Travel Buddies: Pachochay, Ate Wilma & Kuya Ato
We've traveled to places before, but this is the first travel package we got from a local travelling agency. It was a "super peak" travel because of the travel dates we chose. We mainly, followed ate Wilma's availability (4 days off from her 2 week visit here in the Philippines). As usual, it was a month's worth of planning, but the package was paid for since November 2013. It wasn't much difference in the rate because of the so called "super peak season".
The package inclusions were 3 nights accommodation at First House Hotel with daily buffet breakfast (super enjoyed the bacon, cereal and my very own milk tea mix), half day Bangkok city tour and round trip airport-hotel airport transfer. ("Thanks for sponsoring this whole package ate Wilma.") Well worth it, especially the hotel was at the very heart of the city- we got an easy access of almost everything we wanted.
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| First House Hotel @ Newpetchburi Road |
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| Corner going to First House Hotel |
Day 1 (January 4, Saturday)
Right after check-in, we went direct to Chatuchak Wekend market to grab our first Thai food. The whole place was filled with a lot of "cheap" nice Thai street food.
Flight Till Touch Down Pictures
Calypso Show Pictures.01
Calypso Show Pictures.02
Day 2 (January 5, Sunday)
Wat Traimit - The Temple of the Golden Buddha
The Golden Buddha, officially titled Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon (Thai: พระพุทธมหาสุวรรณปฏิมากร), is the world's largest solid gold statue. It is located in the temple of Wat Traimit, Bangkok (district of Samphanthawong, in Chinatown), Thailand.
The statue is 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall and weighs 5.5 tonnes (5.4 long tons; 6.1 short tons). (According to another account, the statue measures 3.91 meters from base to top, and 3.10 meters across the lap from knee to knee.) It can be disassembled into nine pieces.[8] The statue was housed in a wat in Ayutthaya until mid 19th century, and its provenance from Ayutthaya excludes the possibility of it having been made after about 1750. Source: Wikipedia
Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha), or Wat Phra Chetuphon, is located behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and a must-do for any first-time visitor in Bangkok. It's one of the largest temple complexes in the city and famed for its giant reclining Buddha that measures 46 metres long and is covered in gold leaf.
The figures here are impressive: 15 metres tall, 46 metres long, so large it feels like it has been squeezed into the building. The Buddha's feet are 5 metres long and exquisitely decorated in mother-of-pearl illustrations of auspicious 'laksanas' (characteristics) of the Buddha. 108 is a significant number, referring to the 108 positive actions and symbols that helped lead Buddha to perfection.
Source: bangkok.com
Wat Intharawihan - The Temple of the Standing Buddha
Wat Intharawihan or Wat Intharavihan (Thai: วัดอินทรวิหาร, Thai pronunciation: [wát ʔintʰaráʔwíʔhǎːn]) is a wat located in the Nakhon District of Bangkok, Thailand. It was built at the beginning of the Ayutthaya period and was originally called Wat Rai Phrik.
One of the main features is a 32-metre high, 10-metre wide standing Buddha referred to as Luang Pho To or "Phra Si Ariyamettrai" (Maitreya). It took over 60 years to complete and is decorated in glass mosaics and 24-carat gold. The topknot of the Buddha image contains a relic of Lord Buddha brought from Sri Lanka.
Source: Wikipedia
Wat Phra Kaew - The Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Wat Phra Kaeo has a plethora of buildings within the precincts of the Grand Palace, which covers a total area of over 94.5 hectares (234 acres). It has over 100 buildings with “200 years royal history and architectural experimentation” linked to it.
Model of Angkor Wat
The temple complex also contains a model of Angkor Wat (the most sacred of all Cambodian shrines), that was started by King Mongkut and completed by King Nangklao (Rama III), as the memorial of Angkor Wat and Kingdom of Cambodia that have been occupied by Siam for many hundred years until the colonization of Kingdom of Cambodia by France .
Source: Wikipedia
Wat Arun, the most iconic temple of Bangkok is located on Thonburi side of Bangkok, almost opposite to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Built during seventeenth century on the bank of the Chao Phraya river, its full name 'Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan' is rather hard to remember so it is often called 'Temple of Dawn. The distinctive shape of Wat Arun consists of a central 'Prang' (a khmer style tower) surrounded by four smaller towers all incrusted with faience from plates and potteries. The stairs to reach a balcony on the main tower are quite steep, usually easier to climb up than to walk down, but the view from up there is really worth it. Despite its name, the Temple of Dawn looks amazing at sunset. Wat Arun can be easily accessed via ferry across the Chao Phraya River to Maharaj pier.
Wat (Temple) Visits
Day 3 (January 6, Monday)
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Damnoen Saduak was actually the name of the canal dug in the reign of King Rama IV. He had the canal dug to connect the Taachin River in Samutsakorn Province and Maklong River in Samutsongkram Province together.
Nowadays, most people live densely along both sides of the canal from one end of the canal to another. They grow different kinds of fruit and vegetable. Apart from providing transportation, Damnoen Saduak Canal also provides farmers with adequate water for agricultural purposes for the whole year around.
Photo Gallery
Source: Wikitravel
Chang Puak Camp
30 minute ride with the elephant and its mahout (term used pertaining to elephant trainer). The elephant will be walking in a very steep pathway and let you experience as the elephant will go down the water (shoulder level).
There were so much more we did in Thailand. I say the days and nights were truly maximized. One more thing was the opportunity to watch the ever famous, Siam Niramit stage play. One of the most impressive stage play ever. Imagine an elephant walking around the stage, having 2 boats sail right in front of your eyes. Real rain fall right before your eyes! Whoah all this happened all within the show.
