Amazing Thailand as their tagline
Off to the country considered divine
Come and see
Some things to be
A few quick facts
For guided acts
Now get into the maze
And set ablaze
For Amazing Thailand!
1. Elephant Trekking
The elephant is Thailand's national symbol and one of their most revered animals. One should not miss having elephant encounters once in the country and I recommend Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai for an animal-friendly experience.
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| Damnoen Saduak: Elephant Village |
2. Temple Hopping
Thailand is devoted to Buddhism and there are 40,000+ Buddhist temples in the country! Each temple has its own style, reverence, and story. You can definitely visit one since these temples are scattered around the country! But the must-visits are Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and Grand Palace. Just take note of the time or you'll get barred like us. There'll be no entry from 3 PM onwards. Curfew is really early for these temples.
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| Wat Intharawihan, Grand Palace, and Wat Benchamabophit |
Unlike the Roman Catholics, Thai Buddhists are very showy of their faith by putting up altars everywhere in the streets, outside their houses, establishments, etc. Their stone gods are the different personas of Buddhism, elephants, and snakes. They offer food and drinks to them as well as incense. I may not understand each representation of symbolism especially with the Banyan tree but I just considered the work of art instead.
4. Monk Alming
Monks play a great role in religious Thailand. They are considered as holy people who make merit for their respective families. We see them in the streets early in the morning for their daily alming for food, drinks, and toiletries. They don't have any source of income so they greatly rely on alms. This also coincides with the country's tradition to give alms not only to the monks but also to the poor. Thai believe that it is good karma to give for them to receive.
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| Another Group Asking for Monetary Support from People |
We, Filipinos won't be surprised in this 'coz we do have motorcycle rides like this. We have 'em as traysekel in Tagalog, rela in Cagayan de Oro, payong-payong in Lanao, motor in Ozamiz, or habal-habal up in the highlands. So this isn't new to us. Ours is even more thrilling and exciting! By the way, tuktuk rides are really expensive for tourism purposes. The drivers charge really high and even the locals discouraged us to ride one. Better hail a cab than go around on tuktuks 'coz we have motorcycles here anyway around our city!
6. Thai Massaging
Nuat Thai and Thai Boran. These are the only two massage parlors in our little city. Common denominator is, they both have the word "Thai" in their names. That's because, Thailand claims to be the country of origin of massage. So massage chairs are everywhere in the country! You can have a relaxing foot massage anywhere even right on the streets!
7. Bangkok Shopping
The country's capital city is the shoppers' haven! There are lots of malls and they have 'em specialized like one whole mall for gadgets only, another whole mall for ladies' wear only, and another for appliances only. Like, can you imagine it? You go from mall to mall 'coz you can't find a one-stop shop. Plus, they have plenty of bazaars and night markets. The biggest is Chatuchak which is a bit outskirt of town but they do have the total package!
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| Damnoen Saduak, Gems Gallery, The Platinum Shopping Mall, and Royal Thai Handicraft |
Foooood trip, my favorite part every time I go visit a place! There's nothing much to say here 'coz you have to taste it for yourself. Eat all you can while in Thailand 'coz you'll surely miss the distinct flavors of authentic Thai food!
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| Fried Insect, Pad Thai, Steam Boat, Thai Fruits |
Aside from the usual sightseeing, marvel at the capital city on top in a 360-degree revolution!
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| Check out Baiyoke Sky Tower for this! |
Backpacker hotels are never as good as Diamond City Hotel, our home away from home in Thailand! Our rooms are very spacious with king-sized beds and cinema-sized tv's. Apart from the daily breakfast buffet, coffee, juice, and biscuits are unlimited 24-7 in the dining room. Just serve yourself as you please! Additionally, the staff is very accommodating. And oops, include the Auntie owner who is already very old but still entertains her guests very well by talking to them even in not-so-fluent English and dancing with them if they might do the honor! I just loved our stay here so thanks to Rulyn's Travel Hub for picking this hotel for us. For travel bookings, like their FB fanpage here!
So these are 10 things about Thailand I learned, experienced, and couldn't ever forget from our country visit two months ago! Watch out for more travel posts only here on The Other Side of Mae! #tosomtravels
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