2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

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  • The Rose of the North

    Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights

    November 13-20, 2024

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    Cool mornings, verdant mountains, and the annual Loi Krathong festival of lights make this the very best moment of the year in Thailand’s cultural capital. Our guide is Andy Ricker, longtime resident of Chiang Mai who popularized this region’s cuisine in the U.S. with his PokPok restaurants, and is ready to show you what makes this place amazing. Our guide is Fern Sripungwiwat, a multilingual artist, producer and global traveler with a deep passion for her home region.

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    Andy Ricker

    R&K Host

    Chef, Writer, Raconteur
    Andy Ricker

    Mapeng Commak

    Local Guide

    Culinary Connector, Environmentalist
    Mapeng Commak

Overview

Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights

This former capital—which King Rama V called the “prime diamond on the crown of Thailand”—is the mountain soul of this country. We’ll start there and then branch widely around the ancient Loi Krathong festival of lights, venturing to the Golden Triangle and back down to Chiang Rai, into the mountains and finally into one final Bangkok bacchanal. Restaurateur, writer, and raconteur Andy Ricker and his friends—including the best people to cook and drink with in the country—are our guides to the multi-faceted cuisine of this extraordinary place.

  • Thailand
  • November 13-20, 2024
  • from $9,873
Map
  • Thailand
  • November 13-20, 2024
  • from $9,873
Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights Sold Out

DISCOVER CHIANG MAI:
DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

Day
1

Arrival

  • Rarin Villas
  • 88/8 Bumruang Rajd Rd, Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai, 50000
  • +66 053 262 818
  • Private transfer from CNX airport
  • Walk the grounds, relax in your en-suite plunge pool
  • Welcome drinks with Andy and Mapeng
  • Dinner at the extraordinary Blackitch Artisan Kitchen with Chef Black and owner Bia
Day
2

Rice Forever

  • Rarin Villas
  • 88/8 Bumruang Rajd Rd, Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai, 50000
  • +66 053 262 818
  • Visit to local rice field to meet our main ingredient
  • Tasting and talking with the country’s best Lao Khao rice spirits maker
  • Khanom Jin rice noodle lunch at a local noodle producer
  • Visit Akha Ama Living Factory for a coffee roasting demo
  • Tour-de-force Isaan feast by Chef Num of Samuay and Son: celebratory dinner at restored shophouse in old Chiang Mai
Day
3

The Festival of Lights

  • Rarin Villas
  • 88/8 Bumruang Rajd Rd, Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai, 50000
  • +66 053 262 818
  • Early morning fresh market walk at Talaat Jin Haw, the best indigenous and Yunnan Muslim food market in the country. Breakfast with the famous “Mohinga Lady”
  • Lunch at Huen Jai Yong for Yong-style Northern Thai food
  • Relax at the hotel, prepare for a big feast
  • Private dinner at Navan Navan with Chef Van, one of the most prominent chefs in Northern Thailand
  • Drink to sully our newly cleansed soul, sleep like babies.
Day
4

Akha Country, Akha Culture

  • Breakfast at Chiang Mai hotel
  • Incredibly scenic helicopter journey from Chiang Mai into the Akha highlands, where we alight for a once-in-a-lifetime meal of Akha cuisine with the family of Lee Ayu, proprietor of Akha Ama Coffee and ambassador for the rich culture of his people
  • Road transfer to Riva Vista Resort on the banks of the River Kok
  • Dinner at Locus Native Food Lab: Michelin-level northern Thai cuisine
Day
5

Into Chiang Rai

  • Optional morning shopping in Chiang Rai
  • Travel into the hills to Doi Mae Salong for Yunnan culture, cuisine and Kuomintang history (think: tea, sausage, noodles, vistas)
  • Back to hotel for poolside relaxation
  • Big-flavor northern Thai meal in Chiang Rai, followed by after-dinner wander
Day
6

The Depths of the North

  • Huern Kan Thong
  • 346 / 2 ,Soi Charoen Mueang, Nai Wiang, Mueng,Phrae,
  • +66 88 298 1209
  • Road trip to Phayao, relaxing lakeside lunch included
  • Travel by bus to Phrae, where we’ll check into our hotel in the mountains
  • Dinner at Khrua Jin Soht, the best Laap in Northern Thailand
  • Enjoy mountain air with fireside nightcaps
Day
7

To Bangkok and Beyond

  • Mountain breakfast of jok and pa thong ko at the morning market in Phrae
  • Visit the traditional Maw Hawm workshop, where Northern Thai workers make shirts from cotton and indigo dye
  • Lunch in Phrae at the OG noodle shop next to Huen Kan Thong hotel
  • Private transfer to Lampang Airport, fly to Bangkok
  • Check into Como Metropolitan Bangkok, a contemporary hotel in Sathorn’s Central Business District
  • Last-night dinner with legendary chef Prin Polsuk at Samrub Samrub
  • Rooftop cocktails at Vertigo stretching into the night
Day
8

Goodbye

  • Wake slowly, gingerly
  • Breakfast at the villas
  • Private transfer to BKK for flight home (or elsewhere in Bangkok if your journey continues)

What’s Included

  • All breakfasts, lunches, dinners except when itinerary explicitly says “Independent Meals”
  • Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
  • Snacks and beverages between meals
  • Additional guides and experts from the region
  • Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
  • Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
  • All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport

What’s Not Included

  • International airfare to and from the journey (note: some trips begin and end at different airports)
  • Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
  • Personal laundry or spa services
  • Personal travel insurance

Meet Our Hosts

Andy Ricker

R&K Host

Andy Ricker

Chef, Writer, Raconteur

Andy Ricker is an award-winning chef and best-selling author widely credited with introducing Northern Thai cuisine to the United States through his Pok Pok Restaurants. Formed in Portland in 2005, Pok Pok later operated in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York, where it earned a Michelin Star. The two-time James Beard Award winner has worked as a pumpkin picker, DJ, house painter and construction contractor, ship’s cook, busboy, waiter, bartender, musician, commercial fisherman, outdoor store salesperson, maintenance man and short order cook. He first visited Thailand as a backpacker in 1987 and now lives full time with his wife and six cats in Chiang Mai city.

Mapeng Commak

Local Guide

Mapeng Commak

Culinary Connector, Environmental Researcher

An avowed environmentalist and “culinary connector,” Mapeng Commak was born and raised in Bangkok but went to Chiang Mai 12 years ago to escape flooding and never left. He founded a nonprofit that connects local farmers with chefs in the region and helps them to transform endemic ingredients into artisanal products. We met him through Lee Ayu, proprietor of the extraordinary Akha Ama Coffee in the Akha highlands and soon realized there was no one better to join chef Andy Ricker in guiding the League through the country’s south.

Where You’ll Stay

Rarin Villas

Rarin Villas

Chiang Mai Oasis

Nestled in the serene Mueang district of Chiang Rai, Rarin Villas is a sanctuary where urban comforts meet nature’s tranquility. Spanning 4 rai, the estate boasts seven villas—each designed with privacy and comfort in mind.

Riva Vista Resort

Riva Vista Resort

Chiang Rai Views

Situated on the banks of the Kok River, Riva Vista features some of the largest rooms in Chiang Rai, with high-end amenities and private balconies with breathtaking views of the surrounding misty mountains and rolling green landscape.

Boklua View Resort

Boklua View Resort

Jungle Hideaway

Surrounded by dense jungle and terraced rice fields overlooking the Mang River, Boklua View Resort is a resort designed to highlight the essence of Nan Province with 11 meticulously designed bungalows.

Como Metropolitan Bangkok

Como Metropolitan Bangkok

Urban Oasis

Designed by Singaporean interior architect Kathryn Kng, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok offers expansive, light-filled rooms and suites with a blend of eastern and western influences. Conveniently located minutes from major shopping hubs like Siam Centre, MBK, and Central Silom Complex, the hotel provides a peaceful retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle.

  • Really appreciated traveling alongside Andy. The history and context provided by him at the table helped me pull together so much more understanding.


    Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights 2023

  • The food and the guidance, the open minds, the access. Most of all, the people. The experience was great, dare I say life changing.


    Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights 2022

  • Fern had a wonderful knack for pointing out the smallest details, from something worth noticing about a menu to a dish’s connection to her life.


    Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights 2022

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Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights Sold Out
R&K League of Travelers

Ready for a new adventure?

Inquire Now.

    Fill out the form to join the waitlist. We’ll reach out if space opens up.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How large are your groups?

    We have a maximum of 12 travelers for each trip. Our guiding light: how many people could cram into a perfectly-sized bar in Ginza? That’s how many we want to travel with, that’s how we came up with that number. Each trip has at least two members from the R&K team.

    Do I really have to do an interview?

    Yes! We don’t offer a way to book online, because we want the chance to talk to each of you about how you like to travel, and about what we do on our trips. That includes spouses and partners! Don’t sweat it, we have an appropriately high acceptance rate, but it is a requirement, whether by Zoom or by WhatsApp.

    Is there a solo traveler supplement?

    Yes, we have an $1800 solo traveler supplement ($1o00 for four-night trips).

    Should I get travel insurance?

    Roads & Kingdoms is a fully insured travel provider but we recommend you purchase travel insurance for yourself to cover costs you might incur through change of plans, flights, etc. We do not have a recommended provider, but there are many reputable providers available online and the signup process is not onerous.

    What is included in the price?

    Our journeys are meant to free you from any financial decision-making whatsoever during the week, if you choose. You’re responsible for your own international airfare to our starting city. But then we take care of everything else, from tipping to transportation to hotels and meals and drinks along the way. You’re only responsible for personal bar tabs (when not with the group), personal laundry, or personal spa services.

    What happens if R&K cancels a journey?

    This has not happened in the post-acute-COVID period—nor do we anticipate it happening—but we do reserve the right to cancel or postpone a trip up to 100 days before departure. In that case, you would receive a full refund, including the $1500 deposit.

    CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE VEGETARIANS?

    The short answer is yes! Any trip can be adapted, but some work better than others. Salamanca and the World of Jamón, for instance, would probably not make sense for a vegetarian, whereas Tbilisi and the Western Winelands works well. Animal products do feature heavily throughout our journeys, and many include whole-animal barbecues, ceremonial slaughter, or other traditional culinary methods that might be off-putting to those who abstain.

    Traveler Rights And Responsibilities

    The League of Travelers is meant to be that: an intimate group of travelers who accompany us to some of our favorite places to spend time with some of our favorite people. That is why we interview all potential travelers. These trips are not for everyone, and we just want to be sure the vibe matches. Mostly, for you, that means treating the people who make these trips possible, from drivers to somms to waiters to hotel staff, with decency. We will do our best to accommodate special requests, but we don’t have fulltime concierge or waitstaff on these trips, we have chefs and writers and storytellers. Our groups are a diverse bunch, so please also come with an open mind and heart for your fellow travelers. And in exchange, we pledge to open all doors we can to you. We promise we will have poured our whole selves into these journeys, and we will do everything in our power to make it a wondrous experience.

    Refund And Deposit Policy

    We require 50% downpayment to secure a spot. Second payment due 60 days after first payment. If you cancel up to 60 days before the start of the trip, the trips are fully refundable except for a nonrefundable $1500 deposit. Within 60 days we will refund everything except the $1500 deposit if we are able to replace your seat, otherwise you must contact us to see if a transfer to a later journey is possible. If we cancel a trip for any reason, the entire trip, including the $1500 deposit, is fully refundable.

    Dates

    2024

    2025

    Destinations

    Europe

    Asia-Pacific

    Latin America

    Africa