ITINERARY   
   
Day 1, Chiang Mai - Khum Lanna (L/D)
   
Afternoon arrival at Khum Lanna to be greeted by our local Lanna people. A tasty welcome drink (herbal tea or fruit juice from the garden) will be served. We will give you a briefing and propose a choice of activities for you to decide how you want to spend the afternoon. Khum Lanna will provide Thai farmer shirts for the guest use during their stay.

You will receive a “Khum Lanna Thai Recipe Book” that explains many delicious recipes, plus the herbs used and the health benefits of each. Get an introduction to Thai language (which will prepare you for your market shopping the next day). Enjoy the fruits of your labors with a full 4-course sit-down Thai dinner with your host and friends. Watch a million stars beside a campfire in the garden (arranged during Nov – Feb only).
   
Day 2, Khum Lanna (B/L/D)
   
Early morning coffee or tea will be brought to your room for your wake-up call before we start our sunrise biking trip along the rural country road via San Kwang village to Phrao to visit an early morning local market where local coffee is available. With the help of your guide you may buy local cookies and flower garlands for the temple offering on the way back. Then walk to visit a farmer’s rice and traditional tools shop, chat with the owner, and learn more about the rice legends and differences & properties of the varieties of rice. Your local escort will translate. Cycles back to Khum Lanna with a stop to visit Wat Pa. Pay respect to the Buddha image under the sacred tree. Continue biking to Khum Lanna along the local canal with a stop in the rice fields to get more information about the rice-growing process and the place of rice in Thai life. Upon return, refreshment or shower before a local Lanna-style breakfast which is set on the riverside.

Khum Lanna’s concept is “Rice for Life”. You will be given an orientation of this concept and also learn about the history of rice cultivation, the types, the equipment used in the past and the future needs.Try your cooking skills out by steaming the Thai sticky rice and following this take a casual walk to the organic garden where we have a variety of produce including the different rice harvesting stages. You will also have the opportunity to collect herbs and vegetables from the garden and use these in your cooking class. Lunch will include a country style Barbeque, sticky rice that you prepared earlier, and all the scrumptious dishes to complement."

From 14h00 – 16h00: Choose one of the exciting following (approx. one-hour) activities:

• A Guided biking tour around Khum Lanna country side
• Creative Fruit (or vegetable) carving
• A local herbal steam bath to relax and rejuvenate your body.
• A therapeutic Hot-pressed herbal massage (consisting of 8 kinds of herbs: ginger, zingier, lemongrass, plantain, tamarind leaves, soap pod, camphor and Aom Kiew).

Notes:
A second additional 1-hour activity can be booked at a nominal charge but as a free activity you are welcome to go cycling by yourself. We will give you a road book of recommended itineraries. Late afternoon at leisure until the last Thai cooking class starts in the early evening. In this last lesson, you will learn to prepare and cook your gatherings from the garden and enjoy making 3 new Thai dishes. Then, enjoy a full 4-course sit-down Thai dinner with your host and friends. Digest it all beside a campfire in the garden while star-gazing far from the city lights (Arrange during Nov – Feb only).

Day 3, Khum Lanna - Chiang Mai (B/L)

Around 7 am (Option): Walk to the temple and join your host in the traditional alms offering, giving food to the monks for merit. As a symbolic gesture the guests must make this small purchase themselves. This is followed by a leisurely breakfast by the river before a light cycling to the rural village in the morning. See the incredible accumulation of beehives on the sacred tree at Ban Nam Phrae and get information about the need for bees and the reasons for local conservation.

Continue biking to Wiang Phrao Wung Hin (the ancient city 30 years older than Chiang Mai) to visit a temple and Phra Chao Lan Tong, the most significant Buddha Image in the Phrao district. Here, King Mengrai (1259-1317) assembled the villagers and trained them as soldiers to defend the city. Bikes to Wat Tham Dork Kum and visits to different Buddha stucco figures and the huge reclining Buddha. Picnic lunch will be provided on the orchard hill, which has a fantastic overview of the entire Phrao valley and Khum Lanna. Cycles back to Khum Lanna.

Refreshment or shower before checkout. Receive your Thai Cooking Diploma and a gift from the owner before return transfer to Chiang Mai."
   
Enjoy a delicious Thai lunch followed by transfer to Chiang Mai.
   

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

INCLUDED

Accommodation in non air-conditioned room with electric fan based on half twin-bedded room
Transfer from Chiang Mai airport or hotel to Khum Lanna or v.v.
Assistance of English-speaking Lanna escort during visit and join-in activity
Meals as specified. And local coffee at the market
Your choice of one Activity
Baggage handling

NOT INCLUDED

All airfares as well as airports taxes
Other meals and services than those mentioned
Personal expenses such as purchases at local market, alms-giving, drinks, telephone, laundry, etc.

NOTE

Thai Farmers shirts are provided for the duration of the stay only and are available at nominal charge at the Khum Lanna boutique.
Children 2-12 years old sharing parent's room with extra bed : 50% discount.