Relax on a tropical island near Phuket and enjoy a traditional Mandara Thai Massage - the perfect start to your luxury Thailand holiday. Then continue on Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle to experience North Thailand's charming Lanna culture. Explore colourful Myanmar border markets and local hilltribe villages, rejuvenate at the Spa or ride an elephant through lush tropical jungle. Fly back to Bangkok and board a luxury rice barge to follow the "River of Kings" to the ancient Siamese capital of Ayutthaya, visiting palaces, temples and an elephant kraal along the way. Enjoy life on the river before spending a final night back in Bangkok.

Phuket - Mandara Thai Traditional Massage.   Breakfast is included at the hotel, and the day is free at leisure. A 90 minute Mandara Thai Traditional Massage is included at the hotel today.  (B)

Phuket - Fly Chiang Rai - Golden Triangle. After breakfast at the hotel and check out, you will meet your guide and transfer to Phuket Airport for your flight via Bangkok to Chiang Rai.

On arrival at Chiang Rai Airport, you will be met by your English speaking guide to transfer you to the hotel for check in. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax, enjoy the hotel facilities, or maybe organise an optional activity or excursion in the Golden Triangle. (B)

Golden Triangle - Chiang Rai - Fly Bangkok.  After breakfast at the hotel and check out, you will meet your guide and transfer to Chiang Rai Airport for your flight to Bangkok.

On arrival at Bangkok Airport, you will meet your English speaking guide for the transfer to the hotel and check in. The remainder of the day is free.  (B)

Ayutthaya - Bangkok.   Wake up on the Chao Phraya River, and join the people in the village as they donate food to the monks who pass by. The people believe that such actions will gain them merits that will ensure they have a happy and peaceful life forever.

The guide will take you on a tour around the local Thai village. Enjoy the scenery and visit the elementary school. 

After a fresh breakfast, stop at Wat Phanan Choeng, the oldest monastery in town that was founded 26 years before the establishment of Ayutthaya as the capital. Its main building enshrines a huge, seated Buddha image called "Phrachao Phanan Choeng" or "Loung Pho To"  You can learn a simple way of gaining merits by feeding the fish in the pond here.

Late morning, you check out from the cruise and meet with your guide at the pier for the transfer to your hotel in Bangkok. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore the vibrant city of Bangkok at your leisure.  (B)

The Sukhothai

13/3 South Sathorn Road

Bangkok

Thailand

Tel:  +66 2 344  8888

Please note that there is NO Pre-Departure meeting for this tour. You will be met on arrival at Phuket Airport for the transfer to the hotel. Please ensure that you have provided Kumuka with your flight details. If we have not been provided with your flight details then it is your responsibility to make your way to the meeting hotel.

Please ensure that you have the necessary travel documents, insurance and immunization certificates for the tour. All passengers MUST bring:

1. Passport.

2. Vaccination Certificate.

3. Travel Voucher.

4. Travel Insurance Policy.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it when you check out of the hotel.

Your passport is a valuable document and you should exercise extreme care in keeping it safe. We recommend that you keep your passport on you at all times, preferably in a money belt that is worn under your clothing. We advise that you take copies of relevant pages in your passport and any visas that you may purchase in case of loss or damage. Your tour leader will require your passport details at the pre-departure meeting. Again, we recommend that you have a photocopy of all passport details, kept separate. Your passport must be valid for six months after the END of your tour, and must have one blank page for each country to be visited.

Vaccinations:

No vaccinations are compulsory in Asia, but we do recommend you are covered for *diphtheria & TB, hepatitis A, *hepatitis B, *malaria, typhoid, polio and tetanus.

NB* A Yellow fever certificate is required if arriving from infected areas. Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.

You may need additional inoculations so please contact your G.P or a travel medical centre for further information. Please consult your doctor for up-to-date information and prescriptions for vaccinations, anti-malarial requirements and any reasonably foreseeable illnesses whilst travelling in Asia.

We also recommend:

- A dental check-up prior to travelling.
- That you know your blood group in case of emergency.
- That if you have any pre-existing medical conditions which might affect you on tour, you make these known to your tour leader and your agent/Kumuka at the time of your booking.

You can also visit www.kumuka.com for further details.

Medical Supplies:

We advise that all passengers bring along their own personal first aid kit. Below is a list of some recommended items:

Band Aids/Bandages, Laxatives, Upset stomach remedy, Anti-diarrhoea remedy, Panadol/Aspirin, Rehydration remedy, Antiseptic cream/powder, Sterile dressing, Any relevant course of medication such as contraceptive pills.

A complete Travellers Medical Pack can be purchased for approximately US$25 at most Vaccination Centres, Chemists and outdoor travel shops.

• Do not take unnecessary valuables with you.
• A money belt, or something similar, worn close to your body is the best way to carry passports, airline tickets and money.
• DO NOT leave any valuables in ANY hotel room in Asia, please use SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES. Items are left at the individuals’ risk.
• Pickpockets operate everywhere, particularly in tourist areas and in crowded markets; you must always exercise care.
• Be aware that anything left lying around will also be liable to theft.

We suggest passengers budget for between US$30-50 per day for personal expenses, souvenirs, evenings out, alcoholic drinks etc. Be aware that some countries are more expensive than others and that if you are travelling through several your expenses will vary enormously. Similarly there will be some days when you spend nothing at all and others when you exceed your budget.

For security you are advised to carry most of your money in Traveller’s cheques - small denominations are preferable.

It is often a good idea to have a small amount of the currency of the country you are visiting prior to arrival. This will cover you for any initial expenses at or from the airport.

Banks are generally open Monday to Friday and some are open on Saturday morning. In the main cities travellers’ cheques can be exchanged at banks and some exchange bureaux, but this can be very difficult in small towns.

Some hotels will also change money.

How much should I take?

• Please bring lightweight walking shoes or sandals, and a day sac. Pack essentially for hot conditions: days are hot and humid. Lightweight rain gear is essential at all times.
• Because of limited luggage space on transport, we must limit each passenger to ONE main suitcase or frameless backpack and one day bag. Your main bag must not weigh more than 20 kg’s.
• A frameless or internally framed backpack is the best way to carry your belongings since it is easy to lift on and off vehicles.
• A small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions. We also recommend that you keep your passport, credit cards travellers checks etc. on you at all times, preferably in a money belt worn under your clothes.

TRAVEL TIP: You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

It is absolutely forbidden by law to take photos at any borders, as they are all active military installation

We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each tour. It will always be clean, comfortable and of a high standard. Accommodation is mainly in comfortable tourist class accommodation. This ranges from luxury rice barge cruise boat through to excellent hotels. 

If you wish to spend a few additional days in your start city before the departure of your tour, then we can arrange accommodation for you. If you would like to book accommodation to stay additional nights at the end of the tour, we will be more than happy to arrange this for you as well. All our accommodation is carefully chosen, conveniently located, clean and comfortable.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it before checking out of the hotel.

Kumuka endeavours to advertise a compliment of optional activities available locally during tours with selected ground handlers to make your tour more enjoyable. These ground handlers and activity partners are selected for their standards in quality, professional ability and reputation. Whereas, Kumuka has developed a travel insurance policy to cover all activities offered during your journey, Kumuka cannot be held responsible for injuries or claims arising from adventurous activities by third party.

Optional activities and excursions can generally be booked through the tour desk at the hotels.  All activities are undertaken at passenger’s own risk.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

UK OFFICE

Hillswood Business Park 3000
Hillswood Drive Chertsey KT16 0RS
Tel: +4420 7937 8855 Fax: +442075043782

Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

AUSTRALIAN OFFICE

Level 5, 387 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9279 0491 Fax: 02 9279 0492
Email: sales@kumuka.com.au
www.kumuka.com.au