Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Asia sticks to you. From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a spiritual place infused with the gods of past & present: the ancient spirits of the land & the family, the deities of Buddhism & Hinduism & the rules of Islam. Skyscrapers rise above streets like crystal gardens, while at street level, traders hustle, food-hawkers hawk & temples bustle with devotees toting their offerings.

Welcome to the Lion City - capitalising on its melting pot of cultures, finally getting some spark,  fast becoming one of Asia’s must go’ destinations.

Arrive in Singapore.

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Singapore Changi International Airport International Airport, subsequent to Immigration & Customs &, you will be welcomed by the Journeys Representative who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in & also discuss the program for the next few days.

Reach the hotel & Check-in & relax for balance of the afternoon.

*Check-in time is 02.00 pm. For earlier arrivals in the morning, we will request the hotel for a complimentary early Check-in but cannot be guaranteed unless reserved & paid for ‘immediate occupancy’.

Ditch the image of Singapore as a dull, sterile Utopia - scratch the surface & you will discover a strange brew of Chinese, Malay, Indian & Western cultures, a rich social stew that is anything but boring. Sure, the graffiti-free trains run on time, traffic jams are nonexistent & everyone looks clean-cut & wholesome, but who needs pollution, poverty & chaos?

Here,There,Everywhere| Island of Feasting| Green City| Shopping Frenzy

To arrive in Singapore is to step into a world where the call to prayer competes with the bustle of capitalism; where old men play mah-jongg in the streets & white-clad bowlers send the ball flying down well-tended cricket pitches; where Chinese fortune-tellers & high-priced management consultants advise the same entrepreneur. This great diversity of lifestyles, cultures & religions thrives within the framework of a well-ordered society. Singapore is a spotlessly clean - some say sterile - modern metropolis surrounded by green, groomed parks and populated by 5 million orderly & well-regulated people, including many foreigners.

The city state founded as a British trading colony in 1819, since independence it has become one of the world's most prosperous countries & hosts the world's busiest port. Combining the skyscrapers & subways of a modern, affluent city with a medley of Chinese, Malay & Indian influences and a tropical climate, with tasty food, good shopping & a vibrant nightlife scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover or springboard into the region

Singapore is a small country on a small island, but with just over five million people it is a fairly crowded city & in fact second only to Monaco as the world's most densely populated country. However, unlike many other densely populated countries, Singapore has over 50% of its area covered by greenery & with over 50 major parks & 4 nature reserves, it is an enchanting garden city. Large self-contained residential towns mushroomed all over the island, around the clean & modern city center.

Whizzing around Singapore can take a matter of minutes, thanks to one of the world’s most efficient & widespread public transport systems. Hankering for breakfast in Little India, but want to visit the temples in Chinatown before lunch? No problem, you will be there in a jiffy using the sparkling MRT system - & why not stop at Marina Bay for a spot of shopping on your way? Plus, with new metro lines opening practically every two years, this tiny island just keeps on becoming easier to explore.

The concrete jungles that once dominated Singapore’s skyline are slowly giving way to green skyscrapers, which look more like living ecosystems than business hubs. Fervently working towards its ‘City in a Garden’ dream, the nation is ploughing money into becoming more sustainable & well, green. Head out of town a little and you will find plenty of walking trails, treetop jungle bridges, wildlife galore & the city's green jewel, the UNESCO World Heritage listed Singapore Botanic Gardens - these are the lungs of Singapore.

Singapore’s mouth- watering food is the number one drawcard, taken very seriously. From cheap hawker fare to Michelin-starred fine dining, food-enamoured Singaporeans will line up for it, Instagram the hell out of it & passionately debate whether it is ‘die, die, must try’ - Singlish slang for ‘to die for’.

Don’t fret about finding a place to chow down, as each neighbourhood is home to local hawker centres & coffee shops dishing up some of the island’s best meals for just a couple of bucks. Pull up a pew at a hawker centre, crack open a Tiger beer & immerse yourself in a munificent range of Asian delights; heavy on the flavour, light on the wallet.  Simply follow your nose or join the longest queue - whatever morsels lie at the end, they are almost guaranteed to be scrumptious.

Want to splurge? Singapore delivers Southeast Asia’s best shopping and innovative, stylish restaurants, plus a swathe of top-notch hotels. Top of the tree is Raffles, a timeless symbol of colonial opulence.

When the sweltering outdoor heat gets too much, Singaporeans love ducking inside for a spot of retail therapy & a good dose of air-conditioning. Orchard Rd is the queen of shopping malls: with all the high-street brands, plenty of high-fashion houses & a few discount outlets thrown into the mix, everyone’s needs (& more often wants) are catered for here. If you prefer your shopping a little less mass-market, head out to local neighbourhoods for independent designers, quirky art galleries, bustling markets, Chinese medicines, Persian carpets & a sari or two.

Of course, it is not all about shopping, eating and G&Ts on the veranda.

Work up a sweat with outdoor activities - walking, cycling & water sports - or check out the contemporary arts scene, thriving under the government’s promotion of Singapore as an arts hub. If you want a break from the urban confines, the centre of the island has sparkling reservoirs & leafy tracts of forest where all you will hear is, monkeys clattering through the boughs.

Evening, meet the Journeys Rep / Driver at 05.00 pm & proceed to enjoy an iconic event, available in very few countries, if any. The Night Safari is the world's first nocturnal zoo & is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore.

In the area adjoining the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari explores the adventure of the tropical jungle after dusk with stunning audio-visual effect.

What better way to enjoy a night out in the wild than to embark on a Safari Adventure Tour? Inside, you can have an absolute tour of the jungle with safety & comfort, sitting in a tram. Your 40 minute tram ride will take you through the East & West Loop passing by a large reservoir & weaving through selected habitats designed exclusively for imitating the natural environment from the Himalayan Foothills to the Southeast Asian Rainforest & the Indian Subcontinent. The Trams ere very comfortable, seating 4 people in a row allowing you to see the enclosures on both the left & right side throughout the excursion so it doesn’t really matter where you sit. See numerous nocturnal animals, starting from ferocious predators to timid forest dwellers, in their natural habitat under the subtle moon glow lighting.

Opened in 1994, Night Safari is the world’s first safari park for nocturnal animals. Home to over 2,500 animals of over 130 species, it spans across 35 hectares of forests. With 38% of its species under threat of extinction, one of the Night Safari’s focus area is captive breeding. They also have a strong mission to promote biodiversity.

With over 1.1 million visitors to the attraction on an annual basis, Night Safari is bursting at the seams & they have been receiving mixed reviews. The common complains across the board are overcrowding, long wait times, over-priced food & sometimes not being able to see the animals. Yes, the Night Safari is seriously crowded. But it is worth it if go in well prepared. Just take it with a grain of salt & have yourself a good time!

The heat in Singapore is stifling. You can prepare for this by obviously dressing in something cool, have cold beverages readily available (especially if you’re not willing to pay the exorbitant prices at the Night Safari itself) & most importantly, invest in a hand held fan. But on the open Tram however, it is nice & cool with a constant breeze. Be prepared for the rain as the guided Trams continue to operate. Pack a poncho, which is so much easier to carry around than an umbrella and an Insect Repellent, especially essential in such a tropical climate, in a rainforest surrounded by animals.

The entire excursion is in perpetual darkness until you reach the enclosures which have lights so you can see the animals. And as flash photography is not permitted, you can take a few happy snaps with your phone only.

On the completion of the tram ride, your Tour-guide will accompany you on a walking trail where you will be able to encounter animals at closer quarters. There are 4 well lit & easy to navigate trails you can go on, namely the Fishing Cat Trail, the East Coast Lodge Trail, Leopard Trail & the new Wallaby Trail and you can enjoy seeing the animals at your leisure.  Hear insider stories about the animals or ask any burning questions you might have.

This nocturnal Wildlife Park also offers 4 very unique experiences (not included - extra payment) which you might like to check out.

You can spend an evening in the wild with dinner, tours & a cosy night in a tent, more like a rainforest glamping experience! You can watch the Lion & Malayan tiger at feeding times. And if you want to really splurge (money no object) then there is also 5 course dinner option on a moving Tram.  You can also get a private Guide to take you around the Park without the hassle of queuing for public Trams.

Night Safari excursion would not be complete without the 20 minute Creatures of the Night Show (included) performed in the big outdoor amphitheatre (weather permitting) amidst the rainforest. There is also the Thumbuakar Fire Performance (not included - extra payment).

And now, it time to go home, oops… hotel.

Overnight.   

Morning, meet the Tour-guide in the Lobby at 09:00 am & embark on an exciting 4 hour orientation tour that showcases the history, multi-racial culture prevalent in the city state that is Singapore.

Discover the exciting landmarks of the city. See the city’s colonial heritage as you drive around the Civic District past the Padang, the Cricket Club, Parliament House, Supreme Court & City Hall.

The tour showcases the contrast between old & new and the blend of the East & West in modern Singapore as you travel through the different districts.  Experience the history, culture & lifestyle of multi-racial Singapore. 

You will visit the Colonial district for a view of Padang, the Esplanade & Theatres on the Bay.

Stop at the Merlion Park for great views of Marina Bay & a picture-taking opportunity with the Merlion, Singapore’s mythological creature that is part lion and part mermaid.

Continue on to Thian Hock Keng, one of the oldest Buddhist-Taoist temples on the island, built with donation from the early immigrant workers from China.

Next head to Chinatown, the foreground of our fore-fathers humble foot-steps as immigrants and a place rich with traditions & great cultures of Chinese. Stop at the magnificent Sri Mariamman Temple - oldest Hindu Temple here,

Then, visit the local handicraft centre to watch Asian craftsmanship. Gem Factory gives an overview of the tedious process works involved producing such valuable jewellery. 

Later, enjoy a casual walk, breathing cool fresh air, within the grounds of National Orchid Garden - located within the 52-hectare Singapore Botanic Gardens which boasts sprawling display of 60,000 orchid plants comprising 400 species & more than 2,000 hybrids.

Stop at Little India will enthral you with the scent of joss sticks, jasmine & spices.

Finally, enjoy an ultimate shopping experience in Orchard Road, the epicenter of shopping in Singapore.

The tour will end at the Singapore Flyer, the world's largest observation wheel where you will have a bird's eye view of the island city.

Return to the hotel or continue exploring on your own.

Balance of the day is at leisure or perhaps try one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements). 

Overnight.  B 

Early morning, depart for Malacca, via Johor Bahru.

Immediately across, stop at Johor Bahru, an initial gateway for exploration of Malaysia.

One of the largest cities in the country, Johor Bahru (commonly referred to as JB) is the southernmost city in Malaysia. With a causeway across the Straits of Johor connecting it to Singapore, it is a gateway for exploration of that island nation. Over 300.000 inhabitants of Johor Bahru work in Singapore & vice versa, many inhabitants of Singapore go to Johor Bahru for affordable shopping at one of the many shopping malls.

The city is an important industrial, tourism & commercial hub for southern Malaysia and one of the biggest industrial centers of the country.  On the Johor Bahru's waterfront is Istana Besar, a royal palace built by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866 that now houses the Royal Abu Bakar Museum.

Subsequent to Immigration formalities in Johor Bahru, you would meet the Malaysian Tour-guide, transfer to another vehicle & enjoy a brief orientation tour before continuing on to Malacca.

First stop is Sultan Abu Bakar, the finest mosque in Malaysia. Drive past the Royal Mausoleum. Next, visit Malay Cultural Museum, pewter factory, a Hindu temple & a batik center.

On the Johor Bahru's waterfront is Istana Besar, a royal palace built by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866 that now houses the Royal Abu Bakar Museum.

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue your drive to the historical city of Malacca (or Melaka in local parlance).

On arrival in Melaka by afternoon, Check-in at the hotel.

This compact Malaysian state's catchphrase - 'Don't mess with Melaka' - sums up its confident attitude. Recent years have seen Melaka capitalise on its illustrious history & assert itself as one of Malaysia’s most irresistible tourist draws.

The peacock of Malaysian cities, Melaka City preens with its wealth of colourful trishaws, home-grown galleries & crimson colonial buildings. Old shop-houses & mansions have enjoyed makeovers as galleries & hotels.

Founded by Parameswara, a prince from Palembang, Malacca (or Melaka) is a living museum, with both ruins & intact buildings from bygone eras right in the heart of the city. Melaka City’s kaleidoscope of architectural styles - spanning Peranakan, Portuguese, Dutch & British elements - is well preserved.

Melaka sums up its confident attitude. Dubbed Malaysia's unofficial historic capital, Malacca - declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008 - is one of the country's most unassuming states & in time, due to its strategic location between China & India, Malacca came to monopolize the trading routes in this quadrant of the globe.

In the 15^th century, Melaka was one of Southeast Asia's greatest trading ports. Over time it lost favour to Singapore, but this slowdown in trade protected much of the ancient architecture of the state capital, Melaka City, from falling foul of development.

Recent years have seen Melaka capitalise on its illustrious history & assert itself as one of Malaysia’s most irresistible tourist draws with a rich cultural heritage, subsequent to the colonial rule of Portuguese, Dutch & British. Traditional culture is carried on by the Baba & Nyonya who are descendants of the Chinese delegates of Ming Dynasty when they emigrated from China & settled here

Modern Melaka swaggers once more, with visitors pouring in to experience the bustling weekend night market, heritage architecture & famously glitzy trishaws.

The rest of the state is a patchwork of forests, farmland & often deserted beaches.

Weekends are particularly busy when the vibrant Jonker Walk Night Market provides music, shopping & street-food galore and you can share the experience elbow-to-elbow with other travellers. Inevitably, a strong whiff of commercialism has accompanied this success. However, it is easy to feel the town's old magic (& get a seat at popular restaurants) on quiet weekdays. Melaka City, as it has for centuries, continues to exude tolerance & welcomes cultural exchange.

Other goods traded in Malacca included porcelain, silk & iron from China and natural products of the Malay archipelago, such as camphor, sandalwood, spices, fish, fish roe and seaweed. From the coastal regions on both sides of Malacca Straits came forest products; rattan, resin, roots & wax, and some gold & tin.

Balance of the day is at leisure. Or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Overnight. B L

Malacca has a very rich cultural heritage, subsequent to the colonial rule.

Morning, Check-out & meet the Tour-guide in the lobby at 08.00 am. Proceed for a 4 hour sightseeing tour of the UNESCO Heritage listed city.

Visit St. Paul's Hill for a good view of Malacca Straits and the old town of Bandar Hilir, the famous Portuguese Porta de Santiagoand the ruins of St. Paul's Church lined by 17^th century Dutch tombstones.

The famous ruins of A Famosa (Porta De Santiago), the Portuguese Square & the Portuguese Eurasians have their origin in 1511, when the Portuguese defeated the Malacca Sultanate. The red thick-walled Stadhuys, is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East, and the salmon red Christ Church stem from the Dutch period which began in 1641.

The lifestyle of the early rich Chinese who arrived from the mid15^th century is well displayed in the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Musuem. And In the old mosques dotted around, can be seen Sumatran & Javanese influence.

Stop by Cheng Hoon Teng - the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, and view Kampong Kling, a typical Malay village.

Enjoy lunch (not included - direct payment) before departing for Kuala Lumpur.

Check-in on arrival.

Kuala Lumpur - KL, as it is locally known, is Malaysia’s hub; a huge, bustling, cosmopolitan city that is the business heart of the nation. A skyline punctuated by minarets, Mogul-style domes & skyscrapers; colourful, food-stall-lined streets shaded by a leafy canopy of banyan trees - this is Kuala Lumpur.

Multicultural Modernity |Historical Canvas |Shopping Frenzy | Street Feast

Malaysia’s sultry capital is a feast for all the senses. Here you will find historic monuments, steel-clad skyscrapers, lush parks, mega-sized shopping malls, bustling street markets & lively nightspots. Essential parts of the vibrant mix are the incense-wreathed, colourfully adorned mosques & temples of the country’s Malay, Chinese & Indian communities. A reverence for these ancient cultures is balanced with a drive to be plugged into the modern world, a desire that is reflected in a creative contemporary-art & design scene, an ambitious riverbank-regeneration project & dynamic architecture: the new Exchange 106 tower is taller than the iconic Petronas Towers.

Today's KL-ites are separated by barely a handful of generations from the tenacious Chinese & Malay tin prospectors who founded the city, carving it out of virgin jungle. By the time the British made it the capital of Peninsular Malaysia in the late 19th century, erecting grand colonial buildings, KL had only been in existence for a couple of decades. Since then, KL has been centre stage on Malaysian history. Stadium Merdeka was where, in 1957, the country’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, declared independence.

It’s very ethnic diversity is part of the attraction with Malays, Chinese, Indian & European cultures melting together on the tropical streets.

To fully connect with locals, join them in two of their favourite pastimes: shopping and eating. Malaysian consumer culture achieves its zenith in KL, where you could spend all day browsing glitzy air-conditioned malls such as Pavilion KL, Suria KLCC & Mid Valley Megamall in search of designer fashion & bargains. Bangsar and Publika are the places to go for local labels and the work of offbeat independent designers. Alternatively, explore Central Market for locally made souvenirs & handicrafts; and hunt out the few remaining artisans & antiques dealers still keeping shop in and around Chinatown.

Balance of the day is at leisure. Or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

There are simply too many choices when it comes to dining options.

Morning, meet the Tour-guide at 09.00 am & proceed for a 4 hour sightseeing tour of the city. 

Despite rapid development, Kuala Lumpur has managed to retain her charm, with a skyline that blends the Old World with the New. Often overlooked by many tourists, KL has a wealth of attractions,

See the contrast between the Indo-Moorish architecture and the ultra-modern edifices, with the voluminous Petronas Twin Towers, at a height of 436m (1453ft), amongst the tallest buildings in the world. From the viewing level of the Towers the city unfolds with its old mosques & ramshackle buildings, contrasting with the gleaming skyscrapers that have sprouted as Malaysia has become one of the regional economic powerhouses.

Drive pass the elegant Jamek Mosque, the bustling Chinatown & take a photo stop at the majestic Royal Palace.

Continue journey to the National Museum & view the beautiful Lake Gardens. Then see a demonstration of fine jewellery-making at OE Design.

Final stop will be the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre to get an insight of pewter smithing & innovative pewter ware design.

The tour ends.

Return to the hotel or continue exploring on your own.

Evening, meet the Journeys Rep & go back to Chinatown for a more leisurely stroll & to experience the night market, with its bright lights & cheap imitation branded ware for sale.

Stop at an Indian hindu temple, before moving to a Malaysian restaurant to enjoy a cultural performance of Malaysian dances, accompanied by dinner.

After dinner, take a drive around the city of lights before returning to the hotel.

Full day is at leisure to relax or for independent exploration. Or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Despite the heat, this is a city best explored on foot. Walk & you can catch all the action and save yourself the frustration of becoming entangled in one of KL's all-too-frequent traffic jams. Walking, you will discover parts of KL retain the laid-back ambience & jungle lushness of the kampung (village) it once was.

What is more, you will be sure to come across some of the city's best dining spots: the hawker stalls & traditional neighbourhood kopitiam (coffee shops) that beckon you over with the aroma of freshly cooked food and the promise of refreshment with tropical juices and cooling drinks.

Overnight.   B 

In time, you will be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport for your flight to Bangkok. 

Sawasdee ka & welcome to   enchanting Kingdom of Thailand - friendly & fun-loving, cultured & historic. Thailand radiates a golden hue, from its glittering temples & tropical beaches through to the ever-comforting Thai smile…...

Arrive in Bangkok - the city where the familiar & the exotic collide like the flavors on a plate of pat tai.

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, subsequent to Immigration & Customs, you will be met by The Journeys representative outside Door B, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in & also discuss the program for the next few days.

If, for any reason you are unable to make contact with our representative within 30 minutes of waiting, please call the local Emergency telephone # listed on your Contact List. Please follow the advice given by our 24 / 7 Duty Officer   Please do not exit the Airport & make your own way to the start hotel.

Enroute to the hotel, the Rep will introduce you to some landmarks of Bangkok & brief about the Yi Peng & Loy Krathong Festival.

Check-in at your centrally located hotel & relax.

Fun Folks | Food | Urban Exploration | Contrasts

Bangkok is excess in all of its unrestrained glory. Bigger, better, more: the city is insatiable, a monster that feeds on concrete, shopping malls & diesel exhaust. The city demands that you be in the present & in the moment, not necessarily for a religious epiphany, but because the city is self-absorbed & superficial, blissfully free of wrinkle-inducing self-reflection. Smiles & sa·nuk (the Thai word for ‘fun’) are the key passports into Bangkok society. A compliment here, a joke there - the demands of social lubrication in this megalopolis are more akin to a small village than an anonymous city & a necessity for survival.

As Bangkok forcefully kneads out of you all demands for order & predictability, you will understand the famous Thai smile. It is the metaphorical brakes on the urban overdrive. Packed into these concrete corridors are religious spectacle, unapologetic consumerism & multi-flavoured hedonism - corrupting & purifying souls within footsteps of each other.

The language barrier can seem huge, but it is never prevented anybody from getting along with the Thai people. The capital’s cultural underpinnings are evident in virtually all facets of everyday life & most enjoyably through its residents' sense of fun (known in Thai as sa·nuk). Ordering food, changing money & haggling at markets will usually involve a sense of playfulness – a dash of flirtation, perhaps – & a smile. It is a language that doesn’t require words & one that is easy to learn.

Of the famous & infamous attractions, Bangkok’s best feature is its intermingling of opposites. A modern world of affluence orbits around a serene traditional core. Hop the Skytrain to the glitzy shopping malls where trust-fund babies examine luxury brands as carefully as the housewives inspect produce at the open-air markets. Or appreciate the attempts at enlightenment at the city’s famous temples & doorstep shrines, or simple acts of kindness amid the urban bustle. Or you can jump between all of these worlds - wining & hobnobbing at a chic club, eating at a street side market, getting plucked & pummelled into something more beautiful or sweating profusely on a long unplanned march. Bangkok is an urban connoisseur’s dream come true

With so much of its daily life conducted on the street, there are few cities in the world that reward exploration as handsomely as Bangkok does. It is the contradictions that provide the City of Angels with its rich, multifaceted personality. Here, climate-controlled megamalls sit side by side with 200-year-old village homes; gold-spired temples share space with neon-lit strips of sleaze; slow-moving traffic is bypassed by long-tail boats plying the royal river; Buddhist monks dressed in robes shop for the latest smartphones. A stroll off Banglamphu’s beaten track can lead to a conversation with a monk. Cap off an extended boat trip with a visit to a hidden market. Get lost in the tiny lanes of Chinatown & stumble upon a Chinese opera performance. . Or after dark, let the BTS (Skytrain) escort you to Sukhumvit, where the local nightlife scene reveals a cosmopolitan & dynamic city. And as Bangkok races towards the future, these contrasts will never stop supplying the city with its unique and ever-changing strain of Thai-ness.

And streets lined with food carts are overlooked by restaurants perched on top of skyscrapers & perhaps Bangkok has got to be one of the best-value dining destinations in the world. Until you have eaten on a Bangkok street, noodles mingling with your sweat amid a cloud of exhaust fumes, you haven’t actually eaten Thai food. It can be an intense mix: the base flavours - spicy, sour, sweet & salty - aren’t exactly meat & potatoes. But for adventurous foodies who don't need white tablecloths, there is probably no better dining destination in the world. And with immigration bringing every regional Thai & international cuisine to the capital, it is also a truly diverse experience.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or explore the city, your way or opt for one of the optional activities (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Meet the Tour-guide in the Lobby at 09:00 am & proceed on a 4 hour sightseeing to discover this amazing kaleidoscope of old & new cultures. You will see a well-groomed corporate Executive whizzing by in a BMW or a Mercedes or a Bentley amidst the chaos of the Bangkok streets.

The adventure begins!

First stop will be the spiritual & religious heart of the city - the striking Grand Palace, one of the most beautiful illustrations of an ancient Siamese court - a doubtless gem & icon of Bangkok that draws attention not only for its long history but also for the delicate construction & decorations. Topped by golden stupas, it used to be the residence of the Kings of Bangkok. In the complex, you will see palaces which were / are used for different occasions: the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall & the Royal Guest House.

Located in one corner of the huge Grand Palace Complex is the ornately decorated & gilded temple Wat Phra Kaeo, the holiest Buddhist site in Thailand, and home to the legendary Emerald Buddha. The whole site is surrounded by an arcade with 178 different painted panels depicting the story of the Ramayana. (please note that Grand Palace complex is closed during special royal ceremonies & during visiting Heads of State).

Next stop is Wat Pho, or Wat Phra Chetuphon as it is generally known to the Thais, is mainly famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses.

At 20 acres large, it is the largest Wat in Bangkok, and is technically the oldest too, as it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand's capital. However, today the Wat today bears virtually no resemblance to that originally constructed, as it was almost entirely rebuilt by Rama I when the capital was moved to Bangkok. It holds the dual honors of having both Thailand's largest reclining Buddha image & the most number of Buddha images in Thailand.

The highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long & 15 meters high & is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The feet & the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha. The large grounds of Wat Pho contain more than 1000 Buddha images in total, most from the ruins of the former capitals Ayuthaya & Sukhothai.

The temple is considered the earliest centre for public education in Thailand, and the marble illustrations & inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognised by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Programme. It houses a School of Thai Medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage which is still taught & practiced at the temple.

You may also visit another temple - Wat Traimit, with its invaluable Golden Buddha (5-1/2 tons of solid gold) has the largest golden Buddha in the world. At one point in its history the statue was covered with a layer of stucco & coloured glass to conceal its true value, and it remained in this condition for almost 200 years, ending up at what was then a pagoda of minor significance (like hundreds of other Buddhist temples that exist in Bangkok). During relocation of the statue in 1955, the plaster was chipped off & the gold revealed. Measuring 12’ in diameter with a height of 15’ from the base to the crown, this 700 years artefact is a valuable treasure of Thailand & Buddhism.   

After a lunch (own expense) in a restaurant by the river, board a long tail boat for a cruise around the Chao Phraya River Klongs (small canals) of Thonburi (also known as Venice of the East), the site originally chosen for Thailand's new capital after the fall of Ayuthaya.. The Klongs enable surface water to make its way to the sea & have long been a way of getting around Bangkok.

Enjoy the beautiful views of temples, pagodas, skyscrapers & residential buildings that create a unique skyline of Bangkok, along surprisingly rural western suburbs which feel a world away from the chaotic streets of modern Bangkok, across the river. Observe the daily lives of the people who live along the canals as you glide by curious stilted houses & gleaming temples whilst old men fish & children folic about on the water’s edge. See the boathouse where the Royal Barges are kept & maintained.

Disembark within walking distance of Khao San Road, a lively area popular with backpackers & hippy flower children of the past. Enjoy the many bars, restaurants, street performers, market stalls & tailors - that will measure you up for a new suit for 1 day delivery, that line this vibrant road.

The sightseeing ends & balance of the afternoon is free.

Continue exploring on your own or come back to the hotel.

Evening is set aside to enjoy a superb dinner onboard either a traditional rice barge or a luxury modern boat (you can choose which you prefer), while cruising along the Chao Phraya River. The spectacular sights along the river make an impressive backdrop to the meal & a traditional Thai Classical Dance Show is also included on the modern boat.

Come back to the hotel.

Full day is at leisure to relax or for independent exploration. Or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Alas, this wonderful glimpse of Thailand comes to end & it is time to say good-bye to the "Land of Smiles" & go home.  We sure hope that you may want to discover a bit more of Siam on your next visit.

Check-out of the hotel by 12:00 noon (if the departure time is later in the evening, we will request the hotel to allow the use of the hotel facilities & leave the luggage at the Bell Desk if you have the time to walk out). 

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to Terminal? - Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport for your onward journey. B

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