Who says you need to take a lot of days off for a trip to an island? To welcome the summer, here are 6 islands close to Bangkok that you can travel to easily over the weekend.
Koh Larn, Pattaya
Perhaps the most popular island near Bangkok, Koh Larn is only 30 minutes by boat from Pattaya’s Bali Hai pier. The ferry service runs every 1.5 hours to two hours starting from 7am to 6.30pm daily and the fare is B30 per person. A speedboat service is also available at about B1,500-B2,000 per trip. The island is not only popular because it’s convenient to get to, though, but is also home to a few nice long stretches of beaches with clean white sand and clear seas. Among the island’s most beautiful beaches are Ta Waen and Samae. Here, you can also partake in para sailing, banana boat riding, jet skiing or you can just explore the island on a motorbike. As there are a number of resorts on the island, you can spend a night here or just enjoy a day out and take the last ferry which leaves at 6pm back to Pattaya.
Koh Si Chang, Chonburi
Just a little further from Sriracha, there’s Koh Loy Pier from which you can take a ferry cross to Koh Si Chang, 12km away. The ferry runs daily from 6am-7pm and the journey to the island takes about 50 minutes. The island has nice beaches, but the main attractions are its rich history and the charm of its fishermen’s village. The island was home to King Chulalongkorn’s Judha Dhut Palace, which in 1912 was relocated and restored in Bangkok’s Dusit District, today known as Viman Mek Mansion, the world’s largest golden teak wood mansion. Other attractions are the Chinese temple called Saan Chao Pho Khao Yai and Wat Tham Yai Prik. You can also enjoy activities like swimming, kayaking, hiking, biking or simply enjoy fresh seafood on the beach or by the hill looking over the gulf of Thailand. There are many resorts on the island. Check out Malee Blue resort (www.maleeblue.com), which offers Moroccan-inspired rooms at rates starting from B1,200 per night.
Koh Kred, Nonthaburi
This must be the nearest island to Bangkok. Different from what you might have imagined an island should be, Koh Kred is neither near the sea nor does it have beaches. In fact, it’s a tiny island in the Chao Phraya River. The island is accessible by boat from Pakkred Pier in Nonthaburi or you can take a ferry straight from Sathorn Pier near BTS Saphan Taksin. Here, you can enjoy a slower pace of life as there are no roads for cars to travel on. There are quite a few temples and museums on the island for you to explore. We recommend a visit to Wat Poramaiyikawat, which has Mon architecture and a reclining pagoda near the pier. The temple has a museum next door which displays items like votive tablets, crystal ware and porcelain. There is another museum on the island called Kwan Aman Pottery Museum, which exhibits a number of ancient Mon-designed ceramics. Another highlight is the local market which has stalls selling pottery, handmade decorative items, local products and a variety of food including local dishes like tod mun nor kala and Mon-style khao chae. Get a drink here and it’ll be served in pottery that you can take home with you.
Koh Kham, Chonburi
Located further from Pattaya, south of Sattahip, Koh Kham is a 61-rai H-shape island set 9km from the shore and it takes about 20 minutes by boat to get there. Under the management of the Royal Thai Navy (tinyurl.com/kr5fmzh, 038-422-170), the serene island is well preserved and only open for ecotourism from November to April, 9am-4pm on Sat-Sun and public holidays. Visitors are not allowed to stay on the island so you can only spend a day out there and catch the boat back at either 1pm or 4pm. Though it’s close to Pattaya, Koh Kham has nice white sandy beaches, clear sea water, abundant coral reefs and a number of species of underwater creatures. With its unspoiled nature, the island was announced a marine national park in 1993. Activities you can do here include snorkeling, coral reef viewing from a glass-bottom boat, swimming in the sea off the island’s northern beach and exploring the island’s rich nature. Note that the island is limited to 300 visitors per day and there are rules you have to follow like no touching or walking on coral reefs and you are not allowed to take anything from the island. There’s no restaurant so you have to bring your own food, and make sure to take all rubbish back with you.
Wat Niwet Thammaprawat on an island in Chao Phraya River, Ayutthaya
Set on an island in Chao Phraya River, Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is very unique in its architecture and the way you get there. After your visit to the nearby Bang Pa-In Palace, you can get to the temple on a cabin-sala ride across the river. Yes, it’s not a typical cabin car. You have to ring the bell so a few monks on the other side can pull your cabin, which is in fact a Thai pavilion, flying you across the river to the temple. The excitement doesn’t end there. Once you get to the temple, you’ll be greeted by architecture which was built in the reign of King Rama V with the aim to replica European cathedral architecture and design. Drawing inspiration from gothic art, the temple features decorative glass in many bright colours. A peaceful trip that’s also rich in history.
Koh Singto, Hua Hin
Hua Hin-lovers must have seen this island before. Set 800 meters off Khao Takiab Beach and Suanson Pathipat, Koh Singto (literally translated as Lion Island) has a shape that from a distance looks like a crouching lion. You can get to the island by hiring a fishing boat at the fishermen’s village in Khao Takiab. The journey should take about 40 minutes and the activities you can do there include fishing, snorkeling and swimming. The island has a very small beach for you to chill out on, but there is no accommodation so you can’t spend a night there. The sea water is not always clear so it’s best to ask the local fishermen about condistions when you get there. But if you like fishing and snorkeling and are looking to have a small adventure near Hua Hin, it makes for an easy option.
Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple of Chiang Rai is one of the main attractions of Northern Thailand. It is that famously well known fairy tale looking temple everyone talks about. But there is much more to it than the snow white exterior of Wat Rong Khun.
When you see the main chapel from outside you don’t really anticipate what you will see inside and how it will surprise you.
The wall is adorned with statues of Buddhas and other Buddhist symbols, but the opposite wall will definitely make you raise your brows in surprise when you see burning twin towers, angry birds, Spiderman or characters from Star Wars.
Besides them you will see Michael Jackson, Freddy Kruger, Terminator, Neo from Matrix, Transformers, characters from Avatar, Harry Potter, Elvis Presley and even Kungfu Panda. Weird for a Buddhist temple, isn’t it?
All this looks very unusual and even strange but that was the idea of the Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat who’s also a Buddhist. His idea is to show the good and bad using images from the West and unfortunate events of 9/11.
These unusual murals are placed opposite the Buddhas. They are meant to show that people should free their minds from bad intentions, and that violence, greed, and hedonism is the wrong way of life.
Safe and green, trains add a real sense of journey to traveling. Sure, they’re slow (at least in Thailand), but slow life is all the rage, right? Celebrating 117 years, The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is now offering many attractive tours at very affordable prices. Here are our picks for the upcoming weekends.
Thailand’s railways are back in the headlines again with the recent Hollywood release of The Railway Man (in Bangkok cinemas April 24), a film based on the bestselling autobiography by Eric Lomax, a British POW who was put to work on the infamous death railway in Kanchanaburi during WWII. Now’s the time to hop those railway lines that the State Railway of Thailand has kept in their original condition so many years.
Steam Train Journey to Ayutthaya
To celebrate 117 years of operation, the SRT is offering a series of special day trips by steam train. The next trip is due on Sunday, March 23, setting off from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station at 8am and arriving at the Ayutthaya station at 10.30am. From there, an air-con bus will take you to the historic temple of Wat Maheyong on the outskirts of Ayutthaya Island. In the afternoon, you’ll be taken to Hantra Memorial Royalty Park, where you can learn more about the province and its 16 districts, as well as get the chance to do some s hopping at the park’s floating market, which opened last year. You can then get the train back arriving at Bangkok at about 9:30pm. Tickets are B555 per person, which includes return train tickets, transport by air con bus in Ayutthaya, tour guide, snacks and water. If you miss this trip, you have to wait for the following one on August 12 to Nakhon Pathom.
Hua Hin and Suan Son Pradipat
Whether it’s for some fresh sea air or seafood, Hua Hin is our long-term fave weekend escape and the picturesque train station alone is worth a visit. Its historic 1920s architecture and special Royal Waiting Room conjure up images of the golden days of train travel. The train departs Bangkok at 6:30am from Hua Lamphong and stops off at Nakhon Pathom at about 7:40am for passengers to pay respect to Phra Pathom Chedi, Thailand’s largest pagoda, and shop at a local market. The journey continues after 40 minutes and is scheduled to arrive at Hua Hin at 10:30am or you can opt to stay onboard and head down to the quieter beach at Suan Son Pradiphat, the Royal Army’s area with a hotel, a golf course, seafood restaurants and massage places in short walking distance to the secluded beach. At 3:30pm, the train will set off Suan Son Pradiphat and will pick up some passengers at the Hua Hin station at 3:39pm. It’s scheduled to get back to Bangkok at about 9:25pm. The trip runs every Sat, Sun and public holidays. B240 for air-con train and B120 for non air-con, excluding meals.
Erawan Waterfall and Srinakarin Dam
This trip takes off at 6:30am from Hua Lamphong, stops at Nakhon Pathom for 40 minutes and arrives at Kanchanaburi’s River Kwai Bridge at 9:35am. After about 20 minutes at the bridge, you will get in an air-con bus to two wonderful watery destinations: one manmade, one natural. At Srinakarin Dam there will be a tour guide explaining the history of this engineering marvel and taking you on a picturesque tour of the dam. The natural part is a visit to Erawan Waterfall, the largest waterfall in Thailand’s west and it’s striking with seven levels of water falling over 2,000 meters. You can swim in the clear water here so bring swimming gear with you. The train is scheduled to arrive at Bangkok at about 9:25pm. Prices are B620 for non air-con train and B740 for air-con train. Note that foreigners have to pay additional B400 per person to enter Erawan National Park.
Amphawa Floating Market
Available every Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, the day trip to the Amphawa market starts at the Wongwian Yai station, where the train takes off at 7:40am and arrives at Mahachai at 8:39am where you can walk around the market which is famous for dried seafood. Then you will get on a boat crossing to Ban Laem train station to get on another train to Maeklong, home to the renowned Talad Rom Hub (Mae Klong railway market), a unique attraction where you can see the train running through the operating market and sellers have to move their stalls away from the track when it’s approaching. Then you’ll get to see the canal-side way of living at the old Bang Noi and Amphawa floating markets, where you can also have some traditional Thai food and enjoy shopping. At 6:30pm you’ll be transported back to Bangkok by an air-con van which is scheduled to arrive at 8pm. Price is B499, including transport by an air-con van.
Suan Nongnooch, Pattaya
Just a little further from Pattaya, there is a botanical garden for you to relax. For this trip, the train departs Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station at 6:40am, stops to pick up passengers from Makkasan, Klongton, Hua Mark, Hua Takae and Chachoengsao stations and is scheduled to arrive at Pattaya at 10am. You’ll be transported to the Nongnuch Garden, filled with numerous floral species and human-made waterfall. Buffet lunch at the park’s Fuang Fa restaurant is included. In the afternoon, the trip will take you to Pattaya Floating Market where you can shop for local products and have food cooked by sellers on the boats at the market. At 4pm, the train will leave Pattaya and arrive at Hua Lamphong at 7:20pm. Price is B540 per person for air-con train. Available every Sat, Sun and public holidays.
6 island escapes close to Bangkok
Who says you need to take a lot of days off for a trip to an island? To welcome the summer, here are 6 islands close to Bangkok that you can travel to easily over the weekend.
Koh Larn, Pattaya
Perhaps the most popular island near Bangkok, Koh Larn is only 30 minutes by boat from Pattaya’s Bali Hai pier. The ferry service runs every 1.5 hours to two hours starting from 7am to 6.30pm daily and the fare is B30 per person. A speedboat service is also available at about B1,500-B2,000 per trip. The island is not only popular because it’s convenient to get to, though, but is also home to a few nice long stretches of beaches with clean white sand and clear seas. Among the island’s most beautiful beaches are Ta Waen and Samae. Here, you can also partake in para sailing, banana boat riding, jet skiing or you can just explore the island on a motorbike. As there are a number of resorts on the island, you can spend a night here or just enjoy a day out and take the last ferry which leaves at 6pm back to Pattaya.
Koh Si Chang, Chonburi
Just a little further from Sriracha, there’s Koh Loy Pier from which you can take a ferry cross to Koh Si Chang, 12km away. The ferry runs daily from 6am-7pm and the journey to the island takes about 50 minutes. The island has nice beaches, but the main attractions are its rich history and the charm of its fishermen’s village. The island was home to King Chulalongkorn’s Judha Dhut Palace, which in 1912 was relocated and restored in Bangkok’s Dusit District, today known as Viman Mek Mansion, the world’s largest golden teak wood mansion. Other attractions are the Chinese temple called Saan Chao Pho Khao Yai and Wat Tham Yai Prik. You can also enjoy activities like swimming, kayaking, hiking, biking or simply enjoy fresh seafood on the beach or by the hill looking over the gulf of Thailand. There are many resorts on the island. Check out Malee Blue resort (www.maleeblue.com), which offers Moroccan-inspired rooms at rates starting from B1,200 per night.
Koh Kred, Nonthaburi
This must be the nearest island to Bangkok. Different from what you might have imagined an island should be, Koh Kred is neither near the sea nor does it have beaches. In fact, it’s a tiny island in the Chao Phraya River. The island is accessible by boat from Pakkred Pier in Nonthaburi or you can take a ferry straight from Sathorn Pier near BTS Saphan Taksin. Here, you can enjoy a slower pace of life as there are no roads for cars to travel on. There are quite a few temples and museums on the island for you to explore. We recommend a visit to Wat Poramaiyikawat, which has Mon architecture and a reclining pagoda near the pier. The temple has a museum next door which displays items like votive tablets, crystal ware and porcelain. There is another museum on the island called Kwan Aman Pottery Museum, which exhibits a number of ancient Mon-designed ceramics. Another highlight is the local market which has stalls selling pottery, handmade decorative items, local products and a variety of food including local dishes like tod mun nor kala and Mon-style khao chae. Get a drink here and it’ll be served in pottery that you can take home with you.
Koh Kham, Chonburi
Located further from Pattaya, south of Sattahip, Koh Kham is a 61-rai H-shape island set 9km from the shore and it takes about 20 minutes by boat to get there. Under the management of the Royal Thai Navy (tinyurl.com/kr5fmzh, 038-422-170), the serene island is well preserved and only open for ecotourism from November to April, 9am-4pm on Sat-Sun and public holidays. Visitors are not allowed to stay on the island so you can only spend a day out there and catch the boat back at either 1pm or 4pm. Though it’s close to Pattaya, Koh Kham has nice white sandy beaches, clear sea water, abundant coral reefs and a number of species of underwater creatures. With its unspoiled nature, the island was announced a marine national park in 1993. Activities you can do here include snorkeling, coral reef viewing from a glass-bottom boat, swimming in the sea off the island’s northern beach and exploring the island’s rich nature. Note that the island is limited to 300 visitors per day and there are rules you have to follow like no touching or walking on coral reefs and you are not allowed to take anything from the island. There’s no restaurant so you have to bring your own food, and make sure to take all rubbish back with you.
Wat Niwet Thammaprawat on an island in Chao Phraya River, Ayutthaya
Set on an island in Chao Phraya River, Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is very unique in its architecture and the way you get there. After your visit to the nearby Bang Pa-In Palace, you can get to the temple on a cabin-sala ride across the river. Yes, it’s not a typical cabin car. You have to ring the bell so a few monks on the other side can pull your cabin, which is in fact a Thai pavilion, flying you across the river to the temple. The excitement doesn’t end there. Once you get to the temple, you’ll be greeted by architecture which was built in the reign of King Rama V with the aim to replica European cathedral architecture and design. Drawing inspiration from gothic art, the temple features decorative glass in many bright colours. A peaceful trip that’s also rich in history.
Koh Singto, Hua Hin
Hua Hin-lovers must have seen this island before. Set 800 meters off Khao Takiab Beach and Suanson Pathipat, Koh Singto (literally translated as Lion Island) has a shape that from a distance looks like a crouching lion. You can get to the island by hiring a fishing boat at the fishermen’s village in Khao Takiab. The journey should take about 40 minutes and the activities you can do there include fishing, snorkeling and swimming. The island has a very small beach for you to chill out on, but there is no accommodation so you can’t spend a night there. The sea water is not always clear so it’s best to ask the local fishermen about condistions when you get there. But if you like fishing and snorkeling and are looking to have a small adventure near Hua Hin, it makes for an easy option.
Source – http://bk.asia-city.com/travel/news/six-islands-close-bangkok
Thai temple embraces Spiderman, Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, and other pop culture icons
Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple of Chiang Rai is one of the main attractions of Northern Thailand. It is that famously well known fairy tale looking temple everyone talks about. But there is much more to it than the snow white exterior of Wat Rong Khun.
When you see the main chapel from outside you don’t really anticipate what you will see inside and how it will surprise you.
The wall is adorned with statues of Buddhas and other Buddhist symbols, but the opposite wall will definitely make you raise your brows in surprise when you see burning twin towers, angry birds, Spiderman or characters from Star Wars.
Besides them you will see Michael Jackson, Freddy Kruger, Terminator, Neo from Matrix, Transformers, characters from Avatar, Harry Potter, Elvis Presley and even Kungfu Panda. Weird for a Buddhist temple, isn’t it?
All this looks very unusual and even strange but that was the idea of the Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat who’s also a Buddhist. His idea is to show the good and bad using images from the West and unfortunate events of 9/11.
These unusual murals are placed opposite the Buddhas. They are meant to show that people should free their minds from bad intentions, and that violence, greed, and hedonism is the wrong way of life.
Source – http://www.travelphotoreport.com/2013/01/11/strange-interior-white-temple-chiang-rai/
5 Top Day Trips by Train from Bangkok
Safe and green, trains add a real sense of journey to traveling. Sure, they’re slow (at least in Thailand), but slow life is all the rage, right? Celebrating 117 years, The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is now offering many attractive tours at very affordable prices. Here are our picks for the upcoming weekends.
Thailand’s railways are back in the headlines again with the recent Hollywood release of The Railway Man (in Bangkok cinemas April 24), a film based on the bestselling autobiography by Eric Lomax, a British POW who was put to work on the infamous death railway in Kanchanaburi during WWII. Now’s the time to hop those railway lines that the State Railway of Thailand has kept in their original condition so many years.
Steam Train Journey to Ayutthaya
To celebrate 117 years of operation, the SRT is offering a series of special day trips by steam train. The next trip is due on Sunday, March 23, setting off from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station at 8am and arriving at the Ayutthaya station at 10.30am. From there, an air-con bus will take you to the historic temple of Wat Maheyong on the outskirts of Ayutthaya Island. In the afternoon, you’ll be taken to Hantra Memorial Royalty Park, where you can learn more about the province and its 16 districts, as well as get the chance to do some s hopping at the park’s floating market, which opened last year. You can then get the train back arriving at Bangkok at about 9:30pm. Tickets are B555 per person, which includes return train tickets, transport by air con bus in Ayutthaya, tour guide, snacks and water. If you miss this trip, you have to wait for the following one on August 12 to Nakhon Pathom.
Hua Hin and Suan Son Pradipat
Whether it’s for some fresh sea air or seafood, Hua Hin is our long-term fave weekend escape and the picturesque train station alone is worth a visit. Its historic 1920s architecture and special Royal Waiting Room conjure up images of the golden days of train travel. The train departs Bangkok at 6:30am from Hua Lamphong and stops off at Nakhon Pathom at about 7:40am for passengers to pay respect to Phra Pathom Chedi, Thailand’s largest pagoda, and shop at a local market. The journey continues after 40 minutes and is scheduled to arrive at Hua Hin at 10:30am or you can opt to stay onboard and head down to the quieter beach at Suan Son Pradiphat, the Royal Army’s area with a hotel, a golf course, seafood restaurants and massage places in short walking distance to the secluded beach. At 3:30pm, the train will set off Suan Son Pradiphat and will pick up some passengers at the Hua Hin station at 3:39pm. It’s scheduled to get back to Bangkok at about 9:25pm. The trip runs every Sat, Sun and public holidays. B240 for air-con train and B120 for non air-con, excluding meals.
Erawan Waterfall and Srinakarin Dam
This trip takes off at 6:30am from Hua Lamphong, stops at Nakhon Pathom for 40 minutes and arrives at Kanchanaburi’s River Kwai Bridge at 9:35am. After about 20 minutes at the bridge, you will get in an air-con bus to two wonderful watery destinations: one manmade, one natural. At Srinakarin Dam there will be a tour guide explaining the history of this engineering marvel and taking you on a picturesque tour of the dam. The natural part is a visit to Erawan Waterfall, the largest waterfall in Thailand’s west and it’s striking with seven levels of water falling over 2,000 meters. You can swim in the clear water here so bring swimming gear with you. The train is scheduled to arrive at Bangkok at about 9:25pm. Prices are B620 for non air-con train and B740 for air-con train. Note that foreigners have to pay additional B400 per person to enter Erawan National Park.
Amphawa Floating Market
Available every Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, the day trip to the Amphawa market starts at the Wongwian Yai station, where the train takes off at 7:40am and arrives at Mahachai at 8:39am where you can walk around the market which is famous for dried seafood. Then you will get on a boat crossing to Ban Laem train station to get on another train to Maeklong, home to the renowned Talad Rom Hub (Mae Klong railway market), a unique attraction where you can see the train running through the operating market and sellers have to move their stalls away from the track when it’s approaching. Then you’ll get to see the canal-side way of living at the old Bang Noi and Amphawa floating markets, where you can also have some traditional Thai food and enjoy shopping. At 6:30pm you’ll be transported back to Bangkok by an air-con van which is scheduled to arrive at 8pm. Price is B499, including transport by an air-con van.
Suan Nongnooch, Pattaya
Just a little further from Pattaya, there is a botanical garden for you to relax. For this trip, the train departs Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station at 6:40am, stops to pick up passengers from Makkasan, Klongton, Hua Mark, Hua Takae and Chachoengsao stations and is scheduled to arrive at Pattaya at 10am. You’ll be transported to the Nongnuch Garden, filled with numerous floral species and human-made waterfall. Buffet lunch at the park’s Fuang Fa restaurant is included. In the afternoon, the trip will take you to Pattaya Floating Market where you can shop for local products and have food cooked by sellers on the boats at the market. At 4pm, the train will leave Pattaya and arrive at Hua Lamphong at 7:20pm. Price is B540 per person for air-con train. Available every Sat, Sun and public holidays.
For details, visit www.railway.co.th or call 02-621-8701 or 1690.
Source – http://bk.asia-city.com/travel/news/day-trips-train-from-bangkok