Tour Detail

PANORAMA - 5 DAYS 4 NIGHTS - BANGKOK TO NORTHEAST ISAN - KHAO YAI (1) KORAT (1) KHON KAEN (1) UDON THANI (1)

DAY 1 - KHAO YAI - Klang Dong Fresh Market, Khao Luk Chang Bat Cave, Ban Tha Chang Spring, Khao Yai National Park (L.)

DAY 2 - KHAO YAI - KORAT - Panoramic Route, Wang Nam Khiao and Dan Kwian (B.L.)

DAY 3 - NAKHON RACTHASIMA - KHON KAEN - Phimai and Khon Kaen (B.L.)

DAY 4 - KHON KAEN - UDON THANI - Kumphawapi, Ban Chiang, Weaving, Handicraft (B.L.)

DAY 5 - UDON THANI - BANGKOK. Nong Khai (B.L.)

Day 1

BANGKOK - KHAO YAI - Klang Dong Fresh Market, Khao Luk Chang Bat Cave, Ban Tha Chang Spring, Khao Yai National Park (L.)

After leaving Bangkok, leaving early to beat the morning rush hour, we will taste some exotic flavors in a giant fruit market and explore a small but beautiful cave with a natural skylight and climb over it to see a giant boulder in balance precariously on the edge of a cliff. We will then check out the vivid blue waters of a natural spring, where you can swim if you wish. In the afternoon we will head to Khao Yai National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest and best national parks in Thailand, to stroll and observe the waterfalls. Then we will join the park night safari where there are good chances to meet elephants, as well as many other smaller creatures including civet, marten, porcupine and slow loris.

Overnight in Khao Yai

Day 2

KHAO YAI - KORAT - Panoramic Route, Wang Nam Khiao and Dan Kwian (B.L.)

Today we take a scenic road that follows the edge of the long Khao Yai mountain range. There are many small farms along this route so that we can stop and possibly taste the local products (grapes, cashews, dragon fruits, flowers, etc., drinks not included). Just before leaving the mountains behind, we will stop to see various products collected in the forest (such as mushrooms, bamboo and insects) for sale in a jungle market. Then we will visit some families who make brooms with bamboo leaves and even bags using old coffee wrappers, laundry detergent and other products - a brilliant recycling exercise. After going through a wide band of rice fields we will go to a laboratory that forges brass Buddha and then we will visit Dan Kwian, which has been producing ceramics for hundreds of years. Some raw, rust-coloured original products are still made with a large variety of vibrant and modern designs. We will visit one of the workshops that practice classic artisan production, with its gigantic wood-fired ovens and we will visit some shops to see the finished products before arriving in Nakhon Ratchasima (called Korat). Although it is a modern and lively city, the moat and fortifications of the city remember its long history and for the last stop of the day we will join the devotees at the most holy Thao Suranari Memorial. It was built in honour of a woman who, according to legend, invented and led a prisoner rebellion against the invading army of Laos (a version says that women seduced the soldiers and then the men launched a surprise attack.) In 1826 thus saving the city. The artists perform a local folk dance during the day to thank "Grandma Mo" for the wishes that people think they have answered. Overnight in Korat

Day 3

NAKHON RACTHASIMA - KHON KAEN - Phimai and Khon Kaen (B.L.)

Thailand's most magnificent castle is in the Phimai district, A Nakorn Ratchasima. This castle is believed to have been built over 1,000 years ago by an ancient tribe said to have contacts with the Khmer kingdom. Phimai Historical Park was founded in 16 BE.

The image engraved on the architrave and on the pediment is very attractive. They mainly concern the history of Ramayana and the beliefs of Brahman-Hindu. For example, the pediment to the south or the front of the pagoda is the image of Shiva dancing the one hundred and eight Thai classical dances. Inside the main pagoda, a pediment above the four entrance doors depicts the life of the Buddha. We will visit what remains of the city gate and Sai Ngam, the largest Banyan tree in Thailand, which covers an island just outside the city. Then, we will go to a village to see how silkworms are bred, silk thread is made, and silk fabric is woven. If you want, you can sit on a frame and try it for yourself. Then we will stop to admire a historic building of a small temple with original Isan-style murals, which are now very rare, before arriving in the modern city of Khon Kaen.

Overnight in Khon Kaen

Day 4

KHON KAEN - UDON THANI - Kumphawapi, Ban Chiang, Weaving, Handicraft (B.L.)

On the road north of Khon Kaen we will stop to meet the urban monkeys living in the center of the city of Kumphawapi and we will visit an indigenous mut-mee village. Ban Chiang is the site of an enigmatic civilization dating back to 3600 BC. and who started making bronze tools around 2000 BC, much earlier than any other in East Asia. The myriads of artifacts found here, in particular the iconic turbulent ocher burnt ceramic, rewrite history books and today can be seen both inside the excellent Ban Chiang National Museum and in sites in an excavation of the cemetery. Mixing the old with the modern, we will visit a village where locals build large pots using the original method of the non-potter's wheel and how sticky rice baskets are woven. In the city of Udon Thani, we will sleep near Lake Nong Prajak, which has beautiful paths and a night market.

Overnight in Udon Thani

Day 5

UDON THANI - BANGKOK. Nong Khai (B.L.)

We will start the day by tasting exotic foods in the large fresh market of Udon Thani and then we will visit a family that produces clay-based charcoal stoves. The highlight of your morning tour to low-key Nong Khai is Sala Kaew Ku, a wonderfully bizarre religious center full of immense and strange concrete sculptures that mix Buddhist and Hindu iconography. After lunch we will stroll through the famous Tha Sadet market, full of bric-a-brac from all over Southeast Asia, and many other unique sites, the highlight of which for most people is Wat Pho Chai and its incredible murals. Finally, we will take you to the train station, on the border with Laos, or to a hotel in Nong Khai or to Udon Thani airport.

The departure times, the indications of the duration of the trips and the itineraries are indicative. They may undergo changes for reasons beyond our control and unpredictable.