Giant trees and bounty islands

This is one of our most popular South Thailand trips, a winning combination of tropical beaches, cultural cities and jungle adventures. Lasting just under a fortnight, it is perfect for travellers needing to squeeze their adventure into their annual leave. The itinerary will first take you around captivating Bangkok- both on wheels and on water. After this, you'll travel into Khao Sok National Park to spend one night deep in the jungle and another night on a beautiful lake. You'll then criss-cross the magical Phang Nga Bay by boat, discovering mysterious sea caves in the limestone rocks that rise dramatically from the sea. You'll visit idyllic islands and snorkel through coral wonderlands off deserted beaches. You'll finish your journey with some beach bliss at Railay, a narrow bay of ivory sand isolated from the rest of the mainland and accessible only by boat.

Duration	12 days / 11 nights Start from Bangkok on any Sunday, Tuesday or Friday	Accommodation	10 nights in a double room in typical Thai hotels, 1 night on a lake in a floating cabin (see accommodation)
Price	£694 per person - based on 2 people sharing
		Includes	Accommodation with breakfast. Transport, excursions and other meals as described in daily itinerary.
Travel	Overnight sleeper train, minibus, taxi and 2 internal flights	Excludes	International flights, drinks and other meals, excursions and entrance fees not in the daily itinerary.

Day 1: Arrival in Bangkok

Upon your arrival in Thailand, you'll be collected from the airport and taken to a lovely hotel in central Bangkok, around 10min walk (or 5 minutes by tuk-tuk) from wonderful Khao San Road. You’ll stay in a spacious room with air-conditioning. The hotel also has a swimming pool- so you can start your trip with a dip. Suitably refreshed, you can explore your fascinating neighbourhood. Those craving an instant culture fix can head straight to the Royal Palace. This is the No.1 place of interest for Bangkok visitors. The palace is only 10mins by taxi or tuk-tuk and the doors are open until 3:30pm. Remember to dress modestly - your knees and shoulders must be covered.

Day 2: Bangkok

You'll spend today getting to know Bangkok - the City of Angels. The most important places of interest are easily reached by express boat, along the Chao Praya River. There is so much to see in Bangkok that it can difficult to know where to start. Here are a few handy hints to set you on your way...

You could begin your sight-seeing tour at the Buddhist temple of Wat Arun on the Chao Praya River and then visit the narrow streets of Chinatown. Buy a bowl of Chinese noodles and watch the world go by. You could then go shopping in Bangkok, which is abundant in silk, jewellery and clothing. If you're still a little stiff from the flight, you can drop in at the School of Massage, near Wat Po (the lying Buddha). If you take an herbal massage, you'll first be massaged and loosened up, and then gently rubbed with bundles of herbs. Bliss. This will certainly get your trip off to a very laid back start.

Day 3: Bangkok - Surat Thani

You’ll begin your day with some more free time in Bangkok. After a tasty breakfast, you could take the boat to Tha Ratchawong and walk into the heart of Chinatown, getting a little lost among the temples, eating houses, alleyways, and houses with curly roofs. The shopping possibilities here extend from fish stalls to supermarkets. If retail is not your idea of therapy, you can watch the world go by from peaceful Lumpini Park or lounge around the pool with a book. In early evening, you'll follow the instructions given by our local agent and take a taxi to Hualamphong railway station. Here, you'll board a comfortable overnight train for Surat Thani in the south of Thailand. We'll reserve a second-class seat for you, which can be folded out into a bed. In the evening, you can enjoy a bite to eat in the restaurant car before the motion of the train lulls you to sleep. You’ll be woken an hour or so before the train arrives in Surat Thani.

Day 4: Surat Thani - Khao Sok National Park

When you arrive, you'll be met at the railway station and driven to Racha Praba Lake. You'll need only an overnight pack for your floating cabin stay, and any extra luggage that you don't need will be taken straight to the lodge where you'll stay tomorrow. Your Khao Sok trip includes all meals, and you'll have an English-speaking guide to lead you through the park. From the lakeside, a longtail boat will take you past spectacular rock formations that thrust up from the lake and an hour later, you’ll arrive at your floating bamboo cabins in a comlpetely isolated and idyllic location. Sleeping mats, sheets, blankets, and towels will be provided. The lake is also your bath, so simply shampoo your hair and jump in! You'll even have your own inflatable tube to float lazily about on the water. After lunch, you'll take a walk through the thick jungle, alongside bamboo shoots and giant trees. Then, you can sit back and enjoy the sunset from the jetty by your floating bungalow. A wonderful dinner will be waiting for you.

Day 5: Khao Sok - Jungle huts

This morning, you'll wake up to the exotic sounds of the jungle. Each bungalow has its own canoe, and after breakfast you'll paddle along the jungly shores in search of monkeys and other animals. Lunch will be served after your canoe trip. After lunch, you can either take a walk further into the rainforest or head for a hidden lagoon. The choice will depend largely upon the weather. From the dense greenery you'll hear the rising calls of monkeys and toucans. Later in the afternoon, you'll be taken deeper into the Khao Sok National Park by longtail boat. This will take about an hour. You'll be met on the shore and taken even further into the tropical wilderness. You'll soon come across the jungle bungalows, where the rest of your baggage awaits you. There is plenty of time to get settled into your bungalow, which has a private bathroom. There's no hot water, but in such high temperatures a hot shower will be the last thing you'll want. You can spend a while taking in your fabulously remote setting. Later you’ll dine by the river, surrounded by lush mountains and the manifold sounds of the forest.

Day 6: Khao Sok

After breakfast you'll set off with your guide on a fascinating walk. You'll explore the tropical rainforest, and your guide will tell you all about the surrounding vegetation and wildlife. On the way, you'll enjoy a hearty lunch (included), served in a beautiful spot next to a river a waterfall. In the early evening, you'll return to your hut, weary but happy. On your peaceful veranda, you can mull over the day against a background of jungle murmurs. Find a good place to watch the sunset and make sure you have that camera handy…

Day 7: Khao Sok - Phuket

The next morning, you'll leave this spellbinding location and return to the civilised world. Our local agent will help you to arrange the easy transfer from Khao Sok to Phuket. In Phuket, you'll stay in a comfortable hotel on the attractive coastal strip of Kata Beach. You can spend the rest of the day stretched out on the beach or by the hotel pool. In the evening, you can walk through the popular shopping streets, where you’ll find a vast selection of good restaurants, bars, beauty parlours and souvenirs shops.

From September to November there are high chances of heavy rain in Phuket, so we exchange this part of the programme for beaches on the southeast coast of Thailand.

Day 8: Phuket - Yao Yai

Today you'll be whisked away from your hotel in Phuket to experience the wonderful Phang Nga Bay for three full days. In this enchanting protected area, more than 100 limestone islands rise dramatically from the turquoise sea. You'll be taken to the pier, and hop into a local boat to the island of Yao Yai. This costs under £1 and can be paid directly to the boatman. On the way, you'll pass bizarrely shaped rocks and caves with huge overhanging stalactites. You'll be met on Yao Yai Island by our local agent and within 40mins you'll find yourself on a deserted ivory beach. You’ll be staying in a wooden bungalow with a fan and private bathroom. The bungalows stand romantically on their own private beach. In the evening, you can enjoy a meal of fresh fish on the sandy beach while watching the sun set between the palm trees.

Day 9: Yao Yai

After breakfast, you'll sail across Phang Nga Bay to uninhabited islands and beaches with your English-speaking guide. You'll stop at Ko Hong, an abandoned island with idyllic white beaches and a breathtaking lagoon. Ko Hong means 'room island', and the lagoon really is reminiscent of a room as it is surrounded by tall limestone walls. Swallows and bats live in these caves. Every year the Thai harvest thousands of swallow nests to be sold to the Chinese as a delicacy.

There’s also time to take a swim in the deep turquoise waters of the lagoon. The coral here is in pristine condition and snorkelling gear comes free with the boat. Around 3pm, you’ll be taken back to Yao Yai, in plenty of time to enjoy the sunset from the beach.

Day 10: Yao Yai - Krabi - Railay Bay

After an early rise and a quick breakfast, you’ll be taken to the pier for the ferry to Krabi, which leaves at 7:30am. The ferry will take you past the vast towering rocks back to the mainland, and you'll be met on arrival for the next section of your journey. You'll now be driven southwest for approximately 30mins until you reach the beach at Ao Nang. You'll pass by the glitzy beach resorts and your driver will drop you off at a quiet inlet where boatmen will be waiting to take you to Railay Bay. Railay is technically part of the mainland, but it is surrounded by monolithic limestone towers, making it accessible only by water. As a result, it feels like an isolated island. Roll up your trouser legs and wade out to the boat, paying around £1 per person for the short trip. Just 15 minutes later you'll arrive at breathtaking Railay, where you'll be stay a mere 20m from the beach amid beautiful tropical gardens. As it will still be morning, you'll have almost the whole day to do exactly as you wish.

Day 11: Railay Bay

Today is the perfect day to leave all thoughts of reality behind you. Marooned on the narrow tongue of Railay Bay, this is the ideal time and place to do nothing at all. Simply soak up the sun. You can either head to the beach or lounge around the hotel swimming pool which looks out over the bay. Sip a freshly made cocktail while you finish the last few chapters of your book. A blissful end to a blissful trip.

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Day 12: Railay - Bangkok - Flight to UK

Today, you'll make your own way to the airport at Krabi for a domestic flight back to Bangkok. This will, in turn, connect with your international fllight home.

If you'd like to break up this journey, you could spend a further night in Bangkok for some last minute shopping. We'll be happy to book this for you.

It is always possible to extend your holiday, staying a few extra days on Railay, or visiting the islands of Ko Lanta or Ko Phi Phi. Just ask one of our travel specialists if you'd like to hear more about these options.

When to go? From December until the end of April it is warm and dry on the southwest coast. This is also peak tourist season in the area. From May until the end of August there may be some rain, but continuous heavy rain is unlikely and the resorts will be refreshingly quiet. Finally, from September until the end of November the rainy season really gets going. Consequently, Yao Yai and Railay are very quiet. During this time, we would recommend staying on the southeastern island of Ko Samui, which is likely to be drenched in sunshine.

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