Bangkok Trip- Day 3 (Dusit Palace)

For the longest time, I could not decide on what to do for our third day in Bangkok. I contemplated visiting Ayutthaya, but that would have taken the entire day. In the end, the decision was to visit Dusit Palace instead.

Dusit is a district that is very different from the rest of Bangkok. It has wide avenues and a leafy, European feel. Dusit Palace is a massive complex of royal residences and palaces in many different styles.

Our first stop in the Dusit Palace complex was Vimanmek Mansion- touted as the world's largest golden teak building. We entered for free with our Grand Palace entry ticket (which remains valid for a week)- found this helpful tip on Wikitravel (absolutely LOVE this website). I'm so glad I spent time researching and planning; would never have known about things like these otherwise.

Vimanmek Mansion was quite interesting. It was quite odd seeing all the European-themed rooms inside a big wooden mansion- talk about a clash of cultures! We had to follow a compulsory guided tour, and visitors were only allowed to enter in 'approved' groups, so there was strictly no wandering around on your own. We even had to pass through metal detectors before we could go in! A bit overkill, I thought.

Vimanmek Mansion

Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall- a mix of Victorian and Islamic influences.

Used as an exhibition hall to display local arts and craft

The highlight of our visit to Dusit Palace was the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall, constructed in the Italian Renaissance and Neo-Classical style of architecture. We actually stood in front of this huge building, thinking whether we should go in (we were so exhausted), but in the end we were so glad that we did.

The interior of the domes are decorated with paintings depicting the history of the Chakri Dynasty, which may not seem significant to anyone reading this, but seeing it is a totally different experience. Where do we usually see domes? In European churches, of course. So it was very odd seeing domes decorated with an Asian theme, haha.

This building houses amazingly beautiful arts and crafts made with traditional Thai techniques. The items on display were really exquisite- there were carvings, embroidery, and so much more. If you're visiting Dusit Palace, a visit to this Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall is a must. In fact, I think this is much more interesting than Vimanmek Mansion, which felt a tad overrated.

Too bad we could not take any photos inside! Sigh.

My gripe with Dusit Palace is that you have to remove your shoes and store ALL your belongings (no camera, handphone, etc) in the lockers before you enter EACH building, which gets really tiresome after a while. Plus, the palace complex is really huge, which means a lot of walking in the hot sun getting from one building to another. We didn't see all the buildings, of course; that would have taken waaay too long.

Phew, what a morning!

Bangkok Trip- Day 2 (Massage & Patpong)

No.. it wasn't a massage in Patpong. Nothing quite as dodgy, haha.

We planned to go for a massage while we were in Bangkok, but the place I had in mind involved travelling to get there. In the end, we decided to just check out the massage outlets in the shopping mall across the road from our hotel, which made the whole affair far more convenient.

There were plenty to choose from, and in the end we opted for the one that looked the most decent, which was also the most expensive. Come to think of it, the price could have been rather high by Bangkok standards. 1350 baht per person for an aromatherapy massage and a foot reflexology massage; total time about 1.5 hours (if I recall correctly).

Couple room, complete with shower facilities

The massage was just so-so; not really that great. I actually had to request for MORE pressure to be applied, which is quite unusual, since my pain threshold is rather low. Haha :p

After getting a bit of rest, we headed off to Patpong to have dinner. I read about this Japanese curry place named Shin Emon, which I thought would be a hit with hubby. He likes Japanese curry, but I don't (think it's weird that curry tastes so sweet). Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised, as the curry was really quite yummy- not that sweet and with a nice peppery flavour to it.

The restaurant is very very small, it's basically one lengthy bar where the guests sit next to each other. Just open the sliding door, and the bar stools are practically in front of you. That's how tight the space is.

Nightlife in Patpong

We walked through Patpong after dinner, but it didn't really feel like much was going on, possibly because we were there quite early in the night. Our main destination was actually the Jim Thompson flagship store on Surawong street; where we ended up spending a lot of time (and money). I later found out that the outlets in the airport sell the same stuff at lower prices (no VAT), so that was a real bummer! Of course, the selection was not as varied... (this is me trying to console myself). Darn.

What an eventful Day 2 in Bangkok! :)

Bangkok Trip- Day 2 (Wat Pho)

Our next stop was Wat Pho, popularly known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It is somewhat next to the Grand Palace, but somehow the walk there seemed rather long. Must be the heat, I guess.

The Reclining Buddha is enormous; getting a good photo was really difficult!

The amazing statue is gold plated, 46 metres long, 15 metres high, with inlaid mother-of-pearl soles.

There is more to Wat Pho than just the Reclining Buddha; it is apparently home to more than one thousand Buddha images, more than any other temple in the country.

There are also massage services at Wat Pho; apparently this temple is also a famous centre of education for traditional Thai medicine and massages. We did not give it a try though; Thai massages are really not my thing- I find them a bit too 'vigorous' for my liking. I wouldn't call a Thai massage relaxing! Haha.

Funny sign seen on the way to the pier :)

We also sought out the Museum of Siam, but when we finally got there, we found out that the entrance fee was something like RM 30 per person, which I thought was waaay too expensive. And so, we decided to give the museum a miss.

What next? Back to Saphan Taksin station via boat, of course! :)

Bangkok Trip- Day 2 (The Grand Palace)

Our 2nd day in Bangkok was a busy one. We took the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin station and transferred onto the express boat, cruising down the Chao Phraya into Rattanakosin, the 'older' part of Bangkok. The boat ride was a really enjoyable and relaxing experience.

Wat Arun

The original plan was to visit Wat Pho before the Grand Palace, but we were running a little bit late, so we decided to see the Grand Palace first. And when I mean late- it was only around 8:45 to 9 a.m. when we got there! Thankfully we were there early; tourists visit the Grand Palace by the busloads, and you really need to get there early to have a bit more space to yourself.

The Grand Palace is really beautiful; the colours are bold and rich, and there are heaps of photo opportunities. This is my second time visiting the Grand Palace, but I still enjoyed it very much. The only dampener was the hot and humid weather. And this was in the morning! Gosh. Also, it gets really crowded by 10 a.m. or so.

Garudas and Nagas, decorating the exterior of the Ubosoth, the main building of Wat Phra Kaew- the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand, which houses the Emerald Buddha

Model of Angkor Wat

Chakri Maha Prasat Hall- built in a European neo-classical style, but with a Thai roof on top

We were exhausted by the time we were done with the Grand Palace. Next stop- Wat Pho, but not before stopping to grab a cold drink at a small cafe to recharge our batteries. More about Wat Pho in the next post!

Bangkok Trip- Day 1

The last time hubby and I went travelling on our own was in March 2010. We really needed a break to recharge, and thanks to my parents- who kindly agreed to babysit the kids fulltime for a few days- we decided to make a trip to Bangkok.

I spent countless hours planning for the trip. People who know me well know that I love planning for trips. I read up on travel websites, did heaps of research, did the budget and planned the itinerary. All in all, I would not be surprised if I spent more hours on the research and planning, then the amount of time we actually spent in Bangkok. Seriously, I am not kidding. I basically know Bangkok like the back of my hand now. Hahaha.

At the airport

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on Ploenchit Road (as opposed to the one in Silom), and paid about RM 400 per night (we took the Breakfast & Beer promotion). These rates were a bit on the high side, considering this is Bangkok, and there are a lot of hotel choices at even lower rates. However, we had no regrets staying there- the location was excellent, in the distinctly more upmarket Ratchaprasong district, close to all the major shopping areas like Siam Paragon and Central World Plaza.

Hotel lobby

We then went to check out the Erawan Shrine, which was literally just across the road. There were many people praying and laying their offerings at the shrine, and it felt more like a local destination then a touristy one, even though it was right in the middle of the shopping area.

Flower garland offerings for sale

Next was lunch at the FoodLoft, this interesting 'food court' at Central Chidlom. A card is given to each diner; you order your food at the different stalls, get the card scanned, and then you pay at the checkout when you leave. Simple, and without the hassle of digging for cash at the different stalls. Photos are not allowed at FoodLoft, but we managed this, taken from the outside.

We headed back to the hotel room for some rest, before venturing out again in the late afternoon. I was feeling unwell; my throat was scratchy and my feet were hurting, plus some blisters were already beginning to develop on my feet. Darn. Don't know why this keeps happening to me when I travel.

We walked to Siam Paragon using the SkyWalk, an ingenious way of making use of the 'MRT' infrastructure, where another pedestrian walkway is built below the 'MRT' track, so both trains and people can 'travel' along the same route. This makes the area much more pedestrian-friendly, which is helpful for a congested city like Bangkok.

Bangkok's infamous traffic jams

We walked around Siam Paragon, which is this huge high-end shopping mall. It was quite interesting exploring the mall, but in general, things were waaay too expensive.

The food areas were the most interesting; there was a gourmet supermarket, a food court with aquariums (Siam Ocean World is in Siam Paragon), and many small restaurants in a 'food market' setting (but each with their respective dining areas).

Dinner was a simple and quick affair. Nothing fancy- pineapple fried rice, tom yum, and a interesting prawn & egg omelette.

We were quite surprised to find that the malls in Bangkok close quite early- around 9 to 9:30 pm. For the journey back to the hotel, we decided to take the train instead. It was only 1 train stop away, but distance-wise it's quite a long way to walk, which is not that much fun given the heat and humidity!

Celebrating mum-in-law's birthday at Chyniis!

Chyniis.... where all the chinese go to eat (pardon the pun).

Anyway, we celebrated dear mum-in-law's birthday here back in August. Chyniis is in SStwo mall, this relatively new mall which hubby was involved in designing, and for which his company won an award, might I add! So proud of my hubby, heh :)

Back to the food. The food was good, as expected, but also rather pricey (again, as expected).

I like their Crispy Pork Belly with Rolled Chargrilled Cuttlefish. The textures of both main ingredients are quite similar though, i.e. both are crispy and sticky, so it might get too much for the palate after a while. Better in smaller portions, I would think.

We also tried their Baked Giant River Prawns with 'Dang Gui' and Butter; a rather interesting dish, but I'm not a big fan of anything 'herbal-ly' so I guess I'll stick to their 'sang har meen' if I dine there again. Now that, is REALLY good.

Overall, a great night out with good food, and good company.

Happy birthday mum-in-law! We love you! :)

Visit to the KL Zoo

Believe it or not, but I've actually never been to the KL Zoo before. The Singapore Zoo yes, but not the KL one.

We thought it was a good idea to continue the experience with animals, so we decided to take the children to the zoo. The reviews I came across were generally not that good, so I reminded the hubby to go with lower expectations.

First up were the giraffes; we were walking round the bend and there they were- such beautiful, elegant creatures. Think No.1 was quite stunned to see them! Haha.

Free range birds? ;)

Some of the 'majestic' animals like the lions and tigers really did look rather sad. One lion looked like it was malnourished, poor thing.

Camel- aptly sponsored by AmBank Group

I think the orang utan enclosure was the most well-maintained one in the entire zoo. At least they looked fairly happy. We spent a lot of time there, since there was a small rest area where we could take a break and feed the children.

Call me weird, but my favourite section in zoos are the reptiles. There's just something about them- scary yet fascinating as the same time. And you can see them up close behind the safety of a glass window. Heh.

Overall, I really would not have that many good things to say about this zoo. Some of the enclosures were dark and dirty- as they were for the bears. I felt so sorry for them. Even I felt depressed walking through the area; can't imagine what it is like for those poor animals.

Then again, if I recall correctly, apparently this zoo is not really funded by the government, and they source for funding on their own. If that is true, I guess they're already trying their best, to manage with what they have.

Groupon craze!

I've recently discovered the wonders of shopping online for discounted deals. It's highly highly addictive and it's come to the stage where I check all my favourite websites every day. Yikes.

And there are so many of them- Groupon, MyDeal, Everyday, Milkadeal, Streetdeal, ILoveDiscounts, etc!

I've made some purchases as well, and I've used some of the vouchers, including some for a Japanese meal, a big tub of Lecka-Lecka gelato at 50% off, hairdressing services and a massage. Not too bad, although one must be careful with the food-related discounts. I really didn't think that the Japanese meal deal was 'worth it'- so to speak- as it didn't feel like a genuine discount. Perhaps the portions were scaled down, or the original price of the meal on the discount website was inflated. Hmmm.

Overall, I think this new hobby of mine has resulted in me spending more $$$! Sigh.

Sing-Along!

Our little boy loves to sing. When he was younger, he loved to do what I call 'fill-in-the-blanks' singing, which goes something like this:

Us: Twinkle twinkle little..

Him: *STAR*

Us: How I wonder what you

Him: *ARE*

....

You get the idea. Hehe.

Now that he's older, he's can sing entire songs, complete with a pretty decent tune, and it's just so cute to watch.

Some of the things that he can sing (either whole or in part):

- Twinkle twinkle little star

- This old man

- London Bridge

- BINGO

- Yankee Doodle

- ABC song

- Head & shoulders

- One, two, three, four, five

- Sing a song of sixpence

I'm sure I've missed some; but this is all I can recall off-hand...

His favourite? I would say 'Yankee Doodle', since he wants that to be sung to him at night when we pat him to sleep!

Sigh. He can be so cute sometimes! :)

Visiting the KL Bird Park

We made a trip to the KL Bird Park during the fasting month, with the hope that there wouldn't be too many people there. And we were quite right!

We got there nice and early, and it was nice walking around before it got too hot. The park was shadier than I expected, which was a nice surprise.

The first area we stepped into was the Love Aviary. There were some birds flying freely, so that got everyone excited! Some of them were just gorgeous-Sun Conures, if I recall correctly.

Such a funny photo!

We had a really great time at the Bird Park. We had loads of fun feeding the parrots, and there was even an area where we could get up close and personal with little chicks and ducklings! I think it's a really great idea for kids to see and touch the little birds, especially for city kids who have rather limited exposure to nature. Needless to say, our little boy spent a lot of time watching them.

We managed to get some great photos as well, thanks to hubby, even though the zoom on our DSLR sucks. (We would really like to upgrade our lens, but it's sooo expensive! Sigh.) He made the effort to get close enough, and position the shot so that the cage wires don't look too obvious, which certainly takes some skill.

What a great day! :)