Thailand Trip 2016 - Chiang Mai - Temple Visits

One of the things you could do in Chiang Mai is to go for temple tours.

Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples. Each have their own history and design. Do take note of your attire! Some temples do not allow skirts or shorts.

Wat Inthakin Sadie Muang

It's peaceful spending some time mediating in a quiet temple and listening to the monk chants. You could chat with the monks there and they might even open your mind to things.

Wat Chedi Luang

Enjoy the architecture of the building. It's not often we see a building with gold pillars and statues. Plus, Thailand's temple are huge!

Some buddha statue

Lastly, respect their culture and religion! Enjoy the remaining photos folks =)

Wat Chedi Luang

Monk wax figure

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon National Park - King and Queen Pagodas

One of the main attractions in Doi Inthanon National Park is the King and Queen Pagodas, Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon and Naphapholphumisiri.

The two chedi were built by the Royal Thai Air Force to commemorate the king’s and queen’s 60th birthdays in 1987 and 1992, respectively.

Phra Mahathat Naphaphon Bhumisiri

Naphaphonphumisiri, meaning 'being the strength of the air and the grace of the land' was built in 1992 to honour 60th birthday anniversary of Queen Sirikit. It's lavender and surrounded by a beautiful garden blooming with flowers.

Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon

Naphamethinidon, meaning 'by the strength of the land and air' was built in 1987 to honour 60th birthday anniversary of King Bhumibol. It's brown and has a garden too but I felt that the one at the queen's is much more beautiful.

Some buddha wall

Some random shot of the surroundings. This beautiful buddha wall caught my attention. I love the textures it has and the beautiful mix of brown and dirty green. I bet there's a story behind this wall but I didn't probe further.

Flowers

The garden around the pagodas is filled with colourful and beautiful flowers. I noticed a number of workers (mostly females) are watering and maintaining the garden. It sure seems sunny but in actual fact, it's cooling (compared to the humid weather here in Singapore).

Gardeners mending the flowers

Below is the flower that intrigues me. I like the pink in the flowers and the way it illuminates when backlit. The tiger-spots adds character to the flower. This flower has a long stem shooting upwards to the sun. When the wind blows, they started to sway as if they were dancing.

The flower that I like

Lastly, that's a spot where you could view the distant Himalayan mountain. The winds are strong. A couple of tourist had their caps and hats blown away. Do have a sweater with you in case it gets too cold.

Beautiful view across the mountains

Do stop by at Doi Inthanon National Park during your tour in Chiang Mai. Enjoy folks =)

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon National Park - Wachirathan Waterfall

Wachirathan Waterfall is one of the major waterfalls along the way to the summit of Doi Inthanon.

There are plenty of walkways to experience the waterfall. However, do be careful as the walkways tends to be slippery. Given the ease of access, Wachirathan Waterfall is favourited by the locals and of course, tourists like me!

It took me quite an effort to get this shot. I slung my camera onto my back, made a few hops and nearly fall into the rushing waters. I crawled on all fours and struggled my way up like a frog trying to get on land. Suffered some scratches and insect bites but the shot was worth it!

Meet Gilbert from Spain! A fellow tourist from my tour group. He's very shy and quiet! Like me, we are both solo travellers and he loves taking photos. It's his first time in Thailand! I still remember his trademark pose of spreading up his arms with palms facing the sky. It's just right in this context of the majestic Wachirathan Waterfall!

*random singing: "With arms wide open..."
~Creed - With Arms Wide Open

I was making my last few shots before heading over to the meeting point for lunch. I saw this couple relaxing by the rocks. The husband stopped to tighten his shoelaces and they sat down for a rest. They were making conversations and soft laughters floated over.

I felt that they're so sweet and was always longing for a moment like this. Therefore, I crouched down and took a shot of them reminding of that moment.

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Pai - The Streets of Pai III

Art is on the WALLS!

The streets of Pai is filled with arts and Passion. Strolling down the streets and you'll find interesting graffiti ranging from crazy bold text to angry slutty cartoon chicken and double exposure overlays?

Enjoy folks!

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Pai - The Streets of Pai II

Since I have much time to spare, I took walks around the heart of Pai on foot.

It's near evening and I'm waiting for the night market at Pai Walking Street to be opened. Stalls were slowly rolling out on the streets. I started my stroll and passed-by Pai River. I noticed these skinny cows tied by the river. At the far end of the river, children were sliding down the algae covered rocks. It's a rare view since I'm living in the bustle city life in Singapore.

Pai River

There's a construction going on at the start of the Pai street. One observation I made. Less metal, more wood and concrete. Definitely more strenuous labor needed and less safe.

Construction

Interesting capture of the Police Station. It seems so different from that of Singapore. I noticed a few times during my walk that a police patrol car was winding around the streets of Pai. It sort of made me felt safer and at ease as a tourist.

Police Station

Lastly, I noticed a flea market in the middle of a field. It's roofed with thick canvas groundsheet material. Surprisingly, under the scorching sun, it didn't feel that hot.

Everything at 20 Baht

The best thing of all, EVERYTHING IS AT 20 BAHT!!! It's so cheap! But, I didn't find anything that I needed. Oh well~

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Pai - The Streets of Pai I

Loud music buzzed from the street ahead and I could hear the sound of gongs.

I finished my last bit of mushroom omelete breakfast, footed the bill, gave my compliments on the food and left Boomelicious Cafe. From a distance ahead, I could see a huge bright structure and a group of locals coming out from the temple onto the streets.

I followed behind them slowly, observing and wondering what's these all about. Is it some kind of celebrations pertaining to this small town? I continuing taking shots as usual to capture these moments! There's these guys with long poles to untangled the electric overhead cables from the tall structure.

Locals and the tall structure

The mood isn't as I thought it was. The music was kind of a chant and none of them were smiling. Beaten by the hot sun, I decided to take last few shots, I crept up closer and zoomed to the middle of the structure and I realized it's a... Coffin. I fired away, capped "Ocean" and chucked "her" into my bag. I said a little prayer and continue my stroll along the streets.

It's my first time seeing a funeral procession in a foreign country. It's much like the Chinese funerals in Singapore where we sometimes send farewells in huge floral vehicles with bands and walking a short distance along the roads to the crematorium. Thus, I get the photo right giving it a dramatic black and white look.

Funeral procession

Enjoy folks =)

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Pai - Pai Canyon

One of the must visit in Pai is the Pai Canyon.
The canyon has one of the most beautiful sunsets.

Pai Canyon is not far from the heart of Pai. It is a 15-20 minutes ride from the heart of Pai. Be careful while walking on the canyon. It can be treacherous! Some parts of the canyon are narrow and others might need some climbing.

Pai Canyon

I scraped my hands while climbing some parts of the canyon. Lose your step and you might fall to your death. However, the view was all worth it. Well, enough of my "talking". See for yourself folks. The magnificent sunset and the distant hills.

Sunset

Distant hills

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Pai - Tham Nam Lod (Lod Cave)

Tham Nam Lod is a cave system near Soppong which is filled with stalactites and stalagmites.

I've booked a tour for 600 baht and one of the destination is the Lod Cave. It's a long drive from Pai to the Lod Cave and I'm surprised there are adventurous people that rode up the windy roads just to visit it.

Tham Nam Lod (Lod Cave)

We alighted at the National Park, had a short walk and reached Tham Nam Lod. You need to pay 150 baht for entrance and the guide.

Directions to the cave

At the entrance of the cave, boatmen are resting by their bamboo rafts while waiting for business to come. We followed the guide into the cave and the the thing that caught my attention is the school of fishes in the river.

Entrance of cave

Fish food can be purchased at the entrance of the National Park. The fishes creates splashes when fighting for food fed by us. The fishes here are huge! I can imagine how well they're fed. *haha*

Splashes

It's my first time visiting caves and it's beautiful. The road the can slippery and treacherous. Thus, watch your step and proceed with care. The guide showed us some limestones structures that resemble pancake, teeth, crocodile, anaconda etc.

Stalactites and stalagmites

There's a coffin cave section hidden within the main cave. Below is an image of the coffin. Wonder how these work and who uses these coffins.

Coffin

I realised that the air inside the cave is heavier and damper. It tires me out after climbing and walking for a period of time. We caught a glimpse of the bats. They sticked together in a ball at the top of the cave. The floors and man-made rails are littered with bat's droppings. Do wash your hands after the tour especially when you're going to eat something next.

Looking down

Last but not least, we took the raft ride out of the cave. We could spot schools of fishes swimming just by the raft. This cave experience is one of the favourite out of so many places that I've travelled. It struck me that there are many amazing places in the world that I yet to be discover.

Looking down

Do visit the Lod Cave if you're in Pai.
You would not regret it!
Enjoy folks!

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Thailand Trip 2016 - Pai - Pai Cat Hut

Thailand Trip 2016. First stop, Pai, a small town in northern Thailand's Mae Hong Son Province.

I had a few hours of flights before transiting to a mini van and another 3 hours ride up to Pai. The road up to Pai is windy with 762 curves. The view's amazing and I managed to catch the sunset on my way up.

Road up to Pai

Below is the hostel I stayed. The host is friendly and the room's clean. Pai Cat Hut is 5 minutes walk from Pai Walking Street. It's a plus if you know how to ride a bike. Traveling around Pai on a bike helps a whole lot. Too bad, I didn't know how to ride one.

Pai Cat Hut

There's a common area outside the huts for us to chill and relax. You may want to lie on the wooden hammock and read a book or play with the cat in this hut. It's a beautiful place to take a break from the busy city life.

The Outside of Pai Cat Hut

There's this interesting rack of unbloomed orchids outside the hut. The orchids grew in home-made pots made from coconut husks. A wire strung through the husks allows it to be hang on the rack. It would be definitely beautiful if the orchids are bloomed.

Unbloomed Orchid

Every morning, the workers here would sweep up all the fallen leaves and pile them up by this rustic tent by the hut. The equipments are placed neatly in the tent.

Leaves

It's cost saving staying in hostels. I stayed in a room for 6 with a common washroom and it cost me $6 a night! Plus, you get to meet people from all over the world!

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Bangkok Trip 2014 - Streets of Bangkok - To Siam Station

I love taking a look around and admiring the beauty of the streets when I travel.

The streets of Bangkok are made more colorful and creative by the graffitis. You can easily spot any of it as you walk along the streets of Bangkok. I love the rustic looks it brings out.

More Graffiti

More Graffiti

Bangkok is prone to traffic jams. I would strongly recommend the use of sky trains during peak hours. Below is a photo taken from the bridge towards Siam station at 5.30pm. Look at the amount of vehicles traveling. It's a daily thing for them.

Traffic jams

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Bangkok Trip 2014 - Streets of Bangkok - Phaya Thai

I love taking a look around and admiring the beauty of the streets when I travel.

I noticed that their streets are covered with graffitis and posters. I love the graffiti below. That reminded me of Annoying Orange. Instead it's a tomato.

Annoying tomato

Repetitive items produces a great design, especially when it is against a dull background. This sort of brings the posters to live. Enjoy the photos folks!

The Voice (Thailand)

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Bangkok Trip 2014 - Streets of Bangkok - Soi Cowboy

I went to take a peek at Bangkok's red-light district, Soi Cowboy. It's also the area where a scene from Hang Over was filmed.

I love the bright neon lights at Soi Cowboy. I was there way too early to feel the night life at Soi Cowboy. Some of the bars just started to set up for business. However, I managed to get a couple of shots of the area.

Soi Cowboy

I wasn't in the mood for alcohols. Thus, I have a 10 minutes walk down the lane and back. It's my first time visiting a red-light district and was kinda nervous. To me, it's just ordinary bars with scantily dressed ladies (or are they ladyboys) .

SHARI

My friends joked and said: "The party is in the inside, not outside." Oh well, I guess its not the place for me. I did rather catch a movie. Enjoy folks!

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Bangkok Trip 2014 - Outer Court of Grand Palace

At the Outer Court of the Grand Palace, there are 3 important sets of buildings, namely the Phra Maha Monthien group, Chakri Maha Prasat and Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat.

According to the guide, Phra Maha Monthien group is where some of the most important ceremonial occasions are held. One of it is the Coronation of King. It is still customary for new kings to spend at least one night here after their coronation.

Phra Maha Monthien group

Chakri Maha Prasat is the only building in the Grand Palace with western style. Grand lunch and dinners are held in Chakri Maha Prasat. At the base of the building, there are royal guards guarding the building. Too bad I went on a Sunday and certain parts of the building is closed.

Chakri Maha Prasat

However, I managed to take a photo of a royal guard on duty. This lucky guard gets to be in the shade while others are standing under the scorching sun.

Royal Guard

The cruciform Dusit Maha Prasat throne hall was built by Rama I in 1790. The north face has a porch with a type of throne known as a busabok used by the king when giving public audiences. The building is one of the least altered and most elegant public buildings of the center court. Although the building has been used as a residence and audience hall, its primary purpose which survives to this day is as the lying-in-state place for kings, queens and favored members of the royal family.

The throne hall is open to the public on weekdays only. Inside you can see a large mother-of-pearl throne set just off the very center of the hall. To your left as you look at the throne is a large mother-of-pearl bed used for relaxing between audiences. Off to the west side of the throne hall is a small sort of garden which represents Mount Krailas. The garden was once the site of the royal tonsure ceremony, when boys had their heads shaved for the first time. This was also generally the time when boys had to leave the inner palace, since no man other than the king was allowed to live there.
Extracted from bangkokforvisitors.com/ »

Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat

This concludes the Grand Palace tour. Do visit the Grand Palace when you're in Thailand folks! Kapun Krap (thank you)!

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