Lev

Hi,
I am trying to find a good tour company that covers the most significant sightseeing in Thailand. I found a tour provided by Pacific Delight Tours. Here is what they offer. The price of the tour out of Los Angeles is $1,569. Would you recommend taking this tour?

Day 1 - LOS ANGELES to BANGKOK
Board a Northwest Airlines transpacific jet and begin your holiday. Cross the International Date Line enroute to Thailand's capital, Bangkok.

Day 2 - ARRIVE BANGKOK
Our representative welcomes you at the airport and accompanies you to the Century Park Hotel to relax.

Day 3 - BANGKOK
Regal dignity and Buddhist serenity unfold as you visit the Grand Palace complex, the 100-building former residence of the Thai royal family and the city's most recognizable landmark. At sacred Wat Phra Kaeo behold the rare and priceless Emerald Buddha. After lunch, visit the Jim Thompson House, furnished with priceless antiques, porcelains and works of art. This evening, enjoy a classical Thai dance performance with your dinner of sumptuous traditional specialties.
MEALS: American Breakfast, lunch, Dinner Show

Day 4 - BANGKOK
After breakfast, we drive through the countryside to Damnernsaduak and its Floating Market, where vendors hawk their exotic goods along the canals (klongs) from produce-laden skiffs. Visit Nakorn Pathom, the tallest pagoda in the world. Lunch at the Rose Garden Country Resort ushers us into an afternoon of magical sights and sounds: a Thai fingernail dance, a Buddhist ordination ritual, Northern hill tribe folk dances, exciting Thai boxing and sword fighting, a traditional Thai wedding ceremony, and rousing demonstrations of working elephants.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5 - BANGKOK to AYUTTHAYA/SARABURI/ LOPBURI/PITSANULOKE
Our luxury coach takes you on a short and scenic trip hundreds of years back into Thailand's history. Visit the somber ruins of ancient Ayutthaya, glorious capital of the Thais from 1350 to 1767. The inspiration for modern-day Bangkok, Ayutthaya awes even the most well-traveled with Wat Mongkol Borphlit's imposing bronze statuary, serene Phanan Cheong by the water, and three towering pagodas. Nearby, Saraburi is home to the Phra Buddha Bhat, a holy temple that enshrines the Footprint of the Lord Buddha. After lunch, continue to Lopburi where you visit the Pagoda of Three Spires, Monkey Temple, and the Narai Raja Nivas Palace Museum before arriving at Pitsanuloke for dinner and overnight at the Hotel Amarin Lagoon.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 - PITSANULOKE to SUKHOTHAI/ LAMPANG
Discover why Wat Phra Si Ratana Maha That's statue of the Buddha is Pitsanuloke's most venerated. We drive on to the magnificent ruins of palaces and temples in Thailand's first capital, the legendary Sukhothai. The artifacts of Ramkamhaeng Museum, and historic Si Satchanalai, round out the day's treasure-filled sightseeing. Dinner and overnight at Lampang River Lodge.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 - LAMPANG to LAMPHUN/CHIANGMAI
Today we visit Lampang's important Buddhist sites including the temple at Ko Kah, home to the only Emerald Buddha other than at Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok, and the pagodas of Wat Chedi Sao. Continue to Lamphun and visit the Haripoonchai temple. At noon, arrive in Chiangmai for lunch and a walking tour of the Home Industries Village, boasting a plethora of intricate fabric, jewelry, lacquerware and other gems of Thai handicraft. Dinner and overnight at the Chiangmai Plaza Hotel.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 - CHIANGMAI
Feel the presence of seven centuries of history as you visit ornate temples, the ancient city wall and the hilltop shrine of Doi Suthep. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore at your own pace. Tonight we treat you to a dinner of northern Kantoke cuisine and a charming cultural show by graceful hill tribe performers.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Show

Day 9 - CHIANGMAI to HMONG HILL TRIBE VILLAGE
Today is highlighted by a trip to an elephant camp to see the gentle giants' feats of brawn and brain. You may opt to try an age-old mode of jungle transport: perched atop a tame elephant's back. Visit a fragrant orchid plantation and enjoy lunch. A drive to a Meo hill tribe village follows, capped by a barbecue dinner and Meo cultural performance. You'll stay at the Hmong Lodge.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Show

Day 10 - HMONG HILL TRIBE VILLAGE to THATON/CHIANGRAI
This morning, drive to a colorful marketplace at Fang. Then on to Thaton near the Burmese border for a hearty lunch. A boat ride along the Kok River is the day's high point. We glide past villages hewn from the jungle, go on shore to see native life, and navigate a stretch of rapids. At a Lahu hill tribe village, you view holy relics enshrined in a cave. We settle at Chiangrai's Wiang Inn Hotel for dinner and overnight.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 - CHIANGRAI to GOLDEN TRIANGLE/BANGKOK
This morning visit the legendary Golden Triangle, the junction of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and Laos. Enjoy a boat trip with picnic lunch on the Mekong River. You then fly to Bangkok and transfer to the Century Park Hotel. Enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel this evening.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner in Hotel

Day 12 - BANGKOK to LOS ANGELES

rhkkmk

its a very very busy and exhausting trip as outlined....the price is not bad as the airfare alone could be as much as $800-1000. i paid $1212. from boston on n/w in june....

you can do it cheaper on your own but you probably would only want to cover bangkok and chiang mai .....for a first trip that would be enough....but if you need a tour then this is not too bad....i know the name centruy park hotel but have not looked it up,,,many of the tours use hotels that are not central...i stayed this year for a couple of nites in n/w's hotel called royal river and it is not well located at all....if you could upgrade to the holiday inn you would find that more centrally located....northwest vacations also offers a limited thai trip....you might check them out.....look on the n/w web site for world vacations...

rhkkmk

btw...i took a pacific delight tour to china a few years back and it was decent, but sort of low end...acceptable but not lux in any way...one wonderful thing about thailand is that you can go deluxe for very little money....the best hotels are located on the river in bkk...

artmarth

Hi Lev --- I don't know if you'll find this helpful, but after extensive research, we just booked a much longer tour to Southeast Asia (5 countries) (spring 2006)through a Vietnamese tour co. that I found online. Our Thailand portion is 9 nights---Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai,Golden Triangle.
We are doing this CUSTOM tour with private car, guide & driver.
The Thailand portion (10 nites, American Breakfasts--no lunch or dinner, came to approx $500 ea. I booked my owen Int'l air LAX-BKK R/T on China Air for $727 ea TOTAL price including taxes.
Being on your own gives you a lot more flexability in doing the tour.
Although we haven't traveled this way before, we spoke to a "reference" on the tour company's web site who raved about their trip taken earlier this year.
If you have any interest, email me ([email protected])and I'd be happy to share more info with you.
Art

glorialf

I would say this trip would be a lot better if it was at least two weeks. You are spending way too much time on a bus. The problem with group tours of Thailand is that inevitably you will be spending a lot of time shopping and it may well not be for what you want to do but so the guide and tour company can get their cut. Also you tend to go to the most touristy hill tribe where you will again be told to shop. If you want to take a tour I would definitely try to do it privately and create your own itinerary. And I would go through an asian (not american) tour operator. Diethelm might be a good place to start.

As for the trip itself you should not even consider going to Thailand on any trip that doesn't give you at least 5 days in Bangkok.

Scotters

Pacific Delight is a good tour company that has received fairly good reviews. Like any tour you are always on the go and may spend less time at places that really interest you and more at places that don't (stores). The hotel are not of a deluxe nature but are good 1st class accommodation. If you note the land portion is $869 or $1738 for 2 which breaks down to $173 per day (12 days less 2 travel). For that you could do it cheaper independently providing you can get cheap airfare over there.
Even a better deal is a 14day/12night package with Smar Tours (http://www.smartours.net/deals_thailand.htm) doing basicly the same routes but without lunches/dinners and costing only $999 if booked by Sept 30 or $1299 after. This is unbeatable price and the hotels are just as good as Pacific Delight.

Kathie

Unless you like group tours, I'd say do it on your own. You have no time on this tour to relax and enjoy Thailand. Your time is mostly spent on a bus, as Gloria noted. For this amount of money, you could stay at wonderful hotels and spend your time as you like. Thailand has good tourist infrastructure and is very easy to get around.

Lev

It seems to me now that the best way is to be on our own in Thailand. If I stay 5 days in Bangkok, 3 days in Chiang Mai and 2 days in Chiang Rai, will it be sufficient? If I fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, how can I get to Chiang Rai and back to Chiang Mai to catch my flight back to Bangkok/Los Angeles? Are there local tourist companies in Bangkok, Chiang May and Chiang Rai that you can recommend?

Kathie

I'd suggest you spend two days in Bangkok at the beginning of your trip, then fly to Chaing Rai (do stay at the Anantara at the Golden Triangle if you can), spend two or three days, drive to Chaing Mai, spend two days, then fly back to Bangkok for your last three days. There are local side trips you can pick up if you'd like or you can arrange for a car and driver for the day. None of those have to be set up before you arrrive in Thailand. If you are choosy about hotels, make those reservatiopns in advance.

artmarth

Lev--- Others may be in a better position to advise you, as I have not yet taken our trip. However, for your consideration:
1) Airasia.com inexpensive flights BKK-CEI & BKK-CNX, O/W approx $22/person.
2) Hoteltravel.com---Good source for hotel info/bookings in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, etc.
3)Probably more to do & see in Chiang Rai than Chiang Mai---Mai Sae, Chiang, Saen, Hill tribes, Mekong river tour, Golden Triangle, etc. 3 days CR & 2 days SM may be more desirable.
4) Drive time CEI-CNX approx 3 hrs---scenic drive.
The above suggestions are what we did for our upcoming custom/private tour.
Art

JamesA

Those budget airline fares in Thailand are 'from' and represent the very lowest fares, there are taxes and other charges to add, always look for deals on all those airlines, Thai Air Asia, Nok Air, One-2-Go and also for mukltiple sector derals on Bangkok Airways and Thai, I have recently had great deals on Thai and last week got seats for staff to CM on Thai for about $5 more than it would have cost on Thai Air Asia, as they were carrying about 60kgs of equipement between them Thai was also a good choice as budget carriers are rigid on 15kg baggage allowance, that means is for have 17 kgs you pay the extra baggage, whereas Thai is highly flexible/relaxed and did not move an eye-lid with 62 kgs for 2 passengers, nothing to pay!

rhkkmk

can you extend for a couple of days...reason being that when you arrive in bkk you will be bushed to say the least...it takes about 2 days to fully adjust and that is your first stay...i would opt for 4 days of adjustment and bkk intro....then chiang mai for 3 days and then back to bkk....i would skip chiang rai and the far north this time and save it for later..CM would give you enough of a feel for the north...

good hotel site: www.huahin.20m.com

all inclusive pricing for all thai locations, use drop box on first screen to see locations...

rhkkmk

hire ratt in bangkok to take you around and her sister poon in CM...great savings in time using them