The Inspire Thai Study Trip 2010

The Trip:

At Inspire we think Thailand is brilliant and we want to share with you some of the great experiences and Thai massage training that we have enjoyed and benefited from. Why don't you leave London behind you for a week of heat, learning, great food and fun in the centre of Thai bodywork.

Staying in a very friendly hotel in the amazing metropolis of Bangkok, we've arranged for you have an exclusive course in Thai Massage at the world famous Wat Po Massage School, the home of Thai massage next to the Royal Palace. The course will be taught by a senior tutor and is certificated and accredited in the UK by CThA (Embody) - if you have been qualified in and practising Level 3 massage for at least two years.

There will be daily excursions including, a river cruise, visiting the fabulous floating market as well as having a cookery lesson in Thai food. We'll show you the famous reclining Buddha at Wat Po, take you to the amazing Chatachak market, the world's largest, as well as introduce you to great Thai treatments. You'll return refreshed and enlightened with your Certificate in Thai Massage and ready to expand your practice with authentic Thai massage.

Dates: Wednesday 19th to Thursday 27th May 2010

Included::

• 8 nights, Bed & Breakfast at the Imm Fusion Hotel in Bangkok.
• A certificated Thai Massage Course, accredited in the UK.
• A Sky Train pass for transport to and from the school as well as sightseeing
• Evening meal at Cabbages and Condoms on the first night.
• Evening meal on the river cruise.
• Accompanied excursions in and around Bangkok.
• Two treatments during the stay (One of which will be at Wat Po)

The Excursions:

• We'll take you where you can experience authentic Thai massage treatments for a fraction of UK prices.
• We'll arrange a cruise along the city centre part of this frenetic and fascinating river.
• For one of the trips, we'll go south of the city to the wonderful floating market, travelling part of the way through forest canals by long-tailed boat - if you think you have seen colours, wait to you see this place.
• We'll visit Wat Po, where you can have a treatment in their therapy hall.
• We will arrange for you to have an exclusive Thai cooking lesson from a chef and then eat the fruits of your culinary artistry.
• There will be opportunities to visit markets, the like of which you cannot imagine. Chatuchak is an extraordinary experience. It is in the city and close to the Sky Train and is not only vast, but combines opportunities to buy traditional and locally made goods, eat wonderful local food, have yet more massages.
• We'll have recommendations for restaurants, some super smart, some fun but always with great freshly cooked food

The streets are always lined with stalls until the early hours and there are a variety of large markets other than Chatuchak and of course the night bazaar is open every night and is famous in the city.

The Itinerary: May 2010

Wednesday 19th
Meet for drinks in the hotel lobby and join us for dinner at the very famous Cabbages and Condoms restaurant, which supports a great charity. The food and atmosphere are great and the restaurant itself has to be seen to be believed. Check it out at http://www.pda.or.th/restaurant/menu.asp

To arrive at the hotel by Wednesday evening, you'll need to leave London on the Tuesday 18th flight to Bangkok. See airline details below.

Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd
Days 1 to 3 of the course. Your fascinating studies begin at Wat Po Massage School, where you'll be taught Thai massage in English and in an exclusive group by a senior tutor. Wat Po's teaching is recognised around the world. On each of the days, after 'school' - we'll arrange for you to have an excursion, or take you for some great treatments in town, recommend somewhere for dinner and there'll still be time to hit the night life.

Sunday 23rd
A day off from the course. Have a lazy start to the day around the pool, do some practise with each other and then off to Chatachak market. You can enjoy freshly cooked food from the huge range of food stalls and when you get tired, there are massage treatments to be had everywhere for just a few pounds.

There are also a range of vast malls along the Sky Train route between the hotel and Chatachak. They'll also sell luggage in case you need an extra bag on the way home.

Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th Back to 'school' for days 4 and 5. Two more days to round off your Thai skills and we'll be arranging things to do after class and in the evenings.

Wednedsay 26th
With your course now finished, we'll have a full day out to make the best of this incredible city and all its sights, sounds and experiences. The day will start early, leaving for the famous floating market south of the city.

When we get back to the city, we'll take you to one of the city's cookery schools. There, we'll cook a Thai meal under the guidance of a chef and throwing caution to the wind, we'll then eat it! You'll be taken back to the hotel and there'll be time to freshen up and regroup and as there'll be no school in the morning, you may want to head down town for a last blast.

Thursday 27th
We'll have breakfast together and then depending on your flight time, you can have a quiet morning by the pool, or a last mad dash on the sky train to the shopping malls. Once we know your travel arrangements, we can advise you of the best method and timing to arrange your airport transfer.

The Hotel:
Imm Fusion Sukhumvit, 1594/50 Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10260, Thailand.
Tel: + 66 (0) 2331 5555, Fax: + 66 (0) 2742 7374
www.immhotel.com

The hotel is very near the Sky Train giving access to the whole city. It has an outdoor pool for chilling after a day's massage class.

The Course:
WAT PO Thai Traditional Massage School (WAT PO TTM)
2 Sanamchai Rd., Pranakorn, Bangkok 10200 Thailand
Tel. (+66) 2 221-2974, (+66) 2 225-4771
www.watpomassage.com

The Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School was opened in 1955. Wat Po TTM was the first Thai Medical School under the control of The Ministry of Education of Thailand. It is regarded as the best school of Thai Massage in the world and we have arranged for you to have an exclusive course. It's located near the river in the old city and the area has plenty of local cafes around it for lunch. The course is a widely recognised Certificate in Thai Massage. It is accredited by CThA (Embody) - if you have been qualified in and practising Level 3 massage for at least two years - and will qualify you to practise in the UK.

The study trip will finish on Thursday 27th May.
After that, some of you may want to stay on in Bangkok and make your own arrangements to travel. The Inspire trip leader will be returning to London on the lunchtime flight, Thursday 27th May.

Flights from London to Bangkok
The recommended flights include;

Eva Air - www.evaair.com Currently, Eva air prices are the best at under £450 return
British Airways - www.britishairways.com
Thai Airways - www.thaiair.com

For flights, we recommend you use an ABTA certified agent and get price comparisons on flights on flight comparison websites.

The price:
£995.00 including VAT
A £200 non-refundable deposit is payable at the time of booking, with the balance due no later than 16th April 2010. Payment may be made by card/cheque or transfer (contact us by email for account details)

Not included;

• Flights
• Airport transfers (We will provide recommendations if required)
• Personal expenses
• Food (Other than list above)
• Local transport (Other than listed above)
• Treatments (Other than listed above)
• Travel insurance.

Download the Booking Form here (Adobe PDF)

Download the Terms & Conditions here (Adobe PDF)