Quintessential Asia - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Thailand, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your hotel.

Step into the flow today on a tour of highlights, some well known, others further off the track. The city is kept in perpetual motion by a buzzing public network whose modes of transport span from ancient to ultramodern, and your transportation today will include a traditional longtail boat, the sky train, and the ubiquitous and exciting tuk-tuk - a combination that ensures you get to explore areas of the city that most visitors don't see. You'll cover a lot of ground, but there's is no better way to truly experience the 'City of Angels'. Start at the wonderful Lumpini Park where locals practice Tai Chi in the morning, before a proper exploration of Wat Pho. Visit one of the oldest traditional Thai massage schools in the country, a handicraft community known for the unique art of making monk’s alms bowls, the historic house of Jim Thompson, a mysterious American silk merchant, and the cutting-edge Siam Square. One key highlight is the Grand Palace, where you can see some of the buildings used for different occasions, including the Funeral Palace, Reception Palace, Throne Hall, Coronation Hall, Royal Guest House, and the Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Thailand.

Fly to Chiang Mai where you will be welcomed by your guide and transferred to your hotel. Your day is at leisure until early evening, when your guide will meet you for an evening spent sampling Chiang Mai’s streetfood in a local market. The variety on offer can be overwhelming, and you’ll be navigating some incredibly tempting smells! Our favourite dishes include Pad Thai, deep fried taro & noodle soup, khao soi (a popular northern Thai curry), kanom krok (coconut pudding) and sweet mango with sticky rice, but you guide will introduce you to many local dishes, and teach you how to order. Once you’ve made your selection, pick a seat and sit back to savour the flavours, not to mention the atmosphere.

Take several unusual means of transport on a city safari through Chaing Mai’s highlights and further off the beaten track. Ride a songthaew to the old trader community of Wat Gatekaram for a stroll around the alleyways, and on to the lost city of Wiang Kum Kam. Explore the ruined temples by bike, before taking a cruise on the Mae Ping River. Back on dry land, hop on a samlor (trishaw) and ride to the spectacular ruins of Wat Chedi Luang, which once housed the renowned Emerald Buddha. Continue by tuk tuk to Warorot Market to join the local bustle for lunch, then step into the secret jungle temple of Wat Phalad. Make a final stop at Phra Thad Doi Suthep, the most sacred wat in Northern Thailand, to wonder at its impressive chedi and beautiful murals. As dusk approaches and the tourist crowds leave, stay and listen to the monks’ evening chanting - a really special moment.

Leave by road for Chiang Rai, journeying deep into the Golden Triangle region. Make a stop en-route at Mae Chan, home to both Yao and Akha ethnic minority people, and Chiang Saen to explore the ancient ruins and temples. Arrive into Chiang Rai in the late afternoon.

Spend a fantastic day at Elephant Valley, Chiang Rai’s first elephant sanctuary. Spread over 40 acres of prime elephant habitat, the project is (currently) home to four former Mae Sot elephant ‘loggers’. Closely modelled on the practises and ideas of the renowned Elephant Valley Project in Cambodia, the sanctuary puts elephant care and conservation at the heart of its ethos. There's no riding, tricks or shows; the elephants are free to wander and graze, break down trees, and play in the mud. It’s a unique chance to experience these amazing animals up close. You'll meet the elephants, and spend the morning learning about each individual by observing them in their natural habitat. After a local-style lunch, it’s all hands on deck to maintain and re-establish this thriving habitat. This is a major part of the project, and can be a mammoth task (pun intended!), so any assistance from visitors is much appreciated. You'll help to plant and harvest crops for the elephants' meals, tidy up the site, and feed the elephants before heading back to Chiang Rai.

Cross the Friendship Bridge from Thailand into Laos, where you will be met by your cruise representative and transferred to the boat pier. Here you will board the Shompoo Cruise for your journey downstream along the Mekong River. It’s a stunning section of this mighty river that begins high in the Himalayas and passes through seven countries before exiting at the huge delta in Vietnam. As you travel south a stop will be made to visit a Kamu minority village, before arriving into Pakbeng in the early evening. Enjoy dinner in your lodge overlooking the Mekong River

After breakfast board the Shompoo once again and continue your cruise downstream towards Laos’s cultural capital, Luang Prabang. Stops will be made along the way at minority villages and the Pak Ou Caves, which house literally thousands of Buddha statues that range from a few centimetres to the size of a human. Approaching Luang Prabang in the late afternoon, it’s a wonderful way to arrive at this engaging city. You will be met at the jetty by your guide who will transfer you to your hotel where the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Rise before dawn to witness tak bat - the giving of alms to the monks who leave their pagodas to receive offerings of food from local residents - from a respectful distance. Get an overview of the country’s history at the Royal Palace National Museum, take in the city’s iconic temples, and get a deeper insight into Laos culture at the excellent Arts and Ethnology Centre. See colourful textiles being woven in the surrounding villages and join the crowds climbing Mount Phousi for spectacular sunset views across the Mekong. If you'd prefer to avoid the steps, visit Wat Prabath Tai for an accessible sunset experience and see the monks and novices go about their daily rituals in Wat Aham’s colourful prayer hall.

After breakfast drive out of Luang Prabang to the Living Lands Organic Farm, a community enterprise, where you will meet the local farming guide for an informative, but fun morning. Rice is an important part of life in Laos: it’s eaten at every meal and there are over 500 types of rice grown in the country. During your time at the farm, you’ll learn about each step of the rice harvest and cultivation process, and try your hand at the traditional techniques (and basic tools) that have been used for centuries. The morning concludes with a rice tasting session, by which time you will have a much greater appreciation of the work and effort that goes into a simple bowl of rice! Return to Luang Prabang where the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Take a flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. There will be plenty of time to relax on arrival until 6pm, when it's time for an evening tour with a difference. Riding pillion on a Vespa, you’ll experience the city by night from a local perspective, enjoying authentic Cambodian food and drink along the way. Start in a chic bar where you'll join your fellow passengers and local guide for a cold beer, before heading to a food market to learn about the ingredients found in Cambodian cuisine. At a buzzing local night market, you'll sample street food, including the country’s infamous bug snacks, and enjoy a picnic style dinner. Although food is the focus of the evening, you'll also stop at a popular local shrine. Finish the evening at a winery, where you'll have the opportunity to taste Cambodia’s famous (and quite potent!) rice wine.

Begin your exploration of Angkor Wat, and the complex of ruined temples and palaces around it. You’ll be driven between them, so you can fit quite a few in (if you want to), and our guides know when to see the ruins at uncrowded times. If you wish, start the day with the magical (but popular!) sunrise over Angkor Wat, and let your guide know what kind of pace you prefer, whether you want to fill your day with archaeology, or spend some of it on Tonle Sap lake, or even back at your hotel pool.

Explore rural villages, and learn about the daily lives of the local people. You'll be a world away from Siem Reap - it's a perfect opportunity to get ‘off the beaten track’ and gain a better understanding of Cambodian rural life, along with insight into traditional Khmer culture; something few visitors are lucky enough to experience. You'll explore a local market and purchase supplies for your lunch, and travel by an (almost!) pollution-free ox and cart. Still widely used throughout Cambodia, the cart allows you to travel gently along the narrow sandy village roads. Spend time at the home of a local family, where there will be plenty of time to relax and chat (with your guide acting as interpreter) as they prepare lunch using your market produce. You can help if you wish; this is a fantastic opportunity to further your understanding of typical Khmer cuisine. You meal is likely to be very different from those offered in Siem Reap's more westerner-oriented restaurants! Explore the village before returning to Siem Reap via the workshops of Angkor Artwork - all products sold are produced using traditional methods, and the quality of craftsmanship is outstanding.

Transfer to Siem Reap airport for your onward flight.