Day 1: Bangkok
The day starts with a pick-up from the airport and a transfer to your hotel, with the rest of the day at leisure. A luxury rice barge journey into Thai culture and Thai cuisine is the evening’s highlight on the Loy Nava cruise boat, the only original antique teakwood rice barge on the river in Bangkok.
Experience first-class Thai hospitality and delicious food from around the kingdom in the comfort and tranquility of this luxury, open-air cruise. You will dine on fine food while passing the city’s iconic landmarks including the Temple of Dawn, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace.
Day 2: Bangkok
After breakfast, we head to Samyan Market to get a true taste of daily Thai life as locals carry out their morning shopping jaunts. As we stroll through the market, we learn about the ingredients used in Thai cooking and sample some tropical fruits. We continue to the century-old Nanglerng Food Market, which once served as one of the inner-city’s major trading hubs. The area is dotted with traditional wooden shop houses offering a glimpse into a bygone era.
Next, we visit a small local eatery near Bangkok City Hall before returning to the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon. In the evening, we explore the plethora of flavours in 200-year-old Chinatown. We then take a walking tour through the vibrant streets, stopping to sample local cuisines along the way, before enjoying a dim sum dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 3: Bangkok
There is no better way to learn how to cook Thai cuisine than through an authentic cooking class taught by expert Thai chefs. This is an ideal hands-on experience. You will be amazed at what you can cook! In the evening we explore the old quarter of Bangkok on a food exploration tour – ranging from street food to restaurant fayre. Your guide will take you to renowned Rambuttri alley near Khao San Road to try local delicacies at hawker stalls followed by a light dinner at a local restaurant. This place is a popular spot for locals as well as visitors to the Thai capital. We then return to the hotel.
Day 4: Bangkok
After breakfast at the hotel, your final day in Bangkok is spent at leisure to relax at the hotel, or head out to explore more of the vibrant capital’s sights. You can put on your haggling hat and pick up some last-minute souvenirs at the market, or take a stroll through Lumpini Park, an inner-city haven that is home to lakes and various flora and fauna. Alternatively, take a tour of the Grand Palace or the ornate Temple of the Green Buddha, or jump on a ferry along the Chao Phraya River and soak up Bangkok’s iconic riverside area. If it’s the weekend, then Chatuchak Weekend Market and its thousands of stalls are a must. We will then wave goodbye to Bangkok and drive to the airport in the afternoon for your onward flight.