17-Day Luxury Family Vacation: Adventures in Thailand and Laos

The neighborhoods connecting Bangkok’s bustling districts provide an insider’s look into the culture of the local people. Today, you will immerse yourself in this culture as you glide across Bangkok’s intricate system of canals, or khlongs, in a traditional wooden boat. You will arrive at stop-off points at the foot of iconic gold-encrusted temples, including Wat Arun and Wat Pho. You may wander the sacred complexes and admire the decorated altars and jewel-embellished statues before you continue to other heritage sites. In the evening, you will embrace Thai culinary culture during a tour of Bangkok’s foodie hotspots in Chinatown.

You will join your guide this morning in a tuk-tuk, a traditional Thai open-air vehicle. The rickshaw-like vehicle will weave through Bangkok’s busy traffic and take you to the old quarters, where you will begin your walking tour past ancient architectural government buildings to Buddhist temples, the Yaowarat market, and a traditional Sriracha shop famous for its Gold Medal Brand Sriracha Sauce. A special Buddhist blessing ritual and visits to the Grand Palace and Golden Mount Temple will conclude your tour this afternoon. This evening, you will relish ringside seats at a Muay Thai boxing match in the historic Rajadamnern Stadium.

You may enjoy a few rounds of golf on Bangkok’s prestigious US PGA course this morning after breakfast before you gear up for an adventure beyond the city’s borders. You will join your knowledgeable guide and transfer to the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya, an enchanting destination boasting centuries-old temple ruins that will share a glance into Thailand’s past. Beyond the sacred age-old city, you will bask in the beautiful glow of the sunshine dancing off Ayutthaya’s flowing tributaries and learn about Thailand’s spiritual Sak Yant tattoo culture from a local tattoo master.

You will leave Thailand this morning on a plane bound for the forested hills of Luang Prabang, Laos. As you soar further across the Laotian landscape, you will witness the disappearance of the country’s capital city and the emergence of tightly packed towns hemmed into the overgrown rainforests. Luang Prabang borders what will appear to be a massive flowing chocolate river, more officially known as the Mekong. You will touch down and transfer to a hotel stationed in the heart of the town, from where you may acclimate to Laos laid-back atmosphere during an afternoon stroll around the Old Town.

Every morning, monks dressed in orange saffron robes exit the sanctum of their temples and wander the Old Town’s main road during an alms giving ceremony in which locals hand over rice, incense, and other gifts. You will witness this humbling ritual from the pavement, paying your respects to the locals by offering your own alms. Feeling spiritually uplifted, you will continue to the Long Lao Mai Village to learn more about Laotian traditions and customs. From tucking into Hmong and Khmu cuisine to participating in the “Baci Ceremony,” you will come to understand the local way of life.

The town of Luang Prabang is but a small human-made footprint on the region’s greater wilderness, and you may easily access the Laotian forests today as the town sits in the middle of the jungle. Your tour of Luang Prabang’s overgrown wildlands will begin with a cruise along the Mekong River to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves carved into the limestone cliffs lining the river banks. Inside, you will find thousands of Buddha statues of all shapes and sizes. Afterward, you will head for the turquoise blue naturally terraced pools cascading from the base of the monstrous Kuang Si Waterfalls.

You will spend your morning at Luang Prabang’s Chan Nua Village, a traditional pottery village with a long history in the production of clay pots in Laos. You will meet skilled craftspeople and families with generational experience in creating clay goods from planters to terra-cotta roof tiles. You will tour the village, pottery center, and workshops, where you will partake in a hands-on pottery class led by an expert craftsperson. In the afternoon, you will depart for the northern Thai capital Chiang Mai and arrive to an artisan dinner introducing you to the tantalizing flavors of northern Thai delicacies.

Muay Thai boxing remains an integral part of the local culture from northern Thailand to its southern islands. You will familiarize yourself with the fighting techniques during a private Muay Thai lesson at an esteemed boxing camp this morning. You will learn the fighting art form with a professional instructor and perfect the basics before you continue to Thailand’s oldest tea plantation for an afternoon of quietude amongst the tea groves. Managed by people of the Lisu hill tribe, this plantation is an exemplary example of how closely connected the villagers are to their unspoiled surroundings.

After a quick round of golf on Chiang Mai’s stunning highland course, you may join your family for an artisan tour and journey to the summit of Doi Suthep Mountain to explore its commanding temple. Atop the last step of the Golden Naga staircase, you will capture panoramic views of Chiang Mai and its surrounding landscape that rolls towards the hills well off in the distance. You will descend the mountain afterward and transfer to a nearby town to meet a friendly family and learn how to prepare some exquisite northern Thai dishes.

You will spend your final morning in Chiang Mai wandering the exuberant Warorot Market and trying an assortment of mouth-watering delicacies for breakfast. You will follow the fragrant aromas enveloping the marquee to tables laden with char-grilled meats and bubbling broths such as sai ua, grilled Chiang Mai sausage, and khanom jeen, fermented rice noodles with curry. In the afternoon, you may witness Chiang Mai from up in the sky as you hover over the city in a helicopter and capture unforgettable views of northern Thailand.

You will travel to Chiang Mai’s sister city, Chiang Rai, this morning, a region less-explored than its popular neighbor. As soon as you arrive and unpack your things, you will transfer to an elephant sanctuary to care for and bathe the magnificent beasts. Set in the stunning wilderness of Chiang Rai, this ethical elephant sanctuary boasts breathtaking backdrops that you will bask in while you look after the creatures. Afterward, you will forage through the jungle trails freely before you soak up the scenery while relishing a Thai massage.

Chiang Rai forms part of the Southeast Asian Golden Triangle, a historic trade route bordering Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. Today, you will visit observation points overlooking the Golden Triangle and the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers. En route to this spellbinding view, you will make stops at colorful Chiang Rai temples, including the yellow Chinese temple, Wat Huay Pla Kung, and the white temple, Wat Rong Khun. Your colorful Chiang Rai excursion will also lead to the evergreen fields of Singha Park.

Koh Samui has long been established as Thailand’s premier island retreat, a beautiful combination of pearly-white shores, crystal clear seas, forested shamrock-colored headlands, and towering karst limestone cliffs. You will transfer to the Thai island and be treated to panoramas of the postcard-perfect beaches, where you may spend your afternoons with your toes in the sand as you wander up and down Koh Samui’s pristine coastline. In the evening, you may tuck into freshly caught seafood at exquisite restaurants overlooking the vibrant sunset.

Koh Samui is yours to explore freely over the next few nights, with plenty of fun seaside activities to captivate your family during your stay. Today, you may head down to the beach and spend your morning basking in the sunshine as well as snorkeling in the translucent seas that gently wash against the shore. As you swim out along the headlands and over the colorful coral reefs, you will peer down to witness the majestic marine life moving in and out of the dazzling multi-colored coral.

With another day to admire the seaside scenes of Koh Samui and appreciate the time unwinding in this coveted beach paradise, you and your family will not waste a second in the morning as the sun sets the sky ablaze. You will explore more of the large island’s picturesque beaches, and you may be whisked away by speedboat to pearly shorelines hidden in rarely explored coves. You may kayak along the crystalline ocean and find caves carved into the karst limestone cliffs, as well as cruise around the bays on jet skis if you are after some action-packed adventure.

Your extravagant trip across Thailand and Laos will be coming to an end today, though you will spend the morning appreciating every last moment on the sun-kissed shores of Koh Samui. You will watch the sunrise from your patio and tuck into breakfast against the backdrop of the sparkling sea, listen to the gentle waves rolling up on the shoreline, and breathe in the pleasantly salty sea air. You will cherish your morning and slowly pack up your things before you and your family transfer to the airport to catch your flight home.