THAILAND

 

THAILAND 2023

24th of January

Leaving Luxembourg at the airport, transit in Munich for a few hours and arrival in Bangkok on the 25^th

 25^th of January

We get picked up at the airport and driven to our hotel, Chatrium Riverside Hotel. We have a room at the 31st floor, spectacular view over the river Chao Phraya. 

We take a little stroll through the streets, take a couple of pictures at our first little wat, get some food and head back to the hotel to sleep off our jet lag.

26^th of January

We take the boat to Sathorn pier, change to get to wat Arun (taking a few pictures) and cross over with a small ferry towards Grand Palace. Although we have been to the place it still holds the same fascination: golden buildings ,large statues, all glitter and gold. The classical tour includes a sight of the most important emerald buddha, the big inclined buddha in wat Pho, oldest and largest in Bangkok. From here we walk to the flower market, admire heaps of freshly cut orchids and marigold flowers (for the temple offerings). Take the boat at Monumental bridge pier, to Sathorn and back. We rest at the hotel’s pool and have a disappointing dinner later on at the hotel. But the setting is beautiful, we can watch the boats drive past, very nice with the lights on….take a last 2 hours’ walk through Bangkok’s streets and drop into bed.

27th of January

8:30, meet our private guide at the lobby, called Nun, a very lively and sympathetic person. We drive up to Bang Pa In, the king’s old summer palace "Wehart Chamrun Throne Hall". Water ponds, gardens, old buildings, some in Chinese style, a very quiet and peaceful place after 2 hectic days in Bangkok. Lunch at a local street restaurant, in Pat Thau. 

Wehart Chamrun Throne Hall

After that we continue towards Ayutthaya, the old imperial capital with its famous ruins. Since there has been some flooding a month ago, a local main festivity takes place now, a month later, just at our arrival. How lucky we are! We visit Ayutthaya in a very calm atmosphere: many old stupas and buddha images, some of them really large like Wat Phra Mongkhon Bophit. It is very pleasant to walk around, with a feeling of being “surrounded by history”. In the evening we take a funny dinner in the streets, trying to order food with hands and signs since people’s English is non existing. After that we cannot stop walking through the extremely crowded streets, endless food stalls and street sellers, flowers, decorations with lights and sculptures, open air concerts, you name it. Very happy to witness this festival we head back to the hotel for a deserved rest and sleep.

28th of January

Quick breakfast and off we are driving towards Lopuri. Here we find some ruins of Prang Sam Yot, a place totally invaded by monkeys. The beasts live here, mainly on the temple food offerings. With time they became quite a nuisance since they steal food and personal belongings. Hotels and restaurants have been abandoned for that reason. 

The wat’s prang is built in Khmer style, it reminds us of Cambodia’s Byonne temple. Armed with bamboo sticks we finish our tour unmolested and drive on to Chainat. Here we visit a very local temple (not a single tourist) , Wat Thammarnun Worawihan and enjoy the atmosphere: hear the monks’ prayer and chanting, get a monk’s blessing and continue to Phitsanulok. 

Here Wat Phra Sri Rattana Nahatat shelters the famous bronze budhha (600 years old, very much revered). Outside of the temple is a nice little market, we taste some food and goodies. Drive on to Sukhotai, Sriwilai Sukhotai Hotel. 

29th of January

Early morning, off to visit Sukhotai’s Historical Park. In this place we can walk around many old buildings and ruins, with bigger and smaller “chedis” (pagodas), some designed in Khmer and Hindu style. We see buddhas in all kind of postures, standing, sitting, lying or on the ever repeated lotus flower base…Wat Chang Lom with its carved elephants, Wat Si Chum and a 15 m tall buddha, Wat Mahatat, the largest one Wat Sasi, Wat Si Sawai….we almost lose track of the places and names..

We like it here, walking around leisurely in a serene atmosphere and the feeling of being surrounded by history.

A nice swim at the hotel’s pool rinses off the heat and the tiredness…

30th of January

On our way to Lampang we visit a temple built in Burmese style: a lot of wood carving and natural color paintings on the walls and columns. To enter it we pass a spectacular Nga gate (a kind of dragon/serpent). 

We can enjoy the canon ball tree flower, the fruit really looks like a canon ball but the flower of it is even more impressive: the smell of it is just overwhelming!!

Lunch in a very nice garden restaurant then on to Lampang.

Here we refrain from the touristic, traditional horse carriage ride, we have mercy on the tiny horses. Instead we take a little stroll over the local market, with special meats (fried frogs displayed, ant eggs, a very luxurious treat), various fruit and vegetables, some quite exotic to us.

Get to the riverside Lodge Hotel and enjoy walking around its garden, pond and little tracks. Lilies and lotus flowers are just too photogenic!

31st of January

Today we drive up to Pu Yak Mountain. In Chae Ham we have to change the car to a 4x4 since the road is very steep. Arriving we start our climb/walk to the wat that is built right on the ridge. The stairs are endless but it is worth the while: the little temple buildings are really right on the rock with fantastic views over the valley. 

We take our time to enjoy the place until we drive on to Chiang Mai. Our hotel Bodhi Serene is in the centre of Chiang Mai. We leave the “square”, cross the river and enjoy a long stroll over Chiang Mai’s night market. We buy some little souvenirs and mangoes. 

Return to the hotel, dine on our delicious mangoes and rest. 

1st of February

Today we shall explore Chiang Mai on our own. The temperature is very mild and it is very pleasant to walk around. We start our visit with the huge Wat Chedi Luang. The temple holds an impressive Naga entrance with elephant sculptures at the base of the main building. Some of the smaller temple buildings are made of wood with fine carvings and many glimmering stones. We can see a nice, inclined Buddha, too. Wat Phra Sing is an eye catcher with its gold: the main pagoda is all covered in a golden layer, with huge elephant heads on the 4 sides. 

Bright gold in the blazing sun, quite stunning. Each of the temples has a single /or a long row of big bells (you can ring them),these give a nice sound to the sacred surroundings. In the background we can listen to the monks chanting, blessing their food, nice addition, makes it all very atmospheric. We continue with our city visit, peeping quickly into various temples, always hunting for nice pictures. It starts getting really hot, we head back to the hotels and get some drinks and refreshments. We pick up the visit after that, get to the day market Ton Lamyai and across Chinatown. The road is busy with little food stalls and street vendors. Back in the hotel we rest and have a shower. 

Early evening, we leave for the Khan Tòk festival: in the old cultural centre we’ve reserved a show dinner with live dance performance. We walk to the place crossing Wualai road, the famous silver ware street. In the centre all is neatly organised, the staff very friendly. Dinner quality is a bit poor but we enjoy the performance, taking many pictures and filming some of the dances. Back to the hotel and packing up for the other day. 

2nd of February

We leave Chiang Mai towards the highlands. Quick stop at the local market. After that we start climbing up the hills on a hairpin road. We leave the car behind us and start our walk: coffee and tea plantations at these heights, dry forest. It is very hazy; we cannot see much of the mountain range. At a tiny location in the middle of nowhere we get a little lunch, prepared by the guide. After that we follow a single trail on the mountain ridge and get back to the forest a bit later. We can see more coffee and some local plants, like the local figs, hanging on the tree stem rather than on branches. I climb up into a tree (bamboo ladder) to see how they gather wild honey. The trees are very large, and the forest is dry. In the end we steadily descent a long trail until we hit the street that brings us back to the village and the car. We drive to “the Cocotier”, a lovely resort in the middle of rice paddies. We like the place ,get dinner and enjoy a little “digestion” walk with very mild temperatures. 

3rd of February

After breakfast we get ready for some paddling on the Mae Ngat Damlake in Sri Lanna National Park. We have a double sit-on-top kayak and start with a hearty speed. The lake is flat without a single ripple, it is hazy around us. We pass some fisher farms, all on poles, and some floating holiday cabins. Arriving at the floating restaurant, we dry out and get some relaxed lunch enjoying the sun. We decide to paddle all the way back instead of taking a long tail boat, much to the despair of our guide who struggles to keep up with us….Back in the hotel we change into dry clothes, take a rest and head off for a nice stroll through the rice paddies. In the village people are extremely friendly, all smiles and hellos. 

After a delicious dinner we pack up for the other day.

4th of February

Today we are up rather early since we booked a little cycling trip. Surprise, surprise, we get good quality mountain bikes with a working changing gear. We start on little roads and eventually single trails: all through the rice paddies, we see big fields of peanut, lemongrass, pineapple, mango trees, you name it. We stop at a craft's shop for funerals/temple décor and ornaments: out of very light wood, paper and a glue-like material they build flashy shrines, decorated with elephants and some other animals. These get burnt during funerals or monk celebrations as offerings. Next we see a local crematory: in the open the coffin gets burnt while family and friends sit on little benches under a roof, having food and respectfully waiting and exchanging condolences. We cycle on enjoying all the little rarities that we discover, like a typical haystack, made of rice stems. On our way we get to a new temple, Wat Ban Den, which is very popular. The place is very colorful, with Nagas, peacocks, elephants in different hues and shape. Endless buddha images, all shiny and glittering in the afternoon sun. 

From here we continue by car, bikes stored away in the back, to see some waterfalls in the NL. Before reaching the waterfall we follow a little wooden track to the source of the river. It is very quiet and serene here, almost mystical. The waterfalls have a lime stone bed, with little “steps”, we can climb up and down right in the water. 

Back at the hotel we check out and leave towards Chiang Rai. On the way we see Ping River and Kok River meandering through the valley. We buy some fruit on a local market and watch the production of sticky bamboo, a little bamboo rod filled with sticky rice and coconut milk and roasted over open fire. Arrive in Chiang Rai at the posh “Le Meridien”. 

5th of February

Again, up to the mountains to see the long neck hill tribes. Women wear brass rings (in one piece, can be up to 3 kg and more) around their neck and below the knees as well. They somehow believe this is protecting them from evil spirits. Originally these tribes are from Myanmar, moved to the Thai mountains to live in villages, selling their souvenirs and arts and crafts. The village and the traditional clothes are rather colorful, although the whole thing is quite touristic. 

We drive on to the golden triangle of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. This 3 border area is famous for the drug smuggling and  opium trade. Today people from the 3 countries criss cross the borders, although during covid times a lot was closed or banned. We have a boat trip on Mekong river, along the borders of the 3 countries…

After that back to Chiang Rai by car to get to Wat Rong Khun, the famous white temple. This building is new and its artist created a special atmosphere: all in white and silver (some gold, too) thousands of tiny glittering mirror pieces sparkle in the sunlight, an amazing sight in the blazing sun! 

Drive back to Chiang Mai, right on time to enjoy a long stroll over Sunday market! “Walking street”, as they call it, no cars but many stalls with vendors selling all kind of souvenirs and products.

Another night at Bodhi Serene Hotel.

6th of February

Early transfer to the airport for our Bangkok flight. Farewell to Nun, our terrific guide. Arrive in Bangkok and immediately get to the Central train Station. We have some spare time, spend it outside reading and enjoying the sun. We get some food in the station and get on the night train. We will spend the night in this small compartment, double deck beds, tiny sink, but comfortable enough. We read and doze off quite soon, the rattling of the rails having their calming effect….

7th of February

At Suratani rail station we get picked up and transferred to Kaosok Camp resort. This is a place with cabins made of bamboo and a tent. We have mosquito nets which is helpful since we are quite in the middle of the jungle. We have a walk, explore the area and plan the next day. 

8th of February

We drive to an elephant camp, where I have the pleasure to bathe and scrub one of those gentle and intelligent beasts in a river. The animal wears no chain, the Mahut has none of these nasty sticks with a hook, the animal just follows the man’s lead and listens to his voice. Very nice experience.

After that we get a little visit of a rather modest “monkey” temple, we have seen many more monkeys in other places… A ride in a rubber canoe is a bit disappointing, too, since we are not allowed to paddle on our own. But the river and the landscape are nice. 

9th of February

Today we are off for a little jungle hike in Kao Sok National Park. This is the typical rainforest in dry season: heavy air, dampness and morning mist, very lush and green vegetation, huge banana leaves, palm leaves, elephant ears, all in XXL size. Not many creatures to see except some big spiders, lizards and a funny flying lizard.

Back at the hotel we have a quick shower and food, pack up a small bag and leave the main luggage in the hotel. Off we are in a longtail boat towards Chiewlarn Lake. 

This protected place reminds us of Phang Na Bay, but these limestone towers are much higher and mightier. The boat trip is fantastic, the landscape breath-taking. We arrive at Laguna Chiewlarn, a “floating” hotel with little cabins that hold one room right on the lake. The setting is stunning, and the room is neat and snug, we love it here. We grab a double sit-on-top kayak and paddle around till sunset. 

10th of February

6:30, get up to see a spectacular sunrise: Giant limestone rock formations, covered by heavy greeneries, misty clouds hanging like cotton wool in the treetops, all in a soft pink light from the rising sun, fantastic!!! Get a long tail boat for an early morning ride, best chances to spot some wild animals. All around us exotic sounds from birds, insects, frogs, some monkeys and…?? See some monkeys, even a rare kind, but in the next creek we watch an elephant mother bathing and drinking together with her baby, to good a sight to be true.

After breakfast we take another long tail boat, have a little trekking in the rainforest and visit a cave. We leave the lake with a boat and get our luggage from the former hotel. On the way we pass a lorry with a special load: 2 elephants ride in the back of the truck for a visit to the vet?? We change vans and, in the end, arrive in Phuket Katathani Resort. It has been a long drive with traffic jams, we are exhausted and enjoy a nice dinner at a small Indian restaurant. 

11th of February

Today we decide to have a relaxed time with pool, beach and no specific program. A little later in the day we take a long walk to Sabai Corner, starting from the hotel, steep hill up, get through date palm plantations and find a lovely single trail through jungle vegetation towards the coast. Some parts of the walk lead over a street, but we can cope with that. 

Shower and dinner and rest.

12th of February

We make it an early breakfast since we want to hike to the giant Buddha statue that is looming over Phuket Bay, like the “Patron Saint” of this place. A taxi drops us off at the starting point of the track. Again, we’ve chosen a steep single trail through the jungle and its dense vegetation. It is a bit strenuous and we think our reward is to get to a lonely place with no tourists. Bad mistake, it is very busy with tourists since there is a road that leads straight up to the statue. After our visit we walk all the way back to the resort. Tired but satisfied we have a shower and dinner and deserved rest.

13th of February

Last full day in Phuket. We certainly are keen on exploring it to the maximum: we rent a motorbike, and leave towards Kathu waterfalls, some 40 km to go on the bike. Gaston found a nice hike in this area and we plan to do it.
The ride on the bike is nice and a little bit thrilling, considering the traffic and the left hand driving…We find the village and start our hike with a sheer endless and steep ascent. A single
trail is leading us through a very lush greenery, giant palm leaves, jack fruits, pineapples and much more. 12 km up and down, navigating on a small path… So far it has been rather tiring but absolutely stunning. At one point we are a bit worried to find our way, cutting across the forest on a faint track. In the end the waterfall is non existent (this is after all almost the end of the dry season). But we can finish the trail and safely return to the bike. We ride back through heavy traffic, suffering from heat and tiredness. Gaston holds on bravely, we fill up the bike and return it. After that a well-deserved dinner and a good rest. 

14th of February

12:00 o’clock, we get picked up for our transfer to Surathani railway station to take the night train towards Bangkok.

In Surathani we store the luggage safely and enjoy a long stroll over the local market. We like it here, there are hardly tourists. Get a snack and go back to the trains to find our coach. The air-con is at a freezing temperature, we put on all our clothes. This will be a chilly night, since the conductor did not react when I politely asked to turn it off….What a pity to ruin the experience out of sheer stupidity!

We survive all the way to Bangkok

15th of February

In Bangkok we get a transfer to Chatrium Hotel for the day use. Gratefully we tug in at the breakfast buffet and enjoy a nice shower. Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating: it is pouring with rain, thunder and lightning and non-stop showers. 

We get our rain gear on and decide against all odds to spend our last day outside in the city.

Taking the express boat to PrahArtit road, Kao San and New Siam, our first guesthouse some 25 years ago, a bit nostalgic but nowhere else to go since we have done a proper sightseeing at the beginning of the holidays. 

We find it all changed, of course, the guesthouse in ruins and the rest all new and modern. We stroll over Silom road (the gold street) all the way up to the Japanese part of the town. Here we turn and head back to the hotel.

We get all ready for our home flight at 23:30.