Beyond The City

Bangkok is an ideal springboard to explore ample attractions within the region. Discover historic places like the legendary Bridge over the River Kwai, the enchanting ruins of ancient Ayutthaya or the colourful floating markets at Damnoen Saduak.

Well on the tourist trail after the Bond films, the trip to the famous floating market at Damnoen Saduak is still worth doing. Totally chaotic, small 'klongs' or canals are filled with small flat boats jockeying for position, expertly paddled by mature ladies ready to stop and bargain at a moment's notice. It's colourful, noisy totally touristy but great fun.

Transactions are more concerned with tourists rather than locals these days but the boats are still piled high with tropical fruit and vegetables, fresh, ready-to-drink coconut juice and local food cooked from floating kitchens located right on the boat. Missed your breakfast or fancy an early lunch? Just call over a floating noodle seller for a bowl of steaming soup heated by a stove improbably and precariously balanced in the stern of the boat - complete with condiments of course!

While it's possible to catch a bus out of Bangkok and find your own way to the market, most people take an organised tour, ultimately saving on time and effort. If you want to go at your own pace, a private tour will provide a comfortable car for the one hour journey from Bangkok and your own personal boat, (ideal for taking pictures) There's a time window when the market opens from around 6:30 until 10:00 so the early birds will invariably catch the best photo shots. After 8:30, it's mayhem!

A local boat ride along the canal which is both exhilarating and fascinating takes you to the market. The traditional long-tailed boat, powered by a huge diesel engine allows an interesting glimpse into local life. Orchards, traditional teak houses, floating water hyacinths - snapshots of local people by the river. A scene which suddenly changes as you arrive at the market with the shouts of the vendors replacing the roar of the engine. Despite the growing number of visitors, it's still a fun trip

FLOATING MARKET TOUR OPTIONS Floating Market and the Rose Garden Resort - Full Day (07:30 - 18:00) Thousands of rose bushes and hundreds of exotic birds and an exciting cultural show. Demonstrations and performances of hilltribe dancing, sword fighting, Muay Thai (Thai boxing) cockfighting, working elephants, takraw (a local Thai sport) and the monk's ordination ceremony, provide both entertainment and an insight into the diversity of Thai culture. Lunch is included and private tours are available, if you prefer to go at your own pace. Price - Private To Be Advised   Book this tour Price - Joining To Be Advised Floating Market, Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo - Full Day (07:30 - 18:00) Enjoy the Elephant Show and Crocodile Wrestling among others. Plus a stroll through one of Thailand's fabulous Orchid Nurseries. Price - Private To Be Advised Book this tour Floating Market and River Kwai (Kanchanburi) Full Day (07:00 - 17:30) A visit to the floating market followed by a trip to the site of the famous "Bridge over the River Kwai." Includes a visit to the P.O.W. cemetery and a ride on the notorious Death Railway. Price - Private To Be Advised Book this tour Floating Market and Countryside Biking Tour - Full Day (06:45 - 16:30) A fantastic tour that combines a gentle bike ride through the countryside around Bangkok with a visit to the famous floatng market. Includes an eye-opening boat ride through the maze of canals traversing local villages and plantations, followed by a gentle 32-km ride along country roads. The support vehicle follows close behind with plenty of provisions. Price - Full Day To Be Advised Book this tour

Ayutthaya in its heyday in the 18th century, left European visitors in awe. The city, founded in 1350, was once the most powerful in SE Asia, attracting traders from all the major European powers of the time. It was sacked by the Burmese in 1767, bringing one of the most culturally influential eras in Thai history to an end. The ruins of the former capital now a UNESCO World Heritage site, however, remain impressive.

Located about 2 hours upriver from Bangkok, a river tour provides the best way to experience a part of Thailand that still follows traditional rhythms. Tours go by bus and return by boat or vica versa. Pass by old teak houses on stilts, local people casting fishing nets, heavily laden rice barges on their way upstream. A glimpse of both the past and the present. Calm peaceful, and serene...

Buffet lunch is served on board plus tea and snacks. Extensive outdoor deck space on the boat , ample seating and air-conditioning inside allow you to relax and take in the views. The tour also visits the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace.

An easy ride around the ancient province of Nonthaburi and Ko Kret - a small island community in the Chao Phraya river where the local Mon population make distinctive pottery. Following a canal path, the ride starts at a Thai temple (Wat Ko Kriang) near the banks of the Chao Phraya River past local villages, rice paddies, fruit plantations and local riverside communities. Cross the Chao Phraya River to the island of Ko Kret cycling around car free roads and peaceful scenery. Finish with a great Thai lunch overlooking the river.

This very gentle 15-km ride along country back roads is suitable for all. Ride as a group with an experienced guide setting a gentle pace, stopping to visit points of interest.

A TREK mountain bike and helmet, water, soft drinks, snacks and lunch are included. An excellent trip for families.

Itinerary

Tour Information

Price

Tour Price Includes

• Accident insurance
• Lunch
• Transport from hotel return to hotels
• Boat trip
• Support by Air Conditioned Minibus
• All water and snacks whilst riding
• Bike and Helmet hire for the day
• Local English speaking guide

Tour Price Excludes

• Alcoholic beverages
• Tips for guides
• Any items not mentioned in itinerary

Bike Tours 3 Days / 2 Nights

Kanchanaburi, known for the famous bridge over the River Kwai and immortalised in books and films, is also a province of startling natural beauty. A treat for nature lovers and cyclists, Kanchanaburi offers a rugged landscape that unfolds into, waterfalls, caves and leafy forests, set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring limestone cliffs. You'll ride through the jungle on amazing trails and along quiet paths meandering along the famous River Kwai.

Cycle past local Thai villages and teak plantations nestling on the banks of the River Kwai staying in floating raft houses and a riverside jungle lodge en route. Our bike tour highlights include a visit to the River Kwai museum, a journey on the famous "Death Railway" to the Kraset caves and elephant trekking. Visit an old Khmer temple dating back to the 12th Century Angkor period and take a boat trip to a nearby village - home of one of Kanchanaburi's ethnic groups.

Trip Profile

Is it demanding? There are a variety of trails - quiet back roads, red laterite jeep trails and some off-road jungle trails. The first part of the tour is relatively undemanding and requires no technical ability. As the tour progresses the riding gradually becomes more challenging. On the final day expect a few short climbs and some unforgettable descents through the jungle. The tour finishes with a magnificent riverside ride beside a tributary of the River Kwai Noi (dry season only) or a ride to Hellfire Pass by road.

Riding as group at an even pace, the group are accompanied by experienced guides with a good local knowledge of the area; visiting points of interest and sampling local food. A support vehicle follows close behind with plenty of water. Suitable for most levels of riders and an excellent trip for families.

Location
Kanachanaburi is Thailand's third largest province lying 130 kilometres west and a comfortable 2-hour drive from Bangkok.

The following services are included:

• All hotels and meals specified
  
• All transfers by a/c vehicles
  
• All entrances to museums and sites mentioned including the train ride.
  
• All water and snacks whilst riding
  
• Bike Hire for 3 days
  
• English speaking cycle guide
  
• Three lunches (Thai Food)
  
• Two Dinners (Thai Food)
  

The following are not included:

• Alcoholic beverages.
  
• Soft drinks and other beverages in the evenings.
  
• Optional Boat trip to Mon Village.
  
• Massage
  
• Tips for guides.

Book this tour

Bangkok, just a few decades ago was little more than a country market town surrounded by dense jungle and criss-crossed by an intricate network of canals. People travelled by river-boat, lived in houses above the canals or klongs and followed a simple life that reflected the rhythms of the river....

Discover old Bangkok on this one day tour. A gentle 40-km cycle ride takes you along old country backroads through a green tropical landscape of rice fields, remote villages, temples and laughing children... See fish farms, working rice mills and traditional Thai wooden houses.

The tour also includes a visit to the bizarre temple of Phurt Udom Pol with its colourful stuccos and an old medicine shop, plus a 10 k. cycle ride along a canal to the old market town of Nong Chock. End the day on relaxing boat ride down the fascinating Saen Seab canal - one of Bangkok's oldest waterways. Experienced guides explain the history, culture and local lifestyle. A great way to see a different side of Bangkok.

Price

Tour Price Includes

• Accident insurance
• Lunch
• Transport from hotel return to hotels
• Boat trip
• Support by Air Conditioned Minibus
• All water and snacks whilst riding
• Bike and Helmet hire for the day
• Local English speaking guide

Tour Price Excludes

• Alcoholic beverages
• Tips for guides
• Any items not mentioned in itinerary

A fantastic tour that combines a gentle bike ride through the countryside around Bangkok with a visit to the famous floating market. 70 kilometres south west of Bangkok, the Mae Klong River spreads into a sprawling delta before reaching the Gulf of Thailand. This low-lying fertile land contains an extensive network of canals where a traditional way of life has remained; revolving around trade at colourful floating markets.

The ride starts in Bangkok, exploring the Mae Klong Delta area at Damnoen Saduak floating market, the biggest and most colourful in Thailand and a must for every visitor. After the busy market, take an eye-opening boat ride through the maze of canals traversing local villages and plantations, then it's a gentle 32-km ride along country roads.

Ride as a group with experienced guides setting a gentle pace and stopping to sample local food en route. A support vehicle follows close behind with plenty of provisions.

Price

Tour Price Includes

• Accident insurance
• Lunch
• Transport from hotel return to hotels
• Boat trip
• Support by Air Conditioned Minibus
• All water and snacks whilst riding
• Bike and Helmet hire for the day
• Local English speaking guide

Tour Price Excludes

• Alcoholic beverages
• Tips for guides
• Any items not mentioned in itinerary

The story of the famous bridge over the River Kwai built by prisoners of war during WW2 has been immortalised in books and films. While the original bridge was replaced by a new structure, the railway which cuts through stunning scenery to Burma and cost thousands of allied POW and Asian coolies their lives, still remains. The tour visits the River Kwai museum and includes a journey by train on the famous "Death Railway" and a boat trip to visit a nearby Mon village - one of Kanchanaburi's ethnic minorities. Kanachanburi is also a province of startling natural beauty with a rugged landscape of waterfalls, caves, leafy forests and awe-inspiring limestone cliffs.

2 Days River Kwai Resotel Tour
2 Days River Kwai Jungle Rafts Tour

Take some time out to see several sides of Thailand. A leisurely cruise along the Chao Phraya river to Ayuthaya - once the centre of Siamese culture and a thriving commerical centre. Sleep on board a converted rice barge and savour the sights and sounds of the river ....