Popular Culture & History in Chao Phraya River

This Day involved seeing the Summer Palace and then a few of the older Temple sites and a modern Temple. The guide for the day - although informative spend a bit much time talking and explaining at the signs rather than letting us see the places. At the Summer Palace in particular a lot of people in the tour departed to see the place - it was extremely hot standing in the one place listening. Then a river cruise and a very nice lunch on the way back. I had been told to be there at 7am - which meant I left my hotel at 5.30 to avoid traffic. However we did not leave until well after 8am. So there was a lot of waiting around to get going. Maybe they could be a little clearer on the time the tour would actually leave as I could have enjoyed a bit more sleep and been better prepared for the day. Over all it was a good experience and enjoyable.

We had a great time visiting Ayutthaya and the Summer palace. The food on the boat was delicious too. Unfortunately, the biggest issue for us was that the guide did not speak very good English so most of the stories we missed. Also we did not have too much time to visit the various Wats in Ayutthaya. I had the feeling, we havent been to the most spectacular one, but in smaller ones. It was super hot, however, so we didnt mind staying shorter times outside. All kinds of people come to the tour and some speak very little English, so it is understandable that things (important instructions, meeting points and times) are said multiple times. We explored in our own faster pace everything, so we were always back on time to the bus.

We booked hop on and off bus tour and boat tour together. Because of Bangkok's notorious traffic we didn't enjoy 3day's bus enough but the boat tour was quick and very efficient for us to take to our tour sight.So we bought the ticket again on our last day. All tour was exciting and the night view was amazing too. Just I wish the Boat Tour could have had more redeem places. I stayed in Khaosan Rd, however still cost me 150 Bht to get to Maharaj pier by tuktuk (We were ripped off by tuktuk driver. He left us Chang pier because we didn't understand him when he showed the entrance of Mahrarj pier, and we had to walk back upset)

Overall, trip was good. Our guide Job was very friendly and excellent at guiding the group throughout the day. Places visited was beautiful. Cruise ship and coach bus was comfortable, lunch was nice. But there's no pick-up from the sukhumvit area even they wrote that they do on their website. Wrote email asking the pick-up, but not successful. After finishing the tour, asked again if they could drop me near the Sukhumvit area. But just told go on your own! that was so disappointing. Taxi to the meeting point was quite expensive.

Very good tour - well organised, got exactly what was promised. Nice balance between history, old capital and river cruise. Tour guide Donna was good, interesting information. Timings exactly as promised. Food on river cruise - average quality, good quantity/variety. Despite indifferent reviews from other customers the pick-up and return to hotel went exactly as planned.