Our holiday starts at the group hotel in Chiang Mai. A single timed group transfer from Chiang Mai Airport is provided. We have some time to freshen up and rest at the hotel before this brilliant holiday kicks off with a Thai cooking session. We begin with a tour of the local food, spice, vegetable and fruit market. Our guide will explain many of the foods on offer, how they taste and if they are spicy or flavoursome. We then return to the cooking school and set about making a few dishes of our own. Maybe we fancy some spring rolls, a stir fry, soup or a curry. There is a variety of options to suit all palates. This is a great introduction for children and adults to the absolutely delicious food of this fantastic country.

After breakfast we make our way to the fascinating 500 year old silver temple of Wat Srisuphan. We meet with the monks and look at the unique, intricate and impressive engravings made into this temple of silver, nickel and aluminium. Some of the panels have Marvel characters (yes, as in superheros) and alien families engraved - good ones to search for with the children. Unfortunately women are not allowed inside the temple, but the outside is just as interesting. The silver workshop is next door, as craftspeople are continuously refreshing the temple. It is here that we are shown what making these panels and decorations entails and then we have a little turn of our own on a small silver plate. This is a prefect keep-sake from this fun temple visit. This afternoon we head to explore the old and modern Chiang Mai, seeking out the most sacred Buddhist monuments. We drive out of town to visit the golden temple at Doi Suthep Mountain. We climb the staircase looking at the naga (the mythical beautifully adorned serpent found in this part of Asia) carvings. When we reach the top, we will be dazzled by the golden pagoda. This is such a special part of the world. It's great to see the views below of Chiang Mai. Our last visit of the day is the Wat Suan Dok, 48m golden Buddhist Stupa or Chedi.

Today we head out of town into the green and verdant countryside for the next few days. Our walk starts at the small village of Huay Teun, south-west of Chiang Mai. The drive is around 2 hours and we stop along the way at a market to pick up provisions for the next few days. Outside of the city, the air is clean and we start seeing the rural way of life. Our luggage for the next 2 nights is packed on a motorbike to join us later, and we are ready. We walk alongside a stream which comes from Doi Lor Mountain and enjoy our picnic lunch before continuing upwards on an ascending trail used by the local community. We rest at a hidden waterfall in the forest before completing our walk into the village of Khun Na Sa where we overnight in our homestay. The charming people here will make everyone feel very welcome, and our guides will help with the cooking and ensure we are comfortable for the night. The group will be in a large room altogether with mattresses on the floor, covered with hanging mosquito nets. Facilities are simple with a bucket of water for washing and clean local toilets. This is the perfect way to discover the true nature of the Thai people and how the rural community lives.

After our breakfast we pack our little bags and set off on our second days' walk and adventure. We take the quiet forest trail, which gives us plenty of opportunity to look out for some of the wildlife including lots of bird species. We have a jungle style picnic along the route. This afternoon we arrive into Ban Khun Puay, which is a Karen hilltribe village of around 70 families. We get acquainted with the people in the village and learn about their lifestyles. We have some music or story-telling and dinner, before going to sleep in our homestay for the night.

We leave early for our trek out of the area. We are close to the Doi Inthanon National Park here. There are some beautiful rice terraces in this area. Traditional wooden houses on stilts are dotted throughout the lush, green, verdant terraces which are built on the undulating hills of this area. The majority of our walk today is spent going downhill. We stop at a waterfall for a refreshing dip or just to relax in this pretty spot. At the roadhead we say our farewells to our crew and return in the vehicle to Chiang Mai. We arrive mid-afternoon and have a little time before the exciting 2 hour Muay Thai or Thai boxing introduction. It is the national sport and a cultural martial art of Thailand, and is a form of kickboxing. We learn the background and some basic techniques. For many this is a highlight of the holiday.

Elephants are one of the most magnificent animals in this world. We visit the Kanta Elephant Sanctuary. Here the elephants roam free in the tranquil sanctuary. All elephants are rescued from tourism entertainment or logging. They are allowed to be social and bathe in the fresh water lagoons. On our full day visit, we join a group, and set about learning about these wonderful animals whilst feeding them, walking with them and helping them bathe in the river. It's an inspiring day, perfect for nature lovers. If we didn't love elephants before, we will now. We say goodbye to the elephants and return to Chiang Mai to prepare for our exciting overnight on the train to Ayutthaya.

The overnight train is an air conditioned 2nd class carriage. Most of the trains have berths each side of the aisle. These are bunks, with the bottom bunk forming 2 seats, and the top bunk folding down. Some trains are configured differently with 4-person berths. The train carriage attendant makes the beds for you with proper bedding including pillow, sheets and blanket. There is a restaurant/dining carriage, or you can eat at your seats, as the steward comes to take your order. You are well looked after, and sleeping on a train through the night is a fabulous adventure for children and adults alike.

We wake on the train as the sun comes up, and we disembark in the town of Ayutthaya. We have breakfast at the morning market or a local restaurant and can watch the saffron-clad monks emerge from their monasteries for the daily alms collections from the local Buddhist residents. The laid back atmosphere is a pleasant stopping point before busy Bangkok. We pop to visit the local Wat Yai Chaimongkol temple, which has an impressive collection of seated stone Buddha's all adorned with the saffron robes. We check into the hotel at lunchtime, and then we have the afternoon on a cycling excursion of Ayutthaya Historic Park. This island is surrounded by three rivers and is where the old capital used to be. The ruins are impressive temples and palaces which were built between 1351 and 1767. We have fun on the bikes as we travel between the specific sites of interest. There are very few cars in this area. This is a great way to get around, and makes it more interesting for the children. We return to the hotel were we can have a swim in the pool before we head out for some dinner.

We transfer this morning by vehicle to Bangkok, which takes 1-2 hrs depending on the traffic. After arriving at our hotel we take our bikes and have a tour of some interesting sights of the exciting modern capital of Thailand. Our route takes us through alleyways and pathways that are best accessed on two wheels, and away from the busy roads. We pass markets, local Buddhist temples and a vast array of unique street life. The ferry takes us over the Chao Phraya River and we continue our tour in Thonburi past its temples, museums and urban life. We finish our loop through the flower market and back to the start. The cycling is designed for families and every consideration for different abilities is taken into account. We return to the hotel and have some time to freshen up before dinner.

We begin our day with a tour of the Jim Thompson House, named after a silk merchant who built this beautiful teak mansion in the 1960's. Whilst Jim Thompson was alive he was adamant that the silk production for his company should be done as a cottage industry, from home, with the females becoming the family breadwinner, bringing hundreds of people out of poverty. We visit the nextdoor workshop to see how silk is hand woven to produce high-quality silk fabrics. This afternoon we have free time. You can choose to take an optional long-boat ride along the waterways, visit the food market, or go to Wat Saket/The Golden Mount for a close up view of this golden stupa, or of course there is always the option to see the massive golden Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. There is so much to see and do, and your guide will advise you the best places and routes for your family.

We transfer by road for around 3 hours to Rayong Pier. Here we take the short ferry ride across to the paradise island of Koh Samet. Here we check into our coastal hotel. Koh Samet is a paradise island known for its white sandy beaches, blue skies and warm turquoise seas full of beautiful fish. We stay at a family friendly hotel with a swimming pool and nestled next to idyllic beaches. We can relax and unwind, and enjoy a good book whilst the children swim, snorkel and play in this safe environment.

Today we can do as we please. The small island is a national park and has a selection of fine beaches. We can stay at our hotel and beach, or we can take an optional trip to some of the other hidden bays. There are a plenty of watersport options along the beach.

A second full day on the island to ensure that adults and children alike are fully soaked in the relaxed atmosphere and way of life in this tropical paradise.

Our holiday ends after breakfast at the hotel on Koh Samet. We then say goodbye to the blue skies, seas and sun and take single timed transfer back to Bangkok Airport. We will be at Bangkok Airport in time for flights departing in the evening.