Old Bangkok by private boat

Thai culture is rich in tradition, art and faith, and in Bangkok the surest way into it is the river. You set out early by private boat from your hotel's pier on the Chao Phraya and reach Rattanakosin Island, where King Rama I founded the capital in 1782, just as the Grand Palace opens its gates at 8.30.

Within the palace walls stands the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred in Thailand; the statue's robes are changed three times a year with the seasons. A few steps south is Wat Pho, where the gilded Reclining Buddha lies 46 metres long and 15 metres high, and where a school of Thai medicine and massage was founded in 1955 and still teaches today.

The boat then crosses to the west bank and Wat Arun, whose great spire was raised in the early 19th century, and turns into the quiet canals of Thonburi: wooden houses over the water, small temples, a glimpse of the city once called the 'Venice of the East'.

The Grand Palace asks for modest dress that covers shoulders and knees; shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed. We time the visit to avoid the midday heat and end the morning with a halal lunch on the river or a quiet return to your hotel.