So here we are, on a trip to Thailand.
Phuket > Krabi > Koh Samui > Koh Tao > Bangkok > Chiang Mai > Chiang Rai > Bangkok > Siem Reap (Cambodia)
We chose a route which would allow us to explore the southern beaches of Andaman Sea, then Bangkok city and then go to the Northern Mountains. And, finally take the bus to Cambodia.
Patong Beach in Phuket. The Bangla Road is pretty busy 24 hours a day for 365 days!
Gorgeous sunset
We hired a bike and off we went to explore some other beaches.
..only to then get caught by the police & get fined , for not driving with a International Drivers Licence! Embarrassing!
Kata Beach in Phuket
We then hopped on a bus and went to Krabi.
The beaches of Krabi were extremely beautiful.
The long boats are a unique touch to Thai beaches.
and the lime stone cliffs too.
After Krabi we went to Koh Samui. To our surprise we were there on one of the festival days; Loy Krathong, Thailand's Festival of Lights. It coincided with one of the biggest festivals in India on the full moon day in November. One would light the candle and float these floats in the water.
The Lamai Night Market has food, t-shirts, hats, fruit, beers, shakes, and more to offer.
The island also offers beautiful temples one can visit. Please be mindful of the clothing when you visit temples.
The temples are extremely clean.
The Big Buddha of Koh Samui. After Koh Samui we went to Koh Tao.
This is where we caught up with some really bad weather.
There was a storm brewing and no one was in the water. We ended up going to the beach one day only and rested indoors for 4 days.
The rain was persistent in Koh Tao.
We then took the boat and then the train to Bangkok.
Bangkok boats of some absolutely gorgeous temples.
The amalgamation of Hinduism and Buddhism in Thailand was quite evident. In a Buddhist temple of could see idols of Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma.
Here we see Garuda. The vulture god of Hinduism.
Outside one of the Buddhist temples.
Wat Arun in Bangkok.
We crossed the Chao Praya River, to get more views.
Lord Rama was at the entrance of one off the Wats.
Off we went to Chiang Mai and crossed the historic city of Ayutthaya.
At the Chiang Mai station.
The monument of the Three Kings in Chiang Mai.
The Wat at night, with the moon shining in the background. Sometimes the camera doesn't capture what one sees with their naked eye.
We also visited Doi Suthep in the mountains of Chiang Mai.
The Royal Park Rajapruek was about 30 minute drive from the city centre.
It has beautiful gardens , ponds, lakes and walkways.
The biggest attraction was the Orchid Park.
Again, the photos don't do justice to what we saw at the park.
The next day we went to the Blue Temple, White Temple and the Black house.
These are really modern temples and do symbolise a society ready to look at religion and temples with a new perspective.
En route to the white temple we also saw the big buddha.
The entrance of the White Temple was quite different than the other places we had visited.
The temple was something out of the world. Also, the architect has a very beautiful eye to how one can make this place more photogenic and touristy. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I am not as opinionated as others, but I loved the aesthetics of the place.
Accidentally we ended up wearing white that day!
Everyone here looks stunned!
And the next day, we went to the waterfalls Khun Kron.
There was a constant spray of water when we stood there.
The clock tower of Chiang Rai.
We then took the night train back to Bangkok.
The scooter drivers run Bangkok city. They are the lifeline and if one has to go from A to B, one must take the scooter. The traffic is really bad, the buses are slow (although they are AC) and the metro doesn't connect every important part of the city. Trupti and I hopped on 2. Check out the number of scooters in the background.
Democracy Monument in Bangkok.
Also, the Tuk Tuks are the other mode of transport that are the bloodline of Bangkok City.
Christmas isn't far and we will be missing the English Christmas this year and will be celebrating in t-shirts and in the tropics.
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