Apsara Dinner Cruise: Cruising Bangkok's Chao Phraya River
Apsara Dinner Cruise: Cruising Bangkok's Chao Phraya River
This is quite the tourist event, but from the privacy of the small Apsara ferry, we felt we were doing things a little bit differently. Run by Banyan Tree Hotel, the Apsara dinner cruise is probably the most luxurious and private dinner cruises that fill the river, come dusk. We didn’t have to deal with hoards of people and lousy buffet food.
We were whisked away from the Banyan Tree Hotel in our private van and taken to the pier, that is probably as touristy as it gets. There are dozen of gift shops, retailers and thousands of tourists milling about. Luckily we were taken to a private area were we were able to wait for our boat arrive.
We had arranged to have the tasting menu during the cruise and had asked to sit at the front of the boat so that we could see all the sites clearly and feel the cool breeze. Albeit a bit touristy, cruising down the river, eating delicious Thai food, all while seeing Bangkok drift by was definitely a fun way to spend an evening.
To take the cruise, you'll meet in the lobby of the Banyan Tree Hotel or at the pier where the ferry takes off. When we arrived at the pier we had about a half hour to wait until the boat arrived - we found a quiet bar and enjoyed a cocktail on the river before we had to go...much better than dealing with all the tourists.
It takes an hour and 45 minutes to complete the tour and as you cruise down the river you will pass by Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) and the Grand Palace to the Golden Rama VIII Bridge. I love that the boat slows down at each site so you can attempt to take some pictures
If you don’t want to take advantage of their tasting menu, you can opt for the buffet which features traditional thai dishes and fresh fruits.
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