Thailand and Cambodia Discovery

Day 1 London - In flight Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your journey to London Heathrow Airport for a direct, scheduled Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. Day 2 Bangkok We transfer to the Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Hotel (4T). Day 3 Bangkok We meet early for a look at Buddhist culture, starting at Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. We arrive at the grand temple as the resident monks gather for their morning chants, and witness this deeply spiritual ritual. We see the vast collection of religious treasures, including the 45m-long reclining Buddha, before we visit the vast Grand Palace, home of Thailand’s revered Royal family and the sacred Emerald Buddha. This afternoon we discover the bustling Yaowarat district, Bangkok's Chinatown, packed with stalls of food and tea; and visit Wat Leng Nei Yi, a Chinese Taoist temple, to learn about this traditional belief system. This evening we enjoy a sunset cocktail at the ‘Attitude’ sky bar at the Avani hotel. We take dinner on a luxuriously converted river barge (Manohra), once used to transport rice. As we drift along the Chao Phraya River, we view the scenic river life at night. Day 4 Bangkok Board a longtail boat to cruise along Bangkok’s intricate network of canals, with glimpses of village life on the water’s edge. We stop at the Royal Barge Museum to see the spectacular teak boats used by Thailand’s Royal family, intricately decorated with gold leaf and mosaics; and go ashore to see Wat Arun, a beautiful pagoda. Lunch is taken in a local restaurant before an afternoon at leisure. Day 5 Bangkok - Kanchanaburi We depart for Kanchanaburi and the Bridge on the River Kwai, built by Allied prisoners of war during World War II. Visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre Museum and nearby War Cemetery. After lunch at our hotel, we will visit the beautiful, seven-tiered Erawan Waterfall, where you have the opportunity to walk up to each tier of the falls. We stay at the Royal River Kwai Resort (3T) tonight. Day 6 Kanchanaburi - Ayutthaya - Khao Yai Ayutthaya is a former capital with a temple-studded landscape. We explore by Kermit tuk-tuk, stopping at the venerated Wat Yai Chaimongkol, the royal Wat Phra Sri Sanphet temple and Wat Mahathat. We then continue to Khao Yai, where we stay at Lala Mukha Tented Resort (3T) in deluxe Savannah tents with en suite facilities, in a landscape of sub-tropical forests, grasslands and lime-stone mountains. Day 7 Khao Yai National Park We drive into the beautiful National Park for a 3km forest walk to Nong Phug She Tower. Located near Nong Phug Shee pond, the main water source for many creatures, you have a good chance of seeing elephants and other wild animals. We continue to Haew Suwat Waterfalls, and then PB Valley Vineyard to enjoy a tour and lunch. Later, we experience the amazing phenomenon of many thousands of bats flying out of their cave over the paddy fields. Day 8 Khao Yai - Chantaburi We travel to Chantaburi, arriving for lunch. Our exploration of the town takes us to the Chantaboon Waterfront Community, grown from a riverside trading spot some 300 years ago to witness the local, Chinese-influenced culture. We also visit the famous Gothic Chanthaburi Church and stroll along Si Chan Road before checking in at the Maneechan Resort (4T). Day 9 Chantaburi - Koh Khong Today we journey to Cambodia and the Four Rivers Floating Lodge (4T) in Koh Khong. The last stretch of the journey is by boat, with our unique accommodation hovering over the tranquil Tatai River amidst the unspoilt forest, rare orchids and beautiful frangipani of Cardamom National Park. Only the sounds of bird call and jungle creatures pierce the peace. The rest of the day is at leisure. Day 10 Koh Khong The thunder of the majestic Tatai Falls reveals the river’s true power as it drops 6m to the rocks below. We sail on a tributary into the heart of the Cardamom jungle to gaze at the turbulent waters and enjoy a picnic lunch amongst the sights and sounds of the jungle. Day 11 Koh Khong - Phnom Penh Enjoy time at leisure until we transfer by boat and onwards to Phnom Penh, where we check in at the Iroha Garden Hotel (3T+). Day 12 Phnom Penh Phnom Penh was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient, and tree-lined boulevards and colonial-era buildings still reflect the glorious days, where Asian and Western traditions meet in a fascinating way. We take a walking tour through the capital to see the Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda, and the Cambodian Living Arts organisation, to meet local artists. Then, this afternoon, we have a tour of Tuol Sleng Prison (S-21) and the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek before visiting the Russian Market. Day 13 Phnom Penh - Battambang On our way to Battambang, we visit Koh Chen, a village on an island in the Tonlé Sap River known for its production of silver crafts; and Kampong Chhnang, to learn of both the traditional pottery it is famed for, and the production of traditional rice wine. We continue to Battambang and check in at Maison Wat Kor (4T), where we stay in rooms within beautiful and traditional wooden Khmer stilt houses. This afternoon we visit, by tuk-tuk, a few of the villages around Battambang, to learn how the locals produce rice paper, prahoc (typical Cambodian fish paste), grolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo), and other Cambodian treats. Day 14 Battambang This morning visit Wat Ek Phnom, an 11th century temple, and Wat Ek Phnom Pagoda, which has one of the most impressive collections of Buddhist wall and ceiling paintings in Cambodia. A special art tour takes in glimpses of Battambang’s unique and culturally sensitive art scene. There will be an option to take an excursion to Phnom Sampeau, home to the notorious killing caves. Day 15 Battambang - Siem Reap Our journey continues to Siem Reap and the FCC Angkor Boutique Hotel (4T). This afternoon we visit Angkor Wat, one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. Day 16 Siem Reap Ancient Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire. We enter through the South Gate, carved with elephants and four giant faces, and head to the Bayon Temple, a 12th century masterpiece with 54 towers displaying 216 smiling faces. We move on to the temples of the Small Circuit, including picturesque Ta Prohm; left largely as it was found it is crumbling amidst the encroaching vines and trees of the jungle. This evening we take a tuk-tuk to the Sombai rice wine workshop and a market famous for pickled fruit and insects, before we go a local restaurant to taste local specialities. Day 17 Siem Reap Learn the secrets of authentic Khmer cuisine with a cooking class in a local house, and enjoy your creations for lunch. This afternoon we visit the 9th century Bakong Temple, before time at leisure. This evening we attend an impressive performance of ‘Phare, the Cambodian Circus’. Day 18 Siem Reap - Bangkok - In flight This morning is at leisure, or take an optional excursion to Artisans d’Angkor. We transfer to the airport for a flight to Bangkok and onward Thai Airways flight to London. Day 19 London Arrival at London Heathrow where you will be met and guided to your Titan vehicle, for the journey home.