THAIpe na Type! : Our Thailand Summer Escapade

SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT (soo-var-boom):
Arriving at the Suvarnabhumi Airport,( last year's 7th Best Airport in World , and the world's 4th largest single-building airport terminal), set the tone for our stay in the "Land of Smiles". The huge, yet efficient facility not only allowed us to move in between areas at a fast pace, the airport's staff facilitated the arrivals with lightning speed. Even getting through immigrations was a breeze! Probably the fastest ever for both Phil and I, since they had a special line for folks travelling with kids or the elderly. Less than 3 minutes tops! Ah-mah-zing indeed!

travelling with a kid truly has its perks!

while waiting for your luggage, lots of money changer kiosks dot the arrivals area

more money exchange counters and the first bunch of atms are available towards the exit

metered taxis are available one floor down from the arrivals area

on our way down to get a bad. There are several lines to get a cab so getting one is quite a breeze.
An airport employee is at the head of the line to list down your destination and the cost of your ride from the airport to your destination (airport fee, toll + the metered fare).

The interior of the cab. Most of the cabs we got into were Toyota Altises. Keep that in mind on your way back to the airport. These are compact cars, and may not fit an excessive amount of shopping :P
450 baht and 40 minutes later, we arrived at our next destination:

Of course, to have a great vacation, the airport is just the gateway. You'll have to have a decent, if not great hotel to recharge your tired senses. Delicious and filling food to tease your senses, and at the same time, nourish you. Then there are those tourist destinations that allow you to feast on a culture so diverse, yet so beautiful, that they shall be added to those treasured memories you'd look back on with fondness. Of course, one must not discredit the joy that shopping brings. Even more so when most of the items you purchased were bought for a song. Without any further ado, TMW presents to you a rundown of our visit to Thailand:

PRINCE PALACE HOTEL (Mahanak):
Overlooking Bangkok's Mahanak Canal, Prince Palace Hotel is situated on Damrongrak Road at the site, which was once Mahanak Palace of Field Marshal Prince Kromaluang Nakhon Chaisri Suradej (can't miss his shrine on the main lobby at Tower A).

Booking at Agoda, we were able to get really great rates (54% off during the summer) for a suite with living room at this four star hotel. Before you scoff at the "4 star" rating, check out the key points in staying at this hotel via this this link: Living Like A Prince Even ON a BUDGET .

THE GRAND PALACE TOUR:
The official residence of the Kings of Siam up until 1925, and now mostly used for ceremonial purposes and for housing visitors of state, this has been around since the 17th century. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Bangkok, this is a great place to learn about culture and architecture as well as history. Here's a look at the Grand Palace as seen through TMW's eyes: Ain't Life Grand? (The Grand Palace Tour, Thailand).

THE CHAO PHRAYA CANAL TOUR:
Due to our Grand Palace guide's recommendation (my bad for asking about the river tour), we were introduced to this other dude who led us through the maze of street food hawkers across the street from the Grand Palace's walls, until we got to a small wharf  of sorts. For 1500 baht, this is what we got: THE CHAO PHRAYA CANAL TOUR: Reasons To Say NO!

NAKHON PATHOM: (a 3-blog series)
West of  Bangkok is a province with this name. An hour away from the hustle and bustle is a destination you shouldn't miss. In this province we got to see these 3 places:
1. Phra Pathom Chedi (the world's biggest monument to Buddha) - Read about it in Phra Pathom Chedi: Get Your Stupa On!

2. Samphran Elephant Grounds, Zoo and Crocodile Farm: soccer playing elephants, a crocodile wrestling show, local fauna and riding a 10 foot high elephant around the park! Take a look at Our Real Life Jungle Book.

3. Rose Garden Riverside: and here we thought it was only a place where they grow roses! A Thai cultural village complete with a cultural show, fab souvenir shopping not to mention more elephants. and we just checked out 25% of the place! Here's what we saw and missed: Through Rose Garden Colored Glasses.

OF MUSEUMS, FOOD AND WHAT NOTs :
For those who just want to stay in the city, don't forget to check out the Siam area at Bangkok. Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and the Siam Ocean World are great places to check out as mentioned in our blog: Coz Siam What Siam.

I can go on and on about our last visit to the City of Smiles, however, my best memories of the place are all about the food. Check out the street hawkers and their wares, and expect to get figuratively punched in the gut after overeating on exotic and delicious flavors. When it comes to food, the Thais know what they're talking about.

seafood in red curry

mincemeat omelet and chicken in red curry (yes we love curry :p)

goodies (octopus, prawn, chicken and pork sausages) on a stick at less than 30 baht/stick. 

Live a little. Walk the wild side. Ask one of those vendors to come up with a dish for you, amidst the language barrier. You won't be disappointed. My foodie experience was THAT good! Flavorful, prepared with fresh ingredients and quite sanitary (despite the street location) and most importantly, inexpensive, ( I could live off the street food and never cook again :)

special request from our fave street vendor: stir fried watercress, chilies and shrimp

and our huge order of seafood fried rice (75 baht, good for 3!)

So for your next travel destination, Thailand is ALWAYS a great idea. We absolutely loved it, can't wait to hop on a plane and get back to this wonderful tourist oriented city, that somehow, on some inexplicable level, felt just like home.

tender slices of braised pork in a rich sweet-salty sauce at 60 baht

huge grilled chicken thighs at 30 baht

Bangkok or bust!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!

Ain't Life Grand? (The Grand Palace Tour, Thailand)

at the main entrance

THE GRAND PALACE TOUR:
What to Bring:

all that talk about the demon guards of the palace on top of the 41 degree Celsius heat honestly made me think of being in hell =D Who would've thought an umbrella and a pair of shades could make a difference

1. Shade - with the marble or brick flooring and gold leaf and bejeweled buildings, the heat can be magnified twice over in this area. a hat or an umbrella would be perfect not to mention wearing sunglasses

you can rent or buy one of these just across the street from the entrance

2.Cover Up! - for women whose legs are exposed (I wore shorts), you'll have to buy or rent a sarong across the street before entering the gates. They're pretty strict on this. Rentals cost about 30-40 baht, but you'll have to deposit 100 baht, which will be given back to you when you return the sarong. I bought mine at around 135 baht.

maps are useful, but hiring a guide is also a great idea. Our Mr. Miyagi look-alike from the karate kid spoke in perfect English, (he also sounded like a cross between Pat Morita and James Earl Jones), and was very knowledgeable about the place and the local customs and traditions (seriously! I Googled stuff about the place when we got back B-)

3. A Map - Upon paying the admission fee of 400 baht (which includes a ticket to Vimanmek Mansion, which is open til 6 pm). They will provide you a map, but the one we got was all in Thai. Once inside, you'll have to see all the sights as once you step out of the gates, you can't go back unless you pay up again. Making sure that you get to see all the sights, bring a detailed map of the place, or better yet, haggle and try to get the best deal from a tour guide. There's quite a lot of them outside the palace and near the ticket booth. 400 baht is a fair rate (we've heard higher rates).

the gold leaf and bejeweled temple roofs reflected the sun, adding heat to the already hot place

4. Anything to Keep You Cool - kids and elders are more likely to suffer from heatstroke. Bring adequate cold water, cooling gels, apply sunblock and have moist towelettes on hand especially if you have companions who fall under the category mentioned earlier. Most of the buildings have huge industrial fans in them, but walking to and from the temples could dehydrate you if you're not careful.

monkey demons

Cambodian, Thai and Sri Lankan architecture

don't point your toes at him

5. Mind Your Tootsie! - upon entering the temples, keep in mind that your toes must never point to Buddha as it is a sign of disrespect. A tour guide is quite helpful in pointing out when to take off your shoes, where to go, etc.

beautifil handpainted porcelain tiles from 18th century China

the Thai version of a Beefeater (Yeoman Warders). He doesn't move too like the ones in London =D

the "guest house"
This is used to house visiting dignitaries. according to our guide, the last time this was used was when the King of Spain visited the country last 2006

a temporary air conditioned tent for for an official function

The Cliffnotes on The Grand Palace:

The official residence of the Kings of Siam up until 1925, and now mostly used for ceremonial purposes and for housing visitors of state, this has been around since the 17th century. One of the most popular tourist destination in Bangkok, this is a great place to learn about culture and architecture as well as history.

The Grand Palace is open every day from 8:30 to 3:30, unless its being used for a state function. Some parts of the compound, specially the temples are considered sacred and that photos may only be taken from the outside.

Did You Know? - should the country's king not be  able to produce a  male heir, having daughters  is just fine, as the next ruler will be a queen :)

**Note: should anyone offer you a day time Canal Tour, you're better off with the evening River cruise. More on that in another blog from our site :)

off to the Canal Tour (shudder the thought!)

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!