Bangkok Smile Dinner Cruise: Honest Review & Tips
Okay, so you’re thinking of taking a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok? Very cool! There are loads to choose from, it seems, but one that often pops up is the “Bangkok Smile Riverside Dinner Cruise.” The thing is, picking one can feel almost overwhelming, and it’s super easy to feel paralyzed. You want a fun time, after all, and good eats. Basically, here’s a lowdown from my own outing and some advice to maybe help you figure out if this one’s the right fit. To start, I can tell you it was quite a night!
What is it Like Getting Onboard?
You know, arriving at the pier to catch the Bangkok Smile Riverside Dinner Cruise had such a great exciting energy. There’s a bunch of people milling around, almost all tourists, waiting to board various boats. Pretty much a festive air hangs about, everyone anticipating a great evening. That said, finding the right check-in spot can be a little tricky if you don’t know what you’re looking for! It might be wise to maybe give yourself a few extra minutes just to make sure you end up in the correct line; there are almost always representatives around, if that helps, so don’t hesitate to ask if you feel stuck.
The boarding part goes smoothly, as I recall, once you’re at the front of your group. Aboard the boat, you will discover, too, an initial wave of camera flashes and everyone sort of scouting for where they are going to sit. Getting settled might be something of a small delay before the whole adventure gets moving. But, hey, the anticipation itself feels super charged, as everybody’s ready for a relaxing evening drifting past such iconic Bangkok waterside views.
The Food: Buffet Style?
Right, let’s chat grub, I think the thing most people wonder is how is the food?! Well, the Bangkok Smile Dinner Cruise showcases what appears to be a pretty massive buffet spread featuring mainly Thai-inspired plates. It seems there’s almost always a selection of familiar favorites—like, I remember seeing Pad Thai and Green Curry, things everyone knows and seems to love. These dishes typically get refilled somewhat frequently, and so that is a plus!
Yet, don’t get your expectations too too high when talking about fancy gourmet food, so to speak. The cuisine tends to go more to cater for all tourists, I think, and leans toward broader-appeal options rather than the highest-end, most authentic Thai feasts you can find. I found the food perfectly okay—decent for a large buffet feeding masses of folks, like your average wedding banquet food. Given that, remember you’re mainly booking for that experience more than a high-end restaurant experience. After all, the floating past dazzling landmarks as you chow down? That’s surely something pretty special, actually. The whole “dinner with a view” thing.
What Kind of Sights Should You See?
Alright, so the absolute peak of the Bangkok Smile Riverside Dinner Cruise? Seriously, it’s the view! Seriously! The Chao Phraya River at nighttime provides just a mesmerizing experience of illuminated temples and buildings. For Instance, the Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) looks just amazing all lit up—a definite photo opportunity moment you don’t want to skip. That temple’s just covered in pretty lights; very eye catching, indeed.
Beyond just Wat Arun, you can also spot the Grand Palace gleaming in the night and the Santichaiprakan Fort, all adding historic and majestic feels to your sightseeing. As you glide by, there’s really quite something to behold with the city’s contemporary skyline merging against the heritage of such ancient landmarks. If that doesn’t get you going, what will? Viewing these amazing sights makes this dining cruise worthwhile all on its own—pretty special for a visitor or a first timer!
How’s the Onboard Entertainment?
Pretty much every dinner cruise is trying to give the guests some performances during dinner, I think, and this cruise appears to follow the very same model. I think most often there is a singer or maybe a band that performs mostly popular tunes. Okay, and truth be told, the style sometimes leans towards lounge or background beats designed basically for just mild listening instead of a lively concert atmosphere. They were alright, so there you go.
The thing to do is recognize that what you hear will vary from tour to tour, in reality. Don’t just get yourself psyched up to see super-thrilling, can’t-miss concerts. In my opinion, the attraction here actually seems the river views and the overall relaxing feel the water offers, in effect making it a perfect night of downtime when on holiday!
What Crowd Does This Cruise Attract?
So, just so you can imagine the scene properly, think about a diverse group of wanderers seeking sights, sounds and good memories. Usually this cruise hosts vacationers—families and friends, probably some solo flyers, too. Because it’s really one of Bangkok’s top tourism activities, everyone’s from every place. Seriously, just every place! The mix creates such an energizing yet relaxed evening scene. People are dressed, too, ranging just from travel-casual to a little dressed up – nice summer night, easy vacation feel all the way!
Things You Could See Improve
Everything everywhere is almost never without opportunity areas, right? I can maybe see where just a few folks had commented here and there where upgrades might prove quite cool! Okay, so several thought a better variety in culinary delights will definitely notch up things at that dinner area for the food lovers amongst everyone! Moreover, some people may really appreciate fewer people all at the same seating or maybe even spaced meal times—this just ensures the buffer lines may flow so very easily for each and everyone!
And yeah maybe, you understand, making improvements with the whole entire entertainment portion would boost that full environment a tiny notch. I suppose I mean to be just straightforward in every honest and way.
Is the Bangkok Smile Riverside Dinner Cruise Really Worth it?
Right, so, big Q – Should you reserve that trip to cruise, so you can grab eats all along Bangkok River’s amazing scenery? By experience I believe yes you almost always are just gonna gain a totally nice travel story, it seems. Yes it’s possible the eats and gig portions perhaps probably usually don’t constantly shock and awe, it seems; simply enjoying sites which are incredibly sparkly along mighty Chao Phraya whenever nights go dark? Very unforgettable. Probably best you just manage a little bit most for something simply great, it’s true!
Bangkok Smile Dinner Cruise: Key Pointers
- Great views Wat Arun by night steals the spotlight
- Buffet Food Pretty Decent – not too fancy-schmancy
- For Who Families, groups & anyone visiting Bangkok.
- Entertainment So-So: Focus remains almost entirely on seeing those awesome sites
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