Having exclusive use of the entire vessel allows guests to plan an itinerary to suit their personal requirements, and to match their individual interests to the varied scenery and points of interest along the river.

The following is typical of what you may expect on a Classic Barges cruise:

Guests may board ‘Montar’ at a number of embarkation points.  In Bangkok, we recommend Wat Choeng Lom, Pak Kret.  Located only a 6-minute drive from the Stage 2 Expressway and 15 minutes from Don Mueang Airport, the temple makes a convenient, traffic free boarding point; vehicles can unload immediately adjacent to the jetty.

As ‘Montar’ cruises northwards, skyscrapers are replaced by small industrial buildings and factories, with lines of barges loading and unloading at their wharves. Gradually the riverbank changes, domestic houses built almost on the water, their verandas and gazebos, reflecting the demands of the climate, in turn replace the factories. Many of these houses have become small restaurants; renowned for their excellent cuisine, they are well patronised by the Thais. If you choose, ‘Montar’ can tie up at the restaurants and you can try the local specialties.  Foods being a very prominent part of Thai life, many vendors cook a variety of delicacies aboard tiny sampans on the river, selling them to passers-by. Your hostess can wave down a passing boat for you to try the freshly cooked morsels.

With Bangkok disappearing into the wake, coconut palms and banana trees, interspersed with rice paddies, slip endlessly by. Afternoon tea on deck is an elegant affair, reminiscent of times long past, with sandwiches, pastries and freshly baked scones. Numerous Buddhist temples or ‘Wat’ are dotted along the river. Resplendent in lavish gold ornamentation, these are interesting places to visit.  There are a number of small resorts along the riverside and as they usually have a boat landing, make convenient places to stop for the night.