We would have to say that our trip to Thailand was just getting better and better.  One day we were exploring the ancient temples of Ayutthaya.  The next day, we found ourselves riding on one of the famous Chao Phraya Express Boats to visit the attractions at the different pier stops.  First, we decided to visit the popular Grand Palace of Thailand.  We were amazed at the intricate carvings and proud structures.  The great thing about visiting the Grand Palace is that visitors are treated to not only one but two major tourist attractions.  Located right within reach of the palace is Wat Phra Kaew or what is also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Yes, both the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha can be found within the same compound.  One can easily get lost within the vast grounds and lose track of time.  The entire compound was packed with tourists from all over the world that it took us a while before we finally mastered the art of avoiding people and have our photos taken decently even in highly populated spots.

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Posted in Attractions, Thailand |

We were so excited to try the Chao Phraya Express boats that we left our hotel early immediately after having our fill at the breakfast buffet.  It was a blessing that our hotel was highly accessible to both the BTS Skytrain and the river express routes.  Since we have already tried traveling via the BTS, we decided that it was about time to explore Bangkok onboard one of the popular Chao Phraya Express Boats.

After buying our “Ride All You Can” tickets, we boarded the regular sized public boats and checked out the map and brochures that were handed over to us at the customer service counters.  We had our hearts set on exploring the Grand Palace of Thailand so we automatically searched the map for landmarks.  After a few minutes of leaving the pier, an English speaking tour guide spoke over the intercom and explained each pier stop along the Chao Phraya River. Wow, that was very helpful! After the guide explained the entire map, we realized that we had to get off at the Maharaj Pier if we wanted to visit the Grand Palace.

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The astoundingly beautiful city of Phuket is one of the most sought after beach destinations in Thailand.

From historic sites to sandy beaches and towering mountain cliffs, we’re positive that anyone who travels to Phuket will have a wonderful time. That is, of course, if you learn a bit about the city before you arrive. Read the rest of this entry »

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Our Ayutthaya Day Tour really left us tired but giddy with all the new adventures that we experienced.  It was definitely fun exploring the grounds of the Bang Pa-in Summer Palace.  It was enriching seeing the temple at the Wat Yai Chai Mongkhol.  We could not believe that we saw the famous large Buddha head image on a tree at the Wat Mahathat.  From here, we even visited and took all the photos that we wanted at the Wat Pra Si Sanphet.  When we felt like it could not get any better, our driver Phan drove us to see the highly popular huge leaning Buddha at the Wat Lokayasutharam.  We did not notice the terrible traffic jam as we slept in the taxi the entire trip back to Bangkok!  Phan just woke us up after almost three hours to let us know that we were back to our hotel.

The best thing about booking a room in a nice and comfortable hotel is that you do not have to worry about anything after a long and tiring day.  You can decide to relax by the pool, soak away the strain in your muscles in your bathtub or order delectable room service and have dinner by candlelight.  All these you can have and more so make sure that you reserve a room in any of the reputable hotels in Bangkok like the Banyan Tree Hotel Bangkok.  My partner and I decided to try the pool at our hotel to freshen ourselves.  It was scorching hot in Ayutthaya that we immediately relished the cool pool water.

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Posted in Thailand, Transportation |

Ayutthaya is such an amazing place that in every interesting attraction that we visit, we realize what a wise decision we have made when we decided to book the Ayutthaya tour. We strongly felt as if we have been touring Ayutthaya for weeks when we were there only for a day trip.

It was starting to get late. Time truly flies very fast when you are absorbed in what you are doing. We left Bangkok at 8:00 in the morning and did not notice that it was already past 5:00 pm. We almost did not make it to Wat Pra Si Sanphet as we reached the place at 4:30 (when it was scheduled to close in half an hour). Good thing we were able to squeeze in what we can in just thirty minutes. We enjoyed exploring the temple grounds and marveled at the proud looking chedis. We also did not miss the chance to go up the chedis and see how far our legs will allow us to go.

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Posted in Attractions, Thailand |

My partner and I truly enjoyed Wat Mahathat so much that we almost did not want to leave the spectacular place. But of course, we wanted to make the most of our visit to Ayutthaya so we forced ourselves to leave after taking almost a hundred photos of the Lord Buddha’s head and of the impressive chedis.

We asked our taxi driver, Phan, as to where we were heading next. He said that the next item in our itinerary was the Wat Phra Si Sanphet. Whew! What a mouthful! That name was enough to arouse our curiosity and elevate our excitement a notch higher. We hurriedly left for the Wat Phra Si Sanphet as it was already 4:30 pm and the temple is only open to the viewing public until 5:00pm.

Traffic was not that bad the day we went on a tour or Ayutthaya so we were able to make it on time. We paid Baht 30 each at the entrance gates and started with our tour of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.

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We cannot believe that we already visited a lot of interesting sights in Ayutthaya. This olden city truly has a lot to offer any curious traveler. My partner and I were really thankful that we went out of our way to book the two hour trip to Ayutthaya from Bangkok.

Without wasting any more precious time, we left Wat Yai Chai Mongkhol and headed to another famous temple called the Wat Mahathat. The Wat Mahathat was an imperial monastery that served as the headquarters of the Sangaraja or the head of the Buddhist monks belonging to the Kamavasi Sect. This started when Mahathera Thammakanlayan was in power. It should be noted also that the extraordinary Buddha image set on a throne that was made of green stone was sheltered at the Wat Mahathat. It was during the reign of King Rama III in the Rattanakosin Period when this Buddha image was moved and transferred to Wat Naphrameru.

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Posted in Attractions, Thailand |

Our day trip to the olden city of Ayutthaya had been quite fruitful so far.  We already got to visit the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and marveled at the expansive and serene palace grounds.  From here, we proceeded to the Wat Phanachoeng Worawihan to see the big Buddha image.  We even got to witness some of the interesting and extraordinary rituals of the locals.  After we had our fill of all the attractions that we could possibly appreciate within the temple grounds, we left for the third stop in our itinerary. We asked our taxi driver, Phan, as to where we were heading next.  He said that we were in for a good treat.  The next temple in the list was the Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, one of the oldest temples in Ayutthaya.

The Wat Yai Chai Mongkol is located at the Southeast side of the city of Ayutthaya.  According to history books and information materials that we received on site, the monastery was built in 1357 A. D. by King U-thong for the use of the monks who came back from Ceylon after a rigorous and intensive study under Phra Vanarat Maha Thera.   These monks were collectively known as the Pa Kaeo Sect.  This was why the monastery’s original name was Wat Pa Kaeo.  The sect that stayed in the monastery was appointed a head and was named The Patriarch on the Right Hand Side by the King.  Given that The Patriarch stayed at the monastery, it was also named Wat Chao Phya Thai which translated to The Temple of the Supreme Patriarch.

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There were a multitude of attractions to digest in just one sitting at the Bang Pa In Summer Palace.  The Thai kingdom obviously knew how to properly preserve their country’s royal properties.  Even if we have not fully explored the entire grounds of the summer palace, we had no choice but leave for our next stop as we only had one day to explore Ayutthaya.

From the Bang Pa-In Summer Place, we travelled for less than an hour to reach the Wat Phananchoeng Worawihan.   We were greeted by a disheartening site when we reached the second stop in our itinerary.  There were a lot of buses at the parking lot and there was a long queue of eager visitors at the entrance.  We asked the locals and inquired if there was an excursion and we were informed that a huge group of students arrived to learn more about the giant Buddha image and take part in several cultural traditions.  We were left with no choice but to simply fall in line.  Fortunately, we were ushered to a shorter line that was intended for tourists.  In less than ten minutes, we found ourselves within the temple grounds and about to enter the hall of the giant Buddha image.

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The travel time from Bangkok to Ayutthaya took close to two hours. It was a great thing that we decided to hire a private taxi for our trip. We were only charged THB2000 including all toll fees for the Ayutthaya tour. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable and comfortable ride given that we were able to take quick snacks and naps on the road.

In no time at all, we found ourselves being “delivered” by our taxi to the entrance of the Bang Pa-In. This particular attraction was the first stop in our Ayutthaya tour itinerary. The Bang Pa-In, which was located about sixty kilometers of forty miles North of Bangkok, is also called the Summer Palace of the kings of Thailand. It is also situated along the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

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