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You board your aircraft for the overnight flight to Thailand and its capital, Bangkok

During your flight you will cross the International Date Line technically "losing" a day but you will regain it on your return flight.

After passing through arrival formalities we will be met and transferred by private car to our deluxe hotel considered to be one of the country's best. We'll have dinner at the hotel before getting a good night's rest.

After breakfast you will meet your guide in the lobby but the driver has the day off since you will be seeing the sights using all varieties of public transportation for only in this way will you truly experience Bangkok. You first take a public boat to Tha Thien pier where you disembark to visit Wat Po, the home of the reclining Buddha. After a visit you continue to the Grand Palace. The Royal Grand Palace is the nation's landmark and the most revered royal monument and home to the Emerald Buddha. After a tour of the palace you have the choice of walking or taking a Tuk-Tuk which is a three wheeled covered vehicle powered by a motorcycle and carrying two passengers along with a driver. We recommend the Tuk-Tuk. You will cross the royal fields to Khao San Road which is the gathering spot for backpackers from around the globe. Continuing in your Tuk-Tuk you drive down Rachadamnoen which is the Thai Champs Elysees to the Sorndaeng Methavalai where you enjoy a delicious lunch with a 1950's backdrop. After lunch you are welcome to visit some of the major shopping centers with your guide or return to the hotel and take a refreshing dip in the pool. You start your evening with a drive by the Grand Palace and back to Rachadamnoen to see it illuminated for the night. Cocktails and Dinner at The Deck follows against a stunning backdrop of the Rattankosin skyline. After dinner, stroll through the Flower Market to see the myriad varieties of exotic orchids and sweet smelling flowers. The buzz in this market is best experienced at night while the busy vendors move their wares up and down on their mopeds. You can then move to the adjacent night market overlooking the river and do a little haggling for some souvenirs.

You start your day at Wat Saket where you can gain some spiritual insights while the monks perform their morning ritual chanting. You then climb up to the golden mount to enjoy the panorama of Rattanakosin Island while listening to the chimes of hundreds of temple bells. From here it is a short walk with your guide to Sol Ban Batra, a handicraft community famed for the making of monks' alms bowls which they use to receive their daily sustenance from the pious (and also the tourists). You hop on a local shuttle boat on Klong Saen sap as far as Jim Thompson's for a guided tour of the house and its Asian antiques. You will have lunch at the restaurant adjoining the mansion. This evening enjoy an al fresco dinner at Joe Louis restaurant in the heart of Suan Lum Night Bazaar, where great Thai food is enhanced by the vibrant atmosphere of Bangkok's best and busiest night market.

After breakfast you have time for some shopping or just exploring the neighborhood. You might also want to check out the owner's collection of classic cars including Daimlers, Jaguars and Mercedes. After lunch, your diver will pick you up and take you to the boat pier to rendezvous with the Mekhala rice barge where you will go on board and meet the crew and the other guests. The boat departs from Bangkok in mid-afternoon gliding gracefully north past the temples and other scenic sights. At dusk, the Mekhala docks for an overnight stay at the peaceful Kai Tia Temple. After a superb candlelit dinner on deck, spend some time under the stars before retiring to your cabin.

This morning, you can get an optional wake-up call at 6am in time for the traditional alms offering to the Buddhist monks. Afterwards you enjoy a sumptuous but leisurely breakfast as you sail the river. In the late morning you disembark at Bang-Pa-In for a guided tour of the Summer Palace, one of the finest examples of Thai architecture. You then board a long tail boat for an exhilarating ride to the ancient city of Ayuthaya. Upon arrival you'll have lunch at a riverside restaurant and then take a trip back in time on a guided tour of the city's spectacular ancient ruins. You will visit Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Pra Si San Phet and Wat Mahathat. You will them meet up with your guide and driver for the trip north to Uthai Thani in the heart of rural Thailand where you will overnight.

After breakfast you have the opportunity to visit the morning market with your guide you then have the choice of either enjoying the peaceful atmosphere on your own or your guide and driver can give you an easy ride around the area. In late morning you head off on the road again, stopping for lunch along the way. In the afternoon you will reach Kanchanaburi site of the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai. You will visit the museum and the war cemetery before taking a brief train ride on the death railway line through the Kwai Noi gorge. You will overnight at a hotel overlooking the river.

This morning you will visit an elephant camp where you can experience an elephant ride through the jungle followed by a gentle ride on a bamboo raft on the Kwai Yai River. After lunch you will visit Prasat Muang Singh, a Khmer temple complex dating back to the Angkorian period. You have a chance to walk around the temple ruins before getting in the car and driving back to Bangkok and your boutique hotel. Enjoy a quiet dinner at the hotel's renowned fusion restaurant.

In the morning you will meet with a chef/instructor from the Blue Elephant Restaurant. He or she will take you to the local market and teach you how to select and buy ingredients for your private cooking lesson. Once the ingredients have been purchased you head for the restaurant to work on the preparation of the Thai meal. Later, your efforts are rewarded as you enjoy the meal in the restaurant itself sampling your own cooking as well as other Thai dishes. After lunch, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. This evening your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to Chakrabongse Villa, the former home of Prince Chula Chakrabongse, built in traditional Thai style a century ago and situated in a lush tropical garden by the river. A sumptuous Thai dinner has been privately arranged and exclusively served at the elegant open-air pavilion where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the river of kings and the magnificent temple of dawn as a wonderful backdrop.

After breakfast, your guide will be waiting to take you to the airport to say goodbye and to turn you over to our representative who will assist you with check-in. Since you will "gain" the day previously lost, you will arrive back the same afternoon.