Indo China Overland from Bangkok to Bangkok

Visiting: Burma , Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand

Indo China Overland from Bangkok to Bangkok

 

This in depth South East Asian discovery is truly a trip not to be missed. From the bustling markets and monasteries of Bangkok to remarkable Angkor Wat in Cambodia and from the charming and beautiful town of Luang Prabang to the astonishing temples of Bagan, this trip is filled with South East Asia's delights.

You'll cross over from Thailand to Cambodia to discover Siem Reap (home to the Angkor Temples), Phnom Penh and Battambang before re-entering Thailand and travelling through the remote North East into Laos. You'll have 2 nights to discover the Lao capital, Vientiane, have time to chill out in the beautiful scenery around Vang Vieng, explore the charming and laidback town of Luang Prabang and hike in the lush green surroundings of Luang Nam Tha National Park. From here you will cross over to the tropical landscapes of Southern China, home to a complex mix of history, people and landscapes, visit Kunming, the 'City of Eternal Spring', and overland through remote villages to the border of Burma. It's here that we enter a South East Asia as it was 20 years ago. From treks through remote villages to a river trip along the Irrawaddy there will be plenty of time to relax. You will explore the archaeological wonders of Bagan, be mesmerised in Burma's last royal capital, Mandalay, visit the floating villages of Inle Lake and explore the golden temples of Yangon before over landing through the south and crossing the border back to Thailand, finishing this epic trip in the capital, Bangkok.

 

Border Information: If joining in Bangkok, enter Thailand at Bangkok Airport.

Free day to explore Bangkok.

Trip meeting at 18:00hrs in our comfortable local hotel, where we will be staying overnight.

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Drive from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet on the Thai/Cambodia border. Overnight in local hotel.

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Border Information: Exit Thailand at Aranyaprathet, enter Cambodia Poipet.

This morning we cross the border into Cambodia and drive to Battambang. Afternoon visit to the Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau. We spend 1 or 2 nights in Battambangm staying in a friendly local hotel.

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Today is a free day for you to explore the town of Battambang and the surrounding area. Note: As this is an exploratory trip, your leader may decide to use this day elsewhere in the itinerary. Second night in local hotel.

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Most of today will be spent travelling as we drive from Battambang to Phnom Penh, stopping en route to visit one of the floating villages that this area is famous for. We will be staying in Phnom Penh for 2 nights at a friendly local guesthouse.

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Morning visit to the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and Killing Fields Memorial. Afternoon free to explore Cambodia's capitlal. Second night in local guesthouse.

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We will spend most of today travelling as we drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. We will be in Siem Reap for 3 nights staying in a friendly local hotel.

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Today we get up early for our full day guided exploration of the incredible temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. We will also be able to watch the sunset over the temples. Second night in friendly local hotel.

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Today is a free day for you to do as you please. Return to the temples to spend some more time exploring, or maybe take some time to relax with a massage or local spa treatment. Siem Reap itself is a lively little town and interesting to wander around. Third night in friendly local hotel.

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Border Information: Exit Cambodia at Poipet,  enter Thailand at Aranyaprathet.

Leaving Siem Reap, we will spend most of today travelling, crossing the border back into Thailand in the late afternoon. Overnight in local hotel in Aranyaprathet.

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Morning drive from Aranyaprathet towards Phi Mai. If time allows we will visit the temple complex in the afternoon, before finding a spot where we can wildcamp for the night.

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Border Information: Exit Thailand at Nong Khai, enter Laos at Ban Nong Heo.

Morning visit to temple of Phi Mai if we did not have time the previous day. Then we drive north through the remote Isan region of Thailand, crossing the border into Laos in the afternoon. Our destination is the old French colonial city of Vientiane. We will be here for 2 nights, staying in a friendly local hotel.

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Free day to wander the streets of laid-back Vientiane or perhaps hire bikes or go by tuk-tuk to explore the surrounding area. Second night in friendly local hotel.

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Leaving Vientiane, we will spend most of today travelling as we drive north to Vang Vieng. We will stay here for 2 nights basing ourselves at a local guesthouse.

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A free day for you to relax and explore Vang Vieng. Second night in local guesthouse.

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Driving from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, we will spend most of today travelling. We will arrive at our friendly local hotel in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon or early evening.

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Border Information: If finishing in Luang Prabang, exit Laos at Luang Prabang Airport.

Today is free for you to wander the streets of Luang Prabang and explore the surrounding area. Second night in friendly local hotel.

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Border Information: If joining in Luang Prabang, enter Laos at Luang Prabang Airport.

Trip meeting at 18:00hrs in our friendly local hotel. Otherwise today is free for you to explore Luang Prabang. Overnight in local hotel.

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This morning we drive from Luang Prabang to Luang Namtha. We stay here for 3 nights at a friendly local guesthouse.

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We have two free days for activities in and around Luang Namtha, popular activities include hiking and trekking in the national park.

We stay overnight in a local guesthouse.

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We have two free days for activities in and around Luang Namtha, popular activities include hiking and trekking in the national park.

We stay overnight in a local guesthouse.

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Border Information: Exit Laos at Boten, enter China at Mengla.

This morning we drive from Lunag Namtha to the border, cross into China and begin our journey north through the southern region of Xishuangbanna. This is China off-the-beaten track and we are unlikely to see many other tourists here. We spend the next few days overlanding through this beautiful area, stopping off at towns, villages and local markets along the way.

We will stay overnight at a local hotel in Jinghong.

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Third day overlanding through 'banna'. Wildcamping or local hotel overnight.

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Today we will have a bit more driving to do, before we arrive in Shilin, home to the Shilin Stone Forest. We will spend some time exploring and wildcamp overnight.

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Short morning drive to Kunming and civilisation after the last few days wildcamping! We will see a different side to China here, this is a vibrant, modern city, and we will have the rest of the day to explore, staying overnight in a comfortable local hotel.

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There will be a group meeting at 18:00 PM. The rest of the evening is free to explore.

We overnight in a comfortable hotel.

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Today is free to relax and explore Kunming. There is plenty to see in Kunming itself of you could consider heading out to the Shilin Stone Forest, a remarkable landscape of strange limestone peaks a couple of hours from Kunming. 

Also make sure that you try a pot of 'over the bridge noodles' a local speciality that will get the taste buds tingling!

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Morning drive from Kunming to the small lakeside town of Dali (appox 320kms). The Afternoon is free to explore. We stay here for 2 nights, basing ourselves at a local hotel.

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A free day in Dali to enjoy the many adventurous activities that you can do in the area, including heading up in to the mountains behind the tow, or taking a boat ride out onto the lake.

Alternatively kick back, relax and watch the world go by from a friendly cafe in one of the traditional cobblestone streets.

We spend a second night in a local hotel.

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This morning we drive towards Yunnan's Baoshan county, famous for its hotsprings and the many volacanoes that surround the area.

Whilst here we have time to explore the hotsprings, volcanoes and waterfalls.

We will camp overnight near the town of Tengchong (approx 340kms). 

 

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This morning we have more time to explore Baoshan county. In the afternoon we head towards the Burmese border (approx 200km), ready for our border crossing tomorrow morning.

We will stay in a local guesthouse near the border town on Ruili.

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Border Information: Exit China at Ruili & Enter Burma at Muse.

We cross the border from China into Burma, spending the night at the town of Muse.

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Today we make our way to the laid-back Shan village of Hsipaw. The afternoon is free to explore this beautiful area; there are numerous options including trekking to surrounding villages, hiring a bike or visiting the nearby waterfalls, water caves and hotsprings.

Tonight we will camp near the village.

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Pyin U Kwin is a scenic hill town based in the Shan highlands. We use this as a base for further walks in this area.

We camp overnight.

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We have 2 days to explore the sites of Mandalay. On our second day we have a guided tour that includes Mandalay Hill.

We stay overnight in a comfortable hotel.

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We have 2 days to explore the sites of Mandalay. On our second day we have a guided tour that includes Mandalay Hill.

We stay overnight in a comfortable hotel.

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This morning we for drive around 3 hours to Monywa stopping off en route to visit the Thanboddhay Pagoda. Monywa is also our jumping off point for the boat cruise down the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady River).

We will spend the night in a local hotel in Monywa.

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After breakfast we make our way to the Irrawaddy, where we board a boat to take us on a journey that is rarely taken by travellers.

We will stay overnight in a hotel.

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Bagan is situated on the banks of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River and is home to the largest cluster of pagodas, Buddhist temples, stupas and ruins in the world, a place that has to be seen to be believed.

During our time here we have a guided tour of the site.

We stay overnight in a local hotel.

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Bagan is situated on the banks of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River and is home to the largest cluster of pagodas, Buddhist temples, stupas and ruins in the world, a place that has to be seen to be believed.

During our time here we have a guided tour of the site.

We stay overnight in a local hotel.

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This morning we have a short drive to the hill station town of Kalaw, a perfect place for trekking and escaping the heat.

There is plenty of time to explore the town and visit the market.

We will camp overnight.

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This morning we have a short drive to the beautiful Inle Lake, a real highlight of a visit to Burma. The area is full of amazing floating gardens and can be explored by bike or on a longtail boat.

Overnight in a local guesthouse.

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This morning we have a short drive to the beautiful Inle Lake, a real highlight of a visit to Burma. The area is full of amazing floating gardens and can be explored by bike or on a longtail boat.

Overnight in a local guesthouse.

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We will have the morning to relax and explore more of Inle Lake. This afternoon we drive south, stopping overnight in Bago.

We will camp overnight.

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This morning we drive to Yangon, with 3 full days to explore the city. On the second day we have a guided tour of the main sites.

Overnight in a comfortable hotel.

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This morning we drive to Yangon, with 3 full days to explore the city. On the second day we have a guided tour of the main sites.

Overnight in a comfortable hotel.

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Today we drive to one of the Myanmar's most spectacular sites and an important Buddhist pilgrimage shrine, Mt Kyaiktiyo.

We take a pick-up truck up the first two-thirds of the mountain, and then continue the final part of the ascent on foot along a steep and winding path. We end up on the top, next to the Golden Rock.

We camp overnight in the area.

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We spend the next 3 days overlanding through Burma's southern Mon state. We will be able to visit local markets, stop at some amazing temples and sample the local cuisine as we travel south toward the Thai border.

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We spend the next 3 days overlanding through Burma's southern Mon state. We will be able to visit local markets, stop at some amazing temples and sample the local cuisine as we travel south toward the Thai border.

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We spend the next 3 days overlanding through Burma's southern Mon state. We will be able to visit local markets, stop at some amazing temples and sample the local cuisine as we travel south toward the Thai border.

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Border Information: Exit Burma at Kawthaung & Enter Thailand at Ranong.

This morning we will cross over to Thailand. Once all the border procedures are complete we will continue our journey towards Chumphon.

We will wild camp overnight en route.

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Today we head for Thailand's bustling capital, Bangkok. The drive is approximately 450 kms which means we arrive into Bangkok during the late afternoon. The evening is free to explore (and shop!).

Overnight in a comfortable hotel.

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Free day for optional activities.

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Key: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner