jcarde20
The top hits surrounding Bangkok!
I booked this tour because I really only had one day to get out and explore the country & wanted something like “the greatest hits”. Or as much as I could see. I definitely think it did just that. It helped it was a private tour so I could Explore at my pace & everything could be calibrated to that. The driver and your guide picked me up at my hotel and the driver was already waiting at 7am. We then headed off to the market with the train and arrived in time for a 9am train to pass through the market! Got some snacks to enjoy along the way & then went to the floating market. Much to my surprise we didn’t just see the market we were inside the market-exploring it from a boat in the canal!! Watch out every vendor is super high pressure. Being alone I felt really pressured and wasn’t good at haggling. The tour guide helped a bit though. In rainy season the canal’s water gets quite high so I don’t know if this part of the tour can be offered then or if the market is even safe & operating then! After we went to eat at a lovely open air venue, included in the tour. The food wasn’t too spicy, so don’t worry about that! We then went to an elephant sanctuary amid the old architecture. I didn’t realize this was part of my tour, but might have been a special add on for me. An elephant ride is optional. We then explored an area that was the head temple—the one with Buddha’s head nestled in a tree. That area was incredibly impressive. We arrived in the afternoon so it was much cooler. Walking around for about 45 Minutes-hour. The old grand palace we went to after—similar and equally impressive. Also about 45 minutes- an hour here. It apparently floods in rainy season sometimes, so it might also be something that doesn’t always happen. In this area you’ll learn a lot about Thai history and the history of Bangkok too. Then we went to visit a temple with Buddha lying down & learned about the different types of buddhas. The tour drove through some neighborhoods so you got a good sense of different neighborhoods & in each area my guide was quite knowledgeable about architecture and lifestyle questions. The tour said 7 hours, my tour lasted quite a bit longer (in case you plan multiple things in one day or plan to leave in the evening be careful). But, I feel like it was tailored to my pace and the agenda was adjusted according to my needs. Would love to take it again!
