THAIest

Going on Chao Phraya River cruise is a great way of seeing Bangkok from a different angle. There is a large selection of dinner cruises offered and we were given a chance to go on the special one - Loy Nava Dinner Cruise.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise 

There were 2 daily Loy Nava dinner cruises – at 6.00 pm (sunset cruise) and 8.10 pm. However, during COVID-19 pandemic Loy Nava dinner cruise was closed and is no longer providing the service we used.

Bangkok river dinner cruise experience similar to Loy Nava can be expected on board of this Manohra Dinner Cruise.

Cruise

We decided to go to the pier by ourselves and arrived there around 5.40 pm for the sunset cruise. As soon as we arrived, we were promptly welcomed by the Loy Nava staff. During cruise the staff was very hospitable and always ready to serve all our needs.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

We boarded the boat of Loy Nava Dinner Cruise at Si Phraya Express Boat Pier around 6 pm. The boat is quite small but really charming. The boat itself is an elegant traditional wooden boat creating a unique atmosphere for the dinner.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

We were welcomed onboard with a beautiful jasmine flower garland by Thai girl wearing traditional dress and later guided to our designated table.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

On the day of our cruise, there were only 4 tables occupied with less than 10 people on the cruise making it feel more like a private cruise with such an intimate atmosphere.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

We were seated at the front of the boat and enjoyed the amazing night views of Chao Phraya River and the old town of Bangkok. However, you don’t need worry about where you will be seated, as all the tables at Loy Nava Dinner Cruise come with waterside views and you can see many of Bangkok’s famous historical landmarks such as Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and the Grand Palace up close.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Entertainment of Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

The entertainment onboard Loy Nava Dinner Cruise was truly traditional Thai-style performances and provided a nice ambiance.

There was a lady sitting in front of the boat and playing traditional Thai music on “Khim”, a traditional music instrument, during the entire cruise.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

A number of classical Thai dancing performances were also presented on the cruise by two Thai ladies. All the entertainment on the cruise brings you close to Thai culture.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Food of Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

For us, the best part of Loy Nava Dinner Cruise was food.

You can choose form Thai Traditional, Thai Seafood or Thai Vegetarian menus. They served us a half Thai Traditional and half Thai Seafood menu. The selection included some Thai food dishes that we have never tried before.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

The food at Loy Nava Dinner Cruise was well prepared, incredibly delicious and really plentiful. Every meal was served course by course - appetizers, soup, main dishes, and then dessert. It really stands Loy Nava out from other cruises as all large Chao Phraya River cruises serve in buffet style.

Each dish in every course was beautifully presented.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Drinks are not included in the price of the cruise but you can order them in packages or one by one. Drink prices are reasonable for the cruise.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Appetizers

Barbequed Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce (Moo Satay หมูสะเต๊ะ)

Marinated chicken in Pandan Leave with Plum Sauce (Gai Hor Bai Toey ไก่ห่อใบเตย)

Pomelo with fresh coconut served on a Betel Leaf (Miang Som-O เมี่ยงส้มโอ)

Tuna with a slow-braised Capsicum Jam (Pla Tuna Jaem Prik ปลาทูน่า)

Salmon Spring Rolls (Por Pia Pla Salmon)

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Soup

You can choose from a seasonal Thai Vegetables Soup and the most popular Thai soup Tom Yum Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง). We ended up having a bowl of Tom Yum Goong. The soup was really delicious and presented a good combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors. However, it wasn’t served hot enough.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Main Course

The main courses are brought out and served in Thai-style. All the dishes are placed on the table at once for you to share.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Steamed Jasmine White Rice & Organic Brown Natural Rice (Khao Horm Mali ข้าวหอมมะลิ)

Deep Fried Crispy Shrimp Cakes with a Palm Sugar Sauce (Thod Man Goong ทอดมันกุ้ง)

Deep Fried Crispy Pork Cakes with a Palm Sugar Sauce (Thod Man Moo ทอดมันหมู)

Southern Massaman Beef Curry (Gaeng Massaman Nua แกงมัสมั่นเนื้อ)

Thai Green Chicken Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan Gai แกงเขียวหวานไก่)

Stir Fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce (Phad Pak ผัดผัก)

Roasted Duck Salad with a Sweet Tamarind Sauce (Salad Ped Num Makham สลัดเป็ดน้ำมะขาม)

Dory fish with a Lime & Chili Sauce (Pla Dori Manaow ปลาดอรี่มะนาว)

Scallops Salad (Salad Hoy Shell สลัดหอยเชลล์)

Grilled Prawns & Mussels with a Spicy Sauce (Goong & Hoi Malaeng Phu Pow กุ้งและหอยแมลภู่เผา)

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Dessert

Lemon Curd Pancake with Thai Miniature Banana (Roti Gluay Kai โรตีกล้วยไข่)

Sweet Taro Bird's Nest and Rice Flour Bird (Rang Nok รังนก)

Mixed Thai Tropical Seasonal Fruits Salad (Salad Phonlamai สลัดผลไม้)

Thai Flag Jelly of Pomegranate, Coconut Cream & Butterfly Pea Flower (Khanom Chan ขนมชั้น)

Mango and Sticky Rice Sushi (Khao Neow Mamuang ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง)

Gold Egg Yolk Drops (Thong Yhod ทองหยอด)

Fresh Pineapple (Saparot สัปปะรด)

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

Coffee or Tea

Our Experience

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise along the river takes about 2 hours. You get many great photo opportunities while cruising on Chao Phraya River. The river is much prettier and more impressive at night than at the daytime.

If you want to see the sunset lights, you should take the 6 pm cruise, just like we did.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

If you will go on 8.10 pm cruise, all the main attractions along the river will already be beautifully lit up.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise 

Overall, Loy Nava Dinner Cruise exceeded all our expectations.

The whole experience felt special and there was really nothing to complain about. The cruise boat is beautiful wooden boat which is much more traditional than the others cruising Chao Phraya River. The food served on the cruise was delicious and plentiful. The views spectacular and the atmosphere had something special in it.

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise

We would highly recommend Loy Nava Dinner Cruise to anyone willing to see Bangkok from a different angle and enjoy various Thai food dishes in an authentic atmosphere. Couples will enjoy it even more, so if you’re looking for a place to spend a romantic evening in Bangkok, choosing this Loy Nava Dinner Cruise might be a great idea.

Ticket Price

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise ticket prices:

  • Standard Loy Nava Dinner Cruise price is 2,295 baht per person.
  • Half price is paid for children from 5 to 15 years.
  • Children under 5 years are free of charge.

Going on Loy Nava Dinner Cruise may sound expensive but it was well worth it. Booking Loy Nava Dinner Cruise gives you an opportunity to enjoy this dinner cruise significantly cheaper.

How to get there

Loy Nava Dinner Cruise offers a complimentary pick-up service from the main hotels in Central Bangkok. Pickup service by the boat is available from Si Phraya Pier, Taksin Bridge (Hotel Shuttle Boat Pier) and riverside hotels Peninsula and Millennium Hilton.

Getting to Si Phraya Pier (N3)

Take MRT Metro to Hua Lamphong Station then walk on Mahaphuruttharam Road and turn right at Si Phraya Junction. The distance is about 1.2 km or about 15-20 minutes of walking. Otherwise, take a motorbike taxi (20 baht) or tuk-tuk (price negiotable).

Take Public Bus No. 36, 45, 93, 187, 514 to Si Phraya and walk to the pier which is located between the River City and Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel.

Take express boat directly to Si Phaya Express boat Pier No. 3.

Take Taxi to Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel as the pier is located next to this hotel.

The pickup time from this pier: 6.00 pm and 8.10 pm.

Getting to Taksin Bridge (Hotel Shuttle Boat Pier)

Take BTS SkyTrain to Saphan Taksin station and go straight to Taksin Bridge, Hotel Shuttle Boat Pier for transfers to the boats.

The pickup time from this pier: 5.30 pm and 8.20 pm.

Other Chao Phraya River Dinner Cruises

The list of all main Chao Phraya River dinner cruises can be found here: Bangkok River Cruises.

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