Chachoengsao Province, located just east of Bangkok, is a charming destination known for its rich cultural heritage, beautiful temples, and vibrant markets. A trip to this province often includes a delightful combination of market exploration and a scenic river cruise, offering visitors a taste of local life and stunning views along the Bang Pakong River.

After being collected from your central Bangkok hotel, your tour begins at about 7.00am. Travel by comfortable, air-conditioned minivan watching the hectic pace of Bangkok become more distant and the rural countryside more prevalent. Along the way you will stop at Talad Klong Suan, a traditional market on the banks of Prawetburirom Canal that actually spreads over Samut Prakhan Province and Chachoengsao Province. The market has been operating for more than a century and offers not only a nostalgic ambience of Thailand's past, but also charming wooden shop-houses selling vintage items as well as tasty local foods.

The next stop will be at Wat Saman Rattanaram where you can see the world's biggest Reclining Ganesha. Enormous at 16 metres high and 22 metres in length, Ganesha is a Hindu deity and has an elephant head and four arms.

Back at the vehicle your guide will hand out refreshing bottles of water and cold towels before moving onto a local restaurant for a delicious lunch that has been prepared for you.

Straight after lunch you'll take a leisurely boat trip along Bang Pakong River around Koh Lad. The riverside life, on both sides, consists of peaceful greenery, agriculture, houses plus other places that visitors to this area will find most interesting such as King Taksin the Great Stupa.

The hour long boat ride will come to an end at Wat Po Bangkla. It is in this area that you will see the endangered Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox Fruit Bat, the world's largest bat. Fear not! You are quite safe! During the day they just cling upside down off the branches of the trees.

Continue on to Wat Paknam Jolo. It is believed to be the only temple in Thailand painted entirely in gold and is a site to behold. And the inside is just as beautiful as the outside.

Your final stop in Chachoengsao Province will be at Muban Namtan Sot, the palm sap village and the sole production source of ready-to-drink Palm Sap and local palm juice.

The tour will come to an end at approximately 4.00pm with you returning back to your hotel by about 6.00pm.

A visit to Chachoengsao Province, with its lively market