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Bangkok To Bali Discovery

Aboard Seven Seas Explorer with Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Departure Date

28 November 2025

Duration

14 Nights

Fly Cruise From

£10,284pp

Cruise Reference

ART-8BARE17

Cruise Overview

There are two Bangkoks, the ancient soul of Thailand with its long and fascinating history and the frantic, modern metropolis that embraces the latest trends both Eastern and Western.

The two blend together remarkably well—even the most jarring juxtapositions of old and new somehow make sense.

Bangkok is not only the biggest city in Thailand, but also the most mesmerizing, with some of the country's most beautiful temples and shrines.

The city's energy is palpable, especially at night, when traffic opens up a bit, its famous markets get going, and everything seems lit up—from its proudest monuments to its seediest streets.

When Ayutthaya was besieged and pillaged by the Burmese in 1766, Thonburi became Thailand's capital.

The Thais call Bangkok Krung Thep (City of Angels), and in 1782 King Rama I moved his capital here, just across the Chao Praya River.

Laem Chabang is approximately 130 km (81 mi) from Bangkok.
Koh Samui is the most popular tourist destination on the Western Gulf coast, which isn't surprising, considering the island's gorgeous beaches, perfect weather, and sparkling blue, almost turquoise, water.

Koh Samui has seen rapid development since the 1990s, and you'll encounter hotels in all price ranges.Koh Samui is half the size of Phuket, so you could easily drive around it in a day.

But Koh Samui is best appreciated by those who take a slower, more casual approach.

Most people come for the sun and sea, so they head straight to their hotel and rarely venture beyond its beach.

But it's worth exploring beyond your lodging.

Every beach has its own character, and you might find the perfect one for you.

One beach many visitors find to their liking is Chawaeng.

On Koh Samui's east coast, this stretch of glistening white sand is divided into two main sections—Chawaeng Yai (yai means "big") and Chawaeng Noi (noi means "little").

You'll find the greatest variety of hotels, restaurants, and bars here.

Despite the crowds, Chawaeng is no Pattaya or Patong—the mood is very laid-back.

A rocky headland separates Chawaeng Lamai Beach, whose clear water and long stretch of sand were the first place on the island to attract developers.

More budget accommodations are available here than in Chawaeng, and there are some happening nightclubs.On the west coast of Koh Samui, Na Thon is the island's primary port and the spot where ferries arrive from the mainland.

It's home to the island's governmental offices, including the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and there are banks, foreign-exchange booths, travel agents, shops, restaurants, and cafés by the ferry pier.

A few places rent rooms, but there's really no reason to stay here—nicer accommodations can be found a short songthaew ride away.To the north and east of Na Thon lie a few beaches worthy of exploration.

Laem Yai, 5 km (3 miles) north, has great seafood.

East of here, a small headland separates two low-key communities on the northern shore, Mae Nam and Bophut Beach.

Mae Nam is also the departure point for boats bound for Koh Phangan and Koh Tao .

Just south of the Samui's northeastern tip you'll find sandy Choengmon Beach, a good area for swimming that's not overdeveloped.
Romantically referred to by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, Ho Chi Minh City today is a super-charged city of sensory overload.

Motorbikes zoom day and night along the wide boulevards, through the narrow back alleys and past vendors pushing handcarts hawking goods of all descriptions.

Still called Saigon by most residents, this is Vietnam's largest city and the engine driving the country's current economic resurgence, but despite its frenetic pace, it's a friendlier place than Hanoi and locals will tell you the food—simple, tasty, and incorporating many fresh herbs—is infinitely better than in the capital.This is a city full of surprises.

The madness of the city's traffic—witness the oddball things that are transported on the back of motorcycles—is countered by tranquil pagodas, peaceful parks, quirky coffee shops, and whole neighborhoods hidden down tiny alleyways, although some of these quiet spots can be difficult to track down.

Life in Ho Chi Minh City is lived in public: on the back of motorcycles, on the sidewalks, and in the parks.

Even when its residents are at home, they're still on display.

With many living rooms opening onto the street, grandmothers napping, babies being rocked, and food being prepared, are all in full view of passersby.Icons of the past endure in the midst of the city’s headlong rush into capitalism.

The Hotel Continental, immortalized in Graham Greene's The Quiet American, continues to stand on the corner of old Indochina's most famous thoroughfare, the rue Catinat, known to American G.I.s during the Vietnam War as Tu Do (Freedom) Street and renamed Dong Khoi (Uprising) Street by the Communists.

The city still has its ornate opera house and its old French city hall, the Hôtel de Ville.

The broad colonial boulevards leading to the Saigon River and the gracious stucco villas are other remnants of the French colonial presence.

Grisly reminders of the more recent past can be seen at the city's war-related museums.

Residents, however, prefer to look forward rather than back and are often perplexed by tourists' fascination with a war that ended 40 years ago.The Chinese influence on the country is still very much in evidence in the Cholon district, the city's Chinatown, but the modern office towers and international hotels that mark the skyline symbolize Vietnam's fixation on the future.

Cruise Itinerary

Aboard Seven Seas Explorer

Launch Year: 2016 Length: 224 Width: 31 Currency: USD Capacity: 732 Crew Count: 567 Deck Count: 10 Cabin Count: 366

Seven Seas Explorer® is something of a snowbird, often spending the summer in cooler Northern European destinations and winters in warmer climates. The ship also cruises the picturesque Mediterranean coastlines.

Seven Seas Explorer® is stunning, with art by Pablo Picasso on the walls and a vivid cobalt-blue glass installation on the ceiling in the elegant restaurant Compass Rose. See for yourself how every space is designed to impress.

You could take a cooking class, get a seaweed wrap, lounge by the pool, eat a gourmet meal and play some blackjack all in one day aboard Seven Seas Explorer®. Explore the deck plans to plan your perfect day.

Seven Seas Explorer Facilities

Seven Seas Explorer Includes

Cabin Details

Experience a new level of comfort in your new home away from home. Our suites bring you the best in sumptuous living, from 28 to over 412 square meters, adorned with the finest décor and best-in-class amenities

Regent Seven Sea Cruises® offers an in-suite experience like no other at sea. Every suite has spacious closets, high-end finishes, relaxing Elite Slumber™ beds and private balconies. Sizes range from 307 to 4,443 square feet (93.6 to 1,354.2 meters).

Our luxurious ships feature all-suite accommodations that range from 28 to 412 square meter and are complemented by private, furnished balconies aboard Seven Seas Grandeur™, Seven Seas Splendor®, Seven Seas Explorer®, Seven Seas Voyager®, Seven Seas Mariner®, and 90% of suites aboard Seven Seas Navigator®. Marble appointments accent the bath, featuring a tub or walk-in shower and the majority of suites feature a walk-in wardrobe. A spacious sitting area is enhanced by soothing colours and rich textures with plenty of room to stretch out and watch a movie, read a best seller, or simply enjoy ever-changing vistas that stretch to the horizon's edge.

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