Bangkok - Day Tours

[V41LEY]

Anyone recommend a day tour which includes Floating Market / River Kwai / Tiger Temple ?
Seems plenty on offer - just wonder if anyone has some inside info.
Cheers.

[durbster]

Don't think you could do all that in a day. The Bridge over the river Kwai is several hours drive from Bangkok iirc.

I gather the floating market is exclusively for tourists now and is therefore very expensive (and probably a bit pointless).

[smifffymoto]

We have done Kwai bridge and tiger temple on a day tour but the one we still talk about is the ABC bicycle tour we did down the back streets,across the river etc really enjoyable and at a steady pace.there is a new Flight of the Gibbon which we may do this year.

[Kenty]

Yes, tour with tong has great trips and scores very highly on trip advisor. Will be on one next Sunday!
They do Taylor made as well. Find on net or Facebook.

[g3org3y]

V41LEY said:

Anyone recommend a day tour which includes Floating Market / River Kwai / Tiger Temple ?
Seems plenty on offer - just wonder if anyone has some inside info.
Cheers.

Tbh, if you wanted to do a River Kwai and Tiger Temple tour, you'd be better off doing it from Kanchanaburi. Iirc, Bangkok to Kanchanaburi is a good 2.5 hours away iirc.

I remember I did a tour organised via the 'Jolly Frog' (somewhere very recommended to stay in Kanchanaburi btw - check out the view!):





It was quite a few years back, but iirc it was a 2 day thing that included the Tiger Temple, the Death Railway & River Kwai a walk in the Erawan National Park to see some monkeys and a raft ride (and swim) in a river.

The Tiger Temple isn't that exciting tbh, most of the tigers are very sleepy. (There are claims they are drugged but I ended up running into a chap at Chang Mai who used to work there and he assured me they weren't). The other sights are worth taking some time over and I don't think you'll enjoy them as much if rushed.

Tiger @ Tiger Temple


Bridge over River Kwai


Monkeys @ Erawan Park


There are plenty of tour operators in Khao San Road. They will be able to let you know what is available. Don't be surprised to get lumped with other mixed tour groups for parts of the day and split later on.

[audidoody]

We did the floating market in December, Don't waste your time Total tourist trap

[audidoody]

We did the floating market in December, Don't waste your time Total tourist trap

[audidoody]

We did the floating market in December, Don't waste your time Total tourist trap

[V41LEY]

smifffymoto said:

We have done Kwai bridge and tiger temple on a day tour but the one we still talk about is the ABC bicycle tour we did down the back streets,across the river etc really enjoyable and at a steady pace.there is a new Flight of the Gibbon which we may do this year.

Do you have more info on the Bicycle Tour ? Sounds interesting.

[V41LEY]

audidoody said:

We did the floating market in December, Don't waste your time Total tourist trap

Looks like you did it 3 times !!

Can you elaborate as many in my party think it's 'a must see'.
Good to able to tell them not to bother.
Is there hassle (more than normal for tourists) or worsen?
Thanks.

[V41LEY]

Kenty said:

Yes, tour with tong has great trips and scores very highly on trip advisor. Will be on one next Sunday!
They do Taylor made as well. Find on net or Facebook.

Will be very interested to hear which tour you chose and how it went.
Thanks.

[V41LEY]

[quote]

The Tiger Temple isn't that exciting tbh, most of the tigers are very sleepy. (There are claims they are drugged but I ended up running into a chap at Chang Mai who used to work there and he assured me they weren't)..
[/quote]

Not that bothered by Tigers TBH but you try telling that to two eight olds and a forty-eight year old !!!!
I'd read that most people reckon they are drugged but tigers are nocturnal creatures I thought so guess what - they are sleepy during the day.

[smifffymoto]

For bike tours ABC are good for family type stuff,Spice roads are very good also.We have done numerous trips from Chiang Mai and have booked 2 trips in Cambodia for this year.It is all done at a leisurely pace and you get to see a lot of things off the beaten track.

[Kenty]

V41LEY said:

Kenty said:

Yes, tour with tong has great trips and scores very highly on trip advisor. Will be on one next Sunday!
They do Taylor made as well. Find on net or Facebook.

Will be very interested to hear which tour you chose and how it went.
Thanks.

Our time in Bangkok is limited as a stopover before our trip into Burma, so we wanted something organised and with a driver/guide and collected from Hotel. We are having a quick look at train market, floating market, tiger temple, elephant village,lunch, bridge over river Kwai. We are in a car so will see some of local life. It is fairly long day about 10-12 hrs but we can also stop where we like or change trip. Base cost about £90pp. Will let you know how it goes, I know most are a bit touristy but you wouldn't see them if you didn't go!

[smifffymoto]

Most hotels will run trips,usually their cars and drivers,it's a bit more expensive but you do what you want,when you want and the driver usually hasn't got side line with stall holders,jewellery shops etc....

[thehawk]

audidoody said:

We did the floating market in December, Don't waste your time Total tourist trap

That's because you would have gone to the crappy tourist one. (Guessing Damnoen Saduak)

There are several, Ampawa is probably the most popular and you rarely see a westerner. Great food, massage places, craft shops, and twilight boat trips to see fireflies. Great day out.

[Big Raff]

When i was there in 2009 we (me and buddy) used the tourist office in MBK to organise the full day including the Snake Village on top of the three other places you wanted.

The bus came to our hotel and collected us and brought us back...full day and a good time. Plenty of tour offices around all over the show, and chances are your hotel will have one as well. just go with the one that seems like a good one.

[Stuart Davidson]

We really enjoyed this. A superb day out in some off-the-beaten-track places.

http://www.bangkokbiking.com/en/programs/bangkok

[HotJambalaya]

did floating market, tiger temple and river kwai including lunch in december, had a private tour organised from our hotel, including tour guide, 5 of us in total, and was about £40 a head, maybe max £50. Better check on tiger temple with 8 year olds, theres basically nothing in tiger temple except the private experience, you can line up like a nut in the hot sun in the bottom of a quarry, or pay 1000tb per person to jump the line and have photos taken with your camera with various tigers. PAY THE MONEY! There is no way on earth they aren't drugged out of their minds, nocturnal or not.

That specific trip is fairly common, floating market as mentioned is pretty horrible, thick diesel fumes in the air, and a 3 minute boat ride of people trying to sell you made in china souvenirs.

Its a pretty long day too.

[Rach*]

I went on a day trip to Bridge over the River Kwai, train ride down, lunch, common wealth cemeteries and river cruise back.
The group I was lumped with split and visited the Tiger Temple, they confided in me they regretted taking the kids there and that it was really sad


Go to the kick boxing at http://www.muaythailumpini.com/index1.html if you get chance!