I used to think of Thailand as just Bangkok.
But
Thailand is so much more. Husband & I spent 11 days transversing Bangkok,
Chiangmai & Chiangdao,
a tiny but stunningly beautiful area half-way between Chiangmai and Chiangrai.
While Bangkok is, admittedly, a polluted chaotic mess, the newly-launched
BTS skytrain allows you to zip to all the main attractions and eateries,
avoiding all the traffic jams & accompanying stress! And, once you're
in Chiangmai & Chiangdao,
blue skies and cool weather reign. The twitter of birds, the awe-inspiring
mountains, not to mention, the even cheaper bargains you'll find! (We
bought lovely celadonware for our house & of course, the usual T-shirts
& strange food stuffs. Hee. ^__^)
Good
shopping, great food & gorgeous nature. Thailand has it all.
Plus, Thai culture is such a bizarre thing to experience. This is an intensely Buddhist country. The King is venerated. It is a well-accepted practice to rise to your feet when the national anthem is played. This happens at the start of every movie screening in the cinemas. And, when it happened on the night of the King's birthday (Dec 5), all and sundry in the Thai restaurant we dined at rose to their feet & lighted candles in celebration.
A conservative society, holding hands and kissing in public is still a no-no and expletives are replaced by an odd ringing sound in TV movies.
Yet, entire Thai families will sit cross-legged in a park & watch a transvestite in a sequined dress sing Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All" without blinking an eye. Similarly, on a separate occasion, we saw Thai kids gobbling up their hawker food while a man in a dress sang, "I'm a cheeky boy", complete with a full rock band back-up & "cheeky" dance moves. Go figure.
Anyway, we had such a wonderful time, we decided to create this separate website to share our experiences & possibly, help those who are planning their trips or wondering whether Thailand is worth a visit, in the first place.
Here's some of our reflections for you to read through. Hope you enjoy our writings & do let us know if you'd like to share any thoughts! Cheers & God Bless.
Our reflections on Bangkok
Intro
to Bangkok - We
list 5 things Singaporeans will like about Bangkok, and more!
Bangkok markets - Chatuchak vs Suam Lum Night Bazaar - Read about which is the more worth visiting, in our humble opinion
Thai massage in Bangkok - The King & I is an establishment that's been around for over 20 years. We couldn't find it in any of the guidebooks, but boy were we glad we took angel's recommendation and went there. In Banyan Tree-like setting, we got an awesome Thai massage for $15 SGD per person per hour! SHIOK.
Bangkok eats - Cabbages & Condoms is a restaurant that you have to visit, if just to visit the gift shop & learn about the background to its curious name. Oh, but if you're hungry, the food is excellent too!
Train travel & Chiangdao
Bangkok
to Chiangmai by train - A smooth & affordable journey.
If you're thinking of visiting Northern Thailand, the train is certainly
the way to go!
Chiangdao Nest Mini-Resort - What can we say? This was our absolute favourite part of our holiday. Beautiful nature, very elegant accomodation & a gourmet chef who cooks up splendid food every night! Wha...
Our reflections on Chiangmai
Intro
to Chiangmai - What are the 5 things Singaporeans would like
about Chiangmai? Hmm...
Chiangmai Thai Cookery School - Yet another highlight of our trip. We learnt how to make 5 Thai dishes! Whoohoo!
And...
If you're wondering, here's a sneak peak at our budget:
3D/2N package in Bangkok, includ Valu Air return direct flight & accomodation @ Asia Hotel - $240 SGD per person (Read more about our Valuair travel & food experience here.)
1st class return train ticket from Bangkok to Chiangmai - $50 SGD per person
Per night accomodation in Chiangdao Nest Mini-Resort - $25 SGD per night for queen-sized bed in quaint hut
Per night accomodation in Galare Guest House, Chiangmai - $45 SGD per night for king-sized bed
Per night accomodation in Novotal Siam Square Hotel, Bangkok - $120 SGD per night for two
Our
trip to Thailand, Dec 04:
main page
5 things Singaporeans will like about
Bangkok, Chatuchak vs. Suan Lum,
Thai massage in Bangkok, Cabbages
& Condoms restaurant
Train travel to Chiangmai, Chiangdao
Mini-Nest Resort
5 things Singaporeans will like about Chiangmai,
Chiangmai
Thai Cookery School