Crossing Thailand

A well-organized public transport has taken us to the center of the Bangkok city. Our first destination was the area around the Khao San road, a popular place that mostly shows its charm at nights, when it gets full of youngsters and those feeling young. With accommodation signs at every corner, it is more a matter of choice and personal feeling when entering a building, rather than hunt for affordable accommodation. Considering we decided to travel on »no plans« plan, we spent the first few days in Bangkok visiting the numerous temples, including the famous Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo complex, Wat Pho and Wat Arun . Although the latter one gives you a great view over the Bangkok skyline, beware if you are having problem with heights – you will not be comfortable walking down the steep stairs. Being caught in a tourist trap of the extremely friendly »officials« is a part of the experience. Make sure you do not miss the drive with the boats on the Chao Praya river and experience the adventure ride with a túk-túk. And do not forget to bargain – unless it's an official shop with the prices shown, you can always lower the price. One of the days we took the nice walk through the Chinatown and considering that the Chinese New Year was only few days away, the decorations were even more festive and colorful. A walk to the Siam Center, a shopping area shows the real busy traffic of Bangkok along the Rama IV and Rama I streets in peak hours.

Being unable to find a night train ticket to Chiang Mai, we were forced to spend another day in Bangkok. Considering we've seen most of tourist attractions, we decided to take a public transport to the south. After almost 2 hours bus ride, we arrived to the Ancient City. To our surprise, we were offered the bicycles to move around. Entering through the main door, it was soon clear that the area of exhibitions is simply too large for walking. The architectural symbols of Thailand, the simulation of arts, handcrafts and daily living makes it comparable to a Thailand-round journey within a day. Within few hours, we were unable to see all of it; but to follow to our next destination we had to depart earlier to visit the Crocodile Farm in vicinity. Starting the tour with the show, we soon realized there is not only a crocodile farm but also a zoo with some rare species around. After a full day of sightseeing, we took the journey with the public bus back to Bangkok, towards the main train station.

The night train to Chiang Mai was one of the best surprises. Comfortable beds, nice service and a pleasant ride allowed a good sleep after the tiring walks through the Bangkok city. Arriving to Chiang Mai, we were again welcomed by numerous túk-túk drivers, offering a ride to the city. Many guest houses and hotels offer a pickup from the station, if booked in advance. Entering the walls of the inner city, the Old Town, gives a false feeling of Chiang Mai being a small village up north. After we spent the first day visiting a stunning temple Doi Suthep, where girls and boys from a local dance and music school are performing and collecting the donations for the school, we booked a two-days trekking tour around the  hills. Starting early in the morning, we were first taken to the hill tribes village, where several hill tribes ladies are posing around their wooden houses as if they were on exhibition. The main attraction are the ladies from Karen Long Neck tribe, who are posing to all the tourists and putting the false smile on their face for tourists’ satisfaction.  With mixed feelings, we were taken to our next destination, the elephant park, where we were riding the elephants in a group for about an hour. Who would’ve thought that the skin of elephant is covered with hard hair, which makes the rider at elephant’s neck having the worst sitting position?  After the lunch, we continued a walk uphill through the jungle, accompanied by occasional elephants, animal species and luckily, no snakes. Arriving to the top of the hill, we were welcomed by a stunning view and the Lahu village people. The dinner made by our tour guide extended long in the night, when various discussions continued by the fire. Next day took us downhill, passing the waterfall where those most courageous took a bath in the cold water. Continuing with the crowd, we finished with the white water and bamboo rafting. Having a raft guide, who spoke no other words in English than ‘left’, ‘right’ and ‘forward’ was an adventure by itself. After return to Chiang Mai, a Thai massage was the best choice of spending the rest of the day.

The last day in Chiang Mai, we took a visit to the Tiger Kingdom, where one can cuddle the tigers and take photos. Again, we left with mixed feelings – of course it was the unique opportunity to be so close to these amazing animals, however one cannot ignore the feeling that the tigers are obviously drugged in order to be peaceful and allow the visitors to enjoy their company. To fully use the day, we continued to a monkey park, watched the show and returned back to leave for the airport towards the south.

Two days at the island were enough, so we decided to move once again to the Ko Lanta island. With 30 km in length, one has no idea which location to choose and where to search for accommodation. We were lucky and spent the next three days in a room on the long sandy beach, where relaxing was all we wanted to think of. After 2 and half weeks of travelling, sightseeing and tourist activities, it was time to enjoy the sun and the sea. The culinary offer was amazing and these were the last times we ate the delicious Thai food before the departure towards Bangkok.

The night bus was an adventure by itself, when we were dropped half way to Bangkok at a restaurant, located far away from any other city and we had to spend 4 hours waiting for next bus. We survived and arrived to Bangkok at 6 am. With a full day to spend before our flight, we decided to contact the monk we met during the first few days in Bangkok. We were invited to his temple and spend few very interesting hours in his company, learning some basic things about Buddhism and got a guided tour through the temple. Buying the last souvenirs was our last thing to do in Bangkok before we departed towards the airport and finished our amazing journey.