This tour mainly visits Phuket, Thailand's famous beach resort and the beautiful and interesting highland areas of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

This price includes:

• Return air fares from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane into Chiang Mai and out of Phuket with Singapore Airlines, plus one flight within Thailand.  

• 2 day Singapore stopover.

• 7 days touring Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and North Thailand.

• 6 days in Phuket at a resort hotel.   

• Good accommodation, mainly three to four star.

• Many meals.  

• Entrance fees to many attractions.

• All transport and transfers. 

• Full time service of a professional tour guide and an Australian tour leader.

If you do not have a travel partner, but wish to travel at twin share rates, we will try to match you up with someone else in the same position. For a single room there will be an extra charge of $525.

Tour Itinerary

Terms and Conditions

Booking Form

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	Itinerary for Thailand Mountains & Beaches Tour - March 2009
Note:	Meals are included in the itinerary as B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
16.03.09	Australia - Singapore Depart Brisbane at 9.30am on SQ 256, arriving in Singapore at 3.30pm. Depart Melbourne at 11.20am on SQ 238, arriving in Singapore at 4.15pm. Depart Sydney at 12.30pm on SQ 232, arriving in Singapore at 5.45pm. You will be met and transferred to the Peninsular.Excelsior Hotel in central Singapore for a two night stay.  While in Singapore the following are included: *50% discount on the la carte food menu (food only) at the designated food outlet in the passenger's hotel *Airport-hotel-airport transfers on seat-in-coach basis. *Free unlimited rides on SIA Hop-on tourist bus. *Free admission to 6 attraction; Sentosa Island Resort, National Orchid Garden, Singapore River Cruise, Jurong Bird Park, The Singapore Zoo, Malay Heritage Centre. *Discounts on shopping, dining, sightseeing tours and attractions as listed in SIA Boarding Pass Privileges program. Accommodation:  Peninsula.Excelsior Hotel
18.03.09 (L)	Singapore - Chiang Mai Transfer to Singapore Airport departing at 8.20am on MI 702, arriving in Chiang Mai at 10.25am. you will be met at the airport by your Thai Tour Guide and you will have a tour of Chiang Mai's famous handicraft factories and have lunch before checking in to the Centara Duangatwan Hotel, situated in the centre of Chiang Mai's famous night market. Accommodation: Centara Duangatwan Hotel
19.03.09 (B,L)	Today we travel out to a rural area to see a wonderful display of elephants at work.  This is followed by a visit to a beautiful orchid nursery where we have lunch (included). Accommodation: Central Duangtawan Hotel
20.03.09 (B,L)	Full day tour to see Thailand's highest mountain"Doi Inthanon" with its unique scenery and climate.  Visit Phra Mahathat Monument, Royal Agriculture development project at Baan Kun Klang with attractive temperate flower gardens with a local lunch included.
21.03.09 (B,L)	This morning we head north to Thaton, near the Burmese border. Here we have lunch (included). We then take long-tail boats for a three hour boat trip down the Kok River to Chiang Rai. On the way we stop at some hot springs and also visit a hill-tribe village. We have a two night stay at a resort hotel with lovely grounds.
22.03.09 (B,L)	Today we visit the Queen Mother's beautiful mountain-top gardens. Then we visit the White Temple which is unlike any other temple of Thailand.  It is a modern masterpiece built by Chalermchai Kositpipat, a popular artist who dedicated 10 years of his life to this grand project, in the name of Buddha.  It is a modern project built almost entirely our of white materials and decorated with small pieces of mirrored glass that make it glitter, expecially during the night. Then we travel to the Golden Triangle area where we have lunch included and inspect the Opium Museum before returning to Chiang Rai.
23.03.09 (B,L)	Today we commence our overland trip south to Bangkok.  First stop is at Phayao to see Thailand's largest lake.  We then drive on to 'The Soldier's Temple', regarded by many as the most beautiful temple in the world.  After this we head further south to Sukothai, the Ancient capital with its UNESCO sponsored historical park of ancient ruins dating back to the 14th century.  Then on to Phitsanalok for an overnight stay stay..
24.03.09 (B,L)	First stop is at the Phitsanalok market to experience its sights, sounds and smells. Then we drive through to Lopburi  for lunch (included), followed by a visit to the monkey temple where hundreds of monkeys run wild over the temple and the surrounding city. This is followed by a visit to an interesting museum situated in a former palace. We then drive through to Ayuttaya for overnight stay.  After dark we drive around Ayuttaya's historical park to see the impressive ancient monuments under spotlights.
25.03.09 (B,L)	First we visit Ayuttaya's world heritage historical park with its adjoining markets.  Then we visit Bang Pa Inn, a former royal palace with extensive park-like grounds.We then drive to the northern outskirts of Bangkok where we stop at a large shopping centre where you can shop and have dinner before going to Bangkok's Don Muang Airport, departing at 7.25pm on TG 1221, arriving in Phuket at 8.45pm. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel situated close to the beach and within easy walking distance of the Patong Beach shopping and entertainment area. Accommodation: Patong Lodge Hotel
26.03.09 (B)	This morning there will be an optional orientation tour giving you an overview of the island's famous beaches and viewpoints.  Cost :  $18.00 Accommodation: Patong Lodge Hotel
27.03.09 (B)	This evening there will be an optional show - Phuket Fantasia.  This is a spectacular Las Vegas type show with state of the art technology and special effects enhancing the grace and beauty of Thai myths.  Don't miss this. Cost:  $65.00 including pre-show dinner, transfers and show. Accommodation: Patong Lodge Hotel
28.03.09 (B)	Full day optional tour to Phang Nga Bay.  100km coach trip to Phang Nga Bay.  Here we go to the boat pier where we join a boat trip through one of the most spectacular parts of Thailand.  Hundreds of odd-shaped islands with tropical vegetation, some of them are just tiny rocks, others form large islands. We circumvate one called 'James Bond Island' - the place where 'The Man with the Golden Gun' was filmed.  We visit the Muslim village of Koh Panyl, which is built on stilts out on the open sea.   Here we have a delicious seafood lunch before returning to the mainland and coach back to the mainland.  Cost:  $55.00 Accommodation: Patong Lodge Hotel
29.03.09 (B)	Optional Evening show - Simon Caberet.  This is a highly professional transvestite show with wonderful dancing, costumes and scenery.  Cost:  $52.00 including transfers and dinner at an excellent Patong Beach restaurant. Accommodation: Patong Lodge Hotel
30.03.09 (B)	Free day in Phuket. Your tour guide will organise an optional tour, possibly to Phi Phi Island. Accommodation: Patong Lodge Hotel
31.03.09 (B)	Free morning in Phuket. Transfer to Phuket Airport, departing at 2.55pm on MI 753, arriving in Singapore at 5.40pm.  Sydney passengers depart Singapore at 8.35pm on SQ 221, arriving in Sydney at 5.55am (01.04.09) Melbourne passengers depart Singapore at 9.00pm on SQ 227, arriving in Melbourne at 7.10am (01.04.09) Brisbane passengers depart Singapore at 9.10pm on SQ 235, arriving in Brisbane at 6.35am. (01.04.09)
NOTE:	Airport taxes and levies at present total an additional amount of approximately $470. We have no control over this price and it is subject to change.

Deposits and Payments - A non-refundable deposit of $200.00 per person is payable within 7 days of booking. This deposit is not refundable should you later cancel. The balance is payable in full 8 weeks prior to departure.

Refunds and Cancellations - Cancellations after final payment will result in a refund limited to whatever we can recoup from the airline.

Insurance - Adequate travel insurance is essential. We can arrange this for you if desired.

Passports - All travellers require a current passport with at least 6 months left on it at the end of the tour. Non-Australian passport holders require a re-entry visa for Australia. Visas are not required for Thailand if travelling on an Australian passport.

Not  Included in the Cost - All items of a personal nature such as telephone calls, drinks, excess baggage, tips, meals, (except those specified in the itinerary), etc. Also travel insurance and  taxes & levies. These must now be paid with your ticket, and come to $470 at present.
****Please note that these taxes are subject to change.****

Health and Fitness - Macleay Valley Travel recommends that the passenger is reasonably healthy and/or fit to participate in this tour. Persons with a disability requiring special assistance must be accompanied by a companion. Macleay Valley Travel and their representatives cannot provide this service. Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to accept/decline or terminate a passenger's participation in the tour under certain circumstances.

Booking through other Agents - As we keep the cost of out tours as low as possible, there is insufficient margin for us to be able to pay commission to other travel agents, so some bookings can only be accepted if the client pays the other agent's commission. 
Macleay Valley Travel is a fully licensed travel agent and as such any monies paid to us are fully insured by the Travel Compensation Fund. We are happy for any prospective traveller with us to check us out with your local Consumer Affiars (fair trading) department.
Similarly, credit card payments can only be accepted if 2% is added to the price to help defray the heavy merchant fees charged to us by the credit card companies.

Limitation of Liability - As Macleay Valley Travel acts only as agent for the Airlines, Hotels, Coach Companies etc., providing accommodation, transportation and other services, Macleay Valley Travel shall not be liable or responsible for death or injury to any person or loss or damage to any property including baggage arising out of or connection with any transportation, accommodation or other services, or resulting directly or indirectly from acts of God, fire, breakdown in machinery or equipment, acts of Government or other authorities, de jure or defacto wars, whether declared or not, hostilities, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, epidemics, quarantines, medical or customs regulations, delays or cancellations caused by changes in schedules or itinerary, or over bookings or defaults or for any causes beyond Macleay Valley Travel's control or any loss or damage resulting from improper or insufficient passports, visas or other documents and neither Macleay Valley Travel, and its servants or employees shall be or become liable or responsible for any additional expenses or liability sustained or incurred by the tour member as a result of the foregoing causes.
Macleay Valley Travel reserves the right to modify the itinerary or the accommodation if circumstances make this necessary, provided that the amended itinerary is of equal value or greater value than that of the original program.

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