BANGKOK CANAL TOUR

Bangkok Canal tour

TOUR DURATION 2 HOURS

At the beginning of the Bangkok period, the city was surrounded by many canals, both man-made and natural. These waterways provided transportation and also acted as a defensive moat against the Burmese. People lived along the canals in homes built on stilts.

There were many temples used as centers of education for children, and also serving as community centers for award ceremonies. In the morning, vendors in rowboats sold produce and other kinds of food to the villagers. Devout Buddhists waited in front of their homes, offering food to the Buddhist monks. Bangkok was, and remains to this day, such a wonderful and glorious city. As a result of this intriguing life and vibrant commerce along the canals, foreigners who visited Bangkok came to refer to it as the “Venice of the East.” Later, when modern civilization was introduced to Thailand, many things changed, especially the people’s traditional ways of life.

Our Bangkok canal tour begins as we leave the hotel by private car. Upon arrival at the pier, we board a long-tailed vessel, referred to by some foreigners as the “James Bond Boat.” This craft will cruise slowly for a while along the Chao Praya River, the main river of Thailand. It will maneuver through the network of small canals, enabling us to survey and compare the actual changes in the ways of life, from the past until today.

The boat ride is breezy and exciting, yet also quite relaxing, as we journey through the heart of many villages. The homes here are built on stilts, and they are embraced by both the water and the plantations.

You will enjoy watching large schools of fish as they swim through the water, waiting for food from the visitors. We make a stop at the most famous temple of the Thonburi Period, the Temple of the Dawn; renovated in 1767 and, from then on, known as the palace temple of Thonburi. The tallest structure, called “Prang,” is most impressive.

The architecture is stunning, featuring porcelain and china decorations; and the relics of Lord Buddha are housed within it. This is certainly a place where you will want to take “bird’s eye” photos of Bangkok and the surrounding scenery along the river.
At the conclusion of this tour, we return to the hotel by private car.

Description

Bangkok Canal tour

TOUR DURATION 2 HOURS

09.00 Depart from your hotel for the pier to start our Bangkok Canal Tour trip

09.45 Board a small long-tailed boat, embarking on a short cruise along the picturesque Chao Praya River. Famed as the “River of Kings,” you will enjoy the beautiful scenery along both banks of the river. Turning into the network of canals, we explore the interesting reality of life on the west bank of the Chao Praya River.

Our uniquely atmospheric boat will cruise slowly so that the visitor has a fine opportunity to observe all the typical activities along the waterway. Here, many homes are built on stilts in the traditional Thai style, thus able to avoid being flooded during the rainy season.
Many temples reveal themselves to be centers of education for young Buddhist monks; as well as centers for recognizing the accomplishments of the community’s faithful, and to listen to the Buddhist Chant. You may also see children enjoying a leisurely swim in the river.

The boat will stop in front of a temple where the visitor will have a chance to feed the many fish attracted by the sound of the engine. We then proceed by boat to explore the canal network, arriving at the Temple of Dawn. The magnificence of the Temple Compound will be immediately apparent. The Temple of Dawn was built around the 17th century as an ordinary temple. It was restored during the Bangkok period and converted to the Palace Temple during the 18th century. Today, the Temple is beautifully adorned with thousands of pieces of porcelain and china; its architectural style unique among all the temples of Thailand.

11.30 Arrive at the pier and take a private car back to the hotel.

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