Bhakti D
In our, SHE travels section our reader Mahasweta Acharya shares her story of visiting Thailand.
Recently we headed to Thailand -the country of tropical beaches, beautiful Pagodas and palaces, mouth-watering healthy dishes and the vibrant street life. I felt in love with Thailand the moment I landed in Suvarnabhumi International Airport depicts modern architect and traditional interior decoration as well as the heritage of Thai culture.
Beaches in Phuket
The very first destination which we hit was Phuket. Serene locations, crystal clear blue sea and white beaches. The island is surrounded by luxurious sea facing resorts, spas and restaurants. Thai spa was available in every nook and corner of the city. We got an accommodation within a 10-minute walking distance from Patong Beach which is also one of the prime beaches of Phuket. The place is famous for its nightlife and shopping. Other prominent beaches are Kata Beach, Karon Beach and they all have their unique beauty.
Beautiful Phuket
The first sight-seeing which we did in Phuket was the Big Buddha – It is one of the most important landmarks in the island and easily seen from far away as it is one of the tallest statues of Buddha in South-East Asia.
Later, we visited Karon view point – A really beautiful place and known for its sunset view.
Phi Phi Island
It’s a beautiful island located in km away from Phuket beach. Most of the tourists visit the island with ferries & speed boats. While going to Phi Phi island, one could see May Bay, Phi Phi Leh and Phi Phi Don. The boats stop at Monkey beach for snorkelling and other water sports.
Chalong Temple:
It was established in 19th century by a group of Buddhist monks. The day we visited the temple was sunny. And the bright golden and red crafted roofs were dazzling. The well-maintained gardens outside the temple were full of orchids and other tropical plants. We also saw a unique tradition the lighting firecrackers in a specific clay oven inside the garden. It is believes that the lighting of firecrackers help them to forbid the devils in one’s life.
Pattaya Beaches
Our second destination was Pattaya. As we all know Pattaya is well known for its nightlife. The city has numerous night clubs, bars and discotheques. Our first spot in Pattaya was Jomtien Beach. It was fully crowded with tourists from around the world and has amazing water sports such as scuba diving, parasailing, jet skis, snorkelling.
The Big Buddha Temple
Next stop was again the Giant Golden coloured “The Big Buddha”, also known as Wat Phra Yai temple. This place has many small Buddha statues, each depicting different avatars of Buddha. Local people visit the temple to worship. Another popular activity while visiting Big Buddha in Pattaya is to ring the line of bells with a big stick which is supposed to bring good luck to whoever completes the task. Also, we visited the Mini Siam. It is a miniature park tourist attraction in Pattaya where one can see the various famous monuments of the world.
After visiting Phuket and Pattaya, it was time again for yet another remaining part of the trip and this time it had to be Bangkok! Bangkok has lots to offer. The vibrant nightlife, the marvellous Grand Palace (also known as Wat Phra), Wat Arun, The Sleeping Buddha and much more.
Bangkok – A City of Shopaholics
It’s the city of shopaholics. I explored MBK Mall. It is perhaps one of the top tourist destination in Bangkok city and it is also popular among the locals where the prices for clothes, bags, shoes are at reasonable rates. There is a food court inside the mall which offers varieties of cuisine.
Shopping in Bangkok
Another mall is Siam Paragon, which is one of the biggest malls in Asia. It’s hub of all luxury brands starting from shoes to luxury cars. Inside the mall, one can see Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World, the largest aquarium in South-East Asia. It is beautifully maintained. The aquarium features marine animals including penguins, giant spider crabs, sharks and giant bony fish. Altogether, it is a rocking place and one must visit the Sea World while visiting Bangkok.
Indra Square Market
Indra Square is again a market place which is a paradise of wholesale shopping in Pratunam area.
Loved the way that city shines.
Grand Palace
It is a must-see sight in Bangkok city, built in 1782 where the Royal Thai king used to live. The golden coloured palace was crafted with a lot of designs on the walls and doors. There is a temple inside the palace which is known as Wat Phra Kaew ( Temple of the Emerald Buddha). The norms of the temple are like visitors should be properly dressed as it is one of the most sacred sites in Thailand.
Wat Arun
One more Buddhist temple in Bangkok is Wat Arun situated on the bank of Chao Phra river. Ferries are available to reach out the temple and travelling back to connecting point (Saphan Taksin station) of sky train services.
Wat Pho
It is a huge reclining Buddha that represents Buddha lying down. It is one of the UNESCO Heritage sites as well.
People of Thailand worships Buddhism as their religion, therefore, making of Buddha tattoo or using it as a body paint is strictly prohibited in Thailand.
The most impressive part of visiting Thailand was the modest greetings ‘ Swadikhap’ and ‘Khap Khun Khap’ in almost every corner of the city. We also tried interesting Thai cuisines. Out of all the dishes that we tried, the most delicious one was Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice and Chicken Thai Green Curry.
My Thailand trip was immensely memorable. Hope you guys loved reading my journey and I am looking forward to sharing more travel stories of other destinations soon!
