of the bay where you can dive into the water and watch the colorful fish swim in huddled schools. The vibrant hues beneath the sea rival the effervescence above the surface. Eventually you will carry on to the outlying shores of other islands before returning to Bangkok, but within the pristine waters of Maya Bay, with the karsts above and wondrous life below, you know that the moment is perfect. 

What’s Included: breakfast, lunch, tour, accommodation.