6 Nt Bangkok & River Kwai Tour & Southeast Asia to Singapore cruise

Itinerary

• Day 1-2 - Flight departs
  Say goodbye to your current destination, for it’s time to head somewhere new! Flight information will be available closer to your embarkation date, but this will be when you’re hopping on a plane to continue your adventure – be that travelling somewhere new, or heading home.
• Day 2 - Bangkok - Welcome Dinner
  Welcome to Thailand, and the start of an exciting adventure in this great nation! When you touch down, you’ll be transferred from the airport to your hotel for check-in. Then, after a little downtime to get settled in, you’ll be invited to enjoy a wonderful welcome dinner – the perfect way to kick things off and enjoy some tasty Thai food.
• Day 2-5 - Bangkok Hotel Stay - 3 Nights
  During your Southeast Asian adventure, you’ll have the chance to stay in a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital and a vibrant metropolis of authentic cultural experiences and fascinating landmarks. Bangkok is also home to a sensational culinary landscape, and this hotel stay will give you even more time to immerse yourself in everything this city has to offer. More details regarding your hotel accommodation will be available closer to your departure date.
• Day 3 - Bangkok - Full day tour of Rattanakosin Island
  The historic heart of Bangkok and a destination packed with important sites, this full-day tour of Rattanakosin Island is the perfect way to learn more about the intriguing history of Thailand’s capital city, see some of this city’s most dramatic sights, and immerse yourself in the rich culture that gives Bangkok its unique identity. Throughout this sightseeing tour, you’ll have the chance to marvel at the sheer magnificence of Wat Pho – known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, being home to a 46 metre long Reclining Buddha statue – and The Supreme Grand Palace – once home to the Kings of Siam and Thailand. With both sites of great historical and cultural importance, and just two highlights of the other sights you’ll have the chance to see during the day, your time on Rattanakosin Island promises to be an insightful and informative experience.
• Day 3 - Bangkok - Flower Market
  When exploring Rattanakosin Island, taking time to stop by the incredible Pak Khlong Talat flower market is a must. Located just beside the significant Chao Phraya River, this incredible marketplace – where an abundance of colourful flowers are available alongside fresh fruits and vegetables – is open 24 hours. Formerly a floating fish market, Pak Khlong Talat has served Bangkok and its residents as the city’s primary flower market for well over 60 years. A fantastic complement to your time on Rattanakosin Island and in Bangkok itself, this will offer you a valuable insight into the city's modern culture.
• Day 4 - Bangkok - Full Day City Tour
  The remarkable Rattanakosin Island is packed with historic landmarks, but it’s far from the only area of Bangkok worth exploring, and this excursion is going to prove that. On this comprehensive full-day tour of Thailand’s capital city, you’ll embark on an exciting adventure to some of the most interesting landmarks and intriguing areas of Bangkok beyond Rattanakosin Island; throughout, you’ll learn more about the history of Bangkok and the communities that make up this unique metropolis. Starting with a short walk from your meeting point to Baan Bat, the Monk’s Alms Bowl Village, you’ll learn about the crafting of these important tools before continuing onto Wat Saket: The Temple of the Golden Mountain. An impressive temple complex offering stunning panoramic views of Bangkok, this visit is followed by a short boat ride – along one of Bangkok’s many canals – to the Jim Thompson House Museum. Here, you’ll learn all about how American businessman Jim Thompson helped revitalise the Thai silk industry throughout the 1950s and 60s – while admiring his impressive collection of Southeast Asian artwork – before crossing the canal to the Niphon Silk Factory, where you can still see traditional looms in action. From here, you’ll have the chance to stop for lunch at Yimsoo Cafe – the perfect place to grab a cup of coffee and a delicious bowl of boat noodles. Once you’ve had a moment to rest and have some refreshments, you’ll continue on to the Thonburi District, known for its colonial history, an area where Portuguese settlers arrived in Thailand throughout the 1500s. You’ll learn more about this unique aspect of Thai history by exploring this area of Bangkok on both foot and longtail boat. The final major landmark of this extensive tour of Bangkok is Wat Arun, an impressive Buddhist temple on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Once home to the King of Thailand and the enigmatic Emerald Buddha, this stunning structure is a shining example of Khmer-style architecture and has stood in some form for over 360 years. An encompassing exploration of Bangkok’s rich history and unique culture, this full-day tour offers memorable moments and immersive experiences.
• Day 4 - Bangkok - Chao Phraya River Rooftop Bar & Cocktail
  If you’re looking for a more relaxed way to appreciate Bangkok's beauty, this will certainly be an experience worth looking forward to. When the sun starts to set and the evening rolls around, you’ll head up to the Sala Rattanakosin rooftop bar – a popular spot along the Chao Phraya River. Here, while you indulge in a delicious cocktail, you’ll have the chance to relish some of the best views of the city, with the impressive Wat Arun among the major landmarks visible from this particular rooftop. A wonderful way to end an exciting day in Bangkok, this calmer experience will give you the chance to recount and reflect on your time in Thailand so far.
• Day 5 - Mae Klong Railway Market
  Visiting the Maeklong Railway Market (also known as Talat Rom Hup, the “umbrella pulldown market”) is an unforgettable experience and one you’ll have the chance to enjoy during your multi-day tour of Thailand. Once you’ve had the chance to enjoy a bit of breakfast, you’ll drive south of Bangkok to the Samut Songkhram Province, which is where the marketplace sits within the Maeklong River delta. A wonderfully unique marketplace sitting along an active railway line, with stalls and awnings overhanging the railway tracks, throughout the day, the stallholders here hurriedly pack up their goods and wares when a train approaches, only to return everything to its original place moments later. It all might seem a little impractical at a glance, but this exciting display of efficiency isn’t one to be missed – and you’ll find a fantastic array of fresh fruits and vegetables, dried meats, and more available here.
• Day 5 - Saduak Floating Market
  Featuring prominently in 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun, a James Bond adventure starring Roger Moore and Christopher Lee, and Nicholas Cage’s 2008 Bangkok Dangerous, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is one of the most famous floating markets in the world – and for good reason. A sprawling network of stalls selling produce and souvenirs alongside freshly-cooked boat noodles and other Thai treats, you’ll embark on a short boat ride through the narrow canals of Damnoen Saduak during your visit. A fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself further in the local culture, sample some delicious food, and try your hand at bartering with local vendors, this unique experience complements the rest of your Thailand tour wonderfully.
• Day 5 - Bridge over River Kwai Tour
  You may know of the award-winning 1957 film starring Alec Guinness and William Holden – or the French novel of the same name by Pierre Boulle – but what’s the real story behind the ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai’ and the construction of the ‘Death Railway’? Well, this informative half-day tour will reveal all, giving you the chance to learn more about this infamous event during the Second World War while soaking up the stunning scenery of the Khwae Yai River. Starting with a walk across the Khwae Yai River Bridge, which is now synonymous with the ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai’ itself, you’ll head further into Kanchanaburi to the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre. A unique museum and research centre run and funded by Australian expert Rod Beattie, which also happens to be housed in a surviving headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army, your time here will give you the chance to learn more about the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway Line and what life would have been like for those forced to build it throughout the Second World War. Following on from this, you’ll then visit the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, home to the graves of almost 7,000 Allied prisoners of war. A sombre sight, this is the perfect place to take some time to reflect on what you’ve seen before you’re transferred back to your hotel.