Northern Thailand Adventure

Touchdown in Bangkok. Settle into the city, meet the group and get ready for fourteen days of adventure. We kick things off with a welcome dinner on the legendary Khao San Road, getting to know each other over seriously good food and a few beers. The perfect start to two weeks in Thailand.

After breakfast, we glide through the Taling Chan Floating Market by longtail boat, grabbing local street food straight from the boats. Then we head to Kanchanaburi to cruise the River Kwai, learning its history along the way, before walking the historic Bridge over the River Kwai as the sun sets over the water.

City, tick. Floating markets, tick. Now for waterfalls. Erawan is seven tiers of crystal-clear blue water surrounded by lush green jungle, so bring your swimmers and take a dip. We have lunch at the falls, then head back to Kanchanaburi to chill by the pool or explore the town before meeting up for dinner.

Next stop, Ayutthaya, the ancient capital. We hop on bikes and cycle around this World Heritage Site, touring its temples and learning about the fascinating history of Ayutthaya and the kingdom of Siam, as Thailand used to be called. Then we grab a bite to eat and board the overnight train to Chiang Mai.

We check into our guesthouse, perfectly placed between old and new Chiang Mai, and relax by the pool. Then we visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the city's most famous and possibly most beautiful temple, high on the mountain with panoramic views over the city. Once we've soaked it all in, the afternoon is yours.

An exclusive you won't find anywhere else. After breakfast, we trek through the jungle to a waterfall and on to Javis house, our hill tribe homestay. Here you'll learn to make a Ta Laew, a traditional woven bamboo charm, share lunch and dinner with our hosts, then gather round the bonfire and fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle. Moderate fitness needed.

Note: This trek does not require a high level of fitness but is a bit of a challenge.

After breakfast, we head back towards Chiang Mai the fun way: on a bamboo raft drifting down the river. Then it's time to meet the elephants at a dedicated rehabilitation sanctuary. Animal welfare is close to our hearts, so we visit to learn and to support programmes that do good. Lunch is included, and the memories last forever.

Adrenaline time. After breakfast we head into the jungle to spend the morning ziplining, flying from platform to platform through the canopy up to 50m above the ground, with rope bridges and a few abseils thrown in. You'll see the jungle in a whole new, much faster way. Lunch is included. Just don't look down.

After a big few days, take a slow morning after breakfast: read a book, grab a cocktail, do whatever floats your boat. In the afternoon, bags packed, we hop on a bus for the three-hour ride to the hippie town of Pai, a backpacker favourite full of retro bars, market stalls, excellent food and people from all walks of life.

We start at Lod Cave, one of Thailand's biggest, hiking its chambers and rafting the river through it on bamboo (season permitting). After lunch, we soothe our muscles in jungle hot springs heated by geothermal activity and climb the steps to Pai's White Buddha. We finish at Pai Canyon for sunset over the mountains and jungle.

Chill day, let's go. After a lie-in, the day is yours: relax by the pool, lounge around or play mermaids with your new besties. Once we've had our fill of relaxing, we head out together for dinner and drinks and see where the night takes us. In Pai, that could be anywhere.

Back to Chiang Mai, and time to become Thailand's next MasterChef. First we hit the market, where our teachers show us how to pick the freshest ingredients. Then it's into the cooking school to learn traditional Thai dishes and make them ourselves. Best bit? Dinner is whatever you've cooked, so pay attention.

After breakfast, we head to Chiang Mai's Grand Canyon Water Park for a day of pure fun. Countless slides, floating chairs and tubes, and for the brave-hearted, cliff jumping into the water below. Take your pick, or try the lot. A big splash of a final full day with the crew.

After a final breakfast, your Northern Adventure comes to an end, and you leave with stories and friends for life. Continuing your trip? Your Local Legend will happily help with onward travel. Got more time? Check out our Vietnam Explorer, or head south on our Thailand Experience. It's been real, crew.