05 Days South Thailand Tour (Overland From Bangkok To Phuket)

Depart from Bangkok to Petchburi, which is dominated by a small hill known as Khao Wang (Palace Mountain). Here King Mongkut had a summer palace built in 1860. Named Phra Nakhon Khiri, it is now a Historical Park consisting of palace buildings, temples, halls, even an observatory where the King used to view the stars. To reach the hilltop, you can either walk or take a cable car. Then visit Wat Yai Suwannaram: The main shrine hall contains 300-year-old mural paintings of mythical angels. The multi-purpose hall, once located in Ayutthaya's Grand Palace, is entirely built of teak wood and decorated with fine carving work especially at the door panels. Drive to the fishing village of Had Chao Samran. During the dry season, you can often observe people working on salt fields, a nice and welcome motive for photographers. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Hua Hin and check in at the Ibis Hua Hin. Dinner at local restaurant and overnight at IBIS HUA HIN or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart to Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park, which occupies an area of 98 square kilometers with undulating ranges of limestone mountains, mangrove swamps, and beaches. With a large number of ridges, Khao Sam Roi Yod (or the mountain of 300 peaks) stands as a landmark for seaman and also provides a good shelter for ships during a storm. Visit Tham Phraya Nakhon, one of the largest caves in the park. It can be reached by boat or on foot during a one-hour climb from the village of Bang Pu. There are a couple of natural ventilation holes on the roof of the cave thus allowing sunlight to shine inside. The most popular attraction of the cave is a four-gabled pavilion constructed during the reign of King Rama V in the year 1890. With its beauty and distinctive identity the pavilion is now used as the symbol of Prachuap Khiri Khan. After lunch at a simple restaurant, continue along the coastline south to Chumphorn. Dinner and overnight at NOVOTEL CHUMPHON BEACH RESORT.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Chaya and visit Phra Borom That Chaiya, which is believed to have been built more than 1,200 years ago. Along the courtyard of the chedi are several sculptures and Buddha images. Close by is the forest temple of Wat Suan Mokkh, set in a serene ambience conducive for meditation or contemplation of the philosophy of life. The temple itself is nothing but a combination of natural sandy grounds and rocks, dotted with trees. There are no elaborate stupas and chapels like other temples and the place is famous with foreigners who come here for meditation. For the casual visitor, the 'Spiritual Theatre' is an interesting attraction, which features art objects, drawings and poems related to Buddhas' teachings. The building also exhibits a diverse mixture of Thai, Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Tibetan and European-style murals and sculptures. After lunch at a local seafood restaurant in Surat Thani, continue to a monkey training school in Kanchanadit. Students are mostly local pig-tailed monkeys from the forests. Monkey owners must pay a tuition fee, which is inclusive of food and accommodation. Classes of 3-6 months are classified into three levels, beginners, intermediate and advance. Graduate monkeys are trained to pick only ripened coconuts from the trees. Continue to Khanom and check in at RACHAKHIRI RESORT & SPA on Nai Plao Beach. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, we continue to the west-coast to Krabi province. Visit Wat Tham Sua, a temple carved into a cave before checking in at the Maritime Park Resort & Spa. After lunch at a local garden restaurant, we take a local long tail boat to Ko Poda Island and Pranang Cave with opportunity for swimming and snorkeling. Dinner and overnight at MARITIME PARK RESORT & SPA.

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart to Phang Nga province and visit Suwan Ku Ha Cave with its numerous Buddha statues. Proceed to the boat landing pier and take a boat trip through one of the most stunning parts of Thailand, Phang Nga Bay. Hundreds of odd-shaped limestone formations rise from the water, often covered with tropical vegetation, some of them are just tiny rocks, while others form larger islands. This is also the area, where the famous James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun" was shot. During the boat trip you will also visit the Muslim village of Ko Panyi, build on stilts out in the open sea, where you will be served a delicious seafood lunch. Return to the pier on the mainland and continue by bus to Phuket and Departure