Highlights of Thailand Tour: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Phuket & Koh Phi Phi

Set along the waterway of the Chao Phraya River, the Grand Palace is a spectacle to experience. Where once the river was the main source of transport, the palace has an opulent posture set against the lapping water on the riverbanks. Built in the latter half of the 18th century, the palace continues to be a symbol of the king, though it is now used largely for ceremonial purposes. Within the palace complex are sensational temples that house some of the most well-preserved and coveted Buddhist artifacts, including Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

The structure is raised on a series of platforms, giving height and grandeur to the golden building. The balcony walls are decorated with sensational murals telling the story of the Ramayana, epic in its entirety. The statues that guard the temple are over 15 feet tall, each an ornately carved and. The spicy aroma of incense surrounds the interior. The Buddha is spotlighted, giving him green glow beneath golden robes. His cloaks are changed seasonally by the king in a ritual that brings good fortune to Thailand. There is peacefulness within the temple, filled with the quiet of visitors and the awe of pilgrims that makes a visit worthwhile.

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.

The early morning brings with it the lusciousness of creamy coconut and fresh squeezed orange juice. After breakfast you will once again venture outside of Bangkok to the riverside town of Kanchanaburi, known as the filming location for the movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai. The bridge was built by prisoners of war during World War II, overseen by the Japanese, and meant to stretch 250 miles from Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma.  The Thailand-Burma Railway Museum is an interactive museum filled with photos and first hand accounts from actual POWs during the war. The interior of the museum is immaculate, with black and white photos documenting the tracks, the officers in charge, and the conditions of the camp. Follow your guide out of the museum and onto a stretch of tracks that hug the mountainside. The air is warm and scented with granite and steel. You can walk along a short stretch of the railway, where the tracks are clear, and the experience of walking through the modern history sends tingles down your spine. Back in town you will be able to step onto the actual bridge depicted in the movie, overlooking the Mekong River, where the gentle trickle of the water settles the history.

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.

The grandeur of the island is yours to explore today at your whim and pleasure. The morning sun bounces off of the water with the glint of crystal. For a fantastic view of the entire island you can visit Big Buddha in Chalong, whose white frame towers over Phuket on the island’s highest summit. The large image rises over Nakkerd Hill, standing over 135 feet tall, and is considered a welcome sign for those out to sea.  The sweeping vistas of Phuket offer an overwhelming panorama of Phuket Town, where the Portuguese mansions shine beneath the trees, the ocean waves are vibrant and lively throughout the island, and the distinctive reach of jungle mixes with the sapphire horizon.

In the afternoon you can venture to Wat Chalong, where Poh Than Jao Wat, one of the most important Buddhist statues in Phuket, is housed. In the most westerly hall of the temple you can find two statues of old men, representations of an old local who continued to win lotteries after being blessed by the Poh Than Jao Wat statue. The Grand Pagoda dominates the temple, decorated with wall paintings that depict the Buddha’s life story. The air is breezy and cool and the temple is famed for housing a splinter of Buddha’s bone. There is an ease and softness to the temple giving you a pleasant urge to continue to the water and watch the quiet reaches of the sunset.

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.

The opulent beauty of the island continues to glisten in the morning sun giving you one last look at the magnificent beauty of Phuket and Thailand before arriving at the airport. Your flight will have you home in almost no time, filled with the majestic memories of your time within the fabulous cities and grand waters of Southeast Asia. Home is filled with comfort and familiarity, but you have trouble remembering a time before Thailand that has ever been more luxurious.

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