MYSTICAL THAILAND TOUR

Leave Bangkok and drive to Ayuthaya to visit King Rama IV's Summer Palace as well as the atmospheric ruined temples of this former capital city. Drive through the central plains to Angthong province, stopping to visit temples and interesting villages, before arriving in Uthai Thani.

Afternoon Sukhothai Tour in the morning there is time to wander through the colourful local market place and meet locals and Buddhist monks before driving north to Sukhothai. Sukhothai was Thailand's capital in the 13th century, and the historical park, which is located right outside our hotel, is full of ruined reminders of the glorious past.

Today we visit Sri Satchanalai, a smaller ruined citadel close to Sukothai and particularly photogenic in the early morning. We continue to Phrae, one of Thailand's oldest cities, before arriving in Lampang. In the late afternoon, wander along Taladkao Road where you can see old Thai, Chinese, British and Burmese merchant houses, or take a horse cart ride through town.

Today's highlight is a visit to the Lampang Elephant conservation centre, which is the only school in Thailand that trains elephants. In the old days, there were over 4,000 elephants employed to do logging in Thailand, but now the only work they have is with tourists. The camp also serves as a sanctuary for abused elephants, having the only Elephant Hospital in Thailand. You will also get a chance to ride an elephant through the jungle surrounding the camp. In the afternoon, visit charming Lamphun before ending the day in Chiang Mai with a drive up Doi Suthep (Doi means mountain in Thai) to visit north Thailand's most important temple. Here you climb the naga staircase to see the dazzling golden chedi's, and listen to the chiming of the temple's bells.

We spend the early morning wandering through the old city of Chiang Mai soaking up the relaxed north Thai atmosphere, as well as visiting Wat Pra Singh and Wat Suan Dok, two of the city's oldest temples. Very early risers can 'make merit' by feeding the monks at dawn. Later in the morning, we will drive north into the mountains to Doi Mae Salong, transferring into 'pick-up trucks' to reach remote Akha and Yao hill tribe villages. Perched near the top of the mountain is a Chinese village inhabited almost entirely by descendents of the Kuomintang Chinese nationalist army that fled the communists after the People's revolution in China. You will find the village retains a distinctly Yunnanese atmosphere.

Our hotel is nestled amongst the mountains that were once so remote and impossible to penetrate that the area became ideal for growing opium. This is the Golden Triangle; a land inhabited by Thai, Shan, Burmese, Chinese, Lao, Lahu, Yao, Karen and an almost endless number of different minority groups. We will learn some of the history of the region at the impressive and informative Hall of Opium Museum, as well as visiting ancient Chiang Saen and Mae Sai - the gateway to Burma. Then Catch a flight back to Delhi.