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| Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia - 4 countries, 14 nights |
| plus: Elephant Round-Up
- Isan/Surin Thailand 19 -22 November |
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We proudly donate a portion of our "Feasts and Festivals" proceeds to the non-profit organization Plan Thailand. We will direct this contribution toward preserving sustainable, traditional farming methods. Additionally, a donation from each Surin Round-up reservation will go directly to purchasing a computer for a small rural school in Buri Ram. |
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We've timed this tour to coincide with the region's top festivals and feasts. |
| Our historical "sampler tour" of Indochina and Thailand highlights: |
| Laos' royal capital of Luang Prabang; Cambodia's Angkor Wat, truly the eighth wonder of the ancient world; Vietnam's bustling city of Ho Chi Minh, and Thailand's imperial capital of Sukhothai; plus remote Isan -- home to elephant rodeos, ancient Khmer ruins, the kingdom's finest silk weaving, and the country's best food! |
| Hosted by cookbook author Robert Carmack and textile guru Morrison Polkinghorne. Deluxe boutique accommodation throughout, complimentary upgrades to the best rooms in the house (subject to space available), most meals plus special cooking classes, market tours and banquets. Colorful regional festivals you won't want to miss! Includes all airfares, on Asia's boutique airline Bangkok Airways, flying their ultra-modern fleet between countries and Vietnam Airways to and form Vietnam, private coach and transfers. |
Deluxe boutique accommodation throughout (except if noted otherwise), most meals plus special cooking classes, market tours and banquets. Colorful regional festivals you won't want to miss! Includes all airfares on Asia's boutique airline Bangkok Airways, flying their ultra-modern fleet between countries, private coach and transfers, and hosted by cookbook author Robert Carmack and textile guru Morrison Polkinghorne. |
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In a slight departure from our single-country travel format, our next tour is arranged around historic and heritage sites of the Mekong basin, covering 4 countries. To give you the best possible tour, we have commissioned advisers Peter Edwell, associate lecuterer with the department of ancient history at Australia's renowned Macquarie University, and Tessa Boer-Mah, who has excavated over a number of seasons in Southeast Asia. Both have an extensive knowledge of Khmer sites throughout Thialnd's Isan region, and at the Angkor complex in Cambodia. |
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Day 1 / Friday 5th November |
O/N BANGKOK |
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Arrive Bangkok. Welcome to the kingdom of smiles. You will be personally greeted at the airport by a local guide, presented with a floral welcome gift, then taken directly to the hotel. As our tour includes visits to the weekend markets plus a nearby island and local village life, we are conveniently staying at the Sofitel Central Plaza, which is connected directly to a shopping mall and center, plus direct link by subway into town (as of August). The hotel also offers a free shuttle to the nearby sky train station, as well as several free shuttle trips to the center of Bangkok. After a long flight, we know you will enjoy the convenience of this location, including its numerous top quality restaurants, and cheap and plentiful meals at the nearby shopping mall. |
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Although not included, you may wish to indulge in a traditional 2-hour Thai massage either at the hotel, or even a relaxing reflexology foot massage. Our guests receive a 20% discount voucher for these hotel services. We have a special rate at the Sofitel Central Plaza for those arriving one or two days prior to our acutal tour. For those arriving in Bangkok even earlier, we can arrange more central accommodation. |
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Day 2 / Saturday 6th November |
O/N BANGKOK |
| After a get-acquainted breakfast at the hotel, we head to the Aw Taw Kaw market near Chatuchak. This vast food hall is where merchants gather to sell their produce, and it's a delicious introduction to Thai cooking. Learn to identify Asian greens and fruits, and we'll also explain and sample typical snacks prior to visiting the island of Koh Gred - traditional Mon or Burmese immigrant village life frozen in time. Locals here are renowned for their pottery crafts. The desserts of Koh Gred are also famous, so we've included a river boat stop at a popular dessert centre, plus a light lunch of two very special central Thai dishes. To give you a better orientation of Bangkok, we then return by boat down the majestic Chao Prayah River. Here you have a chance to shop briefly amongst the antiques of River City, prior to returning to the hotel. Or stay longer, and make your own way back. Taxis are easy to find, and we'll instruct you on the ways locals hail a taxi. The remainder of the evening is free, or join Robert and Morrison for a no-host dinner. |
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| The remaining evening is free to relax and rest - or hire a taxi downtown for some faster action. Dinner not included. |
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Day 3 / Sunday 7th November  |
O/N Sukhothai |
| We fly in the morning to the 800 year-old Thai capital of Sukhothai. Like most of the cities we visit on this tour, Sukhothai is a designated Unesco world heritage site, and its graceful Thai ruins dot a landscape many miles square. After arriving at Sukhothai's beautiful airport, we head to the nearby city of Phitsanulok for a delicious noodle lunch at a locally famed "dangling legs' restaurant. (Patrons sit facing outward along the open walls, with the legs dangling free.) Then we visit one of Thailands' most sacred Buddhist temples, Wat Yai (or Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat), built in the 15 th century. For dinner, we have a special treat of typical central Thai dishes cooked especially for us. Our accommodation tonight is Phitsanulok's newest river-front hotel. |
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Day 4 / Monday 8th November  |
O/N Sukhothai |
| After breakfast, there's a short cooking demonstration of central Thai dishes, followed by an early lunch. If we are lucky, our hosts will also prepare gai ob fang - a rare treat available only during rice thrashing season. A young farm chicken is doused with local spirit, then covered in a large tin can, then set ablaze under intense heat of burning dried rice chaff. We then head off to the ruins of imperial Sukhothai, including a special pottery foundry and a village of Lao weavers. Tonight, a banquet dinner on the majestic Nan river. |
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Day 5 / Tuesday 9th November  |
O/N Luang Prabang |
| Today we are off to the remote, mountainous country of Laos and its old imperial capital of Luang Prabang. This 600 year-old city on the banks of the Mekong is a visual feast, with some 32 temples within the area. Considered Asia's best-preserved ancient city -- "the jewel of Southeast Asia" -- its compact size allows for easy independent exploring. The lifestyle and traffic here are so laid back, this is one of the few Asian cities where we would risk renting a touring bike. We check into The Grand Hotel, a new resort just on the outskirts of town, and reputedly the city’s finest. We begin with a Buddhist blessing ceremony (please dress accordingly), followed by a walking orientation tour of the city. On our first night in Laos, we’ve picked a very humble – but authentically delicious – restaurant to sample a selection of Lao delights. As Laotian cooking is eaten with the hands, accompanied with sticky rice, we've asked the staff to give our group an introduction to the country's table etiquette. |
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| READ ROBERT’S AND MORRISON’S ARTICLE AND PICTURES IN GOOD TASTE MAGAZINE HERE. |
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Day 6 / Wednesday 10th November |
O/N Luang Prabang |
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Today’s activities on the river start at the cavernous limestone cave Wat tham xieng maen. We then journey on to a paper craft village, then the magnificent Pak Ou caves, about 25 km/16 miles up river. There are two primary caves here, with a rest stop in the middle where we have a light picnic lunch of French Lao delicacies. (The second cave is a real climb, so some may prefer to rest here throughout.) Across the caves is "whiskey village" where the townsfolk are renowned for their potent rice wine and spirit – which is delicious on ice with a slice of lime, or blended with banana liqueur. The remaining afternoon is free for strolling and visiting this charming, laid back city, or to visit the King’s palace, and other temple sites we passed by during our orientation tour on Tuesday. Alternatively, rent push bikes, or shop for silver at one of the town’s many silversmiths. |
For the willing and hearty, ascend the steep climb atop Phousi Hill at sunset. We’ve kept this evening free as well to wander the tranquil streets of old town, chat with novice monks striving to improve their English, or sip cocktails in the open air courtyard of the Villa Santi. Or join Robert and Morrison at a no-host dinner at a French-Lao restaurant. |
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Day 7 / Thursday 11th November  |
O/N Siem Reap |
This is our last morning during our all-too-short stay in Laos, so we packed in a bundle. It is a daily chore for monks to rise before dawn, walking single file along the streets accepting food offerings. In Luang Prabang this activity is an event, and while the food parcels may be scanty, it is a visual feast not to be missed. Let us know if you want to partake, and we will arrange your dawn transport this morning. Be packed and ready to go prior to our tour of local markets to discuss Lao foodstuffs, then into the kitchen for a cooking demonstration using local ingredients and cooking techniques, then a sampling of the dishes prepared. Then it is back to the hotel to quickly freshen up, prior to check out and transfers to the airport. |
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Then we fly to Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat ruins. If we are lucky the driver will take us the long route from the airport into town, via the famed ruins of Angkor Wat, then we head directly to Tonle Sap, in order to catch a view of Cambodia’s most famous lake by dusk, plus its floating ethnic-Vietnamese village. We will be seeing the lake at its fullest, immediately after the rainy season. Contrary to all laws of nature, the mighty Mekong annually flows backward into this “Great lake,” enriching the locals with a bounty of fish and irrigation waters. We’re pleased to stay at a deluxe boutique hotel, whose not-for-profit property trains young Khmers for futures in the hospitality industry. The hotel has arranged a special gala dinner for our arrival. |
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| READ ROBERT'S AND MORRISON'S ARTICLE AND PICTURES IN GOOD TASTE MAGAZINE HERE. |
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Day 8 / Friday 12th November |
O/N Siem Reap |
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Breakfast at the hotel, then we begin a day’s touring of the famed Angkor complex. We begin at Ta Phrom from the West, also known as “trees” as the overgrowth on this temple has been retained to show visitors how the ruins appeared before French exploration in the late 19th century. We then walk past Wat Thit Pradit Khadij to a small man-made lake to regroup for a trip far out from the Grand Circuit, and the vast Western Baray reservoir, built by the Khmers 1000 years ago as a tribute to water. Here, we have a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, explore the grey mystery of Bayon, and our guide will translate the reliefs depicting everyday life and food gathering in the 13th century. This afternoon’s climax is a balloon ride over the temples. This is a full day, but we want you to experience it all! |
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Day 9 / Saturday 13th November |
O/N Siem Reap |
| After breakfast, we walk through the local Siem Reap market with the hotel chefs and a cooking demonstration and lunch back at the hotel. The afternoon is reserved for our star in the crown: Angkor Wat. What more can we say about this spectacle, except that it is truly a vast, awe-inspiring, breakth-taking experience. We have kept tonight free for you to choose your own dinner venue, or opt out all together. Understandably, after our first time to Angkor Wat we were utterly gobsmacked. |
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Day 10 / Sunday 14th November |
O/N Siem Reap |
Today we’ve scheduled an optional dawn viewing of Bayon temple at sunrise. While Angkor Wat attracts the throngs at this early morning hour, Bayon’s relative peacefulness and tranquility more than makes up for its second-status. It’s also a great photo op! Then it’s back to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, we head to l’Artisans d'Angkor school, a non-profit charity created to re-invigorate the lost crafts of Cambodia. See stone chiseling, wood carving and other local crafts. Prices are, admittedly expensive here (they also have an outlet at the airport) but all proceeds go to a very worthy cause. After lunch, we return to the temples – first to the famed reliefs of Banteay Srei, also known as fortress of Women, about 19 km/14 mi out. For our last night in Cambodia, we’ve included a dinner theatre or traditional Khmer music and dance. Admittedly, the food is not as good as the entertainment, but it is something we don’t want you to miss. |
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Day 11 / Monday 15th November |
O/N Ho Chi Minh City |
| Breakfast, then you have the morning free until we head to Siem Reap’s brand new airport and on to Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh, or the former Saigon, is Vietnam’s largest city at nearly 7 million persons, but still tame and manageable by Bangkok standards. Clearing customs can be quite slow in Vietnam, so we haven’t organized anything until dinner, when we head out to sample one of Vietnam’s most celebrated street fare dishes: Banh xeo, or sizzling rice crepes. This is eating on the streets at it’s best! |
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Day 12 / Tuesday 16th November |
O/N Ho Chi Minh City |
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Breakfast at the hotel, then it is off to Pham Van Hai market shopping for provisions for today’s cooking class. We’re heading to where Vietnam’s next generation will learn the art of cooking and hospitality, The School of Hotel and Tourism. Mrs. Van and her staff have arranged a demonstration of typical southern Vietnamese dishes, followed by lunch. Time permitting, if there is interest we can stop at one of HCM’s best lacqueur ware factories en route back to the hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free. Tonight’s dinner is a celebration of southern Vietnamese food including, among others, delicious beef cooked in green bamboo tubes, and crispy rice boiled dry in clay pots. The restaurant we have chosen tonight has some of Saigon’s best tasting food we’ve encountered anywhere. |
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Day 13 / Wednesday 17th November |
O/N Ho Chi Minh City |
The last time we visited Saigon, the group complained there wasn't enough time to do independent sightseeing and shopping. So, today we are leaving the day absolutely free. Visit the war museums, galleries, or even book a tour to the Viet Cong caves out of town (not included). We'll be happy to help in your planning, but in all honesty, you will find enough to do on your own!In the evening you are free to join Robert and Morrison at a no-host seafood dinner, or indulge yourself at one of Saigon's ultra chic fine dining restaurants. This is truly the country's best city for fine dining options, and we will provide you a great list of the city's best. |
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Day 14 / Thursday 18th November |
O/N Ho Chi Minh City |
| Following breakfast, we drive down to the port of Vung Tau on the South China Sea. After a brief orientation tour (and time permitting, a visit to one of emperor Bao Dai's many palaces) we lunch at the place from where all the other restaurants buy their seafood. It's not flashy with oceanfront views, but the freshness of the catch is well worth the trade off. Afterwards, we take a hydrofoil back up the Saigon River. The remainder of the afternoon is free to do some last minute shopping, packing or just to relax. As this is your last night of the tour, we decided to leave you with a good taste in your mouth. So instead of the architectural glam of expat fusion, we went for substance over style: we've arranged a "progressive dinner" going from appetizers and bia hoi fresh beer at one local eatery, to mains at the busying Quan An Ngon. The restaurant is designed around a series of food stalls, and it's great fun. |
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Day 15 / Friday 19th November |
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For those not extending their tour to the Surin Elephant Round-up, your trip ends at Bangkok Airport today, arriving around noon. Please advise if you wish to extend your trip in Bangkok, and we have special rates again at the Sofitel Central Plaza. (Great location for the weekend flea market, and easy access to the airport.) Everywhere, the shopping is great, and Bangkok's Chatuchak market reopens on Saturday and Sunday for some of the best arts and crafts buys in the world. |
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| 19th - 22nd November - optional extension/breakaway |
| Elephant Round-Up and Khmer Temples - Isan/Surin Thailand |
4 days/3 nights
US$650 p/p twin share; single supplement US$225
New Dates!!! |
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| We can’t rave enough about this optional extension! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not only to the elephant rodeo, but also visiting some of the Khmer empire’s best kept secrets. Thailand is home to literally hundreds of Khmer ruins, but little visited by foreign tourists. But several of these vast temple complexes are absolutely stunning. Likewise, Isan boasts some of the country’s best cooking. |
| What could be a better combination??? |
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| For those continuing on with us, we fly directly to Thailand’s Isan province, and the exciting elephant round up. To use an appropriate cliché, there are more elephants here than you can shake a stick at -- and as there are more elephants in Thailand than in the entire Indian subcontinent, that is a lot of sticks. Like eels heading to the Saragosa sea, each year the kingdom's mahouts herd their pachyderms to a remote corner of Isan for their version of a rodeo. Being off the beaten path, so to speak (and our own description of Globetrotting Gourmet® FoodTOURS!), there are few reputable hotels in the Surin-Buri Ram area. But we found the best!!! We will also be including visits to local Khmer sites, including the little-visited Phra Wiharn (Preah Vihear) located just inside Cambodia, but accessible only from Thailand because of surrounding cliffs. It has been called the most romantic location of any temple in Cambodia, and we agree. |
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Friday 19th November |
O/N Ubon Ratchathani |
| Our flight arrives early afternoon into Bangkok, just in time for a quick lunch (included) before we transfer to Thai Airways for a domestic flight to Udon Ratchathani in the eastern heartland of Isan province. Here, we stay for two nights in deluxe rooms facing the hotel pool in the city’s best property. Conveniently, the hotel also connects to the town’s largest mall. As there is a light meal on board, we’ve left the evening for you to rest, or to easily explore on your own. |
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Saturday 20th November |
O/N Ubon Ratchathani |
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After breakfast, we head to the exquisite Khmer temple of Prah Wirhan. Located just inside the Cambodian frontier, this vast temple complex is best accessed through Thailand. Otherwise, it takes a couple days arduous trekking through Cambodia! Once you see its location, perched some 500 metres (1300 feet) above the Cambodian plans below, you will understand why. Ownership of the temple has long been contentious, with the World Court awarding Cambodia sovereignty in 1962. During our last visit, passports and visas were not required, but hefty admission charges from both countries do apply (which we include in the tour price!). Khao Prah Wirhan is extraordinary, a vast complex of five temples sitting atop a magnificent 166-step entrance. Totally unspoiled, and a rare treat to experience. |
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| We do not recommend this trek for those with any disabilities, but special shoes and physical fitness are not essential either. Rest assured, local Khmers sell refreshments at the top. But if you forget your hat, buy it at the bottom of the complex! En route back to Ubon Ratchathani, we stop off for a late lunch/early dinner of delicious fresh water shrimp and fish. |
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Sunday 21st November |
O/N Buri Ram |
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Today we head to the elephant round up in Surin. Prior to arriving, we stop for a delicious lunch of the region’s famed roasted chicken, and time permitting, to a silk village where the locals create the kingdom’s most intricate weaving. The remaining afternoon and early evening is free for your personal exploration of the round-up (entry fees included), then on to nearby Buri Ram overnight. We presume you will have snacked your way through the afternoon, so dinner not included tonight. |
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Monday 22nd November |
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| We drive back to Bangkok via the gorgeous temple of Phanom Ruong, which is considered the prototype to Angkor Wat. Lunch included en route, and we arrive into Bangkok at early evening, for convenient airline connections home. (Depending on traffic conditions, we should be returning to Bangkok’s Don Muang airport vicinity between 6 to 8 p.m.). If you have a flight the following morning, or later, please advise and we will advise surcharges for an additional night’s accommodation. Of course, our complimentary transfers to the airport are included for later departures. |
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| For those joining us to the elephant round-up, we will directly donate an additional cash contribution for the purchase of computerware for a poor rural school in Buri Ram. |
| In adition, if you have a spare used laptop in working order, please bring along, and we pass it on to a local school. Such gifts are well and truly appreciated. |
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| Accommodation in international 4-5 star deluxe comfort throughout, except where noted otherwise. Hotel breakfasts included daily, and most meals. All beverages are additional. Price includes most admission fees and all transfers. Prices includes all flights during the tour, but does not include international departure taxes, visas, passport and other documentation fees. |
| We at Globetrotting Gourmet® FoodTOURS are continually re-evaluating all aspects of our journey, |
| from the restaurants and hotels we choose, to the museums and other cultural stops included. |
| This enables us to offer you the best and most up-to-date features in Asia. |
| Consequently, specific itinerary details of this tour may vary at the last minute. |
| We reserve this right to make such modifications to enhance our tour content. |
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