Cycle Central Thailand

This morning you will be picked up from your Bangkok hotel to start your cycling exploration of the beautiful central region of Thailand. Drive south to Samut Songkram and visit the famous floating market of Damnoen Saduak, the biggest and most colorful in Thailand and a must for any visitor. Purchase just about anything from the vast array of “shops” on the river. Take a long-tail boat ride through the maze of canals cutting through local villages lush plantations. This eye-opening boat ride offers a glimpse of Thailand of old where local people are going about their daily life with the canal as the focal point. Arrive at a riverside temple and enjoy the surroundings of the temple before the bikes are fitted and a general briefing is given. Ride through plantations and orchards and along quiet backroads to visit the birthplace of Rama II, Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram. Depending on the season, during your bike ride you will see grapes, lychee, pomelo, guava and coconuts ripe for picking. Continue to a local restaurant – Suan Rim Nam – and enjoy lunch in a picturesque setting before riding through lush vegetation back to the start point of our ride today (13km). You will then continue by van to the Royal River Kwai Resort, your accommodation for the night.

This morning you will start your day by visiting one of the excellent war museums in town and stop at a poignant Allied War Cemetery, then continue to the world renowned Bridge over The River Kwai. Board the original Death Railway train, also passing over a wooden viaduct built along the mountainside. Continue to Hell Fire Pass and visit an Australian-commissioned museum which stands as a moving monument to the WWII POWs who died in constructing the Burma-Siam Railway. After lunch, start biking along some great trails through teak plantations and small Thai villages on your way to Prasat Muang Sing. This historical site covers some 74 hectares and is believed to have been used by the Khmer empire as a trading point along the Kwai Noi River. Ride around the park and visit the museum before packing up the bikes and driving the short distance back to the hotel for some time at leisure to relax.

After breakfast, set off from the hotel for an easy ride along quiet country trails. Pass small communities and finish with a crossing over a wooden suspension bridge, on your way to Sai Yok Noi Waterfall, where you have the chance for a swim before lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, drive via Suphanburi to the former capital city of Siam, Ayuthaya, which is located approximately 80km to the north of Bangkok along the Chao Phraya River, the tributary of which surrounds Ayutthaya province. Check in to your hotel in mid-afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

An early start this morning for those who would like to participate and an visit to the morning market to buy fresh food, which you will then donate to the monks who are making their rounds to receive alms from the local people. It is the traditional practice for Thai Buddhists and makes for a memorable experience for visitors to Thailand. After breakfast at the hotel, transfer from the hotel to Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, founded by King U-Thong in 1357 as a center for monks returning from study in Sri Lanka. The white reclining Buddha near the entrance was built by King Naresuan. The massive pagoda was also built by King Naresuan to celebrate his victory over the Burmese at Suphanburi in 1593 by killing their crown prince in a single-handed combat on elephants. Explore the ancient city and temple complex by bike, visiting Wat Phra Sisanphet, the old palace and Wat Chai Wattanaram. Continue riding along the small back roads that follow the Chao Praya River to Bang Pa In, the old royal summer palace. After lunch at a local restaurant and some time to explore the summer palace, you will start your journey back to Bangkok, arriving at your hotel in the late afternoon.