*** WANT TO EXPLORE BANGKOK OR THE TUSCAN HEARTLAND WITH US? ***
Singles already enjoy travel vacations as part of membership in our Singles Club and dating site. Now I’d like to give savvy couples the chance to enjoy vacations with travelers who have the positive, optimistic spirit that gives the Tribe Of Blondes its name.
Our travel expert is now available to customize your dream vacation. Or you can sign up for upcoming trips that already are planned for an intimate group of 8-12 travelers who seek affordable luxury in fabulous destinations.
Consider joining the fun during our trip to Bangkok and Phuket or our Art and Cooking tour of the Tuscan Heartland in Italy.
Here are highlights of both trips along with sign up information:
*** Highlights of Bangkok and the Islands of the Andaman Sea ***
12 Days: $3,847 per person inclusive of a superior room in a superb hotel in Bangkok and a Villa on Phuket, all meals, all admission fees, private speedboat, personal guides and private car and driver. Airfare is additional. Single Supplement: $997
Why you should consider this program
On this program you get an insider’s look into the hustle and bustle of Bangkok combined with the tranquility of a villa on the coast of Phuket. From touring the klongs on Bangkok with your own guide and using public transportation, you switch in Phuket to a private speedboat to visit islands made famous in James Bond and Leonardo DiCaprio movies. Throughout, you will enjoy superb Thai and International cuisine some of which you will help prepare. This program is based on a minimum of 6 traveling and a maximum of 12. If these dates are not convenient we can create a unique departure for six of you.
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Your board your flight for the overnight trip to Bangkok
Day 2: You cross the International Date Line and “lose” a day which you will “find” on your return
Day 3: Arrive in Bangkok where you are met by your guide and transferred to your hotel by private car. You have a chance to relax in your room overlooking the Chao Praya River before getting together with your traveling companions for a cocktail reception and dinner. D
Day 4: Spend the early morning at Wat Pho where you experience the monks’ early morning chanting ritual. Move on to the Grand palace and the Emerald Buddha. After lunch take a speedboat rise along the Chao Phraya river to the Thonburi area where you round out the day shopping in the markets. In the evening enjoy an alfresco dinner at Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Bangkok’s best and busiest night market.
B, L, D
Day 5: Today your guide takes you on an exploration of Bangkok as the natives see it using only public transportation. You start with a public boat to The Phrachan pier where you visit the Amulet Market. Then you board a Tuk-Tuk a three wheeled covered vehicle powered by a motorcycle and ride down Rachadamnoen, which is the Thai “Champs Elysees”, before taking a bus boat to Jim Thompson’s House Museum. In the evening your guide takes you to “The Deck” where you will enjoy cocktails and dinner with the backdrop of the Bangkok skyline. B, L, D
Day 6: This morning your guide, along with your driver, will take you from the bustle of the city on a journey back in time. You start with a train ride to Chacherngsao a little known but historical town to the east of the city. After a cruise on the Bangprakong River you visit the ancient market at Talaat Baan Mai. After exploring the market you visit Talaat Baan Mai, another ancient market with old shops and stalls selling a variety of items including food, quaint old utensils and ancient tin toys. Returning to the city you have dinner riverside at the former home of a Thai Prince. B, L, D
Day 7: In the morning you will meet the chef from the Blue Elephant Restaurant and head for the local market where you learn how to select and buy ingredients for your cooking lesson. You proceed to the restaurant where you learn how to prepare the lunch you later enjoy along with other Thai dishes. After lunch your guide and driver are at your disposal for assistance in shopping. In the evening you have a choice of several restaurants at which to dine. B, L, D
Day 8: After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to the Island of Phuket. Upon arrival you are met and taken to your private villa on the beach. In addition to the beach you have a hot tub, private pool, outdoor terrace and a daybed with a private garden. Tonight dine under the stars. B, L, D
Day 9: After a leisurely breakfast you head to the jetty where you board your private speedboat for a day on spectacular Phang Nga Bay. You visit “James Bond Island” so called because it was the location for “The Man with the Golden Gun”. You then visit the village of Koh Paynee where you have lunch and the chance to snorkel in the crystal clear water. In the evening you will be taken to the summit of rang Hill where, while enjoying cocktails and canapés you get a sweeping panoramic view of the town of Phuket before sitting down to dinner. B, L, D
Day 10: We’ve left this day open for you to choose from a variety of optional activities. At the resort itself you can try out the Spa, participate in a cooking class, go mountain biking on the beach, play tennis or try your hand at windsurfing. Of course, laying on your daybed with a good book and taking dips in your pool to cool off, might also have appeal. B, L, D
Day 11: Today you board your private speedboat for a trip around scenic Maya Bay. You’ll stop at the location for the movie “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio; enjoy a picnic lunch and a chance to swim in crystal clear water. In keeping with the casual day, you finish it off with a seafood dinner at Keng Ang Pier, a spacious outdoor terrace overlooking the pristine waters and the blinking lights of the fishermen on the Andaman Sea
Day 12: After breakfast your guide will take you to the airport where you board a flight to Bangkok connecting with your US bound flight. You “find” the day you lost and arrive back that same afternoon.
Accommodations
Bangkok
In the few years since the hotel opened, the luxurious riverside Peninsula Bangkok has quickly established itself as one of Bangkok’s finest hotels, winning many awards and accolades, including “World’s Best Hotel” in 2003 by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine and recently by Conde Nast Traveler (USA) 2006 Gold List No. 1 in Bangkok for the fourth consecutive year by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.
Phuket
Since opening in 2008, guest response has confirmed Anantara Resort & Spa’s place amongst the most desirable destinations in Thailand. It is not just a hotel but an experience; of island charm and tropical beauty; of jasmine garlands strung by a nimble hand; of elephant treks through untouched jungle, morning dives into Andaman reefs brimming with life and romantic candlelight dinners. Each of the 83 private pool villas creates a haven of peace and tranquility, while the restaurants, bars and leisure facilities tantalize the taste buds and stimulate the senses.
Departure date
We will depart for Thailand on TBA
We need a minimum of six people to proceed with this trip as proposed here. To maximize your personal attention and enjoyment, we are inviting a maximum of 12 people to participate. If you have a group of six or more and would like to schedule another departure date, we are happy to do so.
Would you like to learn more about this vacation in Thailand?
Our expert travel adviser is pleased to offer you a no-cost chat to answer your questions about this fabulous trip to the Bangkok and Phuket.
You also may customize your vacation itinerary, if that is how we can help you live your travel dreams now!
To schedule your free consult with our travel guide via email, send an email to info@tribeofblondes.com and enter the subject line: I’d like info on the Bangkok Trip
*** Does the Tuscan Heartland tickle your fancy? ***
8 Days: $3,086 per person inclusive of superior rooms in superior hotels, all meals, personally guided sightseeing, private wine tastings, cooking classes and private car and driver. Airfare is additional.
Single Supplement: $781
Why you should consider this program
In a little more than a week you get to immerse yourself in urban and rural Tuscany. You first part of the experience is in Florence and you are right in the heart of the city with your hotel, owned by the Ferragamo family, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. While in the city you will have an art expert guiding you through the Uffizi and Accademia bringing the Renaissance to life. You also get to eat in some truly Tuscan restaurants as well as attending a cooking class at one of them. You then embark on a relatively short journey to a 14 room Villa located in an Olive grove in Chianti. This will be your base for exploring the wine areas of Chianti, Montalcino and Montepulciano. Your trip is completed with a cooking class and wine tasting at the villa.
Itinerary Highlights
B L D = Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 1: Depart on your overnight flight to Florence
Day 2: Arrive in Florence and met by your guide who takes you on an overview of the city followed by lunch at an Enoteca as you discuss the upcoming activities. You enjoy dinner at the hotel overlooking the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio. L, D
Day 3: After breakfast, your guide will take you to the Uffizi where you will learn the evolution of Renaissance art by studying the works of Giotto, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raffaello. After lunch you visit to see the works of Michelangelo including the world-renowned “David”. This evening we take you to one of our favorite Florentine restaurants. B, L, D
Day 4: In the morning you will visit Il Canapone a 40 seat restaurant famous for its authentic and innovative cuisine. You will spend the morning learning the basics of Tuscan cuisine and then make a lunch which you enjoy with wine. After lunch you visit some of the artisans of Florence including those working in leather and creating marbleized paper. After your visit the car will be waiting to take you into the Chianti countryside. B, L, D
Day 5: Along with your guide you spend the day in the Chianti countryside not only tasting the wine but also the Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar that also comes from this area. While in the town of Grieve, birthplace of Verrazano, you have the chance to try seasoned meats in a butcher’s shop in existence for four hundred years. B, L, D
Day 6: Your first stop today will be the hilltop town of Montepulciano which, at one time considered itself to be the equal of Siena. The architecture is interesting but the real focus here is the red wines including Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Rosso de Montepulciano. You stop in the town of Pienza to sample their famous Pecorino di Pienza cheese before arriving at the town of Montalcino birthplace of Brunello de Montalcino. B, L, D
Day 7: You have the morning at leisure to relax by the pool, take a walk in the countryside or a mountain bike through the olive groves. Following afternoon tea, you join the hotel’s chef for a walk in the herb garden to select ingredients for the dinner you will help create. You also spend time with the sommelier selecting the wines to accompany the meal. After working on the meal with the chef you get a chance to enjoy the four course meal accompanied by the wines selected. B, L, D
Day 8: Your driver will take you to the airport for your return flight to the US B
Accommodations
Florence
Standing on the south bank of the River Arno, the Hotel Lungarno offers you your very own ‘room with a view’ with stunning aspects over Florence – the cultural capital of the world.. And, at the heart of it all is the Hotel Lungarno. The large windows in the lobby frame the masterpiece view of the Ponte Vecchio and the palazzi that face the river. The interior design is a smart balance of ivory toned fabrics and ocean blue carpets, with details that recall the elegance of an aristocratic Florentine home.
Chianti Countryside
Villa Bordoni, a sophisticated country house hotel, nestles in the grey-green hills immediately above the town of Grieve, in the heart of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany. This 16th century noble villa commands an extraordinary vantage point over the unspoiled Chianti hills and their biblical landscape of vineyards, terraced olive groves and forest. Villa Bordoni is now proud to be among Condé Nast Traveler’s “60 Best New Hotels in the World”.
Departure date
We will arrive in the Tuscan Heartland on TBA
We need a minimum of six people to proceed with this trip as proposed here. To maximize your personal attention and enjoyment, we are inviting a maximum of 10 people to participate. If you have a group of six or more and would like to schedule another departure date, we are happy to do so.
Would you like to learn more about this vacation in Italy?
Our expert travel adviser is pleased to offer you a no-cost chat to answer your questions about this fabulous trip to the Tuscan heartland in Italy. You also may customize your vacation itinerary, if you prefer.
To schedule your free consult with our travel guide, simply send an email to info@tribeofblondes.com In the Subject line, enter: I’d like info on the Italy trip
We’d love to help you live your travel dreams now, so you may create a trip your way with the help of our expert travel guide.
Happy travels,
Hadley Finch
