Bankok & Phuket
Our two days in Bangkok were full of lovely adventures, but as you may hear from others that have spent time there, two days was about all we needed. :-)
On arrival, we had our first experience with AirBnB. This lovely couple has three apartments they rent out, so for $45/night we got a modern little studio in a highrise, which had a great pool, fitness area and coffee shop. Although it was a bit outside the city, it turned out to be a great home base and the hosts were very kind.
The Grand Palace
The Thai people are serious about this Buddhism thing. They can't get enough statues of Him. It took more than a day just to see the more popular ones. The Grand Palace is the most expansive, stretching over 2.3m square feet. From the late 18th century to 1925, the kings of Thailand (called Siam early on) lived here.
It lives up to all the hype. There's a lot of bling, a lot of Buddhas (the most sacred being one made of emerald) and a lot of intricate decor. The grounds are very well kept and we enjoyed taking it all in.
Wat Pho
Next up was Wat Pho, home of the Reclining Buddha. This massive statue is 50 feet high by 141 feet long. It is a beast and well worth checking out.
Wat Arun
The third and final temple we saw is Wat Arun, the only one you can actually climb. Built in the 19th century, this 260+ foot tower has a great view of the city once you climb up the steep stairs. The intricate porcelain decorations on the tower also make it quite stunning to look at.
Jim Thompson House
The highlight of Bangkok for me was undoubtedly Jim Thompson's home. A craftsman with impeccable taste, he graduated from Princeton and studied architecture at Penn before moving to Thailand and reviving the Thai silk industry. His company's silks first appeared in the movie The King and I, and he quickly became famous for beautiful silk.
In the 1950's, Thompson designed and built one of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen. The layout is modern, airy and evocative, yet fitting for it's location and embracing of Thai culture. It showcases his large art collection and the home remains in pristine shape today. The attention to detail is incredible. You can tell he thought long and hard about every texture, every square foot, every piece of furniture.
They don't allow photos in the home, but I was able to commemorate the trip with a beautiful scarf from his store. If you ever make it to Bangkok, this home is worth a half-day of your time.
Cooking Class in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai has a number of outstanding Thai cooking schools. We spent an afternoon learning to make some signature dishes and really enjoyed it.
Phuket
Pronounced "poo-ket", Phuket is a beachy area in Southern Thailand. We had no plans for a few days, just to sit back and enjoy the beach. Phuket is a very well known island, full of several great beaches. It's even where the movie The Beach was filmed, along with scenes of the James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun.
The oldest and most popular area of Phuket is called Patong, but we headed a little further south to an area called Karon, which has a place called Kata Beach. The beach itself is brilliant. The water is picturesque, sand is pristine and crowds not at all overwhelming (even during the Chinese New Year). We got to spend a couple of days hanging there and enjoyed it. I also found a street cart with incredible pad thai, so was very happy.
Aside from Kata Beach and the second hotel, I've got to say Phuket was less than impressive. Street merchants are aggressive (something we didn't see elsewhere in Thailand) in hawking their massages, custom-made suits and souvenirs. And how else can I say it ... the place smelled like there was a sewage problem every other block.
To me Phuket has unlimited potential, but Thailand hasn't taken good care of it. I'm sure there are economic challenges, but in the future we'll opt for a place that's cleaner and a bit more serene. All the more reason to get a great hotel, because you can escape the bad stuff.
Chiang Mai
Going into this trip, we were most looking forward to our time in Chiang Mai and spending a day at the Thai Elephant Home. It turned out to be everything we'd hoped it would be and more.
Elephants are a highly-revered animal in Thailand. They are all over the temples, even ones built as far back as the 11th century. Nevertheless, the species continues to decrease in large numbers today. Over the last 10 years, Thailand's elephant population has gone from over 20,000 to less than 7,000.
To protect and care for elephants takes a large investment though. Did I mention they eat 10% of their body weight daily? Not many well-meaning organizations are able to pull it off without putting them to work in some form, so it's a tough issue all the way around.
Through a lot of research, we found the Thai Elephant Home strikes an excellent balance with these issues. It costs more, but their 15 elephants are well cared for. They carry no more than one person 95% of the time, you ride bareback (no heavy chairs) and they don't work every day. Yet money from these tours employees 40+ people, keeps the elephants safe and happy, and gives the organization the ability to purchase more land and plant trees.
Our day included walking a scenic trail that was probably about 3 miles each way. It's a magnifient feeling riding an elephant. You are powerless, just have to give yourself over such an incredible, gentle animal. Their skin is incredibly thick, unlike anything I've ever felt. It's impossible not to feel a bond with your elephant by the end of the day; I know we both did, and loved every minute.
At the end of the trail is an area that has special gray mud, which they say is only found in two places around Thailand. We spent the next 90 minutes or so bathing the elephants in the mud, which is very good for their skin and helps them avoid bugs. They love it ... they just lay there and let you rub mud all over them. As you can see, we rubbed a little on ourselves too. The mud was as advertised, completely changed the texture of our skin and the elephants.
On the way back down the trail, we got to rinse the elephants off in a nearby stream. They love the water. And they are so smart and playful. I never felt scared, they are very sweet and gentle at all times. They are also smart about using their trunks to spray you. :-) I'll let the photos do a bit of the talking.
Three days later, I'm still incredibly sore from the experience, but wouldn't trade it for the world. Riding an elephant for 6 hours is something I'll never forget. Anastasia and I highly recommend doing it if you ever have the opportunity.
