Enjoying Thailand at Any Age
The wide variety of activities and landscapes in Thailand make it the ideal destination for any age. Spend time with elephants in the Golden Triangle. Explore the temples and canals of bustling Bangkok. Swim amongst the diverse marine life near Koh Samui. The possibilities for fun and adventure are endless, made all the more enjoyable by experiencing them alongside family.
At Travel Beyond, we believe your trip should be designed just for you, not for the masses. Our travel consultants create a custom itinerary for each client, offering recommendations for places and experiences that best fit your style. The itinerary below was planned for a past client, but we’re sharing it for travel inspiration and as an example of what a trip to Thailand might look like. Let us know when we can design a trip just for you!
Welcome to Thailand! Upon arrival in Bangkok, you will be escorted through an exclusive customs line and to your driver for your private transfer to Chakrabongse Villas.
Your home for the next three nights, enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure or exploring the property.
Originally built as a retreat for Prince Chakrabongse in 1908, the villas embody an era long forgotten. Situated along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the property radiates its noble history and offers visitors stunning views of Temple of the Dawn, just across the water. Settle into its serenity while enjoying the Thai art, cuisine and culture at your fingertips.
Chakrabongse Villas Meals: N/A
This morning after breakfast, you will embark on a community excursion to Koh Kret alongside a local private guide. Please note that we strongly recommend this excursion be done on a weekend, as that is the only time the pottery workshop is open.
From the hotel, you will be transferred to Nonthaburi Pier for a long-tail boat ride up the Chao Phraya River. Enjoy the passing scenery and refreshing breeze while keeping an eye out for a small, man-made island situated in the middle of the river. This is Koh Kret and home to seven rural villages. Its inhabitants are mainly ethnic Mon people with a distinct Buddhist cultural identity. They are also skilled pottery makers whose beautiful work you will encounter throughout your visit.
Upon arrival, your guide will take you on an unforgettable biking excursion around the island. Venturing into Koh Kret’s picturesque landscape, you will visit spectacular temples, the Tha-it Mosque, and the island’s famous pottery shops. Periodic refreshment stops will provide you an opportunity to sample a variety of unique Thai desserts and snacks for which Koh Kret is also well known.
Having pedaled your way around the island, soaking up its rich culture, you will then take a ferry to Nonthaburi mainland. Here, you will meet your driver and continue to lunch at a local restaurant. Following your meal, you will be transferred back to the hotel.
Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Chakrabongse Villas Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
This morning after breakfast, you and your guide will set off for a classic Bangkok by Boat excursion, inclusive of lunch.
Your first stop will be Wat Po, one of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temples. Famous for its 141ft-long reclining Buddha, you can’t help but marvel at its vibrancy while feeling insignificant compared to its size. You’ll then visit Lak Muang, Bangkok’s city pillar, before heading to the famous Grand Palace, a complex more ornate and intricate than seems humanly possible. Here resides the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Pra Kaew), the most revered shrine in the entire Thai Kingdom. Take time to explore every nook and cranny, as this and every temple within the palace contains its own beautiful surprise.
Enjoy lunch at a riverside restaurant before boarding a longtail boat to explore the klongs, Bangkok’s maze of canals and waterways. Moving through the system, you’ll have the opportunity to observe aspects of Thai traditional life that have disappeared from most of Bangkok and gain a better understanding of the water’s importance to community culture and way of life.
End the day with a visit to Wat Arun, the “Temple of Dawn,” before returning to your hotel.
Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure
Chakrabongse Villas Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Today, after breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the Bangkok Airport for your flight to Chiang Rai.
Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to Anantara Golden Triangle where you will spend the next two nights.
On a ridge overlooking Myanmar and Laos, Anantara Golden Triangle makes you feel instantly immersed in its jungle surroundings. Take in the panoramic views while enjoying a delicious meal at one of the three restaurants, wander the grounds or spend an afternoon relaxing by the pool. No matter the activity, you’ll experience service and luxury beyond compare.
During your stay, you may also opt to spend an evening in one of the hotel’s “jungle bubbles.” From within this elevated, transparent dome, you can not only stargaze, but also watch the elephants who graze nearby.
Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure or exploring the property.
Anantara Golden Triangle Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Enjoy your day at leisure or participate in some of the activities included in your stay. You can explore the Hall of Opium Museum to learn about the region’s historic connection to the trade of this infamous drug. The Elephant Camp Experience offers the opportunity to learn about and interact with incredible pachyderms, in a sustainable and intimate setting. Opt for the Golden Triangle Discovery excursion which brings you to many of the region’s most important sites. Or, if you have food on the mind, consider the Spice and Spoons cooking class where, through a hands on experience, you’ll come to understand the ins and outs of Thai cuisine. Any and all activities are guaranteed to excite, engage and entertain!
Anantara Golden Triangle Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
This morning after breakfast and checkout, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide and transferred to Chiang Mai.
The journey will take between four and five hours but include multiple stops, the first of which will be the Blue Temple. Locally known as Wat Rong Suea Ten, it stands as another unusual modern Buddhist temple distinguished by its vivid blue coloring and elaborate carvings. From there you will make your way to the Mae Kachan Hotspring for a short swim.
Upon arrival in Chiang Mai, you will check-in to Villa Mahabhirom where you will stay for three nights.
Meaning “Villa of Great Pleasure,” Mahabhirom is the perfect location for family, friends, or couples to enjoy each other and their surroundings. Here, antiques mix with contemporary creating a cultural yet comfortable experience. You can spend afternoons lounging by the salt water pool or wandering the property. Temples sit just beyond your doorstep and the nearby old city is chock full of trendy cafes, restaurants. The possibilities are endless.
Villa Mahabhirom Meals: Breakfast
This morning after breakfast, you will meet your local private guide for a Chiang Mai city excursion and elephant parade painting workshop, inclusive of lunch.
Prepare yourselves for an unbelievably magical sensory experience as you are set to encounter unfamiliar sights, smells and bustling crowds. Your first destination is the nearby Hmong hill tribe market. Looking out over the Ping River and home to numerous flower vendors, it’s a photographer’s dream. From here, you will head to Thapae Gate, one of the four original city gates and continue by samlor (rickshaw) to a number of temples, including Wat Chiang Man, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang.
Your next stop will be Elephant Parade, a project that supports the pachyderms for which it is named. You”ll visit the workshop and its small museum, both providing a great opportunity to ask questions and learn about the program. Then, get ready to dust off and show off your skills in a workshop led by a local artist. Together, you will paint your own little elephant (10cm in size) that is yours to take home.
Following your excursion, you will be transferred back to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Villa Mahabhirom Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
This morning you and your local private guide will tap into your adventurous side with a Flight of the Gibbon Zipline Canopy excursion. The longest established zipline course in Thailand, you’re bound to have an unforgettably and adrenaline-packed experience!
The course operates at the highest international safety standards and is suitable for all ages ranging from children to senior citizens. The only rules are that you must be under 265lbs in weight and at least 3ft 3in tall to fit into the safety harness correctly. No special training is required and you will be looked after by the expert Sky Rangers, who hold safety as their highest priority.
The following program is subject to change, depending on availability and all times are approximate.
9:00am Welcome and introduction. Meet your Sky Rangers, put on safety gear and transfer to the starting point for a full safety briefing.
10:00am Start your treetop adventure! For 2.5hrs, enjoy the thrill of ziplines, skybridges and abseiling amidst the natural beauty of the ancient Thai rainforest.
12:00pm Enjoy your delicious, locally sourced, Thai lunch.
1:00pm Optional hike to Mae Kampong Waterfall or Mae Kampong wooden temple (depending on the weather/availability).
1:45pm Wrap up your ziplining experience and be transferred back to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Villa Mahabhirom Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Today, after breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the Chiang Mai Airport for your flight to Koh Samui.
Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Belmond Napasai. You will spend the next three nights here, enjoying its beachfront property and activities.
Nestled amidst cashew and coconut trees, Napasai strives to replicate the natural world you experience outdoors within its rooms and common spaces, creating a spacial harmony you can’t help feel yourself. Wander through the gardens, keeping your eye out for the water buffalo who call the grounds home. Spend time at the pool or head out to experience all the island has to offer. Regardless of how you choose to pass the time, there’s truly something for everyone and the thought with which Napasai approaches each aspect of your stay will leave you in awe.
Belmond Napasai Meals: Breakfast
This morning after breakfast, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide for your choice of one of the following excursions, including lunch.
OPTION ONE: PRIVATE KOH TAO & KOH NANG YUAN BY SPEED BOAT
These islands, located 43 miles north of Samui, are diving and snorkeling paradise, boasting the clearest and best underwater visibility in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s a home to various coral species, where you can find abundant tropical marine life, giant clams, and colorful fish that you can feed with bread from your hand.
Starting early morning, your boat departs the pier and heads for a group of three islands known as Koh Nang Yuan. About a 1.5 hour boat ride away, the pretty little islands are interconnected by a long, sandy beach. Here you can swim and relax or opt to climb up the nearby mountain to for a panoramic view. Lunch will be at a restaurant on Koh Tao, after which you will visit beautiful snorkeling points around the island. Explore the beauty of the underwater world and appreciate the colorful marine life living amongst the soft and hard corals.
At 3:00pm, you will return to Koh Samui. Arrive at the pier by 4:30pm. The remainder of your day is at leisure.
OPTION TWO: ANGTHONG NATIONAL MARINE PARK BY PRIVATE SPEED BOAT (not available November 1 – December 15)
A breathtaking archipelago of 42 islands located only 1hr from Koh Samui, Angthong National Marine Park is undeniably magical, exuding both tranquility and natural beauty.
From the pier, you will take a speed boat to the park where, upon arrival, you have time to enjoy snorkeling. You will then set off on foot for the Emerald Lake. Standing along its shores, you can appreciate not only its vibrant color but the surrounding views. Having worked up an appetite, you’ll make your way to Koh PaLuay fishing village for a Thai set lunch and then spend the afternoon relaxing on Song Pee Nong beach.
3:00pm Take the speed boat back to Koh Samui. You will then be transferred back to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Belmond Napasai Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Enjoy a day at leisure to explore the property and the activities on offer. For the active inclined, consider learning Thai boxing or to windsurf. The pool and beachfront offer the perfect place to relax and read a good book. Various cooking classes and island excursions are also available, if you’re looking to continue your explorations.
Belmond Napasai Meals: Breakfast
Today, after breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the Koh Samui Airport for your journey home.
