A private “Solo in Style” trip to Thailand for Lantern Festival… Embark on a 15-day adventure through Thailand’s historic temples, wild jungles, and stunning beaches. Experience island hopping on a long-tail boat and jungle trekking in one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Curated exclusively for our members, this journey is hosted by Deborah Ives, founder of Solo in Style, and Jodie Smith, owner of Globe Drifters. With only 14 spots available, book early to make sure you don’t miss out!

Chiang Mai mass lantern release: Participate in this bucketlist event with front row seats to an awe-inspiring spectacle of thousands of lanterns drifting into the sky!

Picture-perfect beaches: Escape to the laid-back town of Railay, accessible only by boat and whose beaches could be straight from a postcard!

Authentic market experience: Pick up lunch ingredients alongside the locals at Bangkok’s most authentic wet market where you’ll find everything from fresh produce to more creepy, crawly delicacies.

Welcome to Thailand! Airport pick-up is included*, and once you arrive in Bangkok, you’ll settle into your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you can explore the sights, sounds, and smells of this intoxicating city or stretch your legs and relax at the hotel's rooftop pool to unwind after the long journey.

Later this evening, there will be a welcome meeting at the hotel to meet your local trip leader and get to know your fellow travelers. Then, go for dinner together at Cabbages and Condoms, a restaurant whose income helps local family planning initiatives. Inside the restaurant, almost everything is made of... Can you guess what?!

*Airport pick-up is included only if you arrive on Day 1. If you are not arriving on Day 1, airport pick-up is not included, but you can easily take a taxi at the airport or pre-arrange an airport pick-up with a transport company such as Welcome Pickups.

Included:

• Activities: Airport pick-up*; Welcome meeting; Welcome dinner

• Meals: Dinner

• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

This morning, make your way to Klong Toei Wet Market to pick up ingredients for today's cooking class. Anything and everything is sold at this truly local market that few farang (foreigners) get to see, including live ducks, insects, and snakes! As you walk through the market, you can taste exotic fruits, and if you’re brave enough, sample some of the creepy, crawly delicacies! After the market, master the art of Thai cooking in a class in which part of the proceeds goes to the Klong Toei slums.

After the cooking class, return to the hotel for some R&R. Later, meet up again for sunset at one of Bangkok’s highest rooftops, with great food, great drinks, and unreal 360° views of this megacity!

Included :

• Activities: Klong Toei wet market; Cooking class with lunch; Free time; Sunset at rooftop bar

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

Journey south to Railay today where you'll enjoy some time to get familiar with your new surroundings. Railay is a welcome relief after the hustle and bustle of Bangkok as the town is completely pedestrian and there are no cars or motorbikes around so you can easily explore without getting lost. Railay is special because it is surrounded by large limestone cliffs which make it accessible only by boat. It is well-known for its rock climbing and is one of the most photogenic spots in all of Thailand.

One of Thailand’s most photographed beaches all to yourself! Later today, head to Phra Nang Beach which is less than a 10-minute walk away. This is the best time to visit this beach since the hordes of day-trippers from Phuket will have left and you can enjoy the beach in peace! On the beach, head over to the "penis temple” where Thai women leave penis statues with hopes of being blessed with good fertility. Then, sit back and watch the sunset on the vast stretch of beach!

Included :

• Transfers: Bangkok – Railay Beach by plane, van, boat (approximately 3.5 hours)

• Activities: Free time; Phra Nang Beach

• Meals: Breakfast

• Accommodation: Boutique resort hotel

This morning is at your leisure. After lunch on your own terms, hop on an old Thai sailboat for a cruise around massive intricate rock formations protruding from the ocean depths. The cruise starts after lunch and as you cruise, there’ll be stops for snorkeling. Alternatively, you can just grab a drink and chill on the boat as you enjoy the views. Inner tubes and paddleboards will also be available. As we sail, we'll take in a breathtaking sunset followed by dinner and the option of snorkeling to see the bioluminescent plankton light up around you.

Included :

• Activities: Free time; Half-day cruise with dinner

• Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

• Accommodation: Boutique resort hotel

Today is yours to do as you please. Your trip leader will suggest some ideas of things to do in Railay the day before and can help make arrangements if needed. Most activities can be arranged at little to no notice. You might opt to go kayaking, rock climbing, snorkeling, island hopping, scuba diving, or just lounge around on the beach and get massages. It's your vacation so you can do what you'd like!

Included :

• Activities: Free time (optional activities at your own expense)

• Meals: Breakfast

• Accommodation: Boutique resort hotel

Wonders of the ancient rainforest. Khao Sok National Park’s rainforest is the second oldest in the world, estimated to have thrived for over 160 million years. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch followed by a tubing excursion during which you’ll float lazily down a river with beautiful fauna everywhere you look.

*NOTE: Remember to keep your food close and your valuables even closer because the monkeys will take advantage of any open windows or doors to snatch what they please!

Included :

• Transfers: Railay Beach – Khao Sok by boat, van (approximately 2.5 hours)

• Activities: Tubing excursion; Free time

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Accommodation: Jungle bungalow eco-lodge

Today is a completely free day to enjoy Khao Sok at your own pace. Your trip leader can help arrange any activities you’d like — from canoeing to hiking to participating in a jungle cooking class. If you’d rather take it slow, you can go for a gentle jungle walk, explore the hotel grounds, walk into town, or treat yourself to a massage.

Included :

• Activities: Free time (optional activities at your own expense)

• Meals: Breakfast

• Accommodation: Jungle bungalow eco-lodge

A unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience! Get ready to spend the night in a floating lake hotel. Head to the edge of the lake and hop in a boat to the accommodation. During the boat ride, don't forget to look up at the large limestone cliffs and dense jungles in their full glory.

We'll enjoy lunch at the floating lake hotel and then, head out for a scenic hike in the jungle (easy to moderate, approximately 30 minutes each way). You'll also have the chance to explore a cave covered in stalactites, stalagmites, and fossils that are between 250-400 million years old!

At the end of the day, unwind at your floating lake house where you can take a dip in the lake or kick back and relax. After dinner together, you have the option to take an evening boat safari to try to spot wild elephants!

Included :

• Transfers: Khao Sok jungle – Cheow Lan Lake by van, boat (approximately 2 hours)

• Activities: Boat ride on lake; Jungle hike; Cave visit; Free time; Evening boat safari

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Accommodation: Floating lake house hotel

Chiang Mai: A place of history and wonder. This morning, head north toward the mountains of Chiang Mai which boasts a rich culture and ethnic diversity as well as many elephant sanctuaries, cooking and massage schools, outdoor activities, handicraft workshops, cultural performances, and waterfalls galore! You'll have some time to freshen up after the flight or explore your new environment. The hotel is in the heart of the city so you can easily venture out on your own.

Tonight, you’ll visit the farang (foreigner) food market that is full of food trucks and stalls serving everything from pad thai to pizza if you’d like to have dinner here. Then, onward to the night market for some souvenir shopping.

Included :

• Transfers: Cheow Lan Lake – Chiang Mai by boat, van, plane (approximately 3.5 hourrs)

• Activities: Free time; Night market

• Meals: Breakfast

• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

This morning, drive to the outskirts of Chiang Mai where the elephants roam in peace. Observe the daily patterns of these jungle giants, see how they graze and socialize with others, and get up close to feed them. The expert caregivers will teach you about their efforts toward sustainable tourism and conservation. Enjoy some refreshments near the elephants’ mud pit but be careful not to get sprayed!

Return to town after lunch for some free time. After the sun goes down, see an amazing ladyboy show with all the flash and pizzazz often associated with the ladyboys of Thailand!

Included :

• Activities: Elephant sanctuary; Free time; Ladyboy show
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

Today is the much anticipated Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival)! To kick off the festivities, go for a tuk-tuk tour around the city and stop at the Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple) and Wat Chedi Luang. As you visit the temples, you’ll see monks doing their mantras and meditating. If you’d like, you can participate in a monk chat, a conversation between tourists and monks where you can ask questions about Buddhism or Thailand. This also gives novice monks a great opportunity to practice their English! After lunch together, you have a bit of free time before the main event.

A moment for the bucket list! After sundown, it’s time for the mass lantern release! With your lantern in hand, you’ll bear witness to thousands of lanterns floating in the air and lighting up the night sky for a memory that will last a lifetime!

Included :

• Activities: Tuk-tuk tour with lunch; Wat Sri Suphan; Wat Chedi Luang; Monk chat; Mass lantern release
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

Day 12 : Chiang Mai

Your day is completely free to do as you wish! Your trip leader can offer recommendations of things to do in your free time. One of our favorite activities is the sticky waterfalls about an hour outside Chiang Mai. You’ll just have to go to find out how they got their name!

At night, watch the Loy Krathong parades and festivities. You don’t even need to leave the hotel because the parade route passes right in front of it! Otherwise, you will have the whole evening to enjoy the lively festivities around the town with your new friends.

Included :

• Activities: Free time (optional activities at your own expense)
• Meals: Breakfast
• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

Today is your final day in Chiang Mai as the festivities of the Lantern Festival come to an end. For an adrenaline rush, you can go ziplining through the jungle treetops or get your heart pumping in a Muay Thai class! Alternatively, you can just choose to stroll around town in the labyrinth of streets for some last souvenirs and a bowl of khao soi!

Included :

• Activities: Free time (choice of activity at your own expense)
• Meals: Breakfast
• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

It’s time to head back to Bangkok today where you can enjoy your last massage, fruit smoothie, and pad thai on the famous (or should we say infamous?!) Khao San Road.

Later in the day, we’ll meet up to visit Wat Arun, “Temple of Dawn”, a major landmark on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. We’ll cross the river and have one last dinner together with views of Wat Arun in the backdrop as you say goodbye to your new friends.

Included :

• Transfers: Chiang Mai – Bangkok by plane (approximately 2 hours)
• Activities: Free time; Wat Arun; Farewell dinner
• Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
• Accommodation: Boutique hotel

Depending on your flight time, you will have free time on your own in Bangkok before catching your flight home.

Included :

• Activities: Free time; Departure (at your own expense)
• Meals: Breakfast

*Itinerary is subject to change