Explore the Hidden Beauty
of Southern Thailand
Tour code : WT. TH 24
Duration : 14days 13 nights,
Type of tour :Private Tour
Start and end : start in Bangkok and end in Krabi
Minimum passengers : 2 persons
Trip grade : easy
Destinations:
Bangkok - Damnoen Saduak- Phetchaburi - Prachuap Kirikhan- Kui Buri National Park - Koh Talu -Chumporn - Ranong - Ban Talae Nok Village - Island Hopping Trip and Local Experience at Laem Sak Community- Krabi
Day 1 Arrival in Bangkok
Am/Pm Arrival in Suvarnabhoumi Airport. Meet and transfer to Hotel ICON Bangkok, located in the downtown of Bangkok. At leisure.
Overnight at Hotel ICON Bangkok (Superior Room)
Day 2 Bangkok-Canal Tour – Wat Arun – Wat Po - Flower Market (B,L)
Am After breakfast, take a tuk tuk to Si Phraya Pier and then take a long tailed boat on Chao Phraya River and small canals to observe the way of life of Bangkok people. The boat trip incl. Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn) and orchid farm.
After finishing the boat trip, visit Pak Klong Talad, the biggest flower Market. Then travel by van to visit Wat Po (The Reclining Buddha Temple)
Overnight at Hotel ICON Bangkok (Superior Room)
Day 3 Bangkok – Ratchaburi / Damnoen Saduak Community & Floating Market (B,L, D)
07.30 After breakfast, travel to Ratchaburi Province (about 1 ½ - 2 hrs. drive).
09.30 Meet with a local guide at the Lak Paaet area then begin to walk on a charming walking trail that parallel with
the Damnoen Sadauk Canal, a 32 km long canal where King Rama IV ordered to be dug in 1866 to connect the Mae Klong River with the Tacheen River for local people in four provinces (Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakorn, Ratchaburi and Samut Songkram), who can use as a main water transport for trade and exchange their products.
On this attractive walking route you can experience with a peaceful rural life of canal people, old wooden shop-houses that has its identity in architecture only for a canal side community, local agricultural crops and a beautiful temple
of Wat Su where “Klong Lad Phli floating market” is located in which a chance to taste a finger-licking good of local snack before we arrive to the country’s first floating call “Lao Tak Lak Floating Market” a 150 years old wooden
shop-house where we have lunch (local famous food). Here at Lao Tak Lak Community you will experience with the famous floating market “Damnoern Saduak Floating Market”, in another side.
Check in at the canal side wooden house then free time to relax and walking at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
15.00 Experience a typical various style of local snack wrapping by using banana
leaves with one homemade cooking class of “Kanom Gluai” (banana steamed pastry) at Supa House, a learning center of Thai wisdom and banana leave craft. After finish cooking, have a cup of hot coffee or tea with a dessert you cook among a peaceful atmosphere of a canal side wooden shop-house before share other experience with local people
on “Ramwong Matrathan” (basic standard Thai Folk Dance)
Overnight at: Home Stay in Damneon Sadauk (standard room with shower)
Day 4 Ratchaburi / Damnoen Saduak– Boat Trip - Had Chao Samran Beach (B,L)
Am Early morning, offer food to monks, who row small paddle boats to allow people to make merit.
09.00 After breakfast, travel by van to explore a main granary of Thailand Central
with stop on route to visit a coconut plant breeding house, incense sticks house,
guava & papaya plantation before heading to Bang Nok Kwaek Market. Take a
short walk along Klong Lad Phi to Wat Charoen where Bang Nok Kwaek
Water gate located on. Then take a long trail boat along the Klong Lad
Phi back to Damneon Sadauk Floating Market.
After lunch, take leisure.
15.00 Collect all luggage and travel by van further for about 2 hrs.to Had Chao Samran Beach in Petchaburi Province. Check into The Fisherman’s Resort, located on the nice beach.
Overnight at the Fisherman’s Resort
Day 5 Had Chao Samran – Kui Buri National Park – Wild Elephant Watching (B,L,D)
Am After breakfast, take leisure on beach for about a half-day.
Pm Travel to Kui Buri National Park (about 1 ½ hrs. drive). Check into a small resort.
The park ranger will give us very interesting information about the parks ecosystem, and especially about the elephants. Afterwards, we will take a local car to the wild elephants monitoring area. Please bring a binocular with you so that we can see the elephants clearly when they come to feed at the forest edge in the afternoon. Dinner will be taken at food shop.
Overnight at a small resort, located near to the national park and run by local villagers
.
Day 6 Kui Buri – Wildlife Watching - Koh Talu (Talu Island) (B,L,D)
Am We wake up early on the morning and head towards the wild elephants monitoring area again. We will wait for the elephants to come for feeding and with a little bit of luck we can also see some other wildlife such as guar. We will head back for breakfast and afterwards, we walk along a nature trail to a nature salt lick. During this walk we can see many animal footprints and have the opportunity to study about the park ecosystem. Lunch will be taken in the forest after which we return to the resort to pack our luggage.
13.00 Travel to pier at Bang Sapan (about 2 hrs. drive)
15.00 Meet Khun Mud and go on tour of fishing village and learn about crab conservation.
- Transfer to Koh Talu by speedboat. Arrive in Koh Talu around 16.30 hrs.
- Relax on the island
- Dinner
Overnight: Koh Talu Resort
Day 7 Koh Talu (B,L,D)
AM Visit Sea Turtle Conservation center and release turtles (up to a situation of visiting time); pick up trash
PM Explore the sea by boat trip:
- Snorkel near Koh Talu
- Take part in coral planting instructed by an expert in marine life and coral reefs.
- Relax
- Squid fishing on boat late afternoon
- Dinner at the resort
Overnight: Koh Talu Resort
Day 8 Koh Talu – Chumporn – La Un - Ranong (B,L)
Am Breakfast and relax.
12.00 Lunch.
13.30 Transfer to Ranong via speedboat and an air-cond. vans (Transfer from Koh Talu to pier by speedboat and from pier to Ranong by an air-cond. van.
On the way, we will pass Chumporn but we won’t go straight to Surat Thani but turning the direction to travel along the western coast to Ranong, we will have an ample time to visit La-Un mangrove forest, the biggest & most perfect ramsar in the Southeast Asia, and visit some beautiful view points and small waterfall.
.
We will be arriving Ranong about 17.00 hrs. Check into Tinidee Hotel, located on the hotspring area. At leisure.
Overnight at Tinidee Hotel.
Day 9 Ranong – Ban Talay Nok Village (B,L,D)
08.00 Breakfast at the hotel.
10.00 Travel to Ban Talay Nok (about 1 hrs. drive). Meet with your host and you will be welcome into their way of life.
12.00 Enjoy authentic southern Thai food with your homestay family.
Pm Join the women’s soap cooperative, established after the tsunami, for a handicraft demonstration to make beautifully hand-crafted soap using natural ingredients. Then make a soap souvenir for yourself with the expert guidance of the soap ladies.
Go fishing on the beach with local fishermen and learn their traditional way to catch a meal for their family. Take some time to swim and relax on the beach.
After a full day of activities, relax on the beach and enjoy a spectacular Andaman sunset.
For dinner, enjoy a BBQ dinner on the beach with your hosts and feast on freshly-caught seafood, garden-fresh vegetables, and Thai curries.
In the evening participate with a cultural activity where you can share stories and experiences with the family and local villagers. Pictures from home are always appreciated!
Overnight at Ban Talay Nok Homestay, comfortable bedding, mosquito net and fan provided
Day 10 Ban Talay Nok – Krabi (B,L)
Am Breakfast at the homestay house.
Participate in a livelihood activity by weaving leaves of nipa palm with villagers to help make traditional roofing from a local mangrove plant.
Return to your homestay to make a local specialty dessert. Try your hand at grating the coconut and filling the palm leaf with the batter. Then grill and enjoy the delicious snack hot of the fire.
12.00 Lunch at the homestay house.
Pm Walk up to the school for a beautiful view of the islands facing the village and the surrounding sea. Pack and say goodbye to your friendly hosts. Then transfer to Krabi (abour 3 hrs drive), check into Beyond Resort Krabi, located on Klong Muang Beach.
Overnight at Beyond Resort Krabi
Day 11 Krabi – Laem Sak (B,L)
07.00 Breakfast at the resort
08.00 Travel to Laem Sak community. This community is unique due to the blending of three cultures which are Buddhists, Muslim, and Chinese (Baba Nyonya) for hundred years ago. These three different cultures have been living together in peace and harmony.
The area is surrounded by 3 sides of Andaman Sea and lined with many beautifully different shapes of limestone formations and tiny/small islands. We call the kind of this sea as inner sea which prevents Laem Sak from monsoon and ready for visitors throughout the year. Not only a safe place but also a beautiful and charming atmosphere.
Laem Sak is granted award winner of tourist destination ‘Andaman cultural community’s way of life’ from Sport and Tourism Ministry
.
Activities include
- Boat trip for island hoping by a locally unique & colorful ‘Hua Tong Boat’ into the inner sea.
- Observe ancient painting with the age over 3,000 at Sea Gypsy Cave.
- Observe the way of life of the local shallow-fishery and sea grape farms. You will be amazed with plenty of sea grapes which it’s substance is good for health in terms of youthfulness and anti-oxident.
- See beautiful view of Laem Sak Lagoon
- Observe a 3,000 year-ancient painting of two persons embracing each other and a heart shape hole, a Nail-like limestone formation, Twin limestones formations, etc.
- Enjoy CSR activity, ‘Return Orchids back to the nature’
After that lunch in Baba Nyonya style. Everyone will wear the Baba Nyonya dress and have lunch at the beautiful Blue House built in Baba Nyonya architecture, located in Bulan Anda Baba Resort.
Pm Explore local culture. The visit includes Mahadatu Temple to see panoramic view of inner Andaman Sea, Sola Huddin Mosque to learn about Thai Muslim lifestyle and their fishing way and Sok Po Shrine built by Hokkien immigrants settled at east coast of Laemsak for more than 100 years. It is the spritual center of all Baba Nyonya in Laemsak.
After that return to Beyond Resort Krabi.
Day 12 Krabi (B)
At leisure.
Overnight at Overnight at Beyond Resort Krabi
Day13 Krabi - Day at Leisure (B)
Relax and enjoy the sun and sands of Krabi.
Overnight at Beyond Resort Krabi
Day14 Krabi – Bangkok -Departure (B)
Relax and enjoy the sun and sands of Phuket.
Mid-day: your own arrangement for the transfer from the hotel to Krabi Airport and also your own arrangement for flight: Krabi - Bangkok.
Suggestion: please book flight with Bangkok Airways (PG) as it will fly straight to Suvarnabhoumi Airport, easy for you to have the connecting flight back home.
------------------------------------
B- breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner
