We had an absolutely wonderful time in Thailand- the only gripes we had were about the flights which is great!
We left Reading on Good Friday & arrived in Bangkok early Saturday morning. I’d sent an email to the Amari Atrium Hotel asking if we would be able to check in so early but we didn’t get a reply. As we made our way through customs & out into the arrival area, there was a Thai man waiting nearby, holding a sign with our names printed on it. He was there to transfer us to our hotel. We were very pleased with his efficiency- he took our bags from us & guided us along, opening doors too! Once outside the airport building my first impression took in the grey sky which I assumed was from car exhaust. We drove past outrageously oversized billboards advertising all sorts of things ranging from mobile phones to ‘Long Live the King’ messages with huge images of the Thailand King all glitzed up in gold. Lots of corrugated iron communities.
Everything went smoothly when we arrived at the Amari. We upgraded to a Deluxe corner suite & were shown to the room. Our bags were brought up & we had a message from Amari. They had received my email & confirmed that we had a table booked at Cabbages & Condoms & also, we would be picked up by someone from the Grand Fashion House at 10am to be taken for fittings. I had arranged for this in my email, by the off chance that someone would actually receive it- I wanted as much as I could have sorted out for us!
After taking in the view of Bangkok http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8IN7egUe9o we had a good snooze. Very comfy bed! We were buzzed for our pick up & went down to the lobby where another Thai man waited to take us to the Grand Fashion House. We chose our material & style & had our measurements taken. Then we were returned to the Amari where we had our lunch & our first Thai massage. I had a traditional Thai massage where my body was put into different stretches & the therapist applied pressure to create the cracking sound. I felt great afterwards. Bodra had a Swedish Oil massage.
We were ready for a nap before our pick up at 5pm for our fitting. Then we got the driver to take us to Chinatown where we dodged traffic while trying to find t-shirts.
Then we caught a Taxi to Cabbages & Condoms for our dinner. A strictly normal dinner! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq47TdPcmlQ
After our meal we caught a Taxi to the Night Bazaar Suan Lum Night Bazaar for more clothes shopping.
Next morning our suits were brought to our room for our final fitting. No adjustments needed to be made & we were very pleased with the results! We visited a Gem Factory where we saw guys making rings, polishing stones that sort of thing, then were taken into a show room with dozens of cases containing jewellery. I tried on quite a few rings but none really fancied me- nor the prices! Hopefully Bodra will take me back there when we have some cash spare for that sort of thing.
We arrived in Chiang Mai early evening where our transfer guy Akom was waiting for us. He spoke excellent English & made us feel very safe & comfortable. We arranged to do a tour with him the following morning to see a temple. After settling in our new room we went out into the Night Bazaar & did some more shopping. We found the best Pad Thai ever too! While having some lovely strawberry icecream for dessert an elderly looking lady came up to our table with bunches of roses. She had a young boy tied onto her back so we were charmed to buy a bouquet. Later on as I carried the bouquet while walking through the Night Bazaar a Thai man came up to me saying thank you, so I gave the flowers to him.
Carolyn met us the next morning- we hurried her into her room after a lovely welcome & breakfast, then we met Akom. We were driven out of Chiang Mai city into the mountains which surround the city. Carolyn was quite nervous as the driver kept going into the oncoming lane. I was quite used to the whole ‘no worries’ attitude you find in Thailand, as you see mum, toddler & father on a motorbike, cruising through the traffic without any helmets.
The Temple (Wat) we visited is called Phrathat Doi Suthep. It was a place where a hermit monk named Suthep stopped at. Holy relics were discovered in the 14th Century & placed in a howdah (seat for riding on the back of an Elephant) on the back of a White Elephant. They were carried to Wat Phrathat, then the Elephant dropped dead from fatigue. One of the main astonishing sights at Doi Suthep is the chedi- a bell-shaped tower which contains the relic of the Buddha. I enjoyed donging the many bells for luck! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dquw6xg02pk
We returned to the city for a lovely lunch & a cocktail at a place called The Whole Earth. We were greeted by Dr. Budhacharan who told us a little about his establishment. The restaurant is alongside a spa where they do ayurvedic therapies, yoga & meditation classes. I’d like to visit there one day! http://www.theamaravati.net/
Back to the hotel for a swim & then a nap. An amble through the Kalare Night Bazaar where we took in some music & dancing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMqcTXUnNxk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH1ETU-BQAc
The following day was the BEST! We awoke early to go to the Elephant Nature Park. There was nearly a dozen of us- other tourists, our escort called Jack who gave us loads of laughs & Jaia our driver got us to the location very safely. We first stopped at a nearby market to collect bananas. A whole truck-load filled to brimming.
As we drove further away from Chiang Mai & got out to the rural area we drove past many glistening temples. The Park was very much like a farm with semi-sectioned off areas where the Elephants were kept & a boardwalk for us to walk around safely. A huge enclosure with a river flowing past & lots of grassy areas. The Elephants were fairly free to roam with Mahouts (Elephant handlers) keeping a constant watch on them to intervene if anything went awry. Our group leader, Kate, gave us loads of info about the way Elephants are treated outside of the Park- some are used for Trekking & others are in the illegal logging trade. Also, some are Street Beggars, performing tricks for tourists in city areas.
We had an amazing time feeding the Elephants & then splashing & scrubbing them down in the river. The visit to the Park also had a serious side, educating us about the plight of the Asian Elephants. www.elephantnaturepark.org After giving ourselves a good scrub down at the hotel we went to Tuskers Bar for dinner www.tuskersbar.com where part of our dinner bill would go back to the Park. www.eleaid.com
I’ve put some of our videos of the Elephants on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNGrAj-QKw4
Elephant Nature Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR9ZNzIquvo
Jasmin feeding Thai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4VWTVH5sfw
Trying to get a feed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCSmZIgvofg
The awesome Elephant trunk!
I’ll let Bodra tell you the rest of our trip!
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