Central Thailand

Today’s tour will begin at 07:00. Travel away from Bangkok’s city centre for a visit to local markets and countryside neighbourhoods. Take a one-hour drive, leaving the high-rises behind and entering a land of lush landscapes and traditional wooden houses. Stop at a local railway station at Na Kwang, boarding a local train ride to Mae Klong station where a bustling country market has sprouted up along the tracks. As a train pulls into the station, witness the vendors quickly clearing their stalls off the railway. Then, after the train departs, watch them set up shop and resume business as usual. From here, continue to the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. By boat we navigate narrow canals and enter the floating market of Damnoen Saduak, where old ladies sell noodle soup, pomelo, rambutan and other colorful fruit and of course souvenirs from their little wooden boats. Take a moment to step behind the souvenirs stalls to discover wooden houses and bridges still lining the waterways from the past. Dark side of history comes to life in the Museum and war-cemetery in Kanchanaburi on the river Kwai. A chance to learn about the hardships of the prisoners before walking across the notorious railway bridge is part of your program. Enjoy a night under the country side stars, after a day of fantastic impressions!

After breakfast, drive to the northwestern part of the city. Visit the Hellfire Pass Museum before embarking on a trek through the nearby canyon. The walk along the Memorial Walking Trail overlooks the hills of Myanmar. A free audio guide, narrated by former POWs, is provided to help guests understand the conditions endured by those working on the line during World War II. After lunch, depart for Erawan Waterfall – a beautiful seven-tiered waterfall. Located in Erawan National Park, the best time to visit is during the rainy season from May until September. Guests will be able to walk up to each tier of these picturesque falls, so it is best to bring good walking shoes. Also, guests should remember to bring their swimming suit so they can cool off in the falls’ natural pools. Then it goes downriver and into the central plains full of sugar cane and corn, depending on the season. Trucks are piled up high with harvest and local workers ride along on top. Make sure to try a freshly pressed juice on the way. You will arrive at the former royal capital of Ayutthaya by the end of the day. This generally is a day-trippers destination and there is a countryside-calm to dining on the riverbank after the coolness of the evening takes over from the heat of the day.

Today, we visit to the Unesco declared the ruins of temples and surrounding structures a world heritage site. Wat Chai Wattanaram is particularly beautiful and was built in the same style as the famous temples in Angkor, Cambodia. Your guide transforms the ruins into their former glory while explaining what happened when the Burmese army sacked and destroyed the place, taking away all the gold once covering the temples to Burma. You will wander between much more recent palaces in Bang Pa In, an eclectic collection of royal homes in a manicured park on the bank of Chao Phraya River. Your program stops at your booked hotel in Bangkok, or the airport or train station.