Thailand: A Family Journey

Welcome to Thailand. On arrival at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, meet your guide and driver for the drive to Kanchanaburi (depending on arrival time, there may be a stop at a market that runs along active railway tracks along the way). Break for lunch at a local restaurant near the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, built by Allied prisoners of war during the Second World War, with the option to visit the nearby WWII Museum at no extra charge. Continue to a tented camp on the riverbank for check-in. Overnight in Kanchanaburi.

Wake to the sounds of the surrounding forest at the tented camp. After breakfast, canoe down the River Kwai for two hours with an experienced instructor, taking in the scenery along the way, before a 10km bike ride through the Kanchanaburi countryside, with stops at temples and local villages en route. After lunch, head to Erawan Waterfall, a striking seven-tiered cascade in Erawan National Park. Good walking shoes make it easier to explore each tier, and a swimsuit is worth packing for a dip in the falls' natural pools. Overnight in Kanchanaburi.

After breakfast, leave Kanchanaburi behind for the drive to Sukhothai, Thailand's first capital, founded in the 13th century and known as the dawn of happiness. Break for lunch at a local restaurant along the way. Check in to the hotel this evening, followed by dinner and a relaxed evening. Overnight in Sukhothai.

After breakfast, explore Sukhothai Historical Park by bicycle, once a walled city surrounded by a moat and now home to almost 200 chedi ruins in remarkable condition. Ride between the main sites, including Wat Mahathat, Wat Si Chum, Wat Sri Sawai, Wat Sra Sri and Wat Trapang Ngoen, along with the Ramkamhaeng Museum. The ride wraps up around midday, with the rest of the day free at leisure. Overnight in Sukhothai.

After breakfast, drive north to Sri Satchanalai Historical Park on the banks of the Yom River, once known as Muang Chaliang before being renamed during the reign of Phra Ruang. More than 130 ruined monuments have been uncovered within the park. Stop at a local farm for a fruit tasting on the way, then explore the park's main sites, including several temples and the Celadon Kiln Site Study and Conservation Center at Ban Ko Noi. Break for lunch at a local restaurant, then continue the drive to Chiang Mai, with the evening free at leisure. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

This morning, visit Wat Suan Dok, known for its whitewashed Lanna-style stupas and home to the International Buddhist Studies Center. Meet one of the temple's monks for an informal chat about his life, Thai spiritual beliefs and anything else of interest, a genuine, unscripted exchange. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive through the picturesque countryside of Mae On District to Mae Kampong, a village set 1,300 metres above sea level with a cool climate year-round. Meet some of the villagers and take a stroll through the community forest, passing tea and coffee fields en route to a waterfall, before returning to see how fermented tea leaves and other handmade village products are processed. In the early evening, help your hosts prepare dinner, then unwind afterward with a traditional Thai massage. Overnight in Mae Kampong.

Enjoy an early breakfast with your host family as the morning mist lifts from the valley, then say your goodbyes and drive to Chiang Dao to visit Palaung, Akha and Lisu tribal villages. Living apart from lowland Thai communities, each of these mountain peoples has retained its own distinct culture and way of life. Continue on to a Hmong hilltribe community, another of the many ethnic groups found across the hills of northern Thailand, before returning to the lodge for dinner. Overnight in Chiang Dao.

Spend the day at the Elephant Rescue Park in the scenic Mae Taeng valley, one of the few places in Thailand where elephants no longer work for people. Learn about the challenges elephants face across Southeast Asia and the changes the park champions around their care and training, then join its volunteers to feed and bathe the elephants. In the late afternoon, head to a local market to pick out ingredients before a hands-on Thai cooking class, learning the techniques behind a handful of classic dishes and finishing with a meal you've prepared yourself. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Depart early for Ton Payom Market, joining locals for the daily alms-giving ceremony to monks, before continuing to Doi Inthanon National Park, known for its wildflowers, birdlife and waterfalls. Stop at San Patong Market for a taste of a typical Thai fresh market while your guide picks up extra ingredients for lunch, then begin a short trek from a Karen hilltribe village, where most residents work at a coffee plantation you can sample along the way. Walk through forest and open fields to reach the first of several waterfalls, crossing the stream to a second where a picnic lunch is served, with time to swim and relax. Continue along the stream past a further waterfall to finish the trek, then make a final stop at Wachirathan Waterfall, one of the most spectacular in northern Thailand, on the way back to the city. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at a restaurant on the Mae Ping riverside. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Enjoy a free morning before transferring to Chiang Mai International Airport for your flight to Phuket. On arrival, transfer to your hotel by minivan, check in and freshen up, then spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or learning to make a loy krathong, a traditional floating sculpture made from banana leaves and flowers, to release at sunset. Overnight in Phuket.

After breakfast, set off on a day tour around Phang Nga Bay, kayaking through limestone caves and past the famous James Bond Island. Continue on to explore hidden lagoons, mangrove forest and dramatic karst formations by kayak, before a picnic lunch on a secluded, seldom-visited beach. In the late afternoon, transfer by long-tail boat to Koh Yao Yai, checking in ahead of a seafood barbecue dinner at the resort this evening. Overnight in Koh Yao Yai.

After breakfast, board a long-tail boat for Hong Marine National Park, known locally as the Lagoon for its dramatic, sheltered scenery. Cruise between small and medium-sized islands, snorkelling through shoals of colourful fish and swimming along unspoiled white-sand beaches. Return to Koh Yao Yai for lunch and an afternoon village tour, walking through rubber plantations and rice paddies, the island's main sources of income, to learn about local rubber-tapping traditions and everyday island life. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing by the pool before dinner at your own leisure this evening, either at the resort or a local restaurant recommended by your guide. Overnight in Koh Yao Yai.

After breakfast, transfer by boat to Ao Por Pier, then continue to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project for a morning visit before your onward flight (one group transfer to the airport is provided for flights booked from 4pm onwards).