Travel means different things to different people. For some it is
an adrenaline rush while for some it is just a break from routine. It makes
people happy, ecstatic or just keeps some entertained. Since I haven’t got much
chance to explore places, I have to wait to realize what it is to me...
When the leading online travel portal Airasia.com announces the
World’s Best Online Travel Fair, I realized this is the apt time to travel to
my dream destination.
I was in class two back then, we had this Geography chapter on Thailand and I
remember how I used to boast that my father was staying in its capital city at
that time. And same year I got a chance to travel to that beautiful country.
Now when thinking of those days, I am only left with some wonderful pictures
and a vague memory of my first international holiday.
Sitting here with my old album as the rain pouring outside, I discuss at home about family tour. Thanks to the unbelievable Airasia ticket
fares, it makes my job easier to get a nod from my people. Everyone is very excited and then the question pops out 'Where?' So we
decide to pick one destination of our choice. No. wait.. We are not influenced
by Zindagi Na Milege Dobara!
Keeping our budget in mind and of course with this tempting ‘just grab’ Airasia fair opportunity, we all come up with wonderful locations around Asia including
SriLanka, Malaysia, etc. while my obvious choice is Bangkok.
After all, I truly want to relive my childhood memories.
It is so unfair. How can one country have it all - Picture
postcard scenery, amazing food, beautiful architecture, ancient culture and
arguably the world’s best malls? And if that country is Thailand, it beckons
you just catch the next AirAsia flight and go.
My father always talks about Bangkok as a city of different
shades and infinite layers which needed to be explored better to find its
hidden secrets. They say some are spoken of only in whispers and others take years to discover, as secrets are always fun to explore, in Bangkok, he says, they
are plentiful. Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You.
He starts to list down some must-dos in Bangkok. Besides
temples, shopping malls and naughty nightlife, the city has much more
to offer in terms of sightseeing and attractions. And here I am already
sketching my plans on how to spend my days in that beautiful city. Being a curious
traveler, I make sure I shouldn't miss visiting any of these and even more. While I sit here dreaming, I can see Bangkok is inviting with widespread arms beholding some unforgettable experiences for me.
Welcome To Bangkok
The Grand
Palace and Wat Prakaew - Palaces always intrigue me with its fine
architecture and intricate details and Wat PraKaew, the oldest Buddhist temple, enshrines the Emerald Buddha - the sacred Buddha image meticulously carved from
a single block of emerald. Wow. and for my architectural interested mind, I certainly
looking forward to visit these ancient places.
Wat Arun – the temple
of dawn which is magnificently located in the banks of Chao Praya River is one
of the most stunning Buddhist temples in Bangkok.
Chao Praya
River - The riverside, reflects a constantly changing scene day and
night, set
against a backdrop of glittering temples and luxury hotels, is one of the
most scenic areas to sight see in the city. And I would love to visit this place at night time to enjoy the shimmering river.
Floating
Market offers an authentic experience despite its increasing tourist
atmosphere. Imagine dozens of wooden row boats floating by, each laden brimming
with farm fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Among all my old trip memories, this
is the only thing that remains with me till now. And for sure it is a visual
treat for our eyes.
A must for any art lover, the Museum of Contemporary Art houses the most comprehensive
collection of modern painting and sculpture inside a strikingly contemporary gallery. I can’t
wait to refresh myself exploring some of the country’s classic
arts.
One of the most endearing features of Bangkok is the city's
numerous parks and among them Benjakitti
Park has noteworthy scenery which overlooks one of the most picturesque
views of the downtown city skyline.
Khlong San
Saeb – Ornate Italian Rocco bridges and old wooden homes
aplenty, this is the closest ‘Venice
of the East’. Best place to explore some wistful charm of the old city.
Crocodile farm
– although I am afraid of these creatures, I certainly don’t want to
miss my chance to visit this farm once and see how they perform.. perhaps that will get over my fear as well.
Siam Ocean
World – my wild fantasy is to try scuba dive and see those under water beauty. But if not, I would love to visit this one of the largest aquariums in
South East Asia and waiting to get immersed in their beautiful colors underneath.
Flight
Experience - a simulation flight is an extra gift to every one who visits
Bangkok. Who would not want to dream of being a pilot at least once? ;)
Jim Thompson Museum – a vast
collection of Thai art and antiques is on display here. This place itself is a
lovely complex of Thai style teak wood houses preserved to their original
glory.
Chatuchak
Weekend Market is huge and with its diverse collections of merchandise will
bring any seasoned shoppers to their knees. And I am eagerly looking forward to
shop..shop and shop till my luggage gets heavier to carry home.
Asiatique – a combination
of two most popular shopping experiences in the city - Night bazaar and a Mall. I am very amused by the idea of night shopping where I’m waiting to have fun browsing some 1000 boutiques under one roof, picking up gifts and stuff for me too
and of course to eat to my stomach’s delight. Apart from shopping and eating
out, I want to see the Thai Puppet show.
Chinatown is a colorfully
exotic area, packed with market stalls and it is filled with spirit of
celebration almost everyday. Would I dare to miss my chance to witness this pleasing yet a
chaotic place? No way!
Bangkok's Spas
are
the best inner city gateways to the seventh heaven. Its tranquility helps to pamper the body. Spas are for sure a better
place to rejuvenate my travel tired body and to captivate my senses.
Tuk Tuk (Thai Auto) service that are available almost
anywhere waiting to take you around along with inspiration for sightseeing and
recommendations for shops and restaurants to discover in the area and to make our ride delightful.
Each of these places has an intriguing story to tell. If the
palaces, museums, spas and temples can be described as a lady with calm aura
who lives her life at her own pace having ‘the world can wait’ attitude, the
market and shopping arena wake you up with a jolt as a bubbly girl next door
which brings you the instant connection with its exotic and hustle bustle environment - Carpe Diem.
In other words, all I wish to walk into the shopping mall... fall in love and live happily ever after. J
Talking about Bangkok would be incomplete without mentioning their exotic cuisine. My father mentions the taste about Pad Thai (Thai
style Fried Noodles) and Gaeng Keow Wan Kai (Green Chicken Curry). Well, now that I can't wait to feast my taste buds too.
Atlast... the only thing I have to do now is to book our tickets online and pack
our stuff to make use of this World’s Best Online Travel Fair and fly to see
the treasures that has given this city an iconic status. I think I prefer.. well, I wish to travel to my content.
Once I land there, my dream comes true and I know I am going to say... 'In Paradise, I am'.
Cool.. Now why don’t you check out World's Best Online Travel Fair? You may not want to miss this
amazing opportunity to travel to Bangkok or Kuala Lampur... with their awesome and
tempting discount fares.
Happy Flying! Happy Travelling! Thank You Air Asia!
Happy Flying! Happy Travelling! Thank You Air Asia!
Interesting read Meera and all the best for the contest :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Uma :)
DeleteMy brothers visited Bangok two times... :/ I was still at school that time... Determined to go this year.. :)
ReplyDeletewish you travel there soon. :)
DeleteAll the best Meera :)
ReplyDeletethanks Akash. :)
DeleteVery Nicely Presented Meera..And it is good that you listed out the Places of Interest there.. Hope your Wish come true pretty soon.. :)
ReplyDeleteGood Luck for the Contest Meera.. :D
thank you so much for the wishes, Harsha :)
DeleteWOW, there are so many places to visit there. No wonder its your favorite destination. Good Luck!
ReplyDeletei have mentioned only few attractions here and well, there is lot more to explore. :)
DeleteNice post. Bang Kok is very fascinating :)
ReplyDeleteFlashbacks
yeah, truly fascinating place it is. thanks Jahid :)
DeleteNice one, all the best
ReplyDeletethanks ali :)
DeleteGood take on the topic Meera. All the best for the contest!:)
ReplyDeleteEven I have heard a lot about Bangkok from my friends , would love to visit it someday!:)
Thanks Nikhil. Keep visiting :)
DeleteNice Pic!!!
ReplyDeletethanks Gowtham. keep visiting my space :)
Delete[ Smiles ] It looks as though Air Asia can take you to almost any paradise on Earth.
ReplyDeleteLovely topic!
thanks. welcome to my space Renard :)
DeleteHi Meera.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog :)
All the best for the contest. Love the way you have described thailand in the post above. Very comprehensive . Hope you win!
Your newest follower :)
Pallavi
thanks Pallavi. looking forward to see you here more often. keep visiting. :)
DeleteVery well written.
ReplyDeletethanks Rajesh :)
DeletePretty interesting list here ! Expected few more photos ;-)
ReplyDeleteI wish I post more pictures from my own camera but only if I get to visit there. :P
Deleteso that how bangkok looks through your eyes :D .. well framed .. all the best for contest :)
ReplyDeletethanks a lot, Ankur :)
DeleteBangkok is my favorite destination too ! The food and shopping aaaaah ! Guess we both want a taste of paradise ;) ATB for the contest :)
ReplyDeletelol yeah.. perhaps we both hop into the same flight and travel to paradise someday ;)
Deletewowwwww this is reallyyy nice :) :) All the best Meera!!
ReplyDeletethanks so much Anju :)
DeleteSuper post meera..all the best for the contest :)
ReplyDeletethanks Preethi :)
DeleteReally nice, Meera! Bangkok looks tempting!
ReplyDeleteWanna try all its tastes & experience its sights & sounds! :)
Wish we could hop on the same flight & visit together! :)
All the best for the contest dear! :)
sounds fun.. I wish the same too.. thanks Anita.. :)
DeleteYour post made me drool for the place... :D
ReplyDeleteBest of luck for the contest dear :)
lol thanks so much Namrota :)
DeleteRatty, your post is very informative and can be a great source of info for people looking for thai attractions....I strongly suggest that you include/insert the word 'Thailand' in the title. That would fetch you traffic from Google for many months and years
ReplyDeletehey that's a good idea. I'll surely do that.. but aft this contest ends :p thanks so much rats.
DeleteMust visit Bangkok soon. Bookmarking this post for when I do. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks jyothi. :)
DeleteFloating market seems interesting! Your description makes me want to fly right away but unfortunately my bank balance is standing in the way :P
ReplyDeleteAll the best for the contest :)
P.S. I am hosting a giveaway with some amazing prizes on my blog http://munniofalltrades.blogspot.in/2013/11/a-fantabulously-fantastic-giveaway.html. Hope you participate!
thanks and may be thtsy Airasia provides such reasonable ticket fare for people like us ;)
ReplyDeleteSure will take part in ur giveaway :)