at September 19, 2018

Travel: First International Travel to Amazing Thailand Day 3 Pattaya Tour

Sawasdee Kha!!! For our third day in Thailand, our itinerary covers the vibrant coastal city of Pattaya. Pattaya is a resort city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 100 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. It can sometimes be compared to Phuket, because of its famous beaches, resorts, sea view, and lively street parties at night. Unlike Ayutthaya, I can say that Pattaya is more liberated, "Bangkok" and "city" because of its fun, entertainment, and amusement activities.

How To Get To Pattaya

Pattaya can easily be reached by bus, van or taxi although on our part we choose to ride a bus since it is cheaper. We rode a bus from the Eastern Bus Terminal where most of the transportation going to Pattaya is based. The travel from Bangkok to Pattaya would take almost 3 hours including the traffic and the fare cost 108 baht per person. 

Day 3

We woke up at 4:00 am and prepared ourselves for our day tour in Pattaya. We decided to buy food outside because we were in a hurry and need to catch the earliest bus going to Pattaya. One of the advantages of this day's tour was that the BTS station is just a minute walk from our hostel. We need to ride from Surasak BTS going to Ekkamai BTS because it is near the Eastern Bus Terminal where buses going to Pattaya are based. The travel time would take almost 3 hours and so we had plenty of time to rest and save our energy for the whole day tour. When we reached Pattaya Bus Terminal we contacted our hired lady driver courtesy of Nam's Taxi to fetch us from the bus station and take us to our first destination.

* Pattaya View Deck

Our first destination was the captivating Pattaya Viewpoint since the city is located in a gulf coast we can see the entire view of the entire city with its sea view and building infrastructures. We enjoyed the panoramic view of the city by taking pictures as much as we can though we only stayed for only a few minutes before we left for our next destination.

* Wat Phra Yai Temple

Our second destination was Wat Phra Yai Temple also known as the Big Buddha Hill in Pattaya. A few highlights of this temple are its enormous 18-meter-tall Buddha and its long stairway with golden dragons along the entire handrails leading up to the temple. This seven-headed mythical snake called Nagas emerged from the dragon's mouth. We took photos of different Buddha structures, but in a discreet way to respect those who are praying. The entrance fee is free but you can give donations if you want to. The place may be visited by plenty of tourists but I can still feel its sacredness of it especially when I smelled the incense and flowers.

* Pattaya Floating Market

Since it was almost lunchtime so we decided to go to Pattaya Floating Market and enjoyed our scrumptious lunch. It was here that we spent most of our time roaming around from store to store and shopped some souvenirs and goodies. So far I've had a great experience here I enjoyed visiting store after store and tasting foods that I don't usually or have not encountered before.

The place is very colorful, clean, unique, and mesmerizing. It's full of activities and shows for entertainment.

* Silverlake Vineyard

Our fourth destination is one of the growing lists of vineyards and wineries in Thailand, Silverlake Vineyard.
If you are looking for a place that is Instagram-worthy and you enjoy wine, well this is the place for you. You will not only be amazed at its amazing view and clean place, but you will also have to opportunity to tour inside the wine production and plantation site and have a taste of it. It has an entrance fee and that includes 1 bottle of great wine.

* Sanctuary of Truth

Our fifth and last destination for this day is perhaps the most iconic structure in Pattaya we definitely save the best for last. The Sanctuary of Truth is an amazing wooden building right on the beach in North Pattaya. It is completely made out of wood, and all the delicate carvings are done by hand. When we went to the place there were woodcarvers working and carving out various figures. They said that the wooden art is used to express the beliefs of Eastern philosophy, Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. It was one of our most memorable trips, with lots of photos to take, a peaceful location right at the sea, and a place rich in history and culture.

Expenses

Items	Price
Bought food at 7/11	15 baht
BTS: Surasak to Ekkamai	44 baht
Bus Ticket to Pattaya	108 baht
Nam Taxi Lady Driver's Pattaya (8 hours)	2250 baht / 3 (750 each)
KLOOK: Pattaya Floating Market, Sanctuary of Truth, Erawan Museum & Ancient Siam Entrance Fee (Booked Online)	₱6,370.40 / 3 (₱2,123.47 each)
Lunch	214 baht
Goodies and Souvenirs	550 baht
Silverlake Vineyard Entrance Fee with Free Wine	180 baht
Pattaya Bus Terminal to Ekkamai	108 baht
Dinner	203 baht
Ekkamai To Surasak (Going to Panpan Hostel)	44 baht
Tentative Total	2216 Baht

at September 19, 2018

Travel: First International Travel to Amazing Thailand Day 2 Ayutthaya Tour

Sawasdee Kha!!! For our second day in Thailand, our itinerary covers the historic city of Ayutthaya.  Ayutthaya is a city in Thailand, about 80 kilometers north of Bangkok. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, and a prosperous international trading port, from 1350 until razed by the Burmese in 1767. The ruins of the old city now form the Ayutthaya Historical Park, an archaeological site that contains palaces, Buddhist temples, monasteries, and statues.

Ayutthaya is very different in Bangkok. It may be a city but the environment is more quiet, serene and people give importance to their history by visiting and praying for ruined and restored temples. Surely one day wouldn't be enough to wander the place that's why when I return to Thailand again I will visit the temples that I haven't been to before.

How To Get To Ayutthaya

The three of us decided to take the train since we want to experience how it is to ride one, and this is probably the most authentic and comfortable ride. The trains leave from Hualamphong Station in Bangkok’s city center and they leave every hour or so. The travel from Bangkok to Ayutthaya takes almost 2 hours and we arrived earlier than our expected time.

When we got out of the train station there were tuk-tuks waiting and we negotiated with a driver for a package tour of 3 hours. We started our tour at 7:00 am and our first destination was Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon.

Day 2

We woke up at 3:30 am to prepare ourselves for the day tour in Ayutthaya then had coffee and bread for 20 minutes then left the hostel at 5:00 am. From our hostel, we rode a taxi going to Hualamphong Railway Station. We arrived at the station 10 minutes before the departure time 5:20 am.

* Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon or the Great Monastery of Auspicious Victory is located off the city island in the southeastern area of Ayutthaya in the present Phai Ling Sub-district. There are indications that the site was surrounded by a large moat in earlier times. The chedi of Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon is one of the landmarks of Ayutthaya, standing high, and visible to all, who approach the city from the east, at par with Chedi Phukhao Thong. The bell-shaped principal chedi stands on an elevated square base with smaller chedis at the corners.

After spending a few minutes we decided to have breakfast first in a restaurant that the driver suggested. 

 

* Wat Racha Burana

Wat Racha Burana is also called the Monastery of the Royal Repairs. The temple's main prang is one of the finest in the city. The highlight of Wat Ratchaburana is the crypt where tremendous treasures were stored. A large amount of the golden artifacts and treasures found at Wat Ratchaburana are displayed in the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. The vaults inside the main prang also displayed mural paintings, depicting the previous lives of the Buddha. Unfortunately, over the last few years, these images have deteriorated a lot. Only very few visible images are left.

* Wat Phra Mongkhon Bophit

Wat Mongkhon Bophit is an 'active' temple compound, and throughout the day many people visit and worship the Buddha image. The main feature at Wat Mongkhon Bophit is the large bronze Buddha image, named Phra Mongkhon Bophit, which is close to 17 meters high.
Unfortunately, we didn't see the large Buddha firsthand since we only have limited time, but we spotted an elephant and I was so ecstatic to see one. hehehe

* Wat Lokaya Sutha

Wat Lokaya Sutha is a massive temple ruin. It is part of a park that includes three restored ruins Wat Worachet and the original Wat Worapho. The highlight of this temple is its enormous reclining Buddha image 42 meters in length and 8 meters high, and its name is Phra Buddha Sai Yat.

* Wat Chai Watthanaram

Wat Chai Watthanaram or the Monastery of the Temple for the Advancement of Victory is a restored ruin situated off the city island in the western area of the Ban Pom sub-district. One of Ayutthaya’s most impressive temples, the Khmer-style Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Royal temple that was used by the King and other members of the Royal family.

After spending half of the day in Ayutthaya we decided to head back to Bangkok and our tuk-tuk driver drove us to the railway station. While waiting for our time to depart from Ayutthaya we got thirsty and so we went out for a while to buy some refreshments. The train left at 12:14 pm and would arrive at Hualamphong at 14:05pm. Our next destination was Huamum Night Market, but due to a lack of direction and being a newbie with BTS and MRT we got lost for a minute. hehehe

When we arrived at Hualamphong Station we went downstairs to ride MRT going to Silom. Then we rode BTS from Silom to Siam but we rode on the wrong lane, so we need to stop and go back to Asok to ride an MRT going to Lat Phrao where Huamum Market is nearer. For a first-timer like me, it is kinda confusing because there are some stations wherein is in a different lane so you have to interchange stations so you can reach your destination. But once you get used to the system it wouldn't be hard for you to understand.

Note: MRT or Metropolitan Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system that operates below the ground it is literally an underground train. BTS or Bangkok Mass Transit System commonly known as the Skytrain is an elevated rapid transit system literally above the ground train.

After arriving at Lat Phrao we booked a Grab car to take us to Huamum Market. When we arrived we immediately look for a resto to eat our late lunch and dinner. Honestly speaking I wasn't satisfied with what we ate because I don't like the taste of duck, and worst we couldn't understand the menu since it was written in Thai. So we finished our dinner as fast as we could so we can leave immediately and buy something to cover the bad taste. While we were enjoying ourselves going around the stalls the rain suddenly poured down which caused some of the stores to close and we wasted our time waiting for the rain to subside before deciding to go home. It is not really advisable to travel in August-October since it is usually the wettest months.

Expenses

Items	Price
Taxi from Panpan Hostel to Hualamphong Railway Station	100 baht / 3 (33 each)
Bought snacks at the station	14 baht
Railway Ticket  Hualamphong to Ayutthaya	15 baht
Tuktuk Package Tour for 3 hours	900 baht / 3 (300 each)
Breakfast	120 baht + 10 baht (tip)
Wat Racha Burana Entrance Fee	50 baht
Incense, Candle & Flower	20 baht
Wat Chaiwatthanaram Entrance Fee	50 baht
Railway Ticket Ayutthaya to Hualamphong	15 baht
Iced Pink Milk Drink	25 baht
MRT: Hualamphong MRT to Silom	19 baht
BTS: Silom to Siam	23 baht
BTS: Siam to Asok	30 baht
MRT: Asok to Lat Phrao	30 baht
Grab Car: Lat Phrao to Huamum Market	178 baht / 3 (59 each)
Dinner	62 baht
Cheese Charcoal Rainbow Sandwich	99 baht
Blueberry Waffle	30 baht
Grab Car: Huamum Market to Lat Phrao MRT Station	157 baht / 3 (52 each)
MRT: Lat Phrao to Silom	39 baht
Grab Taxi: Silom to Panpan Hostel	49 / 3 (16 each)
Total Money Spent	1114 Baht