Thailand, Laos and Cambodia holiday
| country: | Cambodia, Laos, Thailand |
| location: | Indochina holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 1 Nov, 30 Nov, 20 Dec 2009: 11 Jan, 13 Feb, 4 Mar, 6 Apr, 9 May, 3 Jun |
| price: | From £1730 - £1945 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £1030 - £1055 excluding flights. Price includes all transport, accommodation & activities specified in itinerary, all meals (except dinner on day 7 & lunch on days 12 & 15) |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
A truly adventurous tour that reaches parts few other tours reach!
Explore the rarely visited Emerald Triangle region, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia meet.
From Eastern Thailand we'll journey into South Laos’ Champassak Province to explore the Boloven Plateau and Sepian National Bio-diversity Area before heading south via the World Heritage ruins of Wat Phu Temple, to discover the stunning Four Thousand Islands region, where the Mekong cascades into Cambodia over a series of spectacular falls. From here we'll continue downriver through the jungles of Northern Cambodia to our final destination of Phnom Penh.
Highlights include Bangkok, Pha Taem National Park, Preah Viharn Temple, Wat Phu, Four Thousand islands, Mekong River trip, Kietngong village, Phnom Penh, elephant riding, kayaking on the Mekong, SE Asian food.
Trip details: Maximum walking time is approx 3 hrs on day 9. Accommodation is in hotels, guesthouses, eco lodges and floating raft houses, on full board basis, except dinner on day 7 and lunch on days 12 & 15. Transport is by train, minibus, boat, speedboat and flight.
Travellers not taking up the flight option would join the tour in Bangkok on day 2 and finish in Phnom Penh on day 15. Optional extension to combine your trip with our 1 week Cambodia overland trip, taking in Angkor Wat before returning to Bangkok, is available.
Explore the rarely visited Emerald Triangle region, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia meet.
From Eastern Thailand we'll journey into South Laos’ Champassak Province to explore the Boloven Plateau and Sepian National Bio-diversity Area before heading south via the World Heritage ruins of Wat Phu Temple, to discover the stunning Four Thousand Islands region, where the Mekong cascades into Cambodia over a series of spectacular falls. From here we'll continue downriver through the jungles of Northern Cambodia to our final destination of Phnom Penh.
Highlights include Bangkok, Pha Taem National Park, Preah Viharn Temple, Wat Phu, Four Thousand islands, Mekong River trip, Kietngong village, Phnom Penh, elephant riding, kayaking on the Mekong, SE Asian food.
Trip details: Maximum walking time is approx 3 hrs on day 9. Accommodation is in hotels, guesthouses, eco lodges and floating raft houses, on full board basis, except dinner on day 7 and lunch on days 12 & 15. Transport is by train, minibus, boat, speedboat and flight.
Travellers not taking up the flight option would join the tour in Bangkok on day 2 and finish in Phnom Penh on day 15. Optional extension to combine your trip with our 1 week Cambodia overland trip, taking in Angkor Wat before returning to Bangkok, is available.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Departure from London. |
| Day 2: | Morning arrival in Bangkok - meet your tour leader and transfer to a downtown hotel in the City’s lively Banglamphu district. Afternoon to relax, recover from your jet-lag by the pool or explore the area and the local markets. |
| Day 3: | City tour with a difference! Central Bangkok by public transport; riverboat, skytrain, tuk-tuk and canal boat including stop-offs to take in the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Keow – the Temple of the Emerald Buddha - and the fascinating Jim Thompson Museum.. (Note alternatives can be arranged for those who have already visited Bangkok). In the evening we’ll board the night sleeper train for Si Saket in Eastern Thailand. |
| Day 4: | Our exploration of the Emerald Triangle begins at the dramatic 12th century Khmer ruins of Preah Viharn -situated on the border at the summit of a 1,800 ft escarpment overlooking the Cambodian plains below. From here we'll head eastwards to our day's destination - the small, scenic town of Khong Jiam on the banks of the Mekong, overlooking Laos. |
| Day 5: | Off to spectacular Pha Taem National Park for a hike to visit the prehistoric cliff paintings and unusual rock formations before returning to Khong Jiam by boat down the Mekong River. |
| Day 6: | Leisurely morning in this riverside town before crossing into Laos for our overnight stop at Pakse. Afternoon to check out the market and bustling waterfront area of this old port. |
| Day 7: | Day tour of some of the sites of the Boloven Plateau, home to numerous ethnic minorities and the centre of Lao’s coffee growing industry including visits to one of the area’s coffee plantations and a chance to bathe in the Tad Yeuang Falls. |
| Day 8: | Boat trip down the Mekong River south to the small town of Champassak. Afternoon trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wat Phu – a pre-Angkor, Khmer temple dramatically situated on a mountain side overlooking the valley of the Mekong. |
| Day 9: | Morning transfer to Kietngong Village for an elephant trek to some mysterious hilltop ruins and on to the delightful Kingfisher Eco Lodge on the edge of the Sepian national Biodiversity Area for our night’s accommodation. Afternoon hike to discover the area, bird watching in the nearby wetlands or simply resting up on the balcony admiring the superb view. |
| Day 10: | Continue south to the ‘4 thousand islands’ - a stretch of the Mekong River of truly outstanding natural beauty straddling the Lao/Cambodian border. Accommodation on floating raft houses on Don Khone Island. |
| Day 11: | Explore some of the islands by boat, kayak and on foot. Visit S E Asia’s largest waterfalls – the stunning Khon Phapaeng Falls – and with luck catch a glimpse of some of the rare freshwater dolphins which still inhabit this stretch of the river. |
| Day 12: | Free day to relax on the islands or a hike to discover some of the local scenery and villages. |
| Day 13: | Continuing down the Mekong we’ll follow the picturesque jungle-lined river into Cambodia and head south to the old French port of Kratie for our night’s stay. Afternoon to wander the bustling river front area. |
| Day 14: | The final leg of our journey will take us overland via Kompong Cham and a visit to the Angkor era temple of Wat Nokor to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. |
| Day 15: | Day at leisure - relax, roam the famous 'Russian Market' or explore some of the City's sites such as the Royal palace or Tuol Sleng Museum before an evening departure for London, via Bangkok. |
| Day 16: | Arrival in London. |
travellers' tales
The train Journey from Bangkok, the days on the Mekong and the guided tour of Bangkok were the highlights. (more)
small group family holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - you will be sharing your experiences with like minded people. Group sizes are limited to a maximum of 9 persons, a genuinely small group. Experience has taught us that smaller groups are less intrusive to local cultures and environments whilst allowing more interaction with local people. Furthermore it means greater flexibility on a day to day basis and on a social level it proves to be fun. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends/family its good value, and a great way to meet new people! The intention is to travel as a group of friends rather than a typical tour group, so don't expect stick-on name badges or any following the umbrella. how this holiday makes a difference
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We work closely with local communities enabling us to not just give something back to those communities but also offer those who travel with us a more genuine, fuller and deeper understanding of the ethnic make-up of this fascinating region. Our small group size offers us the greatest opportunity to be effective responsible travellers.
Kietnong: The timber has finished and the income from this source is no longer flowing. The community here were supported in establishing an elephant camp offering rides for tourists around the local area including an old spiritual site, Phou Asa. Phou Asa is probably a Buddhist temple but may even extend back to Khmer imperial times. It’s located at the top of a hill and the trip in a houda on an elephant is bringing in limited cash flow for this community. The elephants are surviving here because of tourism, their only chance. Tourism is bringing in some cash into the communities of this area. The area around has been classified as a biodiversity conservation area and is unique in its wetland geography. Many migrating birds stop-over on the wet-lands. Responsible tourism supports the preservation of this area by offering some income reducing the pressure off the hunt for protected wildlife and agricultural use of the reserved wet areas. Ban Kone Neua primary school: The original 70 year old building was in disrepair without maintenance and a series of foreign masters over this period. The buildings had to be condemned and were dismantled. It was a difficult decision because there was no funding for a replacement of the building. The abbot at the local temple offered an area under the novices’ accommodation quarters and an informal agreement that this would be available for a period of two years. A wing and a prayer, a better option than no school. Our passengers and other independent tourists have generously supported a rebuilding project. The school is being built on the old foundations and local people are doing the construction work. The project is supervised and accounted for by a local businessman. The immediate target is for $2000 USD of which approx half has been raised and donated. The larger plan is to add areas for recreation and reserved spaces for administration and teachers planning. Originally it was hoped that the school would be operational by the beginning of the “wet” 2006 (approx June). The Lao are very patient and the teachers keep on teaching the children under the floor of the temple during the rains. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |