BANGKOK and surroundings

 

Bangkok - first day

A fascinating tour, which leads to the discovery of the Siam and the beauty of its capital Bangkok, chaotic but fascinating, with disordered monuments to leave you without breath, noisy but at the same time silent in its temples. The City of Angels, as defined, is full of contrasts, made up of shacks next to huge shopping malls, and where life still flows slowly on the Chao Praya, the river that crosses it.
Absolutely not to miss the archaeological part of the capital (Ayuttaya), where majestic temples rose in the past. Even do not miss the floating market, unique.
North Thailanda strikes eventually for the luxuriant vegetation and the way of life of its villages tribes, a lifestyle that brings back of some centuries.
Peoples tied to ancient traditions and religions, not caring about technological development that surrounds them.
The sea of Thailand is exceptional, from my point of view decidedly higher than the Caribbean one, both for colors, environment and wildlife around him. Particular that stands out especially in the area around Phi Phi Island, where the mountains are covered with forests that plunge in the waters of the Andaman Sea, forming intact and fascinating bays.
Ventaglio has chosen a private island separated from Phuket and his Ventaclub: an exclusive, with exceptional services and sea of first level, far from worldliness and confusion of Phuket.
Thailand is a country that lends itself well even to do-by-yourself tourism: we opted for an organized tour because having available only two weeks, we needed services already booked in order not to lose too much time, moreover, being our intention to stay more time at seaside in Maiton; the easiest solution was to book all services with Ventaglio. The tour was well organised and apart from a visit to the floating market, in bus with several people, for the rest of time we visited Bangkok in bus with only 10 other people and Ayuttaya in 4, while we were only two going to the north of the country.

Bangkok - Day 1

After a long flight via Frankfurt, we finally arrive in Bangkok at 13:00. Then we wait for a car reserved for us, included in the tour, which brings us directly to our hotel, the Novotel in the middle of Siam Square. The traffic is strong but not chaotic as I imagined, only on the last stretch we go like in slow motion.
The impact is the same of a modern city, close to our hotel a continuous roundabout of people, shopping malls, music videos on huge screens with volume to the max. Enormous cement sidewalks and constructions built with little attention on the environmental impact, hugely wide roads, modern cars, carts and typical "tuk tuks".
Given the hour we take advantage now to look around us. And with a little more than 20 minutes, we pass near the Siam Center, a huge shopping mall, to reach the typical market of Pratunam. We pass along the road observing the numerous restaurants that have tables on sidewalks, where outdoor meat and fish are cooked almost a meter far from cars stucked in traffic.The air is unbreathable, and soon even burns the throat.
We decide to go to the buffet dinner at the Baiyoke Sky, the highest skyscraper with a restaurant on the 80th floor from which you can see the whole city. Here we have dinner (paid about 10 euros), with a well-organized buffet running from the Italian cuisine, to Japanese, to Thai at best international level.

Bangkok - second day

Today awaits us a guided tour of the city, with the main monuments. We will catch a bus with 10 other Italians, who will make the entire tour in coach until northern region. We will meet them later, infact. To visit the temples of the city is required to wear long trousers and long sleeves shirt. Short skirts are obviously also forbidden.
As a first step we will stop at Wat Traimit, a temple that houses a statue of Buddha made of massive gold, 3 meters high and weighing 5 tons.
Later we head to the Royal Palace, the most important part of the city, that inside hosts the Wat Phra Kaew, the royal chapel. Royal Palace is a city inside the city, confusion and pollution remain outside of it. It seems me to enter in an enchanted city. Pagodas made of gold, orange roofs, courtyards, arcades and temples decorated with beautiful golden paintings and fascinating multicolored glass.
To the guard of the temples are huge and impressive statues. This is truly a unique marvel.
We enter barefoot to visit the Wat Phra Kaew, where inside is kept the statue of the Emerald Buddha, the most revered in Thailand. The king himself, at changes of season, shall change dress of the statue.
We continue to Wat Po, a temple that houses a huge statue of Buddha lying 45 meters long at his feet, where is also represented the cycle of life according to Buddhism, notched mother-in. This temple is for excellence the school of the famous Thai massage.

At the temple we separate from the group, which would have returned to the hotel, to wander a little alone; near the Wat Po we cross the flower market, hence we see in the distance, in the river, Wat Arun, the temple of dawn.
At this point, we stop a taxi to go to China Town, but after quarter of hour we move only a hundred metres, so we are forced to pay and continue on foot.
China Town is the less frequented area from tourists, no tour leads in these place, there's even the opportunity to visit a truly authentic part of the city. The whole area hosts a fixed market, but the streets are so narrow that we are almost automatically transported from the crowd. The air is invaded by a perfume of incense alternating with that of their food cooked in the street. we have lunch for two spending 1 euro, some mini banana sweets and a couple of skewers of meat were of unknown goodness. Even if prices in the market were low, and although the guides said that there was not much to buy, we found several nice things, clothes, leather and silk crafts, above all, a great bargain.
We return by taxi, and this time should be better because the traffic flows. Taxis are very cheap, half an hour costs about 3 / 4 euros.
After a refreshing bath in the pool, we take the Sky Train to reach the known area of Bangkok: Patpong. Many describe it as hell, between fake goods and prostitution, but I have found it quite characteristic, even if what is said about prostitution is true. Here you can really find everything, of course fake: watches, belts, shirts, shoes, etc.. and the bargaining is a must.

Bangkok trip to Ayutthaya - Day 3

We start early in the morning with minibuses for the ancient capital of Siam: Ayutthaya
Along the route we do a pause at the summer residence of the king, Pang Pa, a quiet resort that is only thirty minutes by car from Bangkok, but light years away from the uproar in the capital because it is a pleasure to walk in the beautiful and most cared gardens. Various lakes arise various temples, one in particular is so much characteristic that is the most photographed in Thailand. There are also various pagodas, including one in perfect Japanese style.
Thus, we arrive the ancient capital of Siam, from 1300 to 1700ac: at that time was a prosperous city, rich in temples built by various rulers that have followed, until making it become one of the most beautiful cities in the south-east Asia and one of the most populous too,with about one million inhabitants.
Infact, the city had to be enormous, because from one place to another we move with the car. The ruins are impressive and of great historical interest: they leave a glimpse of what was to be a unique spectacle for those centuries. Anywhere rise Kmer style towers, the last visited is the most spectacular, and climbing the steep staircase you can reach the top of the building, with a great glance across the archaeological site. Among the ruins there is also a lying statue of Buddha with a size even higher than that of Bangkok in Wat Pho.
It is said that during the peak of the city, London, in comparison, was no more than a small village.
The trip, perhaps the most beautiful that can be done from Bangkok, which ends with a cruise along the Chao Praya up in Bangkok, allows you to see how life takes place along the river, as well as give a nice glance throughout the city.

Bangkok excursion to the floating market Damnernsaduak - Day 4

For the only time of this tour starting with a big bus, on the other hand the most popular excursion from Bangkok.
First stage a coconut working facility, fairly interesting, then visit to a cultivation of orchids and finally a teak processing facility, where some artists build real works of art. On arrival at destination, we embark on the fast motorboats navigating a long channel immersed in vegetation, and exceeding a couple of villages with houses placed directly behind the dirty channels, we reach the market.
The market, unlike what I expected, is not visitable on boats but on foot, then if you wish, you can rent a local boat but it doesn't worth it because they are so numerous that hardly could move. In addition, the glance is better from the wharf and from bridges that cross the channel.
The first part of the market is very touristy, and is divided between a party hall and a portion of the river. Continuing, however, we reach a less touristic area, where still could be found the real bargaining, where the locals buy food cooked directly on the boats, fruits and other daily things. All this is of great effect.
The trip continues with a stop in the largest pagoda in the country, Nakhon Pathom, ending with lunch and a visit to the Rose Garden, a very pleasant estate, with well-kept gardens and ponds, and where a representation of traditional Thai arts is displayed, including many dances, boxing demos and marriages. Everything prepared for tourists, but if this would not have been organized, frankly we would not have lost much..