When in Bangkok, don't miss a cruise on the Chao Phraya river to Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya, now a World Heritage site, aboard the sailing-barge Manohra Song on Thailand's River of Kings, not a modern sea-cruise, but a sailing cruise on a century old teakwood rice barge that had been refurbished & converted into a floating hotel with 5-star amenities, service & comfort.
For those familiar with the history of Thailand, this cruise is a nostalgic journey back in time when the Chao Phraya river was the center of commerce of ancient Siam and the River Of Kings was the main mode of transport with hundreds of barges sailing up and down the river, not very different from the Manohra Song cruise barge.
You can board the Manohra Song from any of the luxury hotels that line the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, depending with which local travel agency or hotel reception you book the Ayutthaya cruise.
The Manohra Song is a compact teak-wood sailing vessel with 4 guestrooms which can accommodate a maximum of eight people, with plenty of space and privacy combined with quality luxury service by a team of efficiently trained staff which will attend to your any and every wish .
The guest rooms are equipped with every comfort you can expect from a top-star hotel, including a wardrobe, sofa, safe box, air-conditioning, hot and cold shower and very comfortable toilet amenities in every room.
The romantic atmosphere of the Manohra Song makes this a perfect mini-cruise for couples wanting to go on honeymoon or for small group meetings and wedding parties.
The captain of the Manohra Song made sure that everybody knows who is onboard and will make the introductions, also introduced every member of the very friendly crew and staff. Following is a briefing on the ship's itinerary and places where the ship would be stopping under way. Most of those places are famous historical sites that can be easily reached by bus, but the river cruise and approaching those historical landmarks from the river lends them a complete different perspective.
Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn is the first stop for a guided tour. Wat Arun is among the top attractions of Bangkok and Thailand with its Khmer-style architecture, blended with Thai values of religious beliefs. After touring the temple of Wat Arun, its back onboard to sail on to Bangkok's Royal Barge Museum, home to barges used in Thailand's Royal ceremonies.
Back on the Manohra Song, we then sail on towards Ayutthaya, passing the outskirts of modern Bangkok and observed daily life along the Chao Phraya river. The scenery changes constantly from houses on stills to temples, boat houses and small floating markets, you will see rows of transport barges being towed in long files, long-tail boats and high-speed tourists boats, dining cruises and restaurant boats. Life on the Chao Phraya river is peaceful and probably hasn't changed much since the old days of Siam.
Apart from enjoying the view there isn't much else to do than to relax on deck with a cool drink while the onboard staff will be cooking and serving delicious meals and snacks throughout the whole cruise.
At dusk, the barge will have moored in front of Wat Bangna Nai in Pathum Thani province. The temple is not a tourist attraction but presents a rare view of Thailand's rural life in its true form. Here you can visit the local village and fresh food market in the vicinity of the temple, expect a curious but friendly gaze from the local villagers, who are not used to seeing tourists. Don't bother, you'll learn how nice, gentle, shy and sociably rural Thais actually are, and experience that you will not find easily in other guided tours in Thailand.
After a good night's rest in the luxury of your air-condition cabin, you will wake up the next morning to the peace and calm of the Thai countryside. The staff of the Manohra Song will already have prepared us a sumptuous breakfast buffet and while you are eating, the captain will navigate the ship out of the Wat Bangna Nai pier, heading toward the ancient capital of Ayutthaya.
The river becomes wider as nearer to Ayutthaya and from a far distance you will see the full splendor of the temple complex of Wat Chai Wattanaram, a view that can only be obtained by approaching Ayutthaya by river, as the Kings of Thailand did in the past.
In the afternoon, the barge will moor at a small pier in front Wat Nives Dharma Prawat, an old temple built during the reign of King Rama V and situated opposite the famous Bang Pa-In Palace, which was also built about the same time.
Time to tour Thailand's the historical site of Ayutthaya, including guided visits to several other temples in the province and if you fancy, an elephants ride, which is also included in the cruise package.
In the evening, the cook and the staff of the Manohra Song will serve a delicious dinner on deck before the time to retire back to the luxury of your cabin for the second night onboard.
The next day continues with visiting the temple of Wat Nives Dharma Prawat where the barge is moored. The temple of Wat Nives has a Western-style ubosot or chapel that resembles a Catholic church. Wat Nives Dharma Prawat was built during the reign of King Rama V and is a living monument to the increasing proliferation of Western influence in Thailand at the time of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya and Siam.
Later that same day, you will cross the Chao Phraya river by cable car, from the Wat Nives Dharma Prawat temple to the Bang Pa-In Palace, a must-see attraction in Ayutthaya. Bang Pa-In Palace is a curious blend of ancient Western and Chinese architecture and is stacked with a wealth of history and anecdotes from the Ayutthaya period.
The next stop is the Bangsai Arts and Crafts Centre, a royally-sponsored project under the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen. Here, you can buy quality folks arts and crafts from all parts of Thailand. The centre showcases replicas of traditional Thai villages representing all regions of Thailand.
With the end of the tour of Ayutthaya, the staff of the Manahra Song will be waiting to serve another superb meal, while the barge sails back to the modern and fast life of Bangkok.
More Info:Manohra Song cruise - web site
