CRUISING
Thailand
Events National Thai Elephant Day March 13. Feasts and festivities in honour of Thailand’s captive elephants. A good day to visit an elephant park.
Songkran April 13-15. Thai New Year, celebrated with good-natured public water-fights with water shot from pistols and thrown from buckets.
Loy Krathong Usually falling in November, this pretty festival sees Thais honour water spirits by floating decorated candles on rivers and lakes.
Thai taster
Many cruise lines now position ships in Asia for part of the year. Bangkok (from Laem Shabang port 50 miles south east of the city), Phuket and Samui are the most common stops. Itineraries that start and end in Thailand offer cruise and stay possibilities
River cruises Manohra Cruises offers Bangkok dinner cruises on converted teak rice barges. Its overnight vessels have been taken over by Anantara Cruises which offers two three-day cruises to Ayuttaya. Audley Travel and Funway Holidays offer short cruises on the River Kwai.
www.manohracruises.com www.anantara.com
“For families in Thailand, mostly I’d go for Phuket, though it’s quite built-up compared to Krabi and the islands, or Chaweng beach on Samui which has a long strip of restaurants. Thailand is quite safe and has really beautiful clean beaches. Most resorts based in Phuket and Samui will have a kids’ clubs but if they want to go out there are things nearby. Samui, for instance, has lots of temples as well as an elephant orphanage.”
LEANNA DONALDSON, KUONI TRAVEL, KENSINGTON
Cruises for 2012 include: Star Cruises This Asia-based line has several cruises linking Thailand with Singapore and Malaysia. Bangkok, Krabi, Koh Samui and Phuket.
www.starcruises.com
Princess Cruises offers a 16-day Bangkok to Beijing itinerary calling at Singapore, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh city, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki and Pusan (South Korea).
www.princess.com
Seabourn Cruises features a 12-day India and Asia Wonders cruise on Seabourn Legend sailing right up the Chao Phraya River into Bangkok and also calling in to Phuket.
www.seabourn.com
Opposite page: Centara Grand West Aqua Pool; Banyan Hua Hin; Above: Thai Airways welcomes children; Top right: Seabourn Cruises in Thailand
Silversea’s Asia itineraries include an 11-day Hong Kong to Bangkok cruise calling at Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue/Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Kompong Song and a nine-day Bangkok to Singapore cruise with stops in Phuket, Kompong Song, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang.
www.silversea.com
Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 18-night Singapore to Dubai cruise takes in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Oman and Dubai, departing March 2012. It calls at Phuket, Chennai, Trincomalee, Galle and Colombo, Goa, Mumbai and Muscat.
www.rssc.com
Azamara Club Cruises has a 14-night Southeast Asia itinerary departing Christmas 2012, offering two-night calls at Bangkok and Vietnam’s Ho-Chi Minh City plus an overnight at Halong Bay, ending in Hong Kong.
www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk
P&O Cruises’ 20-night Dubai to Hong Kong itinerary on Arcadia calls at Mumbai, Cochin, Colombo, Phuket, Singapore, Sihanoukville, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Halong Bay. The line also has an 18-night Sydney to Bangkok cruise. Numerous longer cruises also call at Thailand including the 39-night San Francisco to Bangkok cruise via Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Cambodia and a 37-night Bangkok to Southampton cruise taking in Asia and the Middle East.
www.pocruises.com
Sailing Sunsail offers yacht charters with or without crew. Its Thailand bases are in Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Chang.
www.sunsail.co.uk
“I’ve booked clients on
a Silversea cruise departing Hong Kong which did Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Koh Samui then went on to Malaysia. There was also a Princess cruise and they went from Singapore to Koh Samui then Bangkok. I don’t think a cruise really gives enough time in Thailand but for people who want to have a taste of the East it’s a way to do it and see Bangkok without the hustle and bustle.”
SUE FOXTON, HOMEWORKER, FUTURE TRAVEL
Thailand Travel Guide 2012 17
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