Find yourself in the company of literary spirits – Conrad, Maugham and Coward – during a private high tea in one of Bangkok’s historic hotels. Search the countryside of Northern Thailand for wild elephants and precious orchids, while taking in the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding hills. Circumnavigate the walled city of Sukhothai, encountering Si Satchanalai’s evocative Khmer ruins. At sunset in Chiang Mai, stand in silence before the mountaintop temple of Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep before visiting the cacophonous Night Bazaar. In sun-kissed Pattaya on the Gulf of Thailand, meet a prominent Thai horticulturalist for a personal tour of his superlative garden: 450 acres of palms, tropical plants, and exotic blossoms.
Visit remote craft centers in Laos or the Vietnamese hill country, where the rhythm of life continues to be measured by the weaver’s loom or the storyteller’s tale. Make the acquaintance of major Vietnamese historians, chefs, and artists in their homes, markets, and studios. Encounter Cambodia’s Angkor Watt - undisputed jewel of Southeast Asia – joined by the international scholars and lifelong experts specializing in the World Heritage Site.
