Tag: Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand – BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT

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Thailands official name is the Kingdom of Thailand. It was historically known as Siam (until 1939 ). It is a Southeast Asian country situated on the Indochina Peninsula. It is bordered by Myanmar to the northeast, Loas to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, Malaysia and the Golf of Thailand to the south and the Andaman Sea to the southwest. It shares maritime borders with Vietnam to the southeast and Indonesia and India to the southwest.
Thailand is a large country with a population of almost 70 million, it spans 513,120 square kilometres (198,120 sq miles). It’s known for tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha. Bangkok is the state capital and largest city. It is an ultramodern city mixed with quiet canalside communities and the famous temples of Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew). 

Bangkok is within easy reach of beach resorts such as  bustling Pattaya and fashionable Hua Hin. Both are wonderful places to visit. Pattaya has some superb hotels and a very beautiful cultural centre which not only has cultural shows but also beautiful gardens and orchids. Hua Hin is also on the Golf of Thailand heading down towards Malaysia it is also close to the island of Koh Samui. The train goes regularly from Bangkok. I can thoroughly recommend the delightful Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas. It used to be a Sofitel Hotel and prior to that it was known as The Railway Hotel. The Railway Hotel started back in the early 1920’s when the railway line from Hua Hin to Padang Besar in Malaysia was built. The Railway Hotel  opened its doors and transformed the sleepy fishing village of Hua Hin into a stylish seaside escape. Full of colonial historical architecture this beautifully preserved hotel is one of the most famous heritage hotels in Asia. Situated amid lawns, topography creations including elephant shaped bushes  and a wonderful stretch of sand makes it an idyllic place to stay….It is also famous for being in the Killing Fields film.

But I digress back to Bangkok….Our ship docked at Laem Chabang Port, in the Golf of Thailand, it is located around 80 miles ( 130 km) from Bangkok. The nearest town to the dock is 

Pattaya which is 25 miles (40 km) to the south. Travel time between Laem Chabang port and Bangkok is between 1 h 30 min and 2 hours. Pattaya is no more than 40 minutes away. Many of the cruise ships excursions are to Pattaya, a beautiful area with much to offer. However, having lived and worked just 30 minutes away in Ban Chan Village I knew the area very well, so we decided to take an excursion into Bangkok. It was Johns first experience of the capital city. ……..a funny little tale but something to remember if you’re thinking of staying in Bangkok…many years ago….the first time I visited I booked into what sounded in the write up a nice central and relatively cheap hotel, not far from the famous Mandarin Oriental ….after the first day the lovely reception and breakfast staff were calling me by my first name, sitting down and chatting with me I asked if they were always as friendly to their guest and I was told they’d never had any one stay  3 full days, most their customers paid by the hour!!!!!! ……yes I had booked into a brothel!! Albeit a very friendly one !!!!

Back to our excursion to Bangkok…..our trip into the capital was a scenic one.

Our first stop was Wat Traimit Temple, which houses the Golden Buddha, one of the world’s largest statues of the Buddha, carved from solid gold and weighing 5.5 tonnes. 

This was followed by a leisurely cruise on the Chao Phraya River and the canals we saw the floating market and the back of temples. We were also given bread to feed some huge fish.

This was then followed by a walking tour of Bangkok’s Grand Palace, where we viewed the famous Wat Phra Kaeo, which is often known as the Royal Chapel of the Emerald Buddha. This is one of Buddhism’s most magnificent monasteries and one of Thailand’s most celebrated sites. At the heart of the monastery is a Buddha carved from a single piece of emerald-green jasper, perched atop a gilded pedestal. I have to admit it was a lot smaller than I had expected, and perhaps all the gold and glitz around it overshadows it and I was left feeling a little underwhelmed. I don’t know why because I’d seen it before  and remembered feeling disappointed then, so I should have been prepared second time around ….the opulence of all the gold around you is quite overwhelming in its splendour. We were rushed around the palace  because our guide said it was too hot to be out in the heat and some of our group were suffering ….it was a real shame as we had come prepared for the heat….So all too quickly we were whisked away..

Our final stop was at a shop, back towards the dock, which sold jewellery, silk, fabric, wood carvings, souvenirs of all types to suit all pockets….we of course bought a t-shirt for John !!! 

A great day out …..Bangkok is definitely a place to visit…but several days would be better than trying to cram it all into a one day excursion. We can really recommend it as part of a visit to Thailand.

Ko Samui – Thailand – BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT

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Ko Samui is Thailand’s second largest island ( Phuket being the largest),it lies in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast.  It is in the Chumphon Archipelago and it is part of Surat Thani Province. In 2012, Ko Samui was granted municipal status and  is now locally self-governing.  Ko Samui has an area of 228.7 square kilometres (88.3 sq miles), it is 25 kilometres/16 miles at its widest part.

 It’s known for its palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest. It has many luxury resorts and posh spas. There is a 12m-tall golden Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai Temple which acts as a landmark and is located on a tiny island connected to Ko Samui by a causeway. It’s idyllic beaches and attractions  can cause it to have many as 2.7 million tourists a year. 

The central part of Ko Samui is mostly tropical jungle and includes the islands largest mountain, Khao Pom, which is 635 m (2,083 ft) high. The lowland and coastal areas are connected by one 51 km (32 mi)long road, which encircles the island. 

On the west coast the original capital, Nathon, houses many government offices, as well as being the major port for fisheries and for vehicular and goods transportation from the mainland. The island used to rely on the local coconut industry as its main source of income, however, more recently the tourist industry has flourished and the northeastern location of the airport, has led to the increase of commercial activity in Chaweng and Bophut.

There is a lot to do and see on Ko Samui  it is home for some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. Its famous beaches include Chaweng Beach, Lamai Beach, Maenam Beach and Choeng Mon Beach.

There is also The Big Buddha Temple, which as previously mentioned, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Koh Samui. It has the giant golden Buddha statue, seated in a lotus position which is 12 meters high and is a symbol of peace and prosperity.

The are natural rock formations Hin Ta and Hin Yai Rocks are also known as Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks. They resemble male and female genitalia and are believed to bring fertility and good luck.

There are also waterfalls -Na Muang, the local Fisherman’s villages, The secret Buddah Gardens, the mummified monk of Wat Khunaram. and the Elephant Sanctuary. It’s very easy to hire a jeep or a scooter to get around on or use their air conditioned taxis or local open buses….just to add to your adventure.

On our last visit to Ko Samui we just got off the cruise ship and took the bus to the Chaweng beach, where we had a meal and watched the world going by. I had visited Ko Samui many times whilst working in Thailand and absolutely love The Strip …the shops which run along the coast road at Chaweng…..there’s superb restaurants, fabric shops, tailors, bars, gift shops clothing shops…you name it you’ll find it there….the beach is full of people having fun, swimming, playing on the sand, sunbathing and hawkers selling an array of goods all at ridiculously cheap prices….I couldn’t resist a gold and black throw….which I keep meaning to make into an evening jacket…..

It really is a wonderful island, full of vibrant activity, whilst being laid back and relaxing. Well worth a holiday….

Bali, Indonesia – BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT

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Bali is one of 17,500 islands which form the country of Indonesia. It is a province and it is the westernmost of the group of islands known as the Lesser Sunda Islands. Situated east of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes not only the island of Bali but also a few smaller offshore islands, such as Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and a Nusa Ceningan to the southeast. The provincial capital, situated on the Island of Bali is Denpasar. It is the biggest city by population in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The town of Ubud in Greater Denpasar is known as  Bali’s cultural centre.

Bali is a beautiful small island with breathtaking waterfalls like Sekumpul in the north and white sand beaches at Nyang Nyang in the south and lots of wonderfully stunning features in the middle. It has a magical blend of colourful culture, friendly people, stunning nature, countless activities, tropical weather, culinary delights, vibrant nightlife, and beautiful accommodation. Bali is rated regularly as one of the best travel destinations in the world. This however, causes tourists, especially backpackers, to flock to Bali to explore its natural awe and wonder. To try to stem over tourism and preserve the islands natural beauty the government has just ( February 2024) introduced a tourist tax. Foreign travellers visiting the island will now pay 150,000 rupiahs (around £7.50 or US$9.50) in addition to any other visa fees. 

We arrived in Bali by cruise ship. It was a particularly hot and sticky day. Our welcome to port consisted of a musical group of, what looked like school children, dancing, playing drums and xylophones in a very professional way….What a lovely welcome it was…full of warmth, colour and culture.

We were ushered to our coach as we headed of for our tour. We had done a lot of research into the tour we had opted to take. Many people would frown and call an Elephant riding Safari unethical. However, most people who know us are aware that we have a passion and love of wildlife and conservation, in particular we like to support the protection and enhancement of endangered species and promote animal welfare. Bali has a multi-award-winning park which is  dedicated as an elephant rescue facility it is  also home to Bali’s largest herd of critically-endangered Sumatran elephants, 6 of which were born at the sanctuary. So we decided to have a once in a lifetime experience and visit the sanctuary and take part in elephant trekking, interact with these majestic creatures by getting up close & personal with them. The park is fully committed to conservation and has set high standards in how to care for elephants in a purpose-built environment. Wow! Did we have a great, fun time. 

It took us a considerable time by bus to get to the sanctuary, the bus even stopped for a toilet break. On arriving at the sanctuary each group had an allocated entrance time. While we waited we looked around a small museum at the entrance to the park. This told us all about the Sumatran elephants plight for survival and how the sanctuary had come about.

When our allocated time came we were walked through some amazingly green and colourful  gardens. As we strolled down to where we could see some elephants you could witness that they are well cared for in a healthy and stimulating environment that caters to all their daily needs. We walked around a large lake in which some elephants were walking through whilst being ridden by their handler and tourists…..

Some of the elephants where doing what elephants do and squirting water from their trunks all over their backs and unsuspecting visitors, who squealed in delight or was it surprise. This made one particular elephant do it all the more !!!! The elephants quite obviously enjoyed this even if their passengers hadn’t expected to have an extra shower!! 

The elephants walk along side a raised platform, where you wait to get on to the seat.

To mount the seat you step out and sit down all at the same time, so as not to put your weight directly on to the elephants back. This was a tricky manoeuvre for the first person as you need to sit on the far side of the seat which is made for two. My long legged husband was summing up how to do this when he said ‘ladies first’….oh what a gentleman…. So off I stepped stretching my short, dumpy legs as far as possible….have I mentioned it was a hot and sticky day!!!…..thankfully I managed to reach the right part of the seat, however my trousers were not as fortunate, they were stuck to me and hadn’t enjoyed the stretch causing them to rip across the derrière (backside) …oh dear!!!!…

John mounted with the utmost of ease and our handler/driver set our majestic beast on its way. We wandered through the gardens stopping when ever our elephant wanted to browse or communicate with another elephant.

There was no harassing of the elephant. The only thing I didn’t like was seeing two elephants chained in two different areas. They had vegetarian and water around them.  Our handler/guide explained that they were both males on musth (periods of heightened testosterone levels)and this causes the elephants to have aggressive behaviour during this time. So for the safety of the workers, tourists and other elephants when the males enter a period of Musth they are segregated and chained. 

After about an hour  our elephant entered the lake and wandered around it. We would have welcomed a ‘trunk shower’ but that wasn’t on our mounts mind, although spraying water around our elephant was mindful to keep us dry.

We were returned to the dismounting area and we both disembarked without incident. Our elephant was then rewarded with fresh greenery and lots of cooing from us. 

We were provided with a pleasant lunch and wandered around the gift shop for a while. We were then invited back to meet some of the younger elephants who had a few tricks to show us… placing a garland around our necks and kissing our checks with its trunk in return for some food we had been given to reward it.

Getting in on the act!

WOW !!! What a wonderful experience we had had.

The cost of rescuing, researching, breeding these critically endangered species is such that without the tourism this conservation could never take place. Would we do it again? Probably not but we are pleased we did it and contributed towards the survival of this species.

Our tour continued to the art and craft market in Ubud. The first thing we did was purchase a batik wrap so I could cover my exposed derrière!! . We had a good look around and we were  fairly well hassled by the stall holders. We only bought a carved wooden chopstick holder. I really liked the blown glass bowls which sit on natural branches of trees…the glass is blown to the shape of the tree branch holder. There was however no way of getting something like that home. I am very fortunate to have a fantastic treasure of a friend who a month later went to an awful lot of trouble to import me one of these for my birthday. It now sits proudly on my windowsill, at home, with coloured lights adorning it’s interior. 

Our trip back from Ubud was a long one. The traffic was horrendous, but the sightseeing was great. Thankfully it was a Ships Tour we had taken because we were two hours late getting back to port. Being a Ships Tour the Ship waits for your return, otherwise we would have ‘missed the boat’, as the saying goes. We were not the last bus back and scurried aboard with other cruisers looking down from their balconies shaking their heads as if we were the cause of the ships departure being delayed….which of course we were but not of our own making….

What a wonderful day we had had…full of first time experiences. Our bus tour through the magnificent countryside had demonstrated why this Island is so popular, it is defiantly a place we would like to revisit. 

Day 17 – 21st February – Marissa

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Today we woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed after a super supper and a great nights sleep…there’s nothing like listening to the waves breaking on to the beach. We had a slow start to the morning and went for a late breakfast. We were greeted like very welcome customers, smiles and pleasantries were exchanged. Our breakfast started with fresh lime juice….that made our cheeks tingle… followed by fresh fruit salad topped with granola/ muesli and buffalo curd on top, all in what we would describe as a sundae glass. This was followed by breads of all sorts even a twist with chocolate inside and a cheesy topped roll etc, jams and marmalades. A cooked breakfast was then produced, we opted for poached eggs with sausages, bacon, tomato, mushrooms and baked beans…it was all scrumptious. All this while watching surfers chase the waves and occasionally catch and ride one. The manager checked we had slept well and that our breakfast was to our satisfaction, he was a really nice kind man and genuinely wanted to make certain we were happy.

After breakfast we returned to our room and once again packed our bags ready to move to Sea World Botique Hotel. Suminda had told us our room would be ready after 12.00 as that was the checking out time. We took one more look at the fantastic view and headed for reception.

Having paid the drinks bill we bade the staff and manager a fond farewell. It was hard to believe we had only been there for a night, the friendliness of the staff was second to none….a big shout out for Beach & Bliss Mirissa…a very high recommendation if you are planning a trip around Sri Lanka.

We headed off with Suminda and as our new hotel room wasn’t ready we went in hot pursuit of a Sri Lankan t-shirt for John. The necessary item was quickly purchased …just another to add to the hundreds he already has…either we’ll have to stop travelling or we’ll have to buy another wardrobe!!!!
We arrived at Sea World Botique and our room was ready….but what a disappointment it was to learn it was on the 2nd floor….4 flights of stairs up….we had been promised by dialaflight and Jetwing Travel, only last week, that we would have a 1st floor room….not only this but the room was not sea facing in fact it overlooked the very close busy noisy road outside with all its beeping and honking from mopeds, lorrys, cars, buses, tuk-tuks etc…. I hadn’t requested Sea facing because I had incorrectly presumed they would all be and I certainly hadn’t expected a main road literally on the doorstep. The room was what in the UK we would be call bijou, a very small double or as my father would say ‘A Kylie Minogue room’…everything there, in the right place but in tiny compact proportions….So….no sound of the waves for us….such a huge disappointment but tired of arguments and tired of wasting our holiday time waiting for responses and actions to put things right which should never have gone wrong…I struggled up the 4 flights we put on our swimwear and descended the pesky stairs to enjoy a cooling dip whilst looking out at an azure blue sea with white foaming waves rolling in…followed by several hours and another dip on the sun lounger whilst still soaking up the view……The climb back up stairs to our room didn’t seem as bad after a sun soaked snooze and an overload of the wonderful view.

We got ready for supper and went downstairs. The food in the restaurant is supposed to be very good according to the reviews…..alas foiled again….the cook is off sick, so they’re not serving any food……….this is really turning out to be an episode from ‘Fawlty Towers’ !!! ….We will not be defeated !!! …so we hailed a tuk-tuk and went about a kilometre along the main road into town to a beach restaurant called ‘Salt’ although the sign looked more like ‘Solt’ …we were shown to a table just up from the waters edge on the sand…such a lovely spot…the whole beach was littered with different restaurants and tables and lights. Having been given our seats we were then taken to a table covered in fish. Our waiter suggested a large fish which he said was endemic to Sri Lanka…it looked like a white Mullet, obviously locally caught. We had it filleted and grilled and served with a few potato wedges and salad…it was divine…a really great experience.

It was quite an expensive meal by Sri Lankan standards with the fish costing about £20 and the other bits £10 but it was certainly worth it. We had asked our tuk-tuk driver to come back and pick us up …it’s amazing what a 25 pence tip will do….and he dutifully did and unlike other tuk-tuks, we’ve experienced he carefully returned us to the hotel, gaining him another 25 pence tip !!! An earliest night was required due to a very busy day of sunbathing and swimming tomorrow.

Day 15 – 19th February 2024- Udawalawe National Park Full day Safari.

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We hadn’t realised that Udawalawa was about an hour and three quarters away from our hotel, otherwise we would have changed hotels…..We awoke with stiff tired bodies, collected our takeaway breakfasts from the cook, who now greeted us with a smile ( proof that when you beam at someone constantly, they have to smile back…it had been a struggle but we got there!!!). Suminda drove us in the air-conditioned car and we enjoyed the, now usual, rural scenes along the way…….dogs lying asleep in the road, cows causing a road block, bicycles wobbling along, mopeds swerving all over the place, buses driving up your tail and peeping loudly as they push you off the road, school children in their white uniforms walking to the days lessons, teachers in saris greeting them at the gates of schools, roadside vendors selling an array of fruit/veg/buffalo curds. etc and so the daily life of Sri Lanka passes by our windows.
Just before the National park we saw a big tusker behind the electric fence. He was evidently re-known for standing there opposite a sweetcorn vender because people buy the corn and throw it over the fence to him. The Government warns against this as it makes the elephants dependant on this food and when they don’t get it they can turn aggressive, like the fruit searching bull elephant in Yala.

On arriving at Udawalawe we met up with our jeep and its driver – a nice, smartly dressed young man who spoke little or no English. We bought some snack lunch items, samosa, plain roti and stuffed roti from a small cafe by the gate for a light lunch. I also bought a nice cap with the Park on it…a gift for my dad…which was put to use straight away by his younger daughter!! So only slightly second hand!!. With the preparation for the day completed we set off into the park. We heaved a sigh of relief, the roads were much better condition than in Yala, they were well maintained and our driver was a considerate driver who took a great deal of care when going over bumps and potholes.
Udawaiawe National Park is known for its herds of elephants and bird life. It certainly did not disappoint.

We spent a very enjoyable day, driving on over grown but good condition roads, stopping by a river for breakfast and a lake for lunch, seeing a whole array of wonderful wildlife.

A baby elephant of less than a month old was exploring life while keeping its mum close by, another youngster drank greedily then chucked loads of water around to cool off. The elephants were not alarmed by vehicles, who showed respect and quietly gave them space. These giants were quite happy wandering across the dirt roads, in pursuit of tasty leaves and grasses. On one occasion an elephant brushed between a jeep and a bush, giving both a gentle nudge to make way for its bulk.

On our way out of the park we saw our first terrapin, of this trip, gracefully slide into the water. We left the park very happy, at about 4pm so Suminda didn’t have to drive the rather long journey back to Tringa Villas in the dark and also to give ourselves a shorter day. We had enjoyed seeing a wide variety of wildlife whilst in the capable hands of a careful driver.

That evening Suminda dropped us at the end of the road at The Aqua House Seafood Restaurant. It was only a 100 yards from Tringa Villas but as the road had a crocodile in it on our first night and evidently often has elephants wandering about, we all decided not to risk the walk. Aqua House is also a hotel and would probably be our choice if we were recommending to anyone…it had super high speed Wi-Fi, nice smiling waiters, quick service, cheaper food and rooms, a lovely clean swimming pool and an extensive menu. Having said that it didn’t have any prawns they were ..”finished”… so we made do with grilled fish and chips..no dry rice for us..what a treat… the fish was tuna and it all tasted great. It was also a lot cheaper than we had been paying at Tringa Villas. The only downside is that like Tringa Villas they don’t take credit card it all has to be cash. Suminda returned to collect us and we were soon asleep dreaming of our last Sri Lankan Safari, with our tummies full of nice tasty food.