Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Elephant Village

Happy Thai Times!!! Sawadee !!!

The last day before we left, we went on a day trip to one of the largest floating market in Thailand, Damnoen Saduak floating market. 

The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is located at Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi Province, about 105 kms from Bangkok. The market is a labyrinth of narrow canals packed with paddle boats and floating farmers in traditional dress selling everything from fresh fruit and veg to steaming hot noodles over burning fires. We enjoyed coconut drink here. Fruits and vegetables are fully loaded on several small boats for sale to visitors. These kind of photographs are  among the most often published in flight magazines and travel brochures of Thailand. One can easily see how it gets its nickname of Venice of the East.

We also see traditional Thai houses, the way they live and travel by boats, and please try riding on a small boat to experience the floating market and to see more. This was a worthwhile 1 hour trip. Although it was quite pricey and a little touristy, it was still interesting to see how this community lives. Fruits, snacks, hats, T-shirts, vegetables, silk dress, toys, you try anything, you will get here.

Elephant Village:

Next destination was elephant village, that was very nearby to floating market taxi stand. Our driver drop us at the parking place of elephant village at Ratchaburi itself. We drop baby elephant show and choose elephant ride for approx 45 mins in the jungles and in the water, as we have to catch-up our flight. We also bought some bananas and feed those to the elephants. The elephant was walking on a predefined path. In the way, mahout (elephant driver) also showed us different kind of necklaces and neck-pieces made up of elephant teeth. 

After that we came to our hotel just to check-out and back to Bangkok airport. Here we have the surprise, our flight pre-pone by 3 hours and we missed it. Thankfully airlines provided us next day boarding passes and hotel accommodations. At this time all we could do was laugh. And so, after a few days that were filled with lots of adventure, fun and some rather interesting experiences, we packed our bags and finally headed back to Delhi (India). 

At the Suvarnabhumi Airport - Bangkok, The scene of the churning of The Milk Ocean was beautifully portrayed. We bring some different kind of souvenirs from different parts of Thailand, wherever we visited. 

and At the end we bought some Thai snacks and sweets from the airport as well. 

Happy Thai Times!!! Sawadee !!! 

"laaeo phohp gan mai" ["Until we meet again"]

Other one day trip in Thailand:

Coral Island Tour with undersea walk at Pattaya.

Sanctuary of Truth, Mini Siam, and Tiffany Show in a day at Pattaya. 
A day in Bangkok - Wat Indharavihan, The marble temple and Chao Phraya Cruise

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A day in Bangkok

Quote of the Post: "No trip to Bangkok would complete without a visit to Wat, and during eve a cruise at Chao Phraya river." - Quote about Bangkok - Sachin Gupta

If you came down to this page while searching "One day in Bangkok", or "How to enjoy most in a day in Bangkok", you are at the right place. 

The next morning, we woke up late and missed our cab as per schedule due to last exhausted day. So we have to book personal taxi-meter to the capital city of Thailand - Bangkok and pay 1000 Thb extra. 

We reached All Seasons Bangkok hotel, and have our lunch there. After that we have the Bangkok city tour as per our itinerary. It was heavy traffic in Bangkok (same as in Delhi). Guide keep on explaining us about the major places on the way, road system, and some random things. We got few more Indian fellows with us during today's day tour. Bangkok, the city of hundreds of Buddhist temples (Wat) have many historic places like The Royal Grand Palace, Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), Wat Indraviharn, Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of Emerald Buddha), Wat Benchamabophit (The Marble Temple), Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha), Wat Trimit (The Temple of Golden Buddha), Victory monument etc. To be very frank, Just visit any two Wats, you will found most of them alike afterwards, as you can also have most famous Wats view during evening cruise. 

Wat Indraviharn [Wat In] or [Wat Indharavihan]

Our guide stopped us at a point, from where the glimpse of a standing big Buddha can be seen from the outside itself. It is a golden glittering 32 meters high, mirror plated statue with super-sized Buddha. Some pretty views of the surroundings can be enjoyed by climbing the stairways of supporting tower. The temple compound features the beautiful architecture and the spiritual styles, including a Chinese shrine and statues of Ramas IV and V.

Wat Benjamabopit [The Marble Temple] [Wat Benchamabophit]

Address: Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok, Thailand [Daily 8a.m.-5p.m.]

There is a 20 Baht admission fee payable at the kiosk to the right of the entrance. The marble temple is named for the gleaming white marble of which it is constructed based on notable European designs. This is the most modern and one of the most beautiful of Bangkok's royal Wats. Now a days, This beautiful Thai temple is also a seat of learning for Buddhist monks with intellectual interests. Behind the cloister, there is a large Bodhi tree, bought from Bodhgaya (where the Buddha found Enlightenment) as a gift for King Chulalongkorn. Along the south side of the temple is a canal.  Immediately across the canal are several interesting buildings. We enjoyed most of our times here. Wat Benchamabophit is an excellent place to watch religious festivals and processions. At these places (Wats), Salman-Asin starrer "Ready" movie song "Humko Pyar Hua" was also shooted. 

Cruise Time : The Chaophraya Cruise

Our guide gave us the cruise tickets and drop us at River City Pier. It was a perfect evening, and was fascinating to enjoy the Thai way of life along the riverbanks on a cruise trip. Both sides of the Chao Phraya river, the magnificent architecture and attractions are standing elegant. Along the cruise journey, just sit back and enjoy the fantastic Indian and international foods and beverages with the live music and dance. The major attractions along the way are: The Temple of Dawn, The Grand Palace, The Suspension Rama bridge, and couple of world-class waterfront hotels. We enjoyed dancing at the cruise and had many funny moments at the River City.

State Tower and Sirocco (Sky Bar)

After that we booked the taxi to State Tower that has 68 floors and is 247 m tall, making it second tallest (as of now) in Bangkok. This tower is home to a five-star hotel called lebua (sic), and has forty-story high atrium inside, and on the 64th floor is Sirocco, the world's highest open-air restaurant with a spectacular panoramic view of Chao Phraya river and Bangkok city. We spent some time here and enjoyed a live band. We just get to know that Sirocco and State Tower were prominently featured in the 2011 American film "The Hangover 2". We went back to hotel by Thailand auto rickshaw called, tuk-tuk.

Other one day trip in Thailand:

Coral Island Tour with undersea walk at Pattaya.

Sanctuary of Truth, Mini Siam, and Tiffany Show in a day at Pattaya. 

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Coral Island, Pattaya, Thailand

Ko Lan [Koh Larn] [Coral Island - Pattaya - Thailand]

     It was the second day of our Thailand trip, that includes Coral Island tour with lunch as per our package itinerary. Our cab picked us from our hotel at 9:00 a.m. to the Pattaya beach side, from where many groups were about to transfer to Coral Island (Ko Larn). The day was great, as the sky was pretty clear. The sunlight was reflecting the sea waves at time to time. We were taken in a ferry and transferred to a big boat to para-sailing point. We clicked some nice snaps all around the big boat, and skipped para-sailing as both of us have already done this. We found some time to get some flicks of Pattaya beach panoramic view, para-sailing, speed boats, and amazing aqua sea.

After that we proceeded to Coral Island [Koh Larn] that is 45 mins ride by boat approx 7 Km from west of Pattaya. It was an amazing joyride by ferry boat, that was jumping off the sea-shore again and again. At time to time, It was sprinkling sea water drops from front to back on us. 

Coral Island (Ko Larn) is the best known out of a group of small islands a few miles off the coast of Pattaya. It is popular with day visitors who want to spend a day on a wide sandy beach and do some snorkeling and undersea activities. It is known as 'Island of Tranquility' as it offers a change of pace from the busy beaches of Pattaya, its tranquil surroundings, beautiful beaches, glass-clear waters and extensive coral. Delicious seafood lunch is served on the island. Koh Lann is a lovely spot catering to all kinds of tourists. Whether you want to laze around on the island's soft, white sand (somewhere golden as will), or get more lively and play a few water sports is up to you at your own leisure. The island offers parasailing, water-skiing, jetskis, snorkeling and deep-sea diving, where there is an abundance of coral and undersea life waiting to be discovered. You can also take a ride in a glass-bottom boat to admire the underwater coral life or put-on your diving equipment to get even closer below the waves. 

We also experience the undersea walk (Seafloor walk). It costed 3400 THB for both of us, including snaps. Unlike my previous undersea walk in Cyprus (was from the sea-shore), This time we were taken down besides the ladder, and it took no time to build my confidence going down. The organizers put helmet masks on our shoulders just before going undersea water. Our breathing devices were connected to the boat for all the undersea walkers. We were experiencing live undersea screensavers among various small and big fish with extensive coral. The organisers ask us to touch and feel some different kind of fish. We feed the fish many times. It was about 40 mins real time undersea adventure. This place has sufficient facilities to support a day-trip. 

After that we have free time to have fun at the coral island beach. The beach was so clean and crystal clear. At the first glimpse of the beautiful beach, We got the feel just to stay here much more longer. We were last to ride on our ferry back to Pattaya. 

After that we returned back to Pattaya and have our Indian buffet lunch. It was time to visit world's biggest jewelry store 'GEMS GALLERY' in Pattaya. There was amazingly amazing collection of various GEMS, and at the welcome itself, they showed us how gems being molded and then refined at further stages. At the dusk timing, We walked to the 'CentralFestival Mall'. Pattaya is famous for different sort of massages and fish massage was quite different experience to see. 

As the day kissing the night, It started amazing fireworks at the beach road and we enjoyed it throughly. It was like the Christmas or New Year celebrations. It was really a beach walk to remember for us. The road was being more crowded at night, and no vehicles were allowed on beach road and famous walking street from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. 

We keep on walking till Pattaya city sign board on a small hill near 'Bali Hai pier' passing through the glittering of 'Walking Street'. Walking Street Pattaya is probably the most exciting street in the world if like to have fun and enjoy night life. Here you will find all kinds of entertainment, from discos, pubs, live music venues, go-go-bars, cabaret shows and much much more. One bizarre (to me) thing to taste here was egg mixed with Mango and banana. We have the veg pizza after searching a lot for the dinner, and back to the hotel. 

This was the perfect day to enjoy with Meenal and these loving moments will be in our memory forever. 
Other places to must visit in Pattaya: "The Sanctuary of Truth"
An eve in Pattaya, Thailand: "Mini Siam and Tiffany Show" 
A day in Bangkok, Thailand: "Bangkok City tour and evening cruise" 

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An Eve at Pattaya - Thailand

After our visit from "The Sanctuary of Truth", we reached our next stop of the day "Mini Siam", and then "Tiffany's show" afterwards. 

Mini Siam - The miniature world

We know about the wonders of the world, but the human ideas and imagination, place most of the wonders at one place named "Mini Siam" in Pattaya.

Open everyday 07.00 am. - 10.00 pm.

Thai dancing shows are daily at : 07.00 pm.- 08.00 pm.

The idea is to save time and money to travel to scattered locations. The reason to establish Mini Siam for modelling and collecting all of them situated in one to be a Thai Culture Knowledge Source for the posterity to research and make them proud to preserve. Mini Siam is a miniature model village which celebrates the heritages of Thailand with replicas of the most famous monuments and historical sites including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Democracy Monument, Bridge over the River Kwai etc. Models of the Tower Bridge of London, Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Trevi Fountain are also displayed in the section called “mini world". 

A couple of hours around Mini Siam will provide you with a quick tour of most of the landmarks of Thailand and around the world. This place is suggested for the children, and for visitors who want to travel around the world in a limited time. There is also a Mini Race Course (GoKarts) for people who like racing. It is separated to be in Mini Siam and Mini Europe zones. The rest area, there are the Booking Halls, the souvenir shops for lease, and the Parking Lots.

Zone Mini Europe, has below famous points to cover:

THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE : FRANCE

THE EIFFEL TOWER : FRANCE

CATHEDRAL GROUP OF PISA : ITALY

THE COLOSSEUM : ITALY

ABUSIMBEL : EGYPT

TOWER BRIDGE : ENGLAND

THE OPERA HOUSE : AUSTRALIA

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY : U.S.A.

ANGKOR WAT : CAMBODIA

T’IEN-T’AN ALTAR OF HEAVEN, BEIJING, CHINA

Zone Mini Siam, has below famous points to cover:

WAT PHRA KAEO : BANGKOK

WAT ARUN (TEMPLE OF THE DAWN) : BANGKOK

PHANOM RUNG HISTORICAL PARK : BURIRUM

PHRA THINANG AISAWAN THIPHY A-A R T : AYUTTHAYA

HISTORICAL PARK OF AYUTTHAYA : AYUTTHAYA

VICTORY MONUMENT : BANGKOK

RAMA IX CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE : BANGKOK

Tiffany's Show - Pattaya [1000 Seat capacity] 

No videos or photos inside the tiffany theater was allowed. So, We just get most of the pics outside the theater, just before the performance. [Note: Reach before 30 mins of the show to see the glitter and glamour of the artists and have a chance to get some clicks with them] It was just to sit back, relax, and be captivated by ostentatious performances of Pattaya's undeniable famous TIFFANY'S SHOW and to experience the new wave of entertainment. You ought not leave Pattaya without seeing the "Tiffany Show". See a marvelous combination of music, dance and costumes. We also get a chance to see an amazing performance at the song "Dola Re Dola" [Devdas movie theme] 

With Tiffany's famous reputation "Satisfaction Guaranteed" you are sure of an amazing night out to please and amuse you. Tiffany Show in Pattaya City has all the allure and razzmatazz of a Las Vegas and Paris like-shows. Dazzling performances by artists in glittering evening gowns thrill nightly audiences, as well-groomed ladies mime and dance against a backdrop of surround-sound and computerized lighting. Performed in a state of the art theater seating up to 1,000 patrons, the cabaret makes extensive use of computer technology, making for a stunning show. The complex also features a Thai restaurant, cafe and gift shop.

It is the indeed show for the entire family!

After the show, We had our dinner, and had amazing beach walk with Meenal. Next day we have booked for "Coral Island Tour with UnderSea walk".  
Another interesting post: "A day in Bangkok with Chao Phraya eve cruise" 

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The Sanctuary Of Truth, Pattaya, Thailand

Quote of the Post: "The magnificence of heaven recreated on earth in the form of giant all-wooden structure, exposing its top up in the sky." - Quote about 'The Sanctuary of Truth' - Sachin Kumar Gupta

We booked our package from "Dial-o-Flight" group, and started with the flight from Delhi to Bangkok. Being with Meenal, the clocks were running so fast and We reached Bangkok in no-time. :)  We took on-arrival Visa (1000 Bahts each), and struggle for some good veg snacks at the airport, and found some at Starbucks Coffee. After that as per our tour package we transferred to Pattaya in a sleepy fashion.

Welcome to Pattaya!!!

I have done a bit of search to cover important places as per our schedule, and it really helped a-lot. For the first day at Pattaya, we booked "The Sanctuary of Truth", "Mini Siam", and "Tiffany Show", and started with the first one. 

On The Seashore of Rachvate Cape, Pattaya, lies a construction called "The Sanctuary of Truth". 

Timings:

Open Time: 8:00 a.m. Close Time: 5:00 p.m.

Thai Cultural dance timings:

First Show: 11:30 a.m.

Second Show: 15:30 p.m.

From the ground breaking in 1981. The objective was to build a wooden structure, in order to preserve and revive Ancient Knowledge. It has a all-wooden structure of more than one hundred meters high (equal to twenty story) modern building. The truth that was shown through the Sanctuary is the relationship between human beings and the universe, which are the father, the mother, the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars. It has searched for the proper things from different cultures, and mixed with traditions of past, giving rise to the new fine arts. 

To be amazed as friendly mystical creatures, Take elephant ride, ride of lifetime atop chariots of the angels, speedboat ride just back of the sanctuary so that you'll live life's truly unforgettable magical moments. The project was initiated as an idea of Thai businessman Lek Viriyaphant in 1981, and is expected to be complete in 2025.

We entered just in time, the second show (cultural dance) was about to start, and it was good to watch, and capture some loving moments with friendly people. I have linked many photos of front view, interior view, back view in the above album. We had a enjoyable walk all around "The Sanctuary of Truth" hands in hands. Being with Meenal, make these times more enjoyable and memorable. 

Note: If you are in Pattaya, I would recommend this place as a must visit, unique in itself. Give at least 4 hours to visit this place. More details and current activities can be found at the official website sanctuaryoftruth.com. It can be easily reached by a taxi, and many tour services offer this place along with transportation. The tickets can be purchased at the entry itself, or you can book with your tour representative in advance. [500 Thb Per Person]

After that we proceeded for our next destinations of the day "Mini Siam", and "Tiffany Show".
Another must visit place in Pattaya, with undersea activities "Coral Island Pattaya Tour".
A day enjoyed in Bangkok, with Chao Phraya Cruise "Bangkok City Tour" 

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I wanna .. Like no other ..

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I wanna .. Like No Other .. 

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I wanna hold you in my arms, like never let you go.

I wanna hug you, like no one embraced you before.

I wanna heal you, from head to toe.

I wanna touch you, like no one before.

When I see you, I feel happy inside.

When I talk to you, I tickle all the time.

When I dance with you, my whole body rhymes.

When I kiss you, lips get a delight.

I don't know what the magic is,

but I just wanna be with you.

I wanna keep loving you.

I wanna make you laugh, like no one else.

I wanna put my hands around your waist, like no other.

I will look into your eyes, like no one knows.

I will love you, like no one shows.

Sometimes our eyes speaks, but not the lips, 

tell me, is this love.

There is nothing sweeter than your love. 

I wanna hold your hand all the times, 

I will beg, get down on my knees

to have you in my arms all the times.

I wanna keep you safe, like in a bed of roses.

I wanna read you quietly, with my eyes closed.

I wanna keep thinking about you, like we're in heaven.  

I wanna lie in your arms, like in a petal's couch. 

Steadfast and calm, Oh Yes, It is so true. 

Love is a life between two who really care.

It is a bond between two who share.

I don't know what the magic is, 

You stole my heart quickly like a quite thief.

You always run in my mind, like a good runner.

I miss you always, like a bad shooter.

I wanna grow old with you, being always together. 

I wanna keep thinking about you, every now and then. 

and always feel you, close to my heart and shoulder.

I wanna be there for you, for every little thing. 

I assure you every truth, like noone said.

I promise you every little thing, like noone committed. 

Thinking about you now, like no other visualized. 

I don't know what the magic is,

Every place I go, I think of you.

Every song I sing, I sing for you.

Yeah, This is, this is love. 

- Sachin Kumar Gupta (Sach)

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My Other Poems: 

Blink of an eye
If You Just Say Those Three Magic Words 

We have a long way to go
Parameters Differ What is itch Happy New Year 

Home Sweet Home Life is Beautiful 

About You 

What is Poetry 

You will remember me 

I Love The Way

..

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