Thailand - City, beach & jungle
I flew with Emirates to Bangkok via Dubai staying at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao. A busy time in Bangkok, somewhere I haven't visited for 25 years! The roof top bar/restaurants are all new since my last visit and what an amazing way of enjoying the view of the city and its night life.
Our Thai partners arranged an extensive action-packed itinerary for us including a taste of the history, temples and how the Thai people live today, a long boat tour on the Chao Phraya River (aka River of the Kings) then through canals (klongs) to capture the slower pace of life in the canal villages, the crazy mad bustling city and skyline shining down from above. From there, our journey took us to the Royal Barge Museum with its spectacular, intricately carved and decorated with gold leaf and mosaic. Finally, on to the Chao Phraya to see Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), a 79-metre-high temple built in the style of Angkor Wat. After a full day of culture, some retail therapy and Thai street food, it was a great way to pass the early part of the evening followed by a live Muay Thai boxing show.
Just a three-hour drive south for our beach stay at Hua Hin. This is great for those not wanting onward flights in Thailand and an interesting area for the local culture as a slower pace than Bangkok. Enjoy Thai shopping, massages, and fantastic Thai cooking courses - we had a half day course and made and ate the most fantastic Thai food.
We stayed at Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas, right on the beach. This colonial style resort hotel is an oasis of calm right in the centre of a busy seaside holiday resort with markets, restaurants, bars and the same Thai welcome.
River Kwai was our next destination, only accessed by long boats. We were speeding up the river where we found our rustic bungalows set out amidst lush greenery and wildlife. A visit further up river to the Mon Village where people from Myanmar have settled was fascinating. A complete little community with a village school, temple and hand built wooden houses on stilts in the jungle. They even have a resident elephant. Their lives are simple so to buy a few little trinkets is a great way to help. After our Mon Village visit, it was back down the river for us and what better way than on bamboo rafts just like the traditional way of the Mon people. Such a fun experience!
Jungle stay over and time to head back to the bright lights of city but not before a visit to the Bridge on over the River Kwai and a very emotional stop at Hell Fire Pass which is part of the Death Railway which cuts through Stone Mountain to Burma. Thousands of Asian workers and allied forces’ prisoners of war lost their lives during the construction of the railway in the Second World War. A moving few hours but essential in learning about Thailand’s history.
So, finally, back to Bangkok for some fun and what better way than an 11 tuk tuk convoy, racing through the night streets to China Town for some Chinese Thai cuisine, ending with crazy Patpong night market for a last bit of retail therapy. Our final hotel was Centara Grand Central World. A beautiful city hotel that’s well located for sightseeing and shopping.
A brilliant trip, from our super partners and meeting more of my amazing colleague Travel Counsellors, love you all.