Extended vacation tours, 2009

Tour of Thailand

Summary of Itinerary
January 1 through January 15, 2009

Thursday January 1 and Friday January 2—Fly to Bangkok—We leave St. Louis on United Airlines flight #7998 for Chicago (O’Hare) at 9:19 AM, arriving at 10:30 AM. We leave Chicago on United flight #881 to Tokyo (Narita International) at 11:59 AM, arriving at 4:20 PM January 2. (We lose a day by crossing the International Dateline on the way to Tokyo.) We leave Tokyo at 5:25 PM on United flight #9771 to Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi International Airport), arriving at 10:45 PM. In Bangkok we will be met by our guides, collect our luggage and bicycles, clear customs, and transfer via van to our hotel. With any luck we will be checked in and in bed by midnight.

Our hotel Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights is the Siam Heritage Hotel (4 stars) at 115 Surawon Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500. Their telephone is 02.353.6101, fax is 02.353.6123, and web site is www.thesiamheritage.com. The hotel has 69 elegant rooms, each beautifully appointed in authentic Lanna and Middle Rattanakosin Era decor. Leisure facilities include a spa, Jacuzzi, swimming pool and gym. The hotel is close to many banks, shopping malls and local night entertainment venues. The Patpong Markets and the Silom Road area (a famous shopping district) are both just a block away.

Saturday, January 3—Explore Bangkok—Late breakfast, followed by a group gathering to meet our guides and drivers and review the tour itinerary. The afternoon is free for exploring the city or simply resting after the long flight. Tour staff will assemble the bicycles today. Group dinner tonight is at the Cabbages & Condoms restaurant, which is owned by an organization that promotes birth control in Thailand and is very highly regarded internationally (received a 1 million dollar grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2008). Don’t be put off by the name, the restaurant has a great atmosphere and is a wonderful introduction to Thai food.

We stay tonight at the Siam Heritage Hotel.

Sunday, January 4—Tour the Grand Palace—After another good night’s sleep, we travel by van to the center of Bangkok to visit the Grand Palace (winter home of the Thai Royal Family) and the adjoining Wat Pho temple complex. For lunch we cross the Chao Praya river by water taxi to dine at the Supatra River House restaurant, and dinner is at the Yok Yor open air restaurant, also on the bank of the Chao Praya. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are with the group.

Lodging tonight is again at the Siam Heritage Hotel.

Monday, January 5—Visit a Floating Market, Ride to Ampawa—Today we head south from Bangkok to the Mai Klong delta and the “Green Ring”, an agricultural area surrounding Bangkok whose plantations produce pommelo, mango, grape guava, jackfruit, coconut and banana in great quantity. An intricate maze of canals, rivers and waterways connects this region to the capital. Our riding will take us through fruit orchards and coconut tree plantations, and presents the first of many opportunities to meet the people of rural Thailand.

The day starts with a van transfer to the market town of Damnoen Nam Saduak. The town’s canals hold a bustling floating market, where farmers bring their produce by flat-bottomed boat to sell each morning. After seeing the market, we board long-tail boats and take a canal cruise. Then we get on our bikes at King Rama II park and ride 32km to Ampawa. Lunch is along the river.

Our lodging tonight is in the heart of Ampawa village at the Chotika Riverfront Resort. The resort buildings were originally canal-facing storefronts and a small sawmill, and these structures have been artfully converted into a collection of mini-suites that overlook the water. In the morning monks from a local temple paddle along the canal to collect alms. The Chotika Riverfront Resort is located at Ampawa, 44 Moo 3, Tambon Bangchang, Amphur Amphawa, Samutsongkram 75110. The telephone is 034.751.042, fax 034.751.042, web site www.chotikariverfront.com. The group will have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Total cycling distance 32km.

Tuesday, January 6—Cycle to Ayutthaya—After breakfast we transfer via van to Bang Pa to visit the Summer Palace of the Thai royal family. The structures of the palace complex represent a variety of architectural styles, from very old Chinese handicraft to European 18th Century ornaments and furniture, all set in a very large park around ponds and waterways. We will cycle along the Chao Praya River through many local communities on small roads and paths that make for an excellent ride. Our route takes us to Wat Chai Wattanram (temple), then into the historic city of Ayutthaya, the Thai capital from 1350 to 1767. We will ride past some of the highlights of the city, including Wat Phra Si Sanphet, which was Ayutthaya’s largest temple and a favorite of royalty. The temple’s three enormous Chedis are still impressive, and the temple was the inspiration for the Emerald Buddha temple in Bangkok.

Tonight we stay in the Krungsri River Hotel, 26/2 Moo, 11 Rogchana Road, Kamuang, Ayutthay 13000. The telephone is 035.244.333, web site www.krungsriver.com. The hotel has all the amenities including an outdoor swimming pool. The group will have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Total cycling distance 40km.

Wednesday, January 7—Cycle to Uthai Thani—After breakfast we transfer via van to Chainat Province, stopping at Wat Pa Mok temple to see a famous reclining Buddha. Then we ride north into Uthai Thani Province, making several river crossings by ferry and passing by orchards and rice fields. Lunch today is a real treat, served on a restored rice barge as it cruises up the Sakaekrang River, passing lush river scenery and traditional floating houses. After lunch we ride on Thepho Island, known for its forests and prosperous family farms.

Our hotel is the Uthai River Lake Resort, 8 Moo 5, Tambon Koh Tapho, Amphur Muang, Tuahi Thani. The telephone is 089.162.8188. The group will have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Total cycling distance 39km.

Thursday, January 8— Cycle to Kamphaeng Phet —This will be a great day for cycling! We will pass through many small villages and much scenic country, and cross many small bridges on our way through Nakorn Sawan Province into Kamphaeng Phet Province. The route is flat and uses back roads—we are now well off the beaten path and won’t see any crowds of tourists.

Kamphaeng Phet Province is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (along with Sukhothai, tomorrow’s destination). The city of Kamphaeng Phet (which means “Diamond Wall City”) was a fortress town meant to protect the borders of the Sukhothai kingdom from invaders, and the original moat and 6 meter tall wall are still visible in the moss and flower covered ruins. We will see archaeological digs in Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park and visit Kamphaeng Phet National Museum to view recovered sculpures of demons and celestial beings.

Our lodging tonight is the Chakungrao Riverview Hotel, 149 Taysa 1 Road, Amphur Muang, Kamphaeng Phet, 62000. The telephone is 66.0.5571.4900, fax 66.0.5571.4909, web site www.chakungraoriverview.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are with the group. Cycling distance 49km.

Friday, January 9 — Cycle to Sukhothai — With a name that means “Dawn of Happiness”, the city of Sukhothai was established in the 13th Century and was the capital of the first independent Thai kingdom. Sukhothai’s golden age started in 1278 with the ascendancy of King Ramkhamhaeng, and lasted through the 14th Century. The art and architecture produced during that period are considered some of the best in all Southeast Asia. Sukhothai Province is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site, and many of the original temples and monuments have been lovingly restored.

Our lodging tonight is the Heritage Hotel, 999 M 2 T. Klongkrajong, A. Sawankaloke, Sukhothai 64100. Telephone is 02.250.4527, fax 02.250.4525. There was consistent agreement among the participants on our 2008 Thailand tour that the Heritage was the finest of all our accomodations, with beautiful rooms, excellent live entertainment, two swimming pools, and food and service that would measure up to any $500 per night hotel in the United States. Group meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cycling distance 89km. The air conditioned support vans will be available (as usual) for those who want to cycle only part of today’s route.

Saturday, January 10—Free day in Sukhothai—We will stay in Sukhothai for a free day off the bike. The morning is open for sleeping in, a leisurely breakfast, a swim in the pool, a walk in the gardens. In the afternoon we will tour an agricultural station that includes a water buffalo herd and a large orchid farm with over 500 varieties of this beautiful flower. The centerpiece of the station is a rice plantation, where botanists develop new strains of rice and traditional Thai methods of planting, harvesting and processing rice are demonstrated.

Lunch and dinner are on your own, with the option of eating in the hotel, or taking a shuttle into town to local restaurants. We spend another night at the Heritage Hotel.

Sunday, January 11—Cycle to Uttaradit—Today we ride along some of the most secluded and beautiful roads in all of Thailand, under canopies of palm trees and alongside lush green rice paddies. We are headed to the town of Uttaradit by way of Sri Satchanalai. This was the center of the Thai ceramics industry during the height of the Sukhothai kingdom, and pottery made in Sri Satchanalai was exported to Indonesia, the Philippines and all over Southeast Asia. A beautiful 300 acre national park here has over 70 species of birds, flowers, waterfalls, caves, gorgeous overlooks, and about 500 kilns used to make pottery. We will transfer by van from Sri Satchanalai to Uttaradit. In our final destination town is the Klong Tron National Park, which is known for copious mangrove forests and the largest living teak tree in the world.

Our hotel tonight is the Seeharaj Hotel in Uttaradit, 163 Barom-Asana Road, Amphoe Muang, 53170. The telephone is 055.411.016, fax 055.316.427. The Seeharaj has integrated many aspects of the ancient architectural styles of northern Thailand in its exterior and individual rooms for a unique, imposing look. All rooms are air conditioned, and the hotel has a swimming pool and sauna. The group will have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Cycling distance is 82km.

Monday, January 12—Transfer to Chiang Mai—Today we travel 200km by van to Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand. Chiang Mai sits in a wide, fertile valley, on the banks of the Ping River. The Ping was a principal trade route from China to Burma and the Gulf of Siam, and Chiang Mai’s location meant its influence could spread up and down the river far beyond its own borders. Chiang Mai was the capital of the feudal kingdom of Lanna (“The Million Fields”), was well developed by the 8th Century, and reached its peak of power and culture in the 15th Century. Chiang Mai is still considered the cultural capital of Thailand. The afternoon is free to explore the city, and in the evening go to the Night Bazaar, just one block away from our hotel.

While in Chiang Mai we stay at the Yaang Come Village Hotel, 90/3 Sridonchai Road, Chiang Mai. The telephone is 662.674.8700, fax 662.674.8700, web site www.yaangcome.com. This was another highlight hotel of the 2008 trip (among uniformly excellent accomodations), second only to the Heritage Hotel in Sukhothai. The Yaang Come is a cozy, quiet, calm retreat in the center of a bustling metropolis.

Tuesday, January 13—Cycle in the Chiang Dao region—We transfer by van north of Chiang Mai, and ride through the Chiang Dao area. We will stop at an elephant center and cycle around the Sri Lanna National Park. This is an area of “hill tribe villages”, where several culturally independent Thai minority groups live and work. Most of the hill tribesmen have preserved their traditional arts and crafts, and today will be an excellent opportunity to purchase garments of hand-woven cloth, wood products with ornate carvings, and jewelry. In the late afternoon we return to Chiang Mai to pack for tomorrow’s return to Bangkok. Breakfast and lunch today will be as a group. Dinner is in Chiang Mai on your own, with dozens of restaurants near the hotel and countless food stands in the Night Bazaar available to choose from. We stay another night in the Yaang Come Village Hotel.

Wednesday, January 14—Return to Bangkok—After an early breakfast, we fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on Thai Airlines flight #125, departing at 7:00 AM. The afternoon in Bangkok is for packing and last minute shopping, while the tour staff is boxing your bicycle for the return to the States. We spend the night at the Siam Heritage Hotel in Bangkok, the same hotel we used for the first three nights of the trip. Breakfast is with the group, lunch is on your own. Our farewell group dinner is a cruise on the Chao Praya River, with traditional Thai food and music for a memorable night. We return to the hotel around midnight.

Thursday, January 15—Return to St. Louis—After another very early breakfast, we leave the hotel at 5:00 AM for the airport. We leave Bangkok on United Airlines flight #838 to Tokyo (Narita International), arriving at 2:15 PM. We depart Tokyo at 5:55 PM on United flight #884 to Chicago (O’Hare), arriving at 2:20 PM. We leave Chicago on United flight #8039 for St. Louis, arriving at 5:10 PM.

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