Foto: The Grand Palace in Bangkok (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Thailand - Today the Grand Palace is on the agenda. Strangely, we are the only interested travelers from the group. This means a private tour with guide Toy. We take a taxi from the hotel. Toy agrees on a price in an unintelligible way, and we depart for the Grand Palace. Compared to yesterday, the road is quiet. The Grand Palace is a large complex with temples and palaces adorned with many decorations and gold leaf. The temples are beautiful in the sun. We also visit the temple with Buddha. Before entering, we must of course remove our shoes and are “baptized” with a lotus flower by Toy. Inside, we kneel before the jade Buddha statue. After over an hour walking through the palace complex, we take a drink together in a small eatery across the street. Although it’s not part of the original program, we then take a tuk-tuk to the Reclining Buddha. Toy has agreed on a price, but the driver asks for more because he took a photo of us. Toy is not fooled. The Reclining Buddha is an impressively large statue, 48 meters long and 15 meters high. We remove our shoes to enter the temple and walk around the statue. Outside, we take a taxi to Chinatown. Chinatown is Bangkok’s commercial center where vendors try to sell their goods. The narrow streets make it difficult for the taxi to proceed. When we get near Chinatown and the taxi is stuck in traffic, we get out. Through alleys and side streets, we reach Chinatown’s center. Mostly food is sold here. Toy keeps telling us what things are and whether they’re tasty. Through the small streets, we walk toward the Golden Buddha. The statue is now placed in a temple but was previously covered with cement out of fear of theft. It was discovered by chance when it was damaged during construction work.
Ayutthaya and Sukhothai
Thailand - At the bike rental, we each pick a suitable bike. On the bikes, we enter Sukhothai National Park. Sukhothai is the old capital of Thailand, and many ruins of chedis and temples are still intact. Our guide Toy is less skilled with her bike. At the first ...
Floating Market of Thailand
Thailand - With the two minibuses, we drive to the Floating Market. Along the way, I try to get some sleep, but the roads aren’t ideal for resting. Near the Floating Market, we transfer to a fast long-tail boat. With this boat, we speed through the canals toward ...
The Golden Triangle
Thailand - Through Chiang Rai, we drive to the Golden Triangle, the tri-border area of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. Here, the Mekong and Ruak rivers converge. The village of Sop Ruak is located right at the Golden Triangle. Here, we have lunch at a buffet. Afterwards, ...
Train over Maeklong Market
Thailand - Thailand is famous for its vibrant markets, ranging from floating shops to street markets. One of the most unique markets is the Dee Maeklong Market, located along a railway line. The market is crossed by a train eight times a day, running very close ...
Wat Doi Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai
Thailand - The Wat Doi Suthep temple is located sixteen kilometers outside Chiang Mai on top of a hill. According to legend, a white elephant trumpeted here before it died. Today, Wat Doi Suthep is a large temple complex with many golden decorations. We reach the ...