DESTINATION FOCUS
Cruising into... Bangkok
T
hailand’s endlessly appealing, gloriously chaotic capital city is an increasingly popular gateway for cruises around oriental waters,
heading north to Vietnam and Hong Kong or south to the Indonesian Archipelago and Singapore.
It is also a major port on itineraries that
circumnavigate the globe, and is often the jumping off point or concluding port for segments of round-the-world voyages. Set in a fertile river delta, Bangkok is home for more than eight million people and is the epicentre of the nation’s politi- cal, commercial and cultural life. It is also one of Asia’s most intriguing yet deceptive cities and, once you penetrate the surface, a rich sensual realm quickly seduces all who visit. Indeed, Bangkok is unlike most cities – you don’t absorb it, it absorbs you. On a continent that measures time in millennia, Bangkok is a young city. After Burmese traders destroyed the former capital of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Thais moved south along the Chao Phraya River, the country’s lifeline. In 1782, a town was created that would become one of Asia’s greatest cities. The essence of Bangkok is the old royal
city. It is here, nestled in an oxbow of the Chao Phraya, that most explorations of the City of Angels (as its true name, Krung Thep, translates) begins.
Among the pinnacles and spires of
royal, religious and government buildings, the sparkling centrepiece is Wat Phra Keo, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is protected by a nine-tiered bejewelled umbrella and surrounded by gold murals. Every building and spire in this large complex glows with gold leaf or sparkles with chips of coloured mirrors. Through an archway in the South-
ern Wall lies the Grand Palace, built piecemeal over the past 200 years as the home for the Thai Royal Family. Its main building, the Chakri Maha Prasad, has its roofline crowned by spires shaped like the head-dresses of Thai dancers. Exploring the Chao Phraya River,
100 WORLD OF CRUISING I Winter 2012-13
Gary Buchanan reports on another great city in which to spend some time either pre or post-cruise
tourist boats sail past the fascinating complex of ruined temples and palaces to the former capital of Ayutthaya. The journey takes visitors past canals (known as khlongs) that lace the city – causing European visitors to give Bangkok the epithet ‘Venice of the East.’ There isn’t a traveller alive who can leave
Thailand without at least one souvenir. The list is endless – Thai silk, bronze sculptures, antiques, wood carvings, leather goods and lacquer-ware. Bespoke tailors will also cre- ate hand-made suits and dresses for bargain prices in little more than a day.
H
owever, stray from the shopping malls and, in no time at all, you can be the proud owner of a fine
Tag Hauer that tells the time, but isn’t; pack your belongings in Louis Vuitton lug- gage that’s fancy but fake; or protect your eyes from the sun in a pair of Ray Bans that are stylish but simulated. One icon of Bangkok life that is far from simulated is the legendary Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This ‘Grande Dame’ has captivated the hearts and minds of Royalty and heads of states, renowned travellers and celebrated artists alike by its unrivalled luxury and elegance for 136 years. The city’s oldest hotel takes full advan- tage of its location on the banks of the
Chao Phraya and boasts superb views, lush tropical gardens and levels of service even the finest cruise lines can only aspire to. If you don’t stay at the Oriental, afternoon tea in the Author’s Wing, with its unabashed colonial charm redolent of when Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham and Gore Vidal held court, is one of life’s unalloyed delights.
BANGKOK FACTFILE
MORE INFO: For the official Bangkok tourist office, look up www.
bangkoktourist.com. In the UK, call Tourism Thailand on 020 7925 2511 or visit
http://inter.tourismthailand.org/uk/.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel: in the UK, call 0800 2828 3838; in the US, call 1800 526 6566; or visit www.
mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/.
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