Thailand & Cambodia

OVERVIEW
Join members of the tribe on an intimate journey through Thailand & Cambodia and experience the cultural, culinary, and recreational pleasures of two countries steeped in spiritual tradition. From the exhilirating streets of Bangkok to the sacred temples within the lost city of Angkor Wat (billed as the eighth wonder of the world), and then on to Chiang Mai "the Rose of the North", Off-the-Rails offers the unique opportunity to savor the region's beauty and seduction.

Trip highlights

• After a fun night in Bangkok, we will fly to Siem Reap for 3 extraordinary days visiting the lost temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prom. Here's a few things we will experience:
• Part of the fun is getting around the Angkor Complex - and we have lots of options!
  • You can hire our own guide and car for the day;
  • be your own pilot and rent a scooter;
  • ride on back with a personal cycle guide;
  • or casually take in the scenery from your very own bicycle...in typical Off-the-Rails' style, it's up to you!
• Dinner and the theatre...Cambodian style. We can check out one of the many local shadow theatres. So what if the dialog is in Khmer? I'm sure we will figure out the plot. How much can a paper tiger have to say anyway?
• After a couple of days, we will surely need to do the laundry. No, not our dirty clothes, we can do those when we get back. I'm talking about the Laundry Music Bar near the old lotus market for a cool drink, or take a break from the temples with a 1,000 butterflies swarming about in a local garden.

• After we're all "templed out" we then fly to beautiful Chiang Mai for 5 days to experience the best-of-the-best in Thai culture. Here's what we will be doing:
• Learn traditional Thai Massage or Reflexology, an ancient form of body work that is beneficiary for both the recipient and the masseur.
• Take part in private Thai cooking classes, and explore the local markets to gather ingredients for some of our favorite recipes.
• Cool off in the fresh mountain air of Doi Suthep, one of the most sacred Buddhist temples in all of Thailand.
• Check out Chaing Mai's amazing Night Bazaar, where you can find just about anything for sale and bargain to your heart's content.
• Join in on Thailand's biggest festival - Loi Krathong (Festival of Lights), where local Thais release their bad luck by floating candle-lit flower arrangements away on the river.
• Try your hand at hot air ballooning...Thai style! Our local Thai friends are going to show us how to celebrate Yi Peng later that evening by designing and releasing our very own Khom Loi (fire lantern) into the night air.
• Enjoy the best cover band this side of Saigon at a cool resturant/bar on the river, where locals and tourists come together for classic drinks and great music.
• You know the saying "When in Rome..."? We will be tasting some of the best dishes in town, known mainly by locals and guaranteed to be great.

Details

Type: Open Signup

When: November, 2008

Length of Trip: 10 Days

Group Size: max 8 people

Cost: $2,250 per person

What's Included: Everything. You don't need to plan or worry about anything that you don't want to. Lodging, meals, transportation, visa, permits …we've taken care of it all so you don't have to. » Details

Status: 4 places left. » See who's going…

Philanthropic Mission: Many of our trips are philanthropic in nature and therefore tax deductable. Since there will be no specific charitible contribution being made by the group for this trek in particular, this specific trip is not be tax deductable. On the other hand, for those interested, each of us will all have the opportunity to participate in some of the personal projects that co-founder Dave Douglas is working on while he's there.

» How to reserve a spot.