Land of Smiles – Chiang Mai

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Chiang Mai, Land of Smiles, Thailand

Tags

Chedi Luang, chiang mai, Doi Suthep, Night markets, temples, Tha Phae gate, Tuk Tuk

From Bangkok, we flew to the city of Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai really did appeal to me. It was a tiny bit cooler than Bangkok and it had such a lovely feeling to it. The people here are so friendly and gentle and there is a calmness here that I did not feel in Bangkok. Hence, Land of Smiles.

Shopping is one of the great pleasures here in Chiangmai. There are plenty of shopping opportunities, ranging from street side vendors selling local arts and crafts, to upscale shops.

One of the most interesting places to go shopping is the Sunday market, which is held every Sunday evening on a group of blocked off streets in the centre of town. Local vendors from the area gather to sell goods to tourists from all over the world. The list of things sold is large, but includes handmade jewellery, photography, clothing, paintings, fresh fruit, drinks (alcoholic and non), hats, toys and much more.

The Sunday Bazaar on Rajdumnern Road begins at Tha Phae Gate and ends at the city police station about 6 bocks west.

The real fun is not the shopping but the ambience. Every block has traditional Thai Music being played by elders and children. The rich colours of the surrounding temples, the smell of garlic, grilled fish, sausages and chillies being cooked and roasted. People are eating, smiling and just having a good time. I was happy to wander around with my camera, stop for a break and have a snack or stop and purchase from one of the hundreds of stalls. And then my reward at the end of the evening was a foot massage.

Tha Phae Gate which divides the old and the new city, and where the markets start

A little tip, buy your snack and cold drink, then take it to one of the many foot massage operators set up on the side-walk. Sit back in the comfortable cushioned reclining chair, just watch, listen and take it all in. The foot massages are amazing, a full hour of sheer indulgence. I discovered the most delicious “fruit shakes”. There are plastic containers full of cut up fruits which you purchase, they put this cut up fruit into a blender with ice and a little sugar syrup and blend it and serve it in the plastic cup with a spoon ended straw. Yum.

Getting around in Chiang Mai is so easy. Crossing the road is a little challenge but it does not take too long to master it. The common vehicles used for public transportation are numerous. The tuk-tuk and samlor are open-air, three-wheel vehicles. Whenever you get in a tuk-tuk or samlor you should ensure that they only take you where you want to go or may visit businesses that you are not interested in. Always negotiate the price before you get in a tuk-tuk or samlor – expect to pay 50-100 bht for trips within the general area.

Chiang Mai has many temples. I believe that there are about 140 just in the old and new part of Chiang Mai city. As we were wandering around we often visited the temples and many times chatted with the monks. The atmosphere in these temples is so calming and peaceful.

One of the most stunning temples here is the Wat Doi Suthep which is about a 30 minute drive out of the city. We hired a taxi to take us up to the temple and he waited while we visited for about 2 hours. This temple is definitely a must see.

Doi Suthep Temple at sunset

It’s incredibly beautiful inside and out with statues, decorations and adornments. Make sure you wear appropriate attire (no shorts, short sleeves or tank tops), but they do have robes you can borrow if you forget. We actually took the funicular up to the entrance but there are steps up if you are feeling energetic. The entrance fee was 30 baht to entre the temple itself. Outside the temple there are great views of Chiang Mai from above. We arrived late afternoon in time for the sunset and the evening chant. Most of the time we were in Chiang Mai it was cloudy but this day it was sunny and spectacular.

Another temple that stood out to me is Wat Chedi Luang in the historic centre of Chiang Mai. The current temple grounds were originally made up of three temples — Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Ho Tham and Wat Sukmin. Truly a must see. The newer temple is at the front and old ruins at the back. The large grounds contain many buildings so do walk around the grounds to see the other buildings and the temple behind which was finished in 1475. In 1545, an earthquake destroyed the top of the old temple. It was so lovely and peaceful walking in the grounds

We visited so many interesting places and saw so much in the 5 days we were in Chiang Mai. Maybe another time I can tell you more about this pretty amazing city.

Happy House Hotel

I will say tho, Chiang Mai was my favourite city that we stayed in Thailand.

Incredible Experience at the River Raft Resort on the River Kwai

18 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Jungle River Raft Resort

≈ 14 Comments

Later in the morning, after our trip to the Bridge, we took the 40 minute ride up the River Kwai on the long-boat to the Jungle Raft Resort. The trip up to the hotel was absolutely breathtaking. It was so quiet and peaceful with beautiful scenery along the way.

It was the fastest 40 minutes as there was just so much to see. We saw a herd of water buffalo cooling off in the river also elephants on the water’s edge.

We arrived at the hotel and were met by very friendly and helpful staff who are from the Mon tribe village.

After checking in to our rooms which are pretty basic we went to the main restaurant area for lunch. The food was wonderful – plates of rice with Thai/Burmese cuisine which included meat, fish and seafood. There is no choice, you get what has been prepared for the day, but we never went hungry and it was all delicious!

There is neither hot water nor electricity. Its funny cause all though it was basic it still felt luxurious.

Just a hint, make sure your camera batteries are charged, or that you have spare batteries as there are no facilities to recharge here. They do have wifi at the bar – crazy hey, no power but WIFI!

After lunch we then went by long-boat back down the river where we were met by a taxi truck and taken to the Hellfire Passage Museum and the actual walking trail that was built by the prisoner’s of war in World War II. This was another emotional and amazing experience.

After returning to the resort we sat on our own little “verandas” sipping G and T’s and watching many of the resort guests jumping into the river and letting the fast-moving water carry them down to the end of the resort. The water is crystal clear and very refreshing. If you feel up to it do grab a life jacket and jump in the river, but be warned, it flows at about 90kms an hour. Well it looks that fast.

After dinner we attended the Mon dancers show, which was short and quite basic.

Lighting is supplied by many kerosene lanterns which makes the resort look like fairyland.

The next morning sitting on my little balcony watching the elephants come down from the mountain and have a bath in the river was wonderful. I took the opportunity to partake in the feeding of them also.

After breakfast, visiting the Mon village, and seeing how the villagers live in the traditional way, was something very special. We visited their local school, the temple, the temple where the monks live and their houses.

If you want something really exceptional and unique, go to the River Kwai Jungle rafts resort.

This was the highlight of my trip to Thailand

Great Experience – Bridge over the River Kwai

11 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Bridge over River Kwai, Thailand

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Bangkok, Bridge, James Bond, Kanchanaburi province, River Kwai, Thailand, the Bridge over the River Kwai

We were picked up from our hotel in Bangkok at 6am and driven by coach into the Kanchanaburi province where we stopped by the river Kwai and then we transferred to the “James Bond Boat”. Apparently it is called this as it was used in one of the James Bond Movies. We then took this fast boat up the river to the Bridge over the River Kwai.

We walked across the bridge and also took the small tourist train across. It is easy to move out of the way of the train when walking across.

Walking on the bridge itself gave me a feeling of sadness and pride. We learned about this place in school but I did not truly appreciate it until I spent some time here. It truly is an amazing experience.

For us Aussies, this bridge which was built by Aussies and Brits during World War II is a big part of our history. The Bridge over the River Kwai became famous all over the world when it was featured in a movie and in books.

The bridge is now a tourist destination and every year there is a festival to mark the anniversary of the Allied Bombing on November 28, 1944

This area is about 130 kms west of Bangkok. You can travel here by regular bus from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok or you can travel with an organised tour. We actually took the 2 day over night tour which gave us a night on a river raft resort. This was another amazing experience that I will share with you soon.

If you do visit Thailand and you have the opportunity to visit The Bridge over the River Kwai, I highly recommend this wonderful experience. You can do the entire trip in a day but 2 days would be better.

Vibrant and Exciting Bangkok, Thailand

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Bangkok

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Bangkok, markets, Pantip Plaza, Shopping, Thailand, Tuk Tuk

After a 9 hour flight from Brisbane we arrived in this unbelievable city. Words could not describe the atmosphere here. It is very humid even though it is now autumn, the traffic is non stop incredible with the persistent tooting of car horns.

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and probably the most well known city in Thailand.

Everywhere you turn there are people and shops in every available space. Everywhere there are people cooking and selling their foods, some smelling so delicious and some with smells I would rather forget.

I have visited Bangkok a few years ago so this trip is mainly a stop over on the way to other places including a trip to the River Kwai, 5 nights in Chang Mai and 4 nights Pataya.

So while we are here, it is all about the shopping, exploring and eating.

We have visited many shopping malls and of course shopped at the markets which are along the streets and in all the little lanes. One of the grandest malls is Pantip Plaza and that is a story on its own. Pantip Plaza is an indoor IT shopping mall where you can purchase counterfeit software and genuine knockoff dvds.

Getting around is easy as there are many tuk tuks for when you are tired of walking. These tuk tuks come with natural air conditioning as they have no windows, they are totally open. Driving them would take nerves of steel as they are so brazen and bold. I just find that I laugh the entire time while holding my breath and hanging on tightly. Is that possible, yes it is.

The shopping here in Thailand is hard to believe with people looking for bargains and vendors trying to get through with their merchandise on their carts. I have found so many weird and wonderful things that I didn’t even know existed. It almost feels that if you cannot find it in Thailand then it doesn’t exist. For someone who loves to shop, this is heaven even though it is hot and humid which wins in the end. That is when you go back to your room for a rest and to cool off or to a restaurant with air conditioning to escape the heat. Or of course stay in one of the many large shopping malls.