Overview
If you like to hit your holiday hard at first enjoying a diverse range of outdoor holiday experiences and then collapse on a beautiful beach, this could be the holiday for you.
Chiang Mai is a beautifully laid back city and gateway to the mountainous north, full of adventure possibilities. On this exciting holiday you’ll learn to be a mahout, stay with a hill tribe, zip-line through the forest canopy and raft a white-water river. It’s then up to you as to which part of paradise you choose. Fly south for beach, sea and sun.
Day 1: Depart on your overnight flight to Chiang Mai
Day 2: On arrival private transfer to your choice of hotel in Chiang Mai for 3 nights. Rest of day free
Day 3: An exciting day white-water rafting down the rapids exploring the mountainous interior
Day 4: Spend the day zip-lining through the forest
Day 5: Head into the countryside for 2 days / 1 night learning to be an elephant mahout
Day 6: Day learning mahout skills, riding into the countryside and washing in river
Day 7: Morning developing further mahout skills. Transfer back to Chiang Mai for further night
Day 8: Fly to your choice of beach resort for 5 nights or more
Day 9-12: 4 days to relax on the beach and perhaps take a snorkel trip or learn to dive
Day 13: Morning free then private transfer to airport in time for the overnight flight home.
Day 14: Arrive Home.
Full Itinerary
Day 1: UK Airport / Chiang Mai
Depart on a choice of overnight flights to Bangkok.
Day 2: Arrive Chiang Mai
On arrival you’ll be met by your private guide and transferred to the city centre where you check in to your choice of hotel for 3 nights. The rest of the day’s free to explore and recover from your journey.
Day 3: Chiang Mai - White Water Rafting (B / L)
Leave Chiang Mai and drive north to Mae Taeng, stopping at an orchid farm and hill tribe village along the way. Here enjoy a delicious local lunch before heading down to the rafting camp on the banks of the Mae Taeng River. Prepare for the ride of your life, a thrilling adventure down the river’s rippling white waters. The adventure concludes with time to relax and refresh on the riverbank before the scenic drive back to Chiang Mai.
Day 4: Chiang Mai - Zip Lining Adventure (B / L)
This morning drive up through the picturesque mountain countryside to Mae Kampong Village. Here join a guided walk through the community forest to enjoy a picnic lunch by a cascading waterfall. The forest is a community eco-tourism project to preserve Thai culture, replant the forest and re-populate it with native wildlife. Part of this is the exhilarating "Flight of the Gibbon”, that allows a fun zip-line adventure through the forest canopy. There are 39 platforms including the longest zip-line in the world at 5 kilometres in length. Back at the hotel late afternoon
Extra...If you'd rather stay out of town we can arrange a homestay in the local area. The following morning you'd enjoy a rafting trip further down the river towards Chiang Mai.
Day 5: Chiang Mai - Baan Chang Elephant Park - Mahout Training (B / L / D)
This morning your adventure begins as you’re collected and transferred to Baan Chang Elephant Park for an informal 2 day Mahout training course. On arrival change into your Mahout clothes and the day begins with an introduction to the elephants, their lifestyle and behaviour. 
The day will include feeding them, learning basic commands and being trained to ride on your elephant’s neck using the commands you’ve learnt to control them (under supervision).
Break for lunch and then this afternoon you’ll have chance to ride bare back through the hills that surround the park. The day ends at the river where you’ll enjoy time bathing and washing the elephants. Be prepared to get wet! The day ends at around 4pm. Time for a shower before dinner at around 6pm. Overnight in your bungalow which is simple but functional.
Day 6: Baan Chang Elephant Park - Mahout Training - Chiang Mai
The morning begins by bathing the elephants before you can enjoy breakfast. Then more practice to perfect the commands you learnt yesterday and taking the elephants into the jungle. Break for lunch and this afternoon you learn more ways of controlling your elephant whilst riding them. The day ends at around 3pm when you’ll be transferred back to Chiang Mai for a further night.
Day 7: Fly Chiang Mai (B) to your choice of Thai Beach Resort
This morning fly to your choice of resort for 6 nights (or more / less) on the beach. Chiang Mai offers direct flights to Phuket, Bangkok and Koh Samui.
Days 8-12: Beach Time (B)
There are so many world class beach destinations in southern Thailand, each one offering something slightly different to the others.
Day 13: Fly Thai Beach (B) / UK Airport
Morning free then airport transfer and fly home. Arrive back in UK the following morning.
Inclusions
What's Included:
Each featured itinerary is really a starting point from which to create your ideal holiday.
We can include as much or as little as you like, mix and match hotels, excursions and experiences, add extra nights and change the destinations you'd like to visit.
The common thread is that each is a privately guided holiday, allowing you to travel where and when you want, with your own private transport and dedicated guide.
General Inclusions:
- Return scheduled international flights (optional if you would like to arrange your own)
- English speaking, local guide & driver
- Choice of hotel accommodation
- Transport in private air-conditioned vehicles
- Domestic flights detailed in itinerary
- Admission fees to all attractions, temples and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
- All meals as detailed (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
General Exclusions:
- Entry visas International airport departure taxes if payable locally
- Optional Tours / Excursions
- Any meals not listed in the itinerary
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips for Guides / Drivers (discretionary)
- Travel insurance
- Any camera or video fees charged at sites
Where You'll Stay
Hotels
The hotels below are there as examples, designed to act as a starting point from which to create your holiday. There are plenty of alternatives to choose from and when we quote we will include other suggestions so we get to understand your likes and dislikes. Quite often clients mix and match hotel categories throughout their holiday.
Thailand
Hotels in Chiang Mai
Hotels on Andaman Islands and Coast
Hotels in Hua Hin
Hotels in Koh Samui