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Overnight Cruise || Life on Board || Route Map || The Vessel || Photo Gallery
Cruise Itinerary
| 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 Ayutthaya 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 11.30am. There also
a chance to have your fortune told here. |
| 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 traditional English afternoon tea of finger sandwiches,
scones and dainties, with a selection of teas.
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| 4:30 pm |
A quick stop at Wat Pathum
Khong Ka to feed the numerous 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 Ayutthaya. 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. |
Itinerary - Day Two
| 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 Ayutthaya. |
| 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 pass.
|
| 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 made by the Chinese. |
A waiting limousine with guide will then transfer you to
within Ayutthaya, 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 Ayutthaya 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 Ayutthaya is such a large area, the limousine driver
will wait for you and take you on a tour of the outer
areas of the ancient city.
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| 5:30 pm |
From Ayutthaya,
you'll transfer by limousine to Bang Pa In, one of the 16
districts of Ayutthaya 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 make merit. |
Across from Bang Pa In is Wat Niwet Thammaprawat - one of the most intriguing
Buddhist temples and this is where we'll moor for the
night. Wat Niwet Thammaprawat 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 Ayutthaya-inspired
Thai dinner. |
Itinerary - Day Three
| 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 Niwet Thammaprawat. |
| 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 Ayutthaya
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'll depart at around 1pm) |
| 1:30 pm |
Light Thai luncheon underway. |
| 4:00 pm |
Light afternoon tea served
on board as we head back towards the outskirts of Bangkok. |
| 6:30 pm |
Arrive at the Manohra Cruises
Pier for disembarkation. |
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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