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DETAILED PROGRAMME
DAY 1: EMBARK
10:00 am: Depart from the Manohra Cruises Pier located
in front of the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa. Once on board you’ll
meet your Manohra Song Chief Steward and the crew who will be looking
after you on your trip. Cold, lemon-grass scented towels and a chilled
fresh fruit cocktail will be waiting for you.
10:50 am: Arrive at The Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun as
it is otherwise known. This is one of the best known temples in Bangkok
and dates back to the ancient Ayuthaya period. The tall, elongated
central Khmer-style tower is surrounded by four minor towers, which symbolize
Mount Meru, the earthly representation of the thirty-three
heavens. Here you’ll find pavilions containing statues of the Buddha at
the most important stages of life. The beautiful architecture and fine
craftsmanship mark Wat Arun as one of the most remarkable temples in
Thailand. We’ll stop here for a short guided tour and depart at 11.30
am. There also a chance to have your fortune told here also.
11:50 am: Arrive at the Royal Barges National Museum.
This is one of Bangkok’s most fascinating sights and something you will
not see anywhere else in the world. The museum is home to an incredible
collection of gilded and ornately decorated boats with magnificently
carved prows. His Majesty the King’s personal barge, Suphannahongse, can
be seen here. Built in 1911 to resemble a mythical swan, the boat is 46
meters long and was carved from a single tree. All the barges are unique
and incredible works of craftsmanship.
12:45 pm: Lunch underway. Enjoy our Thai cuisine
prepared by your personal on-board chef. Shortly after your lunch, the
Manohra Song will pass the island of Koh Kret in Nonthaburi Province, an
island which was ‘man-made’ in the last 100 years when a canal was
built to shorten the journey around a circuitous bend in the river. The
island is populated by the Mon people, one of Thailand’s many ethnic
minority groups, who use the river’s fine clay to produce earthenware
pots.
Spend the afternoon relaxing on board, watching the vignettes of river
life unfold as they float by. At 4 pm we’ll serve a traditional English
afternoon tea of finger sandwiches, scones and dainties, with a selection
of teas.
4:30 pm: A quick stop at Wat Pathum Khong Ka to feed
the fish – a simple way of gaining merit and good luck. This promotes
the Buddhist cycle of life by feeding the fish so they in turn can produce
life. Some of these carp fish are giants!
5:30 pm: Arrive at Wat Bang Na, where we can watch the
sunset and then moor for the night. Wat Bang Na was constructed in 1777 by
a Mon family who moved from Ayuthaya. One of the more curious sights
within the compound of this temple is the body of the 4th chief monk of
this temple who died in 1988 but whose mummified body remains in excellent
condition and is today housed in a glass enclosure.
7:30 pm: Relax and freshen up in your private ensuite
stateroom and then return to the deck for aperitifs and Thai canapés.
8:00 pm: With Wat Bang Na, as a dramatic backdrop, a
dinner of Thai traditional dishes will be served. Relax on deck with a
glass of wine or digestive before retiring to your stateroom for your first
night on the river.
DAY 2: CRUISING TO AYUTHAYA
7:30 am: An early start and chance to make merit with
the Monks of Wat Bang Na and tour the temple. Thai Buddhists believe that
by making merit, they earn happiness, peace in life and the chance to
progress in their next life. Making merit with the Monks is a wonderfully
harmonious way to start the day.
8:00 am: We’ll get underway for the ancient Thai
capital of Ayuthaya.
9:00 am: Freshly prepared continental breakfast is
served.
A morning of gentle cruising up the Chao Phraya, through the Thai
countryside. Recline on a deck lounger and watch the river life float
past.
1:00 pm: An Italian luncheon of pasta and salad served underway.
2:00 pm: Arrive at Wat Pananchoeng to begin your tour.
Wat Pananchoeng is an old monastery housing Thailand’s largest ancient
Buddha image. This image, known as Luang Po To was made in 1344. The
Chinese revere this image as their God Protector since much of the sailing
done then was by the Chinese.
A waiting limousine with guide will then transfer you to Ayuthaya, a
UNESCO World Heritage site. The ancient capital was founded in 1350 by
King U-Thong and it was from here that the Siamese ruled their Kingdom for
417 years.
You’ll spend the afternoon exploring Ayuthaya in the company of our
expert guide. There’ll even be a chance for you to experience riding on
the back of an elephant. As Ayuthaya is such a large area, the limousine
driver will wait for you and take you on a tour of several areas of the
ancient city.
5:30 pm: From Ayuthaya, you’ll transfer by limousine
to Bang Pa In, one of the 16 districts of Ayuthaya where you’ll rejoin
the Manohra Song. Along the way, you may wish to buy a bag of fish or a
cage of small birds for you to release back to nature. This is a wonderful
gesture and makes merit.
Across from Bang Pa In is Wat Nivat - one of the more intriguing Buddhist
temples – and this is where we’ll moor for the night. Wat Nivat was
constructed at the command of King Rama V in 1878, in the style of an
English Gothic church. The temple’s stained glass windows and unusual
architecture make it one of the most distinctive Buddhist temples anywhere
in Thailand.
6:30 pm: Relax and freshen up in your private ensuite
stateroom and then return to the deck for aperitifs and Asian-inspired
canapes.
8:00 pm: For your second night on the river, we’ll serve an Ayuthaya-inspired Thai dinner.
DAY 3: CRUISING & DISEMBARKMENT
8:00 am: Wake up to the taste of a full English
breakfast, freshly prepared to your order from the Manohra Song kitchen.
9:00 am: Guided tour of Wat Nivat.
9:30 am: From Wat Nivat it is a short walk to the Bang Pa
In Summer Palace. The original Bang Pa In Palace was built by King Prasat
Thong on the island and was used as a country residence for the later
kings of the Ayuthaya period. However, after the capital moved to
Bangkok, Bang Pa In was abandoned for 80 years, to be revived by King Rama
V. He commanded the construction of additional buildings – theatres,
temples and monuments in a mixture of European, Chinese and Thai styles.
We’ll explore the palace grounds by electric carts although the site can
be easily walked.
10:30 am: Get underway for Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and
Crafts Center.
12:00 Pm: A short cruise downriver from Bang Pa In is
the Bang Sai village, which enjoys the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen.
Here you can see a variety of Thai houses in regional styles and see how
Thailand’s rural people make handicrafts such as fern basketry, silk
flowers, hand-woven silk and cotton, silk dyeing, wood carving, miniature
hand-modeled dolls and traditional furniture. A great place to shop for
Thai handicrafts. After a short guided tour, we will depart at around 1
pm.
1:30 Pm: Light Thai luncheon underway.
4:00 pm Light afternoon tea served on board as we head
back towards Bangkok.
6:30 pm: Arrive at the Manohra Cruises Pier and
disembark. Try dinner at one of the Resort’s many restaurants. The
Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa has the longest river front terrace in
Bangkok and at the open-air Riverside Terrace restaurant there is a
nightly show of Thai dancing and music set against the backdrop of the
river. The restaurant’s ‘ show kitchens’
serve everything from a la minute pasta, seafood BBQ,
Teppanyaki and Thai dishes to Indian and Chinese delicacies, Japanese
sushi and sashimi, all freshly prepared at live stations. Alternatively
head to one of the resort’s other restaurants – award-winning
Benihana, The Rice Mill or Trader Vic’s (dinner costs on the third night
are not included in the cruise).
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