diamond princess april 14 2010 - tours out of Bangkok before cruise

[workdone]

interested in tours out of bangkok before cruise

[Sandy R]

There's a roll call of the April 14th cruise. Log on and introduce yourself. You'll find lots of info and very nice people.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

interested in tours out of bangkok before cruise

 

Try a google search Day Tours Bangkok.

This will give an idea of whats on offer.

However I think when you arrive at your Hotel there will be a tour desk and they will be able to arrange something for you on the spot and pick you up and return you to your Hotel.

[Klongmaster]

interested in tours out of bangkok before cruise

This is a good place for you to start...the rollcalls are full of ideas and plans...read and enjoy.

[Miss Jolly]

We were very happy with the tours we organised through Tongs Tours - she also has a website and will help you devise your own tour.

[Hussar]

interested in tours out of bangkok before cruise

 

We will have about 6 days in Bangkok and I have explored tours. Seems the best is what someone else suggested - arrange them through the hotel.

Feel free to contact me at Email: rpleblan@hotmail.com and I will tell you more.

 

Also we (wife and I) are looking for someone to share transportation from Bangkok to the Cruise ship. Let me know if you are interested.

 

Ron LeBlanc

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

[chipmaster]

interested in tours out of bangkok before cruise

 

We just got back from a 4 day whirlwind tour of Bangkok and Pattaya. Had a driver, guide and van for the 6 of us. The 4 days were a blast, tourism is most surely impacted by the flu, politics and economy there. Bad for the locals but good for the visitors as crowds and prices were great.

 

For those that are willing to go private you might want to drop the guide I used a email or call. I can't give you an exact price we paid as we got a bundled deal with airfare from the states, stop over in Taiwan, plus hotel, and full activities all paid in Thailand, and the agency fee overhead too. I'd recommend the guide Shirley Chau ( email pkkwin@yahoo.com, phone: 0899223188) We did this tour thru a company but I believe she also freelances and can hire guide/car for less too. We'd for sure use her again if we get back to this fun country

[gayengarry]

interested in tours out of bangkok before cruise

 

We have just returned from Diamond Princess Bangkok to Sydney. we spent a few days in Bangkok before the cruise. We used Tongs Tour & we would highly recommend it!!!

Tiger Temple Kanchanaburi

 

Highlights of this day tour include

• 
  
  • Pick-up from your Hotel
    
  • Floating Markets
    
  • Historic Bridge over the River Kwai
    
  • Lunch in a Thai Restaurant
    
  • Tiger Temple at Wat Pha Luangta Bua Yannasampanno
    
  • Return to your Hotel in Bangkok
    

In Kanchanaburi Province there is a forest temple, founded in 1994, which has become a sanctuary for numerous wild animals. While it is more commonly known as The Tiger Temple, its Thai name is Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Yannasampanno.

The abbot, Phra Acharn Phusit, has been caring for abandoned tigers since 1999. The mother of the first cub he took in had been killed by poachers. The first tiger cub died from its injuries, but a few weeks later two more tiger cubs were rescued from poachers and brought to the temple.

Word soon spread and more abandoned or injured tigers were brought to the temple. By 2005 there were 17 tigers at the temple. Seven were orphans rescued from the wild and ten have been born and bred here at the temple. Update 230309 - there are currently 38 tigers at the temple.

The monastery is situated in an area lying adjacent to Burma. Protected areas and national parks along the Thai-Burma border are believed to contain the largest surviving populations of tigers in Thailand.

Unfortunately, while these areas are protected, poaching still occurs. A poacher can earn several years of a farmer's salary for killing a tiger, so the profit is well worth the risk. After the mother tiger is killed the cubs are taken as a bonus, or left to fend for themselves in the jungle.

Cheers,

G&G :):cool:

[dclayw]

I have visited Bangkok many times, it is a wonderful city and there is plenty to do in the city itself. Whether you go through a tour agency or organise yourself (pretty easy to do), the highlights (at least for me) are:

 

• The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo. It is a fascinating place. Please do learn a little about the history before visiting.
  
• A dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya river, plenty of companies run these.
  
• Hire a long tail boat and cruise through the klongs in Thonburi on the west bank on the Chao Phraya river. A fascinating insight into Thai life of old. Best to visit early morning when it's cooler and you're more likely to see some of the more authentic goings on.
  
• See if you can organise to see some Thai kick boxing at Lumpphini Stadium.
  
• There are plenty of other temples worth visiting, main ones are Wat Arun, spectacular at night, Wat Traimit (solid gold buddha), Wat Pho (very large recllining buddha).
  
• Markets worth a visit are the Pratunam market and Suan Lum Night Bazaar.
  

If you are spending a few days in Bangkok then it would be worth familiarising yourself with the skytrain and the river taxi system. Bangkok traffic can be horrendous and it's easy to get caught up in a trafiic jam for quite a long time.

 

If you want day trips from Bangkok then as suggested earlier Kanchanaburi is worth a visit. Ayutthaya (the old capital) not far north of Bangkok is also worth a visit. Thailand is famous for its beaches and Koh Samet is only about 2 hours south east of Bangkok. (Pattaya is not far from here but that is the more seedier side of Thailand).

 

Further afield there is Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to the north (golden triangle, hill tribes, elephant trekking etc) but these are not day trips. And in the south the resort beaches of Koh Samui, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi etc. but again you will need to fly to these places.

 

My advice would be to research as much as possible if you are going to spend a few days in the area before the cruise. There's plenty to see in Bangkok itself, but pretty easy to organise something further afield, even if that means flying to the north or the south for a couple of days (Air Asia flights in the area are very cheap).

[Klongmaster]

We have just returned from Diamond Princess Bangkok to Sydney. we spent a few days in Bangkok before the cruise. We used Tongs Tour & we would highly recommend it!!!

Tiger Temple Kanchanaburi

 

 

 

Highlights of this day tour include

• 
  
  • Pick-up from your Hotel
    
  • Floating Markets
    
  • Historic Bridge over the River Kwai
    
  • Lunch in a Thai Restaurant
    
  • Tiger Temple at Wat Pha Luangta Bua Yannasampanno
    
  • Return to your Hotel in Bangkok
    

   

In Kanchanaburi Province there is a forest temple, founded in 1994, which has become a sanctuary for numerous wild animals. While it is more commonly known as The Tiger Temple, its Thai name is Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Yannasampanno.

 

The abbot, Phra Acharn Phusit, has been caring for abandoned tigers since 1999. The mother of the first cub he took in had been killed by poachers. The first tiger cub died from its injuries, but a few weeks later two more tiger cubs were rescued from poachers and brought to the temple.

 

Word soon spread and more abandoned or injured tigers were brought to the temple. By 2005 there were 17 tigers at the temple. Seven were orphans rescued from the wild and ten have been born and bred here at the temple. Update 230309 - there are currently 38 tigers at the temple.

 

The monastery is situated in an area lying adjacent to Burma. Protected areas and national parks along the Thai-Burma border are believed to contain the largest surviving populations of tigers in Thailand.

 

Unfortunately, while these areas are protected, poaching still occurs. A poacher can earn several years of a farmer's salary for killing a tiger, so the profit is well worth the risk. After the mother tiger is killed the cubs are taken as a bonus, or left to fend for themselves in the jungle.

 

Cheers,

G&G :):cool:

This is NOT from Tong's Tours. It is from Bangkok Days Tours Website.

[powerplate]

HI - we are cruising on this ship April 10th & are looking for exciting tours in Thailand. How does one get on roll call?

Thanks much,

Clarice

cjchism@cox.net

[Kiwi Kruzer]

HI - we are cruising on this ship April 10th & are looking for exciting tours in Thailand. How does one get on roll call?

Thanks much,

Clarice

cjchism@cox.net

 

 

Just go to the Princess Roll Call page ,

select Diamond, then your sailing.

There is a thread running for this cruise.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=301

[retire43]

New member and my first message.

Replying to gayengarry re the trip they took to the Tiger Temple in

Thailand.

 

Can you give me a bit of info on the bus ride to the site. Is it a safe

ride on highways,etc. Reason is one travel companion hates narrow

road lane and especially if they are high on mountains.

 

If you could let me know that would be great. Thank you

[retire43]

This is NOT from Tong's Tours. It is from Bangkok Days Tours Website.

 

Sent previous msg not sure if I did it right so will try this way.

Just read your msg on trip to Tiger Temple in Thailand. Can u tell me

if the road trip by vehicle is safe. A travel companion has fear of

heights and we were wondering if the road is fairly safe.

Thanks

[mohicanfan]

We used Saliathaitravel for our one-day tour of Bangkok post-cruise and they were fantastic. The price was very reasonable and we got to customize the trip, putting in so many places of interest so that we could squeeze in all the sights in one day. Our tour guide, Tuk, was fantastic. I definitely recommend her!

 

We were required to pay a deposit via credit card and then the rest in cash. The driver met us and everything went according to our prearranged itinerary, with prearranged boat rides and car picks. It was a wonderful experience - we couldn't have done all we did in Bangkok in any other way because we were so short on time.

 

The website is:

www.salathaitravel.com

"Ratana Nakom" is the one I worked with to rearrange the tour. We highly recommend Tuk as a tour guide!

PS - we had tried to hire Tour with Tong, but after several emails, that company stopped responding to us.

Regards,

Meredith

[bryanwal]

We used Saliathaitravel for our one-day tour of Bangkok post-cruise and they were fantastic. The price was very reasonable and we got to customize the trip, putting in so many places of interest so that we could squeeze in all the sights in one day. Our tour guide, Tuk, was fantastic. I definitely recommend her!

 

We were required to pay a deposit via credit card and then the rest in cash. The driver met us and everything went according to our prearranged itinerary, with prearranged boat rides and car picks. It was a wonderful experience - we couldn't have done all we did in Bangkok in any other way because we were so short on time.

 

The website is:

www.salathaitravel.com

 

"Ratana Nakom" is the one I worked with to rearrange the tour. We highly recommend Tuk as a tour guide!

 

PS - we had tried to hire Tour with Tong, but after several emails, that company stopped responding to us.

 

Regards,

Meredith

 

Thanks Meredith. i've sent a message to Ratana Nakom with a reservation request. the form on their website doesn't work very well.

[Klongmaster]

The Tiger Temple is in Kanchanaburi Province which is flat to undulating countryside.

However, you have no need to fear the roads as thailand has a great infrastructure.

The road from Bangkok is four lane most of the way and the section from kanchanaburi to the tiger temple is nice and wide.

Enjoy you trip...

[John Bull]

interested in tours out of bangkok before cruise

 

Repeating suggestions from others, and adding a few:

 

Full-day: pick up from hotel, coach to Bang Pa In summer palace & several stops in Ayutthaya, then coach to the Chao Praya river for a cruise down to Bangkok, with good buffet lunch etc, ends at River City pier (by Sheraton Royal Orchid), transport back to your hotel.

http://www.thairivercruise.com/s0104/index.php?pgid=0167 or http://www.hotelthailand.com/thailand-activities/bangkok-activity/grand-pearl-ayutthaya-cruise-bangkok-thailand.htm

Cost about 2000 baht/USD50 pp

 

Other river options include a long-tail boat tour of the klongs (canals) ending with either a rice barge or ending at Grand Palace. Or hire your own long-tail boat for the klongs (think venetian gondola with a car engine on a long stick :D), USD30 for two people for an hour, can take up to 10 very comfortably but probably at higher cost. All from River City pier.

Dinner cruise - went on a rather disappointing one - the one from the Shangri La hotel (not just for S-La guests) is the most expensive at about USD 55 but very highly rated.

For a simple evening cruise, go native & use the cheap & fun express ferries instead of a cruise boat.

 

Grand Palace is a must-do, but don't use an organised tour - you'll have a grand tour of Bangkok's hotels & an unadvertised gem workshop/sales gallery. DIY by express ferry or tuk-tuk, or taxi for the unadventurous.

 

Patpong/Silom for the nightlife/night markets.

 

No need for your own guide for these things.

 

John Bull