Trip Planning - Langdon Hills, United Kingdom
Langdon Hills, United Kingdom
I have been doing some research into things to do in Bangkok and Chonburi.
BANGKOK
As stated already in my previous blog, I have visited most of the popular tourist attractions and always look for places to visit which are "off the radar" to the majority of tourists. In September I visited Khlong Toei (also spelled Klong Toey) which is famous for a large wet market and a slum area adjacent to the Chao Phraya River.
The market was very large and sprawling and although the weather was appalling, I was able to wander around and take some great pictures. I was not however able to find my way to the slum area (not easy to ask for directions to the local slum) but I will endeavor to find my way there this time. It looks like a good walk so I will probably take a taxi bike depending on how much time I have. The area is not the safest in Bangkok and i will need to be careful where I go and what I take with me.
The slums are a myriad of alleys and walkways that are a mugger's paradise, but also is where I could get some great pictures of how the poorer residents of Bangkok live.
Also close to Khlong Toei is the island of Bang Krachao. This peninsula is a haven just a stone throw from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is nicknamed the lungs of Bangkok because of its greenery and pristine mangroves. Most of the villages in Bang Krachao are situated along Chao Phraya and the main canals.
The houses on the river are built on stilts - as prevention against floods. You reach the peninsula by ferry from Wat Klong Toei and discover a sudden slice of rural Thailand with slow life, bamboo-shaded creeks, old temples and miles of walkways leading through mango and banana plantations full of butterflies. There is a temple at the Khlong Toei port and on the island, both of which look very interesting and worth a visit. You can hire a bike when you arrive on the island or you can take a motorbike.
Originally a settlement for ethnic Burmese Mons, Bang Krachao is made up of orchards and gardens, with only 40,000 residents. A strict local planning code which prohibits things like high rise buildings and factories has kept the area in its pristine state. The route consists of small raised embankments and elevated pathways that meander around the area. Some of the narrow walkways go through small villages with homes built on wooden stilts, and all having a sense of feeling how Bangkok must have looked fifty or one hundred years ago. Tourists are very far and few between out here and residents apparently give a very warm reception to visitors.The main feature of this area is the 100 acre Sri Nakhon Kuenkhan Park, a giant oasis of trees, lakes, and shaded pavilions located just a kilometer down from the ferry pier. The park has walking trails, bike paths, and rents out bikes, kayaks, and paddle boats at reasonable prices. There are several food vendors and drink stops interspersed throughout the park for having a picnic and enjoying the tranquil surroundings. At the weekend, it is worth visiting the Talad Nam Peung Floating Market on the peninsula. In contrast to the the extremely over-touristed and cheesy floating market in Damnoen Saduak, this is a genuine floating market that is for locals, and few tourists know about it. Known as the honey market, Nam Pheung is a traditional Thai floating market offering a dazzling array of Thai confections. I really want to get to this place. It sounds like a brilliant place to wander and take photos and take in the atmosphere.
Another place I want to visit if time permits is Makkasan Station and the surrounding slums along the railway line. According to the map i need to head to Chit Lom on the Sukhumvit line and walking north on Chit Lom Alley or Som Khit Alley, adjacent to the Klong (canal), cross the Phetchnburi Road and continue north to the expressway.
The station lies just under the expressway and is the starting point for a walk along the line. This railway line is in use so I will need to be careful if I venture down the line. Alternatively, I might take a taxi asking for the OLD Makkasan Station. I have seen some interesting photos of the shanty houses set up so close to the line that you could touch them from the train window.
The BMW Tower is the tallest building in Bangkok and I have admired it from afar and also from the base. However, I never realised that it is a hotel and that it has a rotating observation platform and restaurant.
The Baiyoke Tower II, to give it its proper name (Thai: ใบหยก 2; RTGS: Bai Yok Song) is an 85 storey 304 m (997 ft) building, not only the the tallest building in the city, it is the tallest hotel in South East Asia and the fourth-tallest all-hotel structure in the world. According to the internet, the observation tower is open to the public for 300B (400B) at dusk, when the view is supposed to be spectacular.
CHONBURY
I haven't been to this part of Thailand for nearly four years and am looking forward to it. My second trip to Thailand took me to Pattaya during Songkran in 2008. Much of Pattaya's reputation as a sleazy city is deserved but there are some out-of-the-way attractions that I have not yet visited.